A Blip in my plan

So, I think all the holiday eating has taken its toll on me.

Unfortunately, my dad couldn't run with me on Sunday morning, so I woke up a 8:50 to run 8 miles alone. Immediately, I knew I wasn't on my best game. My legs were sore (from running on the beach two days prior, I think) and my body was just not feeling into it. I managed a mere 4 miles before I called it quits. Sometimes, we just can't fight our bodies and Sunday was one of those days. You can only push yourself so far so many times. I ran almost 16 miles easily a week ago. Yet yesterday, I was pushing myself to finish 4.

With my marathon a short 4 weeks ago, I suppose I should be worried...but I'm not. I have one more big run ahead of me before the marathon and that's the 20-miler. I know I can finish that. And because I know I can finish it, I know I can finish 26.2 miles. I don't even consider my experience yesterday a setback, I just consider it a blip.

18 miles down...sort of :/

So, I am a bit pissed off at myself and my dad. For some reason, we thought that one of the loops we run was 8.6 miles. Both he and I had, at some point, clocked the loop to be 8.6 So, we ran two loops plus a 1 mile loop. W actually felt pretty great running in the AWESOME weather this Sunday.

The hard part wasn't the being tired, because we really weren't. The hard part for me was my legs hurting. It's like my legs hated me...my knees, feet, ankles...oy vey. But we managed to finish our "18" miles! Then, a few hours later, my dad mapped the run and said the loop we ran was actually only 7.1 miles, meaning we only ran a total of 15.5 miles, which is the same distance we ran two weeks ago. I was PISSED OFF.

Anyway, I have gotten over it, i think. Because honestly, at this point, I know there is no stopping me from finishing the 26.2 miles on January 31st. And my knee was basically broken all day yesterday from the 15.5 mile run; who knows how much worse it would have been if we ran an additional 2.5 miles.

We have one more big run to go before the marathon and it's a 20 mile run in three weeks. I am glad at this point that we are coming to the end of the crazy long runs because I think two more may be my body's limit. I am 22 and after running I feel like I'm 80 years old.

Make way for the giggling runners!

I ran with Danny again yesterday! We decided to check out his route, which I have never run before. He had me running over an overpass that goes over I-75, which I thought would be similar to running up a hill. But really, it wasn't difficult at all.

Highlights of the run include:
1) Learning way too much personal information about Danny
2) Gossiping about old friends
3) Stepping into about a foot of mud
4) Laughing my ass off

Great run. It really sucks, though, that I find an awesome running buddy and he is moving to Chicago in two weeks for grad school :(

Ryan Runs the Distance!

You know you have an awesome boyfriend when he agrees to run 10 miles with you. Ryan, who doesn't have much long distance running under his belt, ran the full distance with me last night. And oddly enough, he kep trying to run faster than me..until about mile 8, when he really started to feel it :)

He is very lucky that my dad is back in town to run 18 with me this Sunday!

Run Danny Run!

So, yesterday, I had so much fun running with Danny! We are going to try to run together every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Aside from almost getting run over by a car and running in pitch black through Sunshine Ranches, the run was fun and successful.

We ran 4 miles at a pretty quick pace and my foot didn't hurt one bit. And although Danny is almost double my height, we stayed at the same pace the whole way. I love finding good running partners. Yay!

In other news, Happy Hannukah everyone! Have a wonderful weekend.

Pain Pain Go Away!

My foot pain has subsided...yay! My foot is taped and I have been taking my meds and wearing my splint to bed, and I am pain-free...for now. I ran 4 miles yesterday on the treadmill and at an incline, and had no pain during or after my run. Very good news!

My next appointment is on the 16th and the doctor will let me know if all my swelling is gone. (He uses an ultrasound to do that!)

I'm just glad I am semi-normal once again and can walk without feeling pain. Four miles with Danny tonight, woohoo and 10 miles with Ryan on Sunday!

Hey injuries, leave me alone!

I have plantar fasciitis. Doctor taped my foot and prescribed medication. I have a splint to wear to bed now. If everything goes as planned, I will be healed in about a week. I can continue to run and cross train, which is great. I'm just not allowed to run super long distances, like my 18 mile run this Sunday, or wear flip flops or any other flat shoes.

Also, next week he will be making me orthotics (shoe inserts that mold to my feet) to help with ankle, knee and back pain. Thank goodness, because I'm starting to feel like an 80 year old woman with arthritis.

So, the good news is that the marathon is still on! Yay!

What a weekend!

This weekend was about the busiest weekend I've had in years. Check it out:

Thursday
-9:00 pm - Cousin Jeff and girlfriend Jessica arrive from NY
Friday
-7:30 am - wake up for work
-8:00 pm - Holiday party
-11:30 pm - bed
Saturday
-5:30 am - wake up to run 15.5 miles with dad
-12:15 pm - go watch the Gator game at Old key Lime House in West Palm
-8:30 pm - meet family for dinner at Cheesecake Factory
-11:00 pm - bed
Sunday
-8:45 am - wake up at to go to parents' house
-11:00 am - go to Dolphins game
-5:30 pm - parents house for dinner
-10:00 pm - bed

Good news is that I ran 15.5 miles and the Dolphins won. Bad news is that I think I have a bone spur in my heel or may even have plantar fasciitis. Shit shit shit. I'm going to a sports medicine podiatrist tomorrow morning to have it checked out.

