The Most Magical Marathon

Disney Marathon Weekend has come and gone ... and I am still able to move!!! While some hard core endurance runners may not be too impressed with my time, I'm happy with my accomplishments. It was my 3rd full marathon, and each time I have improved my time. My first one I walked, with a sprained ankle, for most of it and finished right around the 7 1/2 hour mark...not pretty at all. My second, Disney Marathon 2007, I finished in 6 hours 26 minutes with blisters all over my poor feet. This year, however, I finished in 6 hours and 17 minutes feeling fine (muscle soreness and a small bit of chafing in a strange place, but nothing major at all). I even danced, jumped, and worked up another sweat at the victory party because I felt so good! Here is how my day went on Sunday -

1:30am - Hubby wakes up and starts the shower. Being on night shift normally, he wasn't really able to sleep all night even though I didn't have to get up until 2am.

2am - Even though I've been awake for a little while, the alarm goes off and I officially get up and start getting everything ready. Race Ready capris, singlet with all my ribbons, Garmin, toe socks, Sharkies, sport beans, Luna moons, muscle fuel, sun block, chap stick, ear phones, iPhone, band aids, hand warmers, salt packets, ID tag on my shoe, emergency info on the back of my race number... check check and check. Make hot water in the coffee maker for my oatmeal and shovel it in.

2:40am - Robin knocks on the door to get me so we can start walking towards the meeting area. Chris is busy making a sign for me, "Go Princess Nicole!" Could he be any cuter? haha

3:00am - Robin and I meet the rest of the Team in Training full marathoners for pictures.

3:15am - Get on the bus headed toward the start line. "Are we nervous yet?"

3:30am - Arrive at Epcot staging area, find a place for our team to gather, stretch, and warm up. Eat my banana.

4:00am - Hubby surprises me by arriving early and meeting me in the staging area! YAY!! I told you he was sweet! :)

4:30am - Check our finish line bags,use the porta potty (3 times), and start the LONG walk towards the corrals. Seriously, that has to be nearly 2 miles right there...can't that count towards our 26.2??

5:00 - In the corral, huddled together for warmth, eat my granola bar and shake up my muscle fuel in the bottle of water I brought. Looking around at all the people who are running this thing with us. Thousands of people of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life getting ready to run over 26 miles. Some for personal glory, some to prove to themselves that they can, some for charity, and some just because they thought it would be fun (?fun!?!). Whatever the reason, we were all here, waiting anxiously for the start.

5:45am - Wheelchair start. WOW are they FAST!!! Can I hitch a ride?

5:50am - official start. Fireworks, fire blasts into the sky, Micky, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald there to wish us all luck and get this thing rolling! Unfortunately, there was a split start and the spectators were only allowed on the far right hand side - I was put on the far left hand side so even though Hubby was there, we didn't see each other :( I called him after I passed where he should have been and he decided to go on to mile 9 and get a good spot to make sure we could find each other.

Mile 1 through 5 - Feeling GREAT! Adrenaline is pumping and I can't believe we've already done a few miles! Running though Epcot with all the lights in the sidewalk and the "golf ball" illuminated was definitely a cool thing to see to get you motivated!

Mile 5 - Still feeling pretty good but Erin (the girl I was running with) and I decided it was time for yet another potty break. The line for the porta potty wasn't short, and stopping sucked but we decided that not stopping would suck worse later if we didn't stop now! The worst part was trying to hold your breath as to not inhale the aromatic fumes in the porta potty and squat over the seat so as to not actually touch it all while out of breath and with tired legs. We get to take this 8 minutes off our final time right?

Mile 6 - On the road to Magic Kingdom, not nearly as cool as being in the park but we do go over an overpass with runners running under making for a very cool picture. Erin stops to snap a picture (I have asked for a copy) and we keep on going towards Magic Kingdom.

Mile 9 - Right at the sign for mile nine is my awesome husband with his "Princess Nicole" sign, and of course a kiss for luck and encouragement!

