Tedy's Team, Raffle Basket & 5 Months 'til Boston Marathon!

Thank you to everyone that donated to Tedy's Team. This fundraiser raised $630!! Woo!! Congratulations to Abby K for winning the raffle basket!!!

Winner selected from Random.org.

How crazy is it that it picked 54 - Tedy Bruschi's jersey # with the Patriots. *Destiny*

***

Tedy's Team.

I am honored to be on a team with such amazing, dedicated, smart, athletic and kind people.

Tedy's Team was founded by Former Patriot Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a stroke in February 2005 at the age of 31. The Stroke happened "just weeks after winning his third Super Bowl and days after returning from playing in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.  As he recovered, Tedy committed himself to being an advocate, spokesperson, and inspiration for stroke survivors in our area."

So where do the runners come in?

Tedy asked the American Stroke Association to work with him to create “Tedy’s Team,” a group of runners raising money for the American Stroke Association and training to complete the Boston Marathon® and the Falmouth Road Race.  Their participation supports Tedy Bruschi’s fight against stroke and honors both the survivors and the loved ones lost to America’s No. 4 leading cause of death.

When I decided in 2013 that I wanted to run the Boston Marathon as a charity runner, I knew it had to be with Tedy's Team .

Why?

Because I have a very personal connection to Strokes. Both of my grandparents are Stroke Survivors, as well as, my wife's father.

I got the acceptance call from Zack, Senior Director of Tedy's Team, in October 2012 and was psyched! I was ready to help in the fight against Stroke and take part in one of the most historic events in the world, the Boston Marathon.

I had an amazing experience training for the Boston Marathon, meeting teammates and helping the American Stroke Association one dollar at a time. But during the training, I had an unexpected loss. My Grampa passed away two days after Christmas. It was a tough tough time.

But when I needed a push to go out in the snow and run 18 miles or a reminder why I was taking on this endeavor to begin with, I thought of him. I even wrote Grampa in the Sparkly Soul headband I wore at every Tedy's Team training run and during the Boston Marathon itself.

The 2013 Boston Marathon is something no one will forget. For those that don't know, I crossed the Finish Line about a minute before the explosions happened. My wife and dad were right near them, but thankfully we all came out unharmed. Here is my recap of that experience.

When asked after that day if I would run the Boston Marathon in 2014, I would say no. I was one and done.

But, things change.

On April 22, Tedy's Team reconvened to have the post-marathon party we didn't have on April 15. There Tedy and Heidi (his wife) posed with all the runners...

and Tedy announced that he would be running in 2014 and that all 2013 runners would be welcomed back to the team for 2014.

AND in that moment the decision was easy, HELL YEAH I would be back in 2014!!

I looked at my "Grampa" Sparkly Soul headband on my wrist, started tearing up, looked at my family and we all knew - I had to run again.

So here I sit, 5 months away from the 2014 Boston Marathon, which will be taking place on April 21, 2014, and while the training hasn't started yet the fundraising has. :) :)

To have the honor of wearing the Tedy's Team singlet again, I have committed to raising at least $5,000 ... and you can help!

In September, I did the 2nd annual 30th Birthday Run-Walk Ramble and once again raised $1000. Since then I have been reaching out to friends and families to start planting the fundraising seed.

At this moment, I have raised $2,950 out of the $5,000 fundraising minimum.

Which brings me to my latest fundraising effort: a raffle basket with amazing prizes - valued over $350!!

The Raffle Basket includes:

*1BandID (value $20)

*ENERGYBits Sample Pack (value $10)

*Got Chocolate Milk Team Refuel visor (value $16)

*Humana Gear Pedometer g1.0 (value $15)

*KT Tape Pro (value $20)

*Nike + iPod Sensor (value $20)

*Omron Pulse Monitor HR-500U (value $172)

*SONY 2GB W Series Walkman MP3 Player (value $70)

*The Biggest Loser: The Weight-Loss Program to Transform Your Body, Health, and Life (value $22)

 

Not Pictured: 1BandID and Team Refuel Visor

Here's how to enter: for every $10 you donate between now and Wednesday, November 27th at 5pm ET, you will get one chance to win the raffle basket. So $30 donated to Tedy's Team = 3 chances to win the basket, etc.

So where do you donate?? Click on this lovely link to get started ---- DONATE HERE!!

Let's Get To Fightin' Stroke!!

The 117th Boston Marathon Recap...

... you've all been waiting for! Or not at all, but let me pretend you were all just hitting refresh over and over again on my blog until this very post hit the page. ;)

So I already did my emotional piece about what happened AFTER The Boston Marathon on that fateful Monday, April 15 - which you can read here - so this post is about the race itself.

I wanted to make sure I got one good night of sleep the night before so I hit the hay by 7pm thanks to some Tylenol PM. I needed to make sure I had plenty of time to sleep with this wake-up call waiting for me Monday morning.

How could I not LEAP out of bed with these notifications on my phone?

I was pumped.