More visible improvement!

So, a few weeks ago, before my half marathon, I was having issues with early morning runs. I was getting winded very quickly and was feeling exhausted after a mile.

Now, this is a non-issue! This morning, I woke up at 6:15, threw some clothes on, ate half a banana and was out the door. While I may not have run my fastest 4 miles ever, I completed my task with no problems whatsoever. My knee didn't even hurt, so I am hopeful that I will be pain-free during my 16 mile run tomorrow morning.

I will report back after the weekend with the details of my insanely long run. Happy Friday!

PS - Please help me raise $25k for Crohn's! It's so easy. Check out my previous post for all the details :)

Help me win $25k for my cause just by clicking!

Thank you so much for continuing to support my efforts to raise money for Crohn's and Colitis. Please take about 30 seconds to help me win $25k for my cause. It's super easy and would mean so much to me!

BECOME A FAN of Chase Community Giving by clicking the picture above, then, if you don't see the chairty immediately, click on the Chase Giving tab, TYPE "Crohns & Colitis International Research Foundation Inc" into the charity search box. Allow ACCESS, then VOTE! Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Rachel

No AC!?

How the hell am I supposed to run when the AC at the gym is off/broken. What is wrong with them!? I was about to die of heat stroke. So not cool 24 Hour Fitness...sooo not cool. Five miles was my absolute limit.

This makes me very thankful that it is finally December and the wather outside isn't as disgustingly hot as in the summer.

Pleased to announce...

I am very pleased to announce that I can now run 2 miles in 15 minutes! This is especially significant to me because when I was playing soccer in 10th grade (and was in the best shape of my life), we had to run 2 miles in under 15 mins. I was able to run it in about 14:30 and beat every other girl on both Varisty and JV. So, if I cut down my 2 mile time by only 30 teensy little seconds, I will officially be as in shape as I was 6 years ago! Except now, I not only can run fast, but I can also run far! :)

Oh and by the way, I just found out about http://www.mapmyrun.com, an awesome site that lets you plot your running (or walking) route and measure the exact distance. It's great for measuring routes you've run and also for finding new routes. Check it out!

Back into the swing of things!

Well, after a long Thanksgiving weekend, I am proud to say that I was able to stay on track with my training and work out 4 out of my 5 days in Berkeley. It was helpful that the gym at the Claremont hotel was so freakin' nice and each machine had its own TV, touch screen, fan and iPod charger.

It was also helpful that the wather was really nice so that the five of us (me, dad, brother, brother's gf, brother's gf's dad) could successfully finish our 4 mile run up and down a Berkeley hill.

Now it's back to the grind one again. Because we, unfortunately, could not get our 16 mile run in on Sunday because we had a noon flight, we are now behind a week and will be doing the run this weekend. Being behind a week, at this point, is no biggie. We only have to complete about 4 more long runs and we have 8 weeks to do it. I'm not worried. I am just hopeful that my knee will continue to be alright and nto give me problems!

Bump in the road

So, I hit my first bump in the road...figuratively. I got up at 6:30 am Sunday morning to go run 10 miles with my dad. At mile 2, my left knee started killing me as it had for a few miles of my half marathon. But this time, it was much worse. It felt like someone was stabbing the inside of me knee with a knife as I was running. Then, because I was trying to compensate by running a little bit differently(and very awkwardly), my hip started to hurt. This was becoming a very bad situation very quickly.

So, I had no choice. I had to cut my run (and my dad's run) short at 4.5 miles. I felt like crap because I have never had to cut a run short before. I know I am going have to see a sports medicine specialist about this and, hnestly, I am kind of freaking out. I am crossing my fingers that this knee issue is just a one (or two) time occurence that maybe only happens when I run in the mornings since my body isn't loose yet. If anyone knows of a good sports medicine doctor down in SoFla, please let me know! I really don't want to have to resort to the yellow pages.

In the meantime, I will continue to train on the eliptical and the treadmill and see what happens when I try to run outdoors in the afternoon as opposed to the morning. Have a fnatastuc Thanksgiving! I am off to Berkeley to visit my brother, and will be back Sunday!

Feng shui is everything!

I felt very out of sorts last night working out in a tiny apartment complex gym with 5 machines and one TV. The treadmill was so small that I had to hold on so I wouldn't fall off. After 20 minutes of that, I got really annoyed and moved to the bike which was much much better. I could also see the finale of Project Runway much better from that seat than the treadmill. Stupid poorly designed, non-feng shui gym.

Oh well, at least I got a work out in before shoving my face with newly discovered key lime pie publix frozen yogurt...mmmm. Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Yay for pictures, sprinting and fundraising!

First of all, I am so excited to have all the pictures from the race! They came out great and I love the action shots.

Secondly, yesterday I basically sprinted 2 miles, jogged, then sprinted up and down the street about 6 times. Yay for sprinting :/

Finally, I am thrilled that I have raised over $500 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. But, being that I'm trying to raise $5000 by January 31st, I need some fundraising ideas and help! Thoughts? Ideas? Experience?