Miles 10 and 11 - Through the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's castle! Lots of energy, people cheering, characters dancing, go...go...go... :)

Mile 13.1 - Half way there!!! I'm feeling great but Erin isn't. She's hurting and feeling nauseous. I gave her a salt packet hoping that it would help her to get some sodium in her. She said she felt better after a water stop. Worried that it was her Sharkies that was making her feel this way, she was afraid to take more. I worried that this wasn't a good idea. Her body will need fuel to finish the race!

Mile 15 - Animal Kingdom! The cast members have live animals on the course to chear us on! Goats, sheep, parrots... Erin still isn't feeling great but is hanging on. She loves the animals!

Mile 16 - Another potty stop for Erin. I didn't need to go so I took the time to stretch out a little and text message a few friends as to our progress!

Miles 16 through 19 - Erin isn't doing good. She is no longer able to keep our 3:1 pace but isn't giving up. We see Coach Michele at a medical tent at mile 19 helping another group of Brevard TnT gals with a few issues. Erin is finally able to convince me to go on without her (Only because Michele promised me that she would stay with her) so I ran on with Cathy, Shelly, Ashley, and one other girl doing 4:1's

Mile 19 through 24 - I'm doing OK hanging with the group running 4:1's even though Erin and I had been doing 3:1's

Mile 24 - I found the wall!! I'm not sure what happened but around mile 24 the wind came out of my sails! I suddenly felt DEAD! I wasn't about to give up and quit but I could no longer hang with the 4:1 group and fell a little behind.

Mile 24 through 26 - I was behind the group but never really out of sight of the group. I had to slow down a bit and walk a bit more but I never gave up all together. I refused to let myself "walk the rest of it." Instead, when I needed a break, I picked out a time or a landmark and walked until I reached that point and started to jog again.

Mile 26 - Only two tenths of a mile left! I can see (and HEAR) the finish line!!!!! Hubby told me he would be there but I can't find him. Knowing he is there to see me finish is a great feeling even though I can't see him. I see the race clock in front of me and it isn't the time I had hoped for but I know it is still better than last year's and I'm feeling pretty good!

26.2 - FINISH LINE!!!!!! So happy to be done, proud of what I have done, and ready for an ice bath! The weight of the Micky medal on my neck feels amazing! Pose the for picture with the medal, one hand holding the medal, the other hand in a Sign Language "I Love You" sign for my Daddy,and I'm off to find Hubby.

After the race, even though I felt SO much better than after previous marathons, walking through the parking lot to my husbands truck was quite a trip, but not nearly as funny as I'm sure the scene was with me trying to get into my husband's big Redneck Truck!! THEN, after we arrive at the hotel, I have to climb up a flight of stairs to get to my room!! WHO PUT THOSE THERE!?!?!

Hubby started a luke-warm bath for me to get into and then started slowly filling it up with ice in order to ice down my poor legs. I wouldn't ever get into an ice cold bath, but if I start off luke warm and then add the ice, I'm OK. I also poured about a cup and a half of Apple Cider Vinegar into the bath (for some reason, it really works!) and soaked until my legs were numb - about 20 minutes. I then stood and showered off in a luke warm (which felt really hot after that ice) shower to wash out my hair and get rid of the vinegar smell.

6:00 - 8:00 pm - The Victory Party was a BLAST! Believe it or not, I was on the dance floor doing the twist, the cha cha slide, the electric slide, the conga line, and even "How low can you go?" although my low wasn't very low! The DJ had all the cancer survivors come to the dance floor at one point and played "I will survive" as they all danced together. It was a great sight to remind us all why we were there! (The picture is of the survivors dancing)

8:30pm - A few Tylenol PM's to knock out some of the soreness, and I hit the hay right after the party.

It's possible that had Erin not had such a bad race and needed to stop, we could have made less than 6 hours, but all in all I'm happy. I am glad I didn't leave Erin until I knew that someone was there to keep her company, those miles can be very lonely when you are feelig crappy and have no one to keep you going.