Back on the wagon

My first day of training after my half marathon was actually not torturous at all. It was great. I was on the eliptical, working pretty hard, for 40 minutes. So, I am right back on the wagon and the marathon training continues. Yippeee!

Just like that!

It all started at 3:45 am when I pulled my sleepy self out of my bed. I made my way to the kitchen and poured myself a hearty bowl of cereal and grabbed a banana. Still pitch black outside, I relied on jumping jax and stretching to get my muscles loose. I was feeling good and had gotten enough rest.

5:00 am rolls around and my parents scoop me up from the apartment. We're on our way to the beach and I've got gatorade and shot bloks in hand. We get down there and head to the start line. 6:13 am...we're off!

We start at 17th st. near Las Olas. Weather is gorgeous. Route is awesome. I'm energized and feeling sensational. Miles 1, 2, 3, 4 under tunnels, over bridges. Then we make our way to A1A and run all the way to Oakland Blvd and pass it! Turn around point finally comes! Miles 8, 9, 10 were tough but we breeze through them. Before we know it, there's the finish line and we zoom through it! Just like that, we successfully finished our half marathon in 2 hours 9 minutes 54 seconds.

Every challenging goal seems almost impossible at first. But then you realize, you are capable of amost anything if you throw yourself into it wholeheartedly :)

Thank you, everyone, for all the congrats! And now, only 2.5 months until I will have reached my ultimate goal...running 26.2 miles and raising $5,000.

Morning runs suck

Wow, running in the morning really sucks. I did better than yesterday, but I was still tired, slow and achey. Ryan and I woke up at 7:30 am to go and run 4 miles. We ran along Federal Highway and it was pretty nice, actually. Great weather and some interesting little shops. That didn't stop me from feeling like death though :(

Worked myself silly!

Holy crap, I'm tired. Not only from working out twice in 12 hours, but also from waking up at 6 am this morning!!

Last night, I pushed myself really hard on the eliptical for 40 minutes, getting up to level 13 for a good portion of the workout. Talk about losing water weight...I must have lost 5 gallons of sweat!!

Then, and I know you will think I'm nuts, but I woke up early this morning to run 4 miles. Don't worry...I have my reasons. My half marathon is THIS Sunday and it starts just after 6 am. Therefore, I need to prep myself for waking up that early and for running before I have energy from food. I also need to get used to running before my muscles are loose from a day's worth of walking around.

To sum up my morning run - it sucked. I didn't have nearly as much energy as usual and my muscles and joints were not at all loose. So that means...I've got to do it again tomorrow!

In other news, I am so excited that my dad will be able to run with me on Sunday. He was unsure until yesterday because of a trial he had pending. But, there was a conflict of insterest and he's off the case...woohoo!

Twelve miles...check!

This was one of the weirdest runs I've done so far. I shall explain...

Everything's going great until about 6 miles in, when my dad stops for a minute to walk, which is weird because he doesn't usually need to stop. Right then, I knew he wouldn't make it the whole 12 miles. But he kept on going, even though he felt like crap, until about mile 9 when he just ran out of gas. I felt bad, because I know what it's like to have an off-day. Last Sunday was my off-day, and I guess this Sunday was his.

Anyway, I was feeling really good. I knew I could finish the whole 12 miles and I knew I could finish strong. So, my dad jogged back to the house while I started running my final 3 mile loop. It was about 6:45 and it was really dark. So, next thing I know, my mom and dad pull up next to me in the car and follow a few yards behind me for the rest of my run, which was about 2 more miles. I was running at a pretty decent pace for such a long run, maybe 6.5 mph, and was sprinting every few minutes. I felt great (except for my knees and ankles).

I finally finished my 12 miles...without ever stopping...and with my parents following behind me in their car. I was drenched in sweat and my legs felt like I had been kneeling for about 10 hours. But that didn't matter...the only thing I could think about was that I actually just ran 12 whole miles.

It's weird to think that only a few months ago, before I decided to run a marathon, I was struggling to run 4 miles outdoors, and I had only ever run 6 miles at most (maybe one or two times)...on a treadmill, and with a walking break midway through. Most people who I talk to about my marathon training are amazed that I am running so far. And they also usually say something like "Wow, I could never do that. You're crazy, Rachel." The thing is, I never thought I could do it, either. Four miles used to be tough, but now it's easy.

My point is...you can push yourself a lot farther than you might think (which I learned with help from Ryan and my dad). And if you put enough time and energy into a goal you have for yourself (whether its running a marathon, finding a job, or even just getting an A on an exam), you can definitely accomplish it! And those are Rachel's words of wisdom for the day :)

PS - You all have no idea how much it means to me that you read my blog, ask me about training, and have joined my facebook group. Thank you so much for all your support of my running and of my cause.

Running up a hill...sorta!

Goood morning all!

So, I accomplished a new feat yesterday. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill without going below 6 mph the entire time. Not to mention...I ran the first 2 miles or so on a level 3 incline! So, to sum up my run, I was drenched (and so was the treadmill!) by the end of mile 1. I was surprised by how slow my time was, but I guess that's what happens when you're running on an incline comparable to a decently steep hill.

I am also struggling with how far I should be pushing myself. I don't know what's too much and what's not enough. I think maybe it's one of those things that can never have a definite answer, you just have to go with your instinct. I do know, though, that I pushed myself pretty damn hard yesterday...but, yea, I could have pushed even harder.

An off week

So, Sunday was an 8 mile run. Oddly enough, I felt like crap running it. I felt worse than when I ran 11 miles the week before. It just goes to show, that not every week is an "on" week. And I'm ok with that. But, today through Saturday, I am going to work my ass off so that my 12 miles this coming Sunday isn't torturous.

That's all I have for now!

Striving for distance

Why is sprinting so hard!? Yesterday I sprinted as much as possible for 2 miles, then cooled down with about a half mile of jogging. I was exhausted. I am definitely built more for distance than speed. Or maybe it's just that I've always strived to run farther more so than I have strived to run faster. I don't know which is more rewarding...running one more mile or shortening a 4 mile run by a minute. So for now, I will continue to try to do both!

Have a safe, happy Halloween!

Oops!

Although my legs were stff and sore yesterday, I knew I needed to do some light exercise. I recruited Lexi, once again, and we jogged 3.5 miles at a nice, steady pace.

But, oops, now I'm even more sore than I was yesterday. Dammit.

That's all I have to report for now, kiddos. Have a happy Tuesday!

Only 15 more miles...

This weekend was drama-filled and fabulous! Going to Gainesville never fails to provide me with the most drama I will need for an entire year. I had a great time though, and thanks to all my Phi Siggers for reading my blog and asking me about my training! It means so much to me that you guys care enough about an old, worn-out alumna to actually read my blog :)

Anywho, I did my best to be good at campout and not get drunk. I succeeded, while still having a ton of fun. I knew if I drank, I'd feel crappy on Sunday for my run. So, I didn't drink and my run was great (well, ok great is a very subjective word)!

I am extemely achey today and feel like an old grandma probably feels every day of her life. But, the good news is (as my dad put it at about mile 10 of our 11 miles)..."After this run, only 15 more miles and we'd be done with our marathon." Thanks, dad. Always so helpful.

And guess what...we get to take a break this coming weekend...only 8 miles. Woo! Eight seems like nothing now!

PS - Go Gators!

Just do it!

Sometimes I just DON'T want to train. All I wanna do is sit on the couch and be a lazy bum. BUT, then I force myself to get up, change my clothes, and go. That's precisely how things went down last night. I got to the gym and did my forty minutes on the eliptical and did some ab work. Nothing crazy hard, but it just goes to show that no matter how lazy I feel, I can still do what I need to do. And if I can do it, then anyone can do it. So, if all you want to do is be a couch potato, at that moment pick your butt up and walk out the door.

Very inspirational words...I know lol.

Off to Gainesville this weekend! No training for me today or tomorrow. But 11 miles on Sunday will make up for it. Have a great weekened everyone, and to those who I will be seeing...this will be interesting....

It's better with a partner :-)

I think partners make everything better. I am very proud of Lexi for running about 3.5 of my 4.5 miles with me yesterday. I'm also happy that she came along. I did have to leave her behind for the last mile or so, so that I could get some sprinting in. I think she was alright with this though, being that 3.5 miles is nothing to laugh at for someone who doesn't run on a regular basis.

After sprinting home, I checked my phone and saw that Firestone had called me to tell me my car was ready to be picked up from getting an oil change. So, I did the only logical thing...threw on a backpack and ran to Firestone. I'm sure it was a pleasure for the Firestone guy to deal with some sweaty, out-of-breath girl. Oh well, sucks for him. Me, on the other hand...I killed two birds with one stone. Mission(s) accomplished.

Running into problems

I excitedly rushed home from work yesterday so I could start my 10 mile run early enough so that it wouldn't be dark before I finished. Mission almost successful, but not quite. I got all ready to go, left my place, and I was off with a bang. It was gorgeous weather for a nice long run. I felt great running mile 1...2...3...4...5. Mile 6...not so awesome. My joints (particularly knees and hips) hated me, but I of course ran through it and mile 7 was a lot easier. I knew I'd be able to finish at this point, and thats exactly what I did. I even sprinted a bit a the end of the 10 miles! It was dark out, but I survived without getting attacked by some scary man in the bushes.

The next part of my story isn't so great. Pretty much from the moment I got home from my run, I was in pain. Knees, hips, quads, toenails (weird, I know), and worst of all...stomach. Talk about lactic acid...my stomach was in knots, and it still is this morning. I guess sometimes you just have to accept that running such long distances can really screw up the body's systems. And, yes, I have accepted it. But yesterday was the first time I understood exactly what that meant.

Hoping for better after effects of my 11 mile run this Sunday...

Taking on the cold weather!

Happy Monday everyone!

Well, I did it. I managed to get in about 3 miles while I was on vacation. Ryan and I took on the 60 degree weather and 40 mph(?) wind on St. Pete Beach (our awesome hotel is pictured). It was freezing, but we finished our run with gusto!