Yesterday and today I feel OK. Only one small blister on my toe and my body definitely knows it worked hard, but I'm not dieing and I'm not cursing the day I decided to sign up for this crazy thing called a marathon. In fact, yesterday, I signed up for a 1/2 marathon in March!

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham

Marathon Packing

I have 4 things that I HAVE to do tonight: Finish my homework, pack for the weekend, paint my name and make the ribbons for my singlet, and of course WATCH THE GATOR GAME!!!!!

This weekend should be interesting, as all marathon weekend are! My husband is actually going to be here for this race, his first (my fourth), so he will actually get to see me cross the finish line and see all of the craziness both before and after. So that you can see just how crazy it should be (and to help myself stay organized), here is my packing list, and what bag it goes in!

Finish Line Bag: When I go to pick up my entry packet, Disney wil give me an "official" bag to put items into that will be transported to the finishline ready for me when I cross. So that I don't forget anything, I pack these all together in a different bag then I just transfer it all over.

biofreeze
Endurox Recovery Drink
warm shirt/jacket
flip flops
Excedrine
Money/ID
The Stick
Transportation Bracelets

Race Ready's My shorts are from a company called "Race Ready" and have cool pockets all over it for all of the things I need on my 26.2 mile run. Here is what will go into those pockets:

salt packets
Sport Beans (3 packs)
Sharkies (3 packs)
earphones
iPhone
bandaids
Advcare Packet
Water (drunk before we actually start running)
Sunblock
Handwarmers


Running Clothes
race ready's
toe socks (pack 2 pair just in case it rains - one pair will be dry in a plastic baggie)
TnT singlet
sports bra ;)
Brookes shoes
Garmin Forerunner 305 HRM
Throw-away sweater for the start of the race


Other General Packing
cell phone charger
camera & camera charger
personal items
Change of clothes for Saturday
Change of clothes for Sunday post race
Purple dress for Victory party
Extra change of clothes just in case
Food (it's Disney, which means everything is expencive!)
swimsuit
epsom salt
bubble bath (to hide the smell of the Apple Cider Vinegar)
Apple Cider Vinegar (Pour in an ice bath to help get rid of sore muscles)
Tylenol PM
Waiver (can't run without it!!)
Pasta Party tickets
Victory Party Tickets
Transportation bracelets
Massage pad

A Christmas Miracle- a true stoy and why I run!!!

Please read this, a friend sent this to me (after the rough-tough military man stopped crying). Then I decided to post it when I finally stopped crying. It is a true story and why I can't give up. Too many people out there need the help, and more importantly, the HOPE!

Three years ago, a little boy & his grandmother came to see Santa at the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, & saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed."She misses you," he added softly.Santa tried to be cheerful & encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas..

When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, & started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but .." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors."The girl in the photograph.... my granddaughter well, you see ... she has leukemia & isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked & swallowed hard & told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, & he would see what he could do.

Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do."What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys & girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital.

"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day."C'mon.... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.

Rick drove them to the hospital & came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall. Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door & saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother & the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, & Santa could sense the warmth & closeness of the family, & their love & concern for Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, & forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!" "Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.

Santa rushed to her side & gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder & excitement. Her skin was pale & her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, & he had to force himself to choke back tears.

Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps & quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he & Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes.

Santa & Sarah talked & talked, & she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, & asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement & the entire family circled around Sarah's bed,holding hands.

Santa looked intensely at Sarah & asked her if she believed in angels."Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed."Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you," he said. Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes & prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, & heal her body from this disease.He asked that angels minister to her, watch & keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright."

The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, & crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again & held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.

"Now, Sarah, "he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, & that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, & I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!"

He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE."

Yes, Santa! "Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down & kissed her on the forehead & left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them & they wept unashamedly.Sarah's mother & grandmother slipped out of the room quickly & rushed to Santa's side to thank him."My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is the least I could do."

They nodded with understanding & hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by & then one day a child came up to sit on his lap."Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her.After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment."

You came to see me in the hospital last year!"

Santa's jaw dropped.Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, & he grabbed this little miracle & held her to his chest.

"Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long & silky & her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before.

He looked over & saw Sarah's mother & grandmother in the sidelines smiling & waving & wiping their eyes.That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope.

This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive & well. He silently looked up to Heaven & humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas! Thank you for making Miracles like this come true.

Merry Christmas

PS. If you have a Miracle, story of inspiration or hope please reply and share it.

My Christmas Wish List

When I was little, I loved Christmas for all of the gifts that we got as well as all the cousins that came over that I could play with. Christmas was about getting gifts and being with family to a little girl's eyes. But as I have grown older (and hopefully wiser), I've realized that Christmas really isn't about giving either. It's about wishing. Unfortunately, I as a person, am unable to give most people what I want them to have. Not because I can't afford it, but because there is no price tag on the items I wish them to have. So here is my revised Christmas Wish List:

To all my friends in the armed forces: My wish for you is peace. Peace of mind, peace and quiet, and a peaceful holiday. Not everyone understands your sacrifice or what it is you must do. You sacrifice not only your physical life, but your emotional life and family life as well. You have my respect, my love, and all my hopes for the future. Keep your head down and always come home safe.

To other military spouses: I also wish peace upon you. A peace of mind that only comes when you know your loved one is safe. It is a difficult life we have chosen and those we love couldn't do what they have to do without the love and support from the home front. Raise your chins high and know that you hold a very special position in the military and that you are admired for your sacrifices as well.

To my friends in other service jobs; Cops, firefighters, EMS, security, etc... You also risk your lives on a daily basis for those you don't know and those who may not be appreciative of your sacrifice. I wish for you safety and much deserved appreciation. You have my respect and admiration for your job well done.

To my fellow educators: I wish patience. We have a stressful, yet highly rewarding job that often requires more patience than we actually have to keep our sanity in tack! Have a restful, relaxing, and rejuvenating holiday break and come back fresh in January ready to take on the world... or at least a classroom full of very important lives!

To my friends/family in other countries: Most of you are away from home doing the Lord's work while others are serving our country in one way or another. I wish for you success in whatever your endeavors and that you touch and affect many lives for the better. Know that you are missed but loved and everyone "back home" is proud of the amazing work you do.

To my "online" friends: Some of you I only know through your blogs or other means of computer communication such as a chat room or forum. I've hooked up with you for various reasons. Some perhaps on my journey to learn how to cook, while others are military wives who have helped support me when Hubby is gone. Other are there for me on my weight and running journeys. You've helped me tremendously and I thank you for that. My wish for you is that I or someone else out there in cyber world be as helpful to you as you have been to me...oh and may your modem always be fast!

To my "real life" friends: You have been there for me when I was lower than low and helped me to stay grounded when I was high on life. You've picked me up and encouraged me to go out be it with a girls night out, a girls night in, or just a long in depth phone call at odd hours of the day or night. No one could make it in this world without friends and I have the best of the best. I wish for you the energy to continue to do the things you love, the light of God to help you along your path, and of course, a few rounds of Chocolate Martini's!!

To my family: Thank you so much for all of the love and support you have given me in my life's journey. It hasn't been an easy one and I have fallen many times. I praise God that you have been there to pick me back up again. I wish for you love, happiness, grace, and peace as well as the patience to continue to put up with me! :)

To my husband: I love you more than I could ever express in words. You have helped me in more ways than you can imagine, both physically and emotionally. You are my best friend, my love, and my hero. I wish you happiness, love, plenty of time to go camping, lots of ammo, and of course... bananas and grapes :) I love you!

I asked my family not to worry so much about gifts for me this year, but instead t donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society via my donation page. Several of them did and I am so grateful to them for that. he greatest gift in the world that I would wish for myself, my family, and anyone else who has suffered due to cancer is to find new treatments and hopefully a cure for cancers like my father's, my brother's, my friend Dominic's, Alex's, and little Gracie's. As of this morning, I am only $121.10 short of my Christmas goal of raising $3000 for LLS. Not too shabby if I do say so myself! If you'd like to help make my Christmas wish come true, check out My Reason to Run and donate a few bucks if you are able.