Also, i think walking around Bush Gardens all day Satruday counts for something. While it may not be considered traditional "training" for my marathon, we did get exercise! I am grateful that it is still cool out in Florida, because I have 10 miles to run tonight...by myself!

Wish me luck, and look for my post tomorrow about the run!

Sprinting time

Hello all!

So, yesterday was my sprint day. I decided to run 2 miles, sprinting as much as possible. It was pretty hard just because my body isn't used to that. I am used to a pretty steady pace. So, I'd say I sprinted about 50% of the time, which I considered to be decent. It was super hard to breathe after, and my heart rate was off the charts, I'm sure. I felt good afterwards, though!

Fundraising is going well! Still hoping to get lots more donations! If you have a few extra bucks, please help me reach my goal!

No workout for me today...I'm off to Tampa with Ryan tonight. Hopefully we will be able to get a run in on Sunday on the beach. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Pumped and Positive!

I am very excited to say that I cut one minute off of my 4-mile time. I am now down to 33 minutes, which is 8:15 miles! I was so happy when I finished running (even though I was exhausted and quite sweaty) and looked down at my watch to see my time. What a great feeling!

I can't wait to run the 5k this Halloween. About a year and a half ago I ran the Phi Sig TFA 5k up in Gainesville in about 28 minutes, if I remember correctly. (And I thought I was in good shape then, boy was I mistaken.) I never imagined I'd be able to run it so much faster. I am pretty sure I will be able to run it now in about 23 minutes. That would mean cutting 5 minutes off my time from the last 5k. I will be so happy with myself if I can do that!

So, today, I'm feeling pumped and positive! But honestly, I'm really not looking forward to running 10 miles without a running buddy this Monday. Anyone want to join me? Please? :)

Wear a damn bra!

OK, I am proud to say that I made it up to a Level 15 on the eliptical last night. Let's ignore the fact that it was for about a minute and concentrate on the fact that I actually did it! And, I still had the energy after to keep going at a Level 11 for about 20 more minutes.

On another note, I have to ask...what women in her right mind doesn't wear a bra (of any sort) to the gym!? Yes, that's right. I saw a braless woman at the gym wearing a skimpy little spaghetti strap shirt. That's not ok! And THEN I saw something even worse. A girl around maybe 17, on the heftier side, thought it was a smart idea to roll up her t-shirt and tuck it up under itself so that her belly (from boobs down to spandex wasitline) was exposed. Then she did ab work. NOT OK!

People need to learn proper dress etiquette for the gym. It is just not fair to make the others at the gym suffer. I will help everyone learn.

I think if all women followed these 3 simple rules, everyone at the gym could enjoy their workout:

1) If you MUST wear spandex, at least have a good body and be sure the spandex is a very dark color.
2) ALWAYS wear a bra (sports bra preferably)
3) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear underwear!!!

Chugging along and making progress

After a great weekend with my friends from Australia, it was back to the pavement (aka treadmill) yesterday evening. There was no way I could have run on Sunday after the beach because I was way too tired. Plus, I had like 5 people in my apartment and I wasn't about to be like "Hey guys, peace out, I'm gonna go running for an hour now."

So, yesterday, I made the executive decision to run my 6 mile run in the gym as opposed to running in the morning or mid-day because I'm 99% sure that If I did, I would have passed out from heat stroke in the 100 degree weather. So, the gym wasn't bad. I put the treadmill on an incline and ran my little heart out. It's just sooo boring to run so far on a treadmill, even though I had the TVs and my iPod to distract me. I guess I'm being spoiled my my dad and Ryan, since I get to run with them at least once a week each.

I did manage to run the 6 miles in about an hour, which isn't bad at all (in my opinion, at least). If I can run the half marathon in 2 hours and 15 minutes, I'll be a happy camper. I know I can do that!

Also, I am going to be running a 5k with my friend Jessi and her dad on Halloween morning. Anyone want to join us for a short little 3ish mile run?

Torturous Heat!

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong

Isn't that a great quote? It was in a newsletter I received and thought it was awesome.

I am never running in the morning ever again. It heat was torturous and unbearable. I managed to make it for the entire 4 miles, but it was much harder than usual, when I run in the evening. Not only was it hot, but I didn't have any energy in me since I hadn't eaten yet. All in all...running in the mornings is a terrible idea for me.

My last thought...GO GATORS!

"Astronomy for $400, Alex."

Jeopardy is great. Period.

You can learn so much in just a half hour about really random things, like mythical characters, words ending in two consonants, and astronomy! And it makes the workout go by so much faster. Forty minutes on the eliptical, between levels 8 and 12, went by super quickly!

Then, I walked over to the free weights area of the gym (aka scary part of gym where huge muscley men hang out). I picked up my 10's, and stood in front of the mirror while the guys around me were pumping 50's. (Oh well, I bet THEY can't run 9 miles, though. There muscles would weigh them down!) I thought that after the million reps I did yesterday, I'd be sore today. But I'm not! That is a good sign! I'm getting stronger, woo!

Anywho, don't forget to check out my fundraising page. I'm up to almost $400! Thanks to everyone who has donated!

Fast as the speed of light!

So, according to Ryan, I am getting faster!! We ran 4 miles yesterday, and I swear it took us less time to run the 4 miles than it did to walk half a mile back to my apartment after the run.

I notice I can speed up for a few minutes during the run and not be exhausted after. I was also able to sprint the last strecth of the run after running at a really good pace the whole way.

Yay for "Work my ass off" plan and improving!! It's great when you can actually see/feel your improvement.

As a side note: last night I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but substituted a stick of butter with one cup of applesauce and substituted one egg with 1/4 cup of egg beaters. The cookies taste awesome and are like 1/4 of the calories and fat. Try it!

It's news to me!

So, the gym just hooked up these little boxes to the eliptical machines so that you can plug your headphones in and listen to the TVs in front of you! This is so awesome because now while I workout, I can check out whats going on in the world from the three Tvs in front of me. We've got BBC News, NBS local news, and CNN! I now know about the possibility of sending 40,000 more troops into Afghanistan, that the Pakistani prime minister, indeed, has no idea where Bin Laden is hiding, that the Netherlands has a lot of really old people, and that yet another political head has cheated on his wife (what a surprise).

You see, kids, working out can be healthy AND informative!

On another note, my doctor called and said my bloodwork showed I'm healthy, but my cholestorol has gone up, although it is still in normal range. I don't believe it for a second because he told me this once before and when I went back like a month later, it had gone back down to being where it had been, around 150. Plus, it would make total sense that on the Monday I get back from vacation, my bloodwork shows a higher cholesterol number. In Orlando, I drank, ate pizza, ate fried crap, etc. Also, i seriously doubt that my cholestorol would have gone up 50 points in like a year. So, Doctor G., I think you are wrong, sir.

Rainy rain go away

So after being poured on twice yesterday, I couldn't work up the energy to leave the apartment and get drenched again. I didn't go to the gym, but I did my 40 minute bedroom floor workout. Fun, huh?

The good thing is that I worked really hard and the soreness will probably kick in later tonight.

In other news, I got another donation and am super excited! Whenever I get an email saying someone just donated, I do a dance (in my mind). Lol.

No Sweat. Only 9 miles.

Yesterday's run was amazing.

Distance covered: 9 miles
Gallons of sweat lost: about 5
Percentgae of distance walked: ZERO!!!
Distance I sprinted at the end: 1/2 mile!!

I can't believe it, but I ran 9 miles without stopping/walking once! This is by far my best day of training yet. I felt great while I was running AND I somehow had the energy to sprint for the last half mile. Thanks to my dad for running with me, too!

That's all I have to say about that :)

Not as young (or fast!) as I used to be

So, last night I challenegd myself to run 2 miles as fast as possible. Well, I don't know what I was exepecting, but I do know that I'm definitely not as fast as I used to be when I was sprinting on a regular basis at soccer practices and soccer games...not to mention running track.

When I was in 10th grade, I could run 2 miles in under 15 minutes. Now, it's closer to 16 minutes. Yea, yea, you're thinking "Who cares, that's only one minute difference." But really, an additional 30 seconds per mile is kinda crappy. Especially when taking into consideration that I ran 4 miles at 8.5 minutes each. That means that when I double my mileage from 2 to 4, I am only slower by 30 seconds a mile. Actually, I guess that is a positive way to look at it!

Because I was not too impressed with myself, I did some sprint work in front of the apartment. Aside from my neighbors staring at me like I was nuts, I felt pretty good about my sprinting, considering I had just finished a two mile fast-paced run.

Also, I am happy to report that I have already raised $250 for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation in just a couple days! I can't wait to reach my goal!!

My nagging paid off!

It's official. My dad just told me he will run the Miami Marathon with me! After about 2 months of trying to convince him, he finally gave in! Great success. He might be in his mid 50's, but he could outrun me any day, and probably most other people too. I'm just really glad I have a partner to run with now, and I'm really glad it's my dad because he's been the one who has encorugaed me to run further and further since I was 13 years old.

In other exciting news, I have decided to run the Ft. Lauderdale Mini Marathon on November 15. Thanks to Roger for bringing it to my attention! It just happens to fall on the weekend that I'm due to run 14 miles, so it's great timing. Anyone interested in running it with me (and my dad, if he isn't out of town)? It's only 13.1 miles, and it's right along Ft. Lauderdale Beach.

In other not quite as exciting news, but still right up there, I clocked my 4 mile run yesterday, and me and Ryan came in at about 34 minutes, putting us at about 8.5 minute miles...not too shabby, I'd say. This will be my starting point, and I plan to improve my time with each 4 mile run.

Also, I am very proud to announce that I got my first donation to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America! I am so pumped about raising money for this amazing cause. Check out my fundraising site to help me reach my goal of $5,000!

Running for Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis

Good evening everyone,

First of all, yes, I had a tough "kick my ass" workout tonight at the gym. Forty minutes of eliptical, up to level 13 today, and then 30 minutes of arms and abs.