My wish for everyone is to have a Blessed Christmas season. Live, Laugh, Love!

The ups and downs of a 20 mile run.

It is still amazing to me how many highs and lows one goes through in a long run such as the run I had this morning. Today was make-up 20 mile run, which is the longest training run we have prior to the Marathon in January. Last week was the official 20 miler but I was SICK and a few others missed it too so we made it up today.

Usually we wouldn't "make up" a missed run, just catch up with whatever the group is doing the week we come back. However, while a 20 mile run isn't physically necessary to train for a marathon, often it is mentally needed. First time marathon runners can get pretty freaked out by the mention of these longer miles and 20 seems SOOO much further than 18 for some reason.

I've done marathons before so I know what it feels like to go 20 miles (and 26.2 also), but I still wanted to do it, plus one of my running partners was unable to finish the 20 miler the week before and wanted to do it so I decided to go ahead and do it with her.

The first few miles SUCK. There is no easy way around it. My body is screaming in protest. "Why are you awake this early on a Saturday? Why aren't we comfy and cozy in bed or at least on the couch? What the heck is this repetitive jarring motion? OMG...ARE YOU RUNNING!?!?!?!"

Once my body has given in to the fact that yes I'm awake, yes we are out of bed, and yes I am running (and will be for a while), I am able to settle into a comfortable pace and actually enjoy the running. This finally happened around mile 3 or so and carried me through until about mile 11 or 12. There are of course a few small ups and down within this time but they are still to be considered more up than down, even if the water stops are the best sights in the world.

For some reason mile 12 seems to hold a sort of a wall for me. Not THE WALL that is made out of brick and takes a bulldozer to get through, but a smaller, shorter wall, more of a hurdle, that I still need to get over. This is where the aches and pains first start showing up. Not screaming ones, just little annoying pings of dull pain at this point.

Again, a mile or two later, the dull pinging pain is gone (or I'm numb to it) and I'm doing OK again. However, near the end of the run, in this case, mile 18 is the ever-present, daunting WALL (yes, this is THE WALL). Everything hurts and your body as well as your mind is screaming "WHY OH WHY!?" In an actual marathon it seems to come around mile 20, but for some reason, when you are only doing 20, it hit around 18. Nothing wants to move. It hurts to keep running, however, completely different muscles hurt to walk. At this point it hurts just to be alive and short of changing that state, you must decide which muscles hurt more, the walking or the running ones. It usually changes so you go back and forth between running (shuffling) and walking (dragging your feet) until you get your second wind.

Once you realize that you are actually very close to the end and you CAN make it, spirits lift and the aches and pains seems to dissipate a bit, not completely - they don't completely go away for a day or so haha - but they seem to pale a bit in your pure joy of being almost done. This carries you through the finish line where you can happily collapse amongst cheers and congratulations of your teammates who only did 14 miles (yes, ONLY 14), because they completed their 20 mile run the week before.

It's all for a good cause, it's all for a good cause, it's all for a good cause, it's all for a good cause...

Spa!

I had my Body Shop at Home party last night as part of my fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Not very many people showed up though :( I understand however, it was on a Thursday and lots of my friends have kids and other things they have to do during the week. That's OK, the four of us that were here had a blast!

I could still use some fundraising dollars to put towards LLS, and Christmas is coming up soon, so if you'd like to check out the web page and perhaps buy an item or two for yourself or as a gift, a portion of every sale will go towards funding cancer research and directly helping patients! Just mention my name (Nicole A) in the notes section during checkout!

Spa Party Fundraiser

On Thursday I am having a Body Shop at Home party. It should be a lot of fun with some good friends, not to mention raising money for a good cause. You see, instead of getting all the hostess gifts for myself, I am donating the money to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of my dad and my brother and to support my marathon.

The Body Shop has a lot of great NATURAL products, but at this party, Sara, my friend and the consultant, will highlight the spa products. I can't wait to see what she brings with her! A few weeks ago I went to another party she did for another friend of mine and there she focused on the foot products. She had some amazing pepermint foot scrubs, sprays, and lotions to pamper your tootsies. I ordered a few things hoping to help my poor feet after abusing them with all of my running.

I know most of you won't be able to come to my house to be a part of this great girl's night out. However, you can still pamper yourself and help out LLS. By visiting Sara's Body Shop Website and mentioning my name (Nicole A), a portion of your purchase will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

This morning's training went fairly well. I again didn't do the full 12 miles, but dropped off at 8 miles. I didn't get any training in at all this week so I didn't want to push it too far since I didn't do so hot last week either. My goal is to get back on track with my eating and working out and step up my training!

7 miles!

Yesterday's training went really well! :) We went 7 miles and Cathy, Shelly, and I managed to do it in an hour 20 minutes! Not bad for 1 who has never run more than a 10K (6.2 miles), one who has done a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) but has never trained for a marathon before and is having hip issues, and me who hasn't really trained to run or run farther than a 10K in a year and a half!

My only issue was blisters. I know I need new shoes and I have been putting it off for a while now. Shin splints are the first sign of good running shoes going bad (or just not good running shoes), and I've been having those off and on for a little while now and yesterday I got my first blister with these shoes >pout< I guess it is time to head to The Running Zone to check out the goods. I'm sure I will end up with more Adrenaline's since I am on my 2nd pair already and love them. It is recomended that you replace running shoes every 400 miles or so in order to take the best care of your feet/legs/back/body and I have had these a while. I'm sure I'm pushing 500 or more miles.

If you checked out that link you will probably see why I have been putting off getting a new pair. They are the most expensive pair of shoes I own! But, If I am going to ask (require) my feet to carry me for over 26 miles, I need to take care of them. I will however, ONLY wear my new running shoes to run/train in, but I keep my "used" running shoe to walk around in and do errands around town and all since there really isn't anyhing too wrong with them except the "shocks" are going out on them. The "walking around town" pair that I have now will get donated to the Running Zone who will redistribute them to needy kids/adults who have no shoes to wear at all. See how this all works? Similar to how I redistributed my swimsuits in HS. This year's team suit would become next year's training suit and the following years drag suit (an old, worn out suit you wear over your suit to increase drag during practice). It's all in the circle of life...just wish it wasn't so expencive!

After shoes, my next goal is to get and try out a running skirt like this one! How cute would it be to run in a skirt after all?! :)

Team in Training update

It's been a little while now so I thought I should update you on how I am doing with my fourth season with Team in Training - The 2009 Disney Marathon.

My training could be going a lot better. The team has had 4 trainings so far. Week 1 I only walked because I was going to a Capoeira class afterwards and running a 10K the next day. Perfectly good reasons to slack a bit at group practice because believe me, I worked my tail off at class and in the 10K the next day. That week I trained well on my own as well and got in a few 2-3 mile runs and another capoeira class. Week 2 was a 40 minute group training. I did well. I was running with a bigger group of other alumni doing 4:1's (running four minutes and walking a minute...then repeat numerous times). We even managed to get a negative split. We went out 20 minutes and turned around and were back at the start in slightly under 20 minutes (OK, so it was only about 30 seconds under but it was UNDER making our second split faster than our first by 30 seconds!). That week I was OK for a while. I got in a good run and weight workout on Monday, ran again on Tuesday, and by Wednesday I was feeling...off. Not sick exactly just exhausted and not right. I fought it all week but come time for Saturday morning practice I decided that I really shouldn't push it. It would be better to miss an early practice where the miles aren't too long rather than miss, and try to make up on my own, an 18 mile run! So I stayed home and slept, hoping to fight off whatever it was that I was fighting. It seemed to work and by Monday I felt fine again. I again got in a great run and weight workout on Monday, used Tuesday as a rest day and planned on going to Capoiera on Wednesday. However, I never made it to capoeira (Chris wasn't feeling well, I had a ton of homework, it was storming, excuses, excuses, excuses) and by Thursday I was sick. Full blown, all out, down right sick. Headache. Congested head. Alternating running or stuffy nose. Sneezing. Coughing. Yep, my sinuses had kicked in full force. I loaded up on the nose spray, Clairitin, and OJ and did my best to make it through work the rest of the week. This morning I woke up and contemplated not going to practice again, but despite my body's better judgement, I went "just to see." I ended up walking 4 miles rather than running the 5 miles I should have, but I figure they should just be happy I was mobile at all! Eventually I'll kick this and kick it in gear!