Secondly, and very importantly, I have recently decided to run for a cause. I am running to raise awareness of Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis. These are digestive diseases that currently affects 1.4 million Americans, including my 26-year-old brother Daniel who sufferes from Crohn's. For the rest of his life, unless a cure is found, he will suffer from severe stomach pain and will have to take medication every single day. If he skips a day of his medicine, it is pretty much guaranteed he will be in pain the following day.

I am hoping to 1) raise awareness of the diseases because so many people don't even know they exist. I didn't have any clue before Daniel was diagnosed. I am also hoping to 2) raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. This foundation conducts research on Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis in an effort to find a cure as well as the causes of the disease. Clinical research also determines which medical and surgical options work best for patients.

Please help me to not only find a cure for my brother and others suffering from Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis, but to also help find the causes of the diseases so they don't continue to affect people all over the world.
Check out my fundraising website to see how you can help. I greatly appreciate any and all donations. Even a small donation goes a long way towards my $5,000 goal.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Hopefully you have learned a little bit about Crohn's and colitis just from this!

Too Hungry to write much

Disclaimer: I am very very hungry right now. If I make typos, my hunger is to blame. Only about an hour to go though!

Ok, so yesterday, my long run was only 5 miles, which I was forced to do on the treadmill in the gym. I didn't wake up early enough to run outside without it being scorching hot, and I had to start my fast at 7 last night. So, gym it was!

Actually, it wasn't too bad. I put the treadmill on a 1.0 incline, and it was actually a pretty tough run, averaging 5.5 mph. It was nice getting to watch the Jets and the Yankees play on the two TVs in front of me.

While the gym is because of the TVs and the AC, I definitely would prefer to run outside. Two months ago if yopu had asked me, I would have said the gym is better. It's funny how you get accustomed so quickly to a new environment and don't want to change.

That's it for me. I am too hungry to write more. To all my Jews: I hope you had an easy fast and Good Yuntif.

Pump it!

Who ever invented squats?

Why is it that the moving up and down into the sitting position is so effing tough on the legs?

And maybe, just maybe, if we didn't have chairs everyone would be in much better shape because everyone would constantly have to squat instead of actually sitting. Ok ok, I know that's going too far. But seriosuly, squatting hurts like a mo-fo.

After about 100 squats, 300 ab exercises, about a million different tricep/bicep/forearm free weight exercises, my body felt like jello. And not the jello that just came out of the fridge, but the jello that has been left out on the counter and has started to soften.

Clearly, I didn't have it in me to do any sort of running yesterday, but I will make itup today by pushing myself harder than ever when I do my 4 mile run.

Who knew that pain would make me faster!?

So, why is it that the faster I run, the less my legs hurt?

Yesterday, I tried running a really fast 4 miles. One problem: my quads were killing me from all that resistance work on the eliptical two days ago. So, as I'm running through my pain, I'm realizing that the faster I go, the less I hurt. Interesting concept, huh?

After some pondering, I decided this is due to one of two things:
1) The faster I run, the harder it is to breathe. So I am more concentrated on breathing right than on my quads hurting.
2) The faster I run, the closer I am to the finish, which makes me happy and I know I will finish sooner, which means my legs will stop hurting sooner.

Either way, this is all one big mental vs. physical game. The point is that if I can make my brain focus on things like breathing or finishing rather than on pain and exhaustion...I am unstoppable!!! :)

"Work My Ass Off" Day 2 is now complete.

Level 15...are you kidding me!?

So, I came to the realization yesterday that I need to be working my ass off every single day I train so that when I do my long runs, I don't feel on the verge of passing out. I KNOW I can work harder and run faster, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I put this "Work My Ass Off" plan into action last night. My dad suggested that when I do my cross-training on the eliptical, I use a higher resistance level, Level 15, instead of Level 8, which I typically use. I figured this would be the perfect way to start my plan.

As I tapped my finger on the up arrow, my legs began to rebel against me. After clicking the arrow 4 times, up to a Level 12, my legs won the fight against my finger and I stopped clicking. Level 12 felt like a giant football player was pushing up as hard as he could on the bottoms of my feet. Not so fun. So, I went up and down between levels 8 and 12 for 40 minutes. Felt great afterwards, but certainly not during my workout.

So, maybe I'll get you next time, Level 15. But for now, I'll stick to my agonizingly hard Level 12.

3% isn't too bad, right?

"Ehh, it was nothing." - These are the words my dad uttered as he chatted about our 8-mile run with some family friends that stopped by for a visit last night.

While it was "nothing" to Dad, this 8 mile run had me gasping for breath at mile 6. While this is the first long run that I've had to stop and walk during, I managed to walk for only 3% of it (we calculated this percentage in an attempt to distract me from the, seemingly impossible at the time, task at hand).

But on a positive note, I did see lots of ducks and ducklings, doggies, and gorgeous homes. I think the key to runnng such far distances is to keep yourself distracted with scenery and chit chat, which is why it's so great to run in a nice area and with a partner. And, I also learned yesterday that hiding a water bottle somewhere along the route helps a great deal. I was striving to finish mile 5 so that we could get to our much needed water and Gatorade hidden behind a bush.