That's me in the middle with my ponytail swinging during week 2 group training!

Unlike my training, my fundraising is going well. I have just over $1,200 so I'm almost 1/2 way to my goal of $3,000! This has been mostly due to wonderful friends and family who have donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on behalf of my Team in Training efforts. I also have raised quite a bit on my fundraising CafePress store (www.cafepress.com/trisomethingnew). So far the store has been my only fundraising endeavor other than my letter-writing campaign where I mailed out 100 letters or so to close friends and family, and those not so close whose address I happened to have, asking for a donation. Next week I am planning a car wash with some other members of my team so hopefully we will make some money then too! If you still haven't donated and want to (or if you have but want to donate more) you can always just visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/cfl/wdw09/nalbritton and make a secure online donation (it can even be anonymous!) The site won't show that I am up to $1,200 quite yet because I just mailed the rest of the checks in, so give it a little time to catch up!

Wish me luck with kicking this sinus infection so I can get back to kicking asphalt! Thanks to everyone who has supported me through donations, well wishes, and prayers!!

My reasons to run AGAIN

Nearly five years ago my family got a life changing shock. We learned that my father has cancer. He wasn't told he has just any old cancer, he has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a very aggressive, hard to treat, terminal form of blood cancer. He was told he probably only had about 3 years to live, but he decided from day one that he was going to fight. As a "Daddy's Girl" it has been particularly hard on me to see my rock have to fight for his very life.

Then, not long after that, in November of 2004, I had yet another blow. I received a phone call right before I had to go to work. My step brother, Carl, was in the hospital fighting for his life. A tumor no one knew he had suddenly crushed his windpipe and made it impossible for him to breath on his own. He had also been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Seeing him lying in a hospital bed with breathing tubes was a hard pill to swallow. Here was the boy who only a few years before had looked up at me with innocent eyes and asked me "Can I call you my big sister too?"

Both my dad and Carl are doing great. Daddy, beating the odds, is still terminal yet still fighting and refusing to give up. He's gone through chemo, radiation, experimental drugs, a stem cell transplant, and in January was lucky enough to receive a bone marrow transplant thanks to an anonymous donor. Carl is in remission and is living life as a normal seventeen year old boy, complete with driver's license and girlfriend!

However, the circle of life continues and every day someone else receives the terrifying news that they or a loved one has been diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma. Only a short while ago, a dear friend of mine e-mailed with the news that her fiance, Dominic, had been diagnosed with Lymphoma and was beginning treatments the following day.

It is for this reason that I am continuing my personal battle against these diseases by continuing to be a part of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. Team in Training fund raises for LLS while training to complete endurance events such as marathons, triathlons, and century bike rides. The money raised by Team in Training athletes goes towards funding the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's mission: to find a cure for blood cancers and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. This season will be my fourth season with this amazing group and I will be training to complete the Disney half marathon in January 2009. More than 823,000 Americans are battling blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.

Alex, a teenager in Titusville who is in remission from Leukemia, will be our team's honorary coach. Alex has worked with Team in Training for many years and is a great inspiration to all of us as we train and run our events. His smiling face is a great sight at the finishline.

My goal is to raise $3,000 or more by this Christmas. While I plan to have many fundraising events such as garage sales and bucket drops, I am also asking for the help of my family and friends. If it is within your means and in your hearts to do so, please make a tax deductible donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society in support of my efforts by visiting

http://pages.teamintraining.org/cfl/wdw09/nalbritton

Every penny helps and there is no gift that is too small. If you would like to see your company's logo or a personal message on the back of the jerseys of ALL the Central Florida Team in Training athletes by becoming a corporate sponsor, please let me know!

I will of course put the web site on my list of favorites on the sidebar!

I am Triathlete...Hear me Roar!

Now you guys can not only say that you know a marathoner, but a marathoner/triathlete! WHOOO HOOOOOOOO

Yesterday I completed the Disney Triathlon at Fort Wilderness. It was a .9 mile swim, a 36 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run and I did it in 5 hours haha :)

I was never TOO concerned about the swim portion. My only issue with the swim was people all around me as I'm trying to swim. I'm used to swimming in a pool with lanes...or with my team, even when we did open water swims in the river I would pull out in front of everyone but like 1 other person, so there was no one around me. I had a mini panic attack to begin with with everyone so close, being kicked in the stomach and nearly swam over (seriously, the one chick nearly swam on top of me!) before I was able to kick my way out (literally) and get my own spot and into a stride. Once I did get going, I was OK. I ran into one of the buoys though haha!!! It was the last one before the finish and I literally hit it with my head, knocked my already-starting-to-come-off swim cap off (my goggles were under my cap to prevent them from being kicked off - a tip I got from another triathlete). So I swam the last 75 yards or so with my swim cap in my hand!

Transition from Swim to Bike was : Run up the beach (sand) onto the road (concrete) and for about 200 yards to the transition area...all barefoot! Good thing I'm a country girl and ran around barefoot my entire life!

The bike was BRUTAL! In the interest of safety, the bike was upped from the normal 24 mile ride to a freaking 36 mile ride. 12 extra miles that were hilly! YUCK! Every time I thought "this has to be the last hill" I was wrong! For some reason I really hit a wall on the bike. I knew going in that the the cycle part was going to be my worst leg but for some reason I couldn't seem to get into that "runners high" (which yes happens on the bike too) and was just stuck in the "bite me zone" for most of it. By the time I hit mile 20 I was ready to cry, throw my bike, and curse out the next person who zoomed by me saying "On the left" lol but I got over it and was never so happy in my life to get off of a bike!

Transitioning from bike to run was funny. Can you say JELLY LEGS!?!?! I nearly fell when I did get off the bike! haha But I ran my bike up to the transition area (probably an extra 100 yds that you weren't allowed to ride, you had to be off your bike). Since I'm too chicken to clip into my bike, I didn't have to change shoes for the run so my 2nd transition was pretty fast to start the run...ok...in my case the slow jog/walk.

The run was a loop that you had to do twice, and part of it, probably about 1/2 to 3/4 miles were in ankle length grass with holes and ditches and crap. It started raining also so the grass was wet...great excuse for me to not run (didn't want to risk twisting my ankle after all) but now my shoes/socks/feet are wet and squishing. I somehow managed not to get a blister, although I do have a sore spot where I keep expecting a blister to pop up but it hasn't.

Finishing was great! My coaches were there as well as the teammates who finished before me to cheer me in the last little bit. It wasn't as big as the marathon finish but it was just as sweet!

Lessons learned for my next (yes there will be another) Triathlon:
Sunblock is my friend! I have the most hysterical tan lines from my shorts now as well as my shoulders and down my arms. We were body marked so the number "904" can clearly be seen on my arm as well as the square where my Team in Training tattoo was.

Wet and tired is not the time to be fiddling with safety pins and attempting to pin a number on your chest! I definitely want a race belt. No one told me anything about them and I never thought about how I was going to put my race number on after the swim.

I need an aero bar. My shoulders are still killing me!

Don't fear clipping in! If I ever plan to do a century ride, in addition to aero bars, I have to bite the bullet, get the pedals and shoes, and learn how to clip into my bike.

Bring real food. I had plenty of water, sports drinks, gu, and sport beans but I was so hungry for some reason near the end of the bike. I would have killed for a granola bar! And yes...I did eat breakfast!