All in all, I felt like crap all evening. But hey, I feel great this morning! And that's what this is all about for me...finishing something difficult that does not have the best immediate effect on my body, but gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment as well as a new idea of what my body can handle.

Food Food Food

Pretty much everything in this post has something to do with food. Enjoy, all you foodies!

So, yesterday was a fun 3 mile-ish run through the lovely town of old peoeple, restaurants and retail stores a.k.a Boynton Beach. This brings us to our first problem: Ryan lives amongst a swarm of restaurants that all happen to emit yummy, mouth-watering smells. It's like a test of our will power to run past Five Guys, Bonefish, Chipotle, Village Tavern, etc. But we did it! Of course we rewarded ourselves with Pei Wei after, which is a healthier choice than most of the places we past. Go us!

Other highlights of the run include me pushing Ryan into light poles for fun, sprinting around corners, and running for about 1/4 mile through loosely packed sand that was on the road for some unknown reason (construction, maybe?). Also, I never knew that any one neighborhood could have about 10 gazebos and 15 pools.

Right now, as I am sitting in my sweaty exercise clothes, I am watching "27 Dresses" to relax from my 4 mile jog and workout. Nothing too exciting to report about my run, except that I am starting to run faster than I ever have before. It's really cool knowing that I probably just ran my fastest 4 miles ever. I'm actually super suprised I was able to drag myself out to run after stuffing myself with my weight's worth of food at Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. I felt full until about 6 pm. For this, I blame Marc. He just HAD to ask me if I was getting ice cream. Oh well, at least I felt good enough to go for a run and burn those calories off (or at least like 1/10 of them).

That's all to report for now. No run for me tomorrow. It's Rosh Hashonah and I've gotta go straight to my parents' house for dinner. Happy New Year to all you Jews :)

A bunch of corny "thank yous" and goggle frustration

Real quick, thank you Lexi for running half my run with me on Monday!! It's always so much easier to run with a partner than it is to run alone. That being said, if you live in the area and are ever in the mood for a run, give me a call or shoot me a message! Even if you just want to run a mile or two with me :)

So anywho, if you are wondering where I got this crazy idea to run a marathon, I will tell you exactly who's to blame. Thanks, Melissa for putting the idea in my head that running a marathon would be a good idea and thanks, Kristen Lee for telling me all I need to know about lactic acid and the after effects of a running a marathon. Oh, and if my dad wasn't always asking me when I finished a run "How far did ya go?", I may have never strived to go further. It was always really annoying that he did that, but ok ok, maybe it kinda worked in my favor. Oh, and thanks to Rachel, of course, for writing her awesome blog that I follow daily and for inspiring me to write this blog!

I have decided that my favorite day on my training schedule is the day after I do my long run because I get to do any type of cross training that I want, whether it be getting on the bike or eliptical (if I feel like going to the gym) or going for a swim in the pool, which seemed much more appealing to me last night than moving my legs on a stationary machine while I watch the news without sound and have the pleasure of staring at sweaty, spandex-wearing people.

So, 22 laps (in a non-olympic sized pool) later, I felt good, not to mention wet and cold. Why did the weather suddenly decide to start getting cooler the day I go for a dip in the pool? Also, why is it impossible to keep water out of my goggles!? Any suggestions? After every lap, I had to dump the couple drops of water out of them. So frustrating!

I also did some more squats, ab, and arm exercises when I got home, which seemed to be much easier the second go-round. I am really starting to get into these little bedroom floor and chair workouts!

Sore and achey rating today on a a scale of1-10: I'll say 2. Yesterday was about a 7. So, feeling much better!

Sore and feeling great!

Hello all!

This is my marathon training blog that i will use to document the ups and downs of my training. I am about a month and a half into it, and so far it's going pretty well. The actual run takes place in Miami on January 31st. That means I have 138 days to get from where I am now (7 miles) to where I need to be (26.2 miles). It's gonna be tough, but isn't that the point? That's the whole reason I took on this challenge...I wanted something to strive for, a new goal, a new adventure.

So, jumping right into it...

While there is no better feeling than finishing a run that i didn't think I'd ever be able to finish, it comes with a single consequence - feeling sore and achey the following day. On this particular day, my muscles are extremely fatigued, and for this I blame Ryan.

I'm sure all of South Florida noticed the pseudo hurricane that swept through the area Sunday evening. So, instead of going on my long run, Ryan put me through an intensive leg, arm, and ab workout, which we did on the floor of my bedroom. No, I am not talking about fooling around...I am talking about a ridiculous amount of squats, leg lifts, crunches, and some interesting lower body and arm exercises using just your arms to lift yourself off a chair.

So, not only am I feeling fatigued from my run, but I am also experiencing the lingering effects of this hour-long traumatizing workout.

BUT...

I feel great, too. Never did I think I could run 7 miles. But I did it. Two weeks in a row now. It's kind of a rush, both during and after my run. More so after - when i know I just completed a difficult task of running a distance that, a few months ago, I never even considered running.

These next few months will test me, this whole marathon running mission will test my character, my stamina, my mind, and my body. I am ready for it. So, come on martahon, let's see what ya got.