I had to make sure I was at Boston Common in enough time to catch the 7am bus to Hopkinton. As we've learned, I'd rather be early than late so the wife and I hit the road by 6:15 so I could stop at Dunkin Donuts before waiting in the bus lines at Boston Common.

I've never been so excited to put on a race outfit as I was that morning. I was honored to proudly wear my Tedy's Team singlet with my Gramma and Grampa - my Stroke Heroes - on the back.

Since it was sooo early in the morning compared to when my wave of the race was actually taking place - 10:40am - I was able to get a Dunkins Iced Coffee and bagel to enjoy before the run.

The wife dropped me off at Boston Common and I got in the endless line to load the bus to Hopkinton. It was an amazing feeling being surrounded by so many amazingly talented runners.

I even made a friend while waiting in line. She was another charity runner, who thankfully had run Boston before so she was able to give me her thoughts behind the race.

We actually were able to board our bus just after 7am. As the bus began to pull away from Boston Common, I realized I left my Garmin at home.

You HAVE to be kidding me. On just the most important race of my life, I forget my watch.

I texted my dad and my wife to get their thoughts. My dad said "well one less distraction." Yeah, not what I wanted to hear.

Thankfully they love me more than I deserve and they got in the car to meet me in Hopkinton.

Since they left just 10-15 minutes after my bus, I knew - okay hoped - they would get to me before we headed to the start line.

The roads in Hopkinton close at 7:30 so they had to park at a nearby office building and take a Marathon Shuttle to the Start area.

I'm lucky - I know.

While they drove to Hopkinton, I tried to calm my nerves.

It was just a sea of bodies when our school bus finally rolled into Athlete's Village.

Thankfully the girl I was with knew how to walk around the crowd and get to the charity meet-ups spots, which were outside the village.

Once we parted ways (I wish I knew her full name so I could check in on her), I took out of Google Maps printout and made my way to the Tedy's Team pre-race house.

It was nice to walk up and see a bunch of familiar faces.

I headed inside and checked in with my teammates. It was great to have a roof over our heads (especially if the weather had been uncooperative), bathrooms and foam rollers.

My dad and wife arrived right on time ... for pics with Tedy Bruschi himself.

After getting final hugs and good luck wishes from my dad and wife, I headed back inside to try and calm the pre-race jitters.

I made the decision to run without headphones/music. I did however keep my headphones in the pocket of my pants JUUUSSTTT in case I needed some motivation.

It was great being surrounded by a great group of teammates, who were thankfully feeling exactly what I was. :P

Photo Courtesy Of Tedy's Team

Before I knew it, it was time to start heading to the Start Line.

Before we left the house, I made sure to take my Energybits.

I walked out the house door and it was time for a group meeting led by Tedy before we headed to the Start Line. Standing in a circle, holding hands with our running coach John and one of my teammates, I just started crying. I, and many others, couldn't hold the emotions in any longer.

We walked as a group to the Start Line area. Tedy opened the corral for us and we headed in as a group. It was great to get one last hug from Zack (Team Director) and Tedy before heading to our corral.

As I made my way through the crowd, I reconnected with some of the team in Corral 5. My running mate Nanci was shooting for the same finish time as I was - around 3:55-3:57 - so it was nice to find a running partner right off the bat. Nanci was wearing a pacing band so we could see if we were starting out too fast or not. It was specially designed for the Boston course. Why didn't I have one myself? Because I'm a slacker. :P

It was finally our time to cross the Start Line and Tedy was at the mic to wish us off.

And as I started my Garmin I once again made the realization that I was freakin' running THE Boston Marathon.

Wow!

The crowd was amazing right off the bat. There were guys offering Corona Lights at Mile Two. Thanks, but we really needed to wait til double digits for that. ;)

As Nanci and I cruised through the first Half of the race, we realized we were about 1-2 minutes ahead of schedule. We tried to reign it in a little since we knew we would need extra gas for Heartbreak Hill.

I was wicked excited to get to Mile 12 because that meant I would finally experience the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel. I had heard so much about it ... and the girls didn't let you down. The girls lined both sides of the street - mainly the right side - with signs in hand and offering up kisses to the runners. I've definitely never seen that before.

Entering Wellesley Center, we saw a group of soldiers running in full gear. I give so much credit to those folks.

As Nanci and I hit the halfway mark, Nanci had to make a pit stop so we parted ways. I hoped in the back of my mind that we would meet up again later in the race, but it didn't happen. :/

I thought about taking out my headphones since I was now alone, but I couldn't. The crowd was constant and empowering.

It was a lifesaver having my name written on the front of my singlet as well as on my arm itself.

Picture from post-race as you can tell by my sunburn :P

I was also got an in with the crowd thanks to my outfit.

The Sparkly Skirt from Team Sparkle was a HIT with the women and girls in the crowd - especially the teens. ;)

The Superman socks were a big crowd pleaser with the young boys especially.

So having some eye-catching running accessories really help with getting crowd encouragement!

It also helped people I actually know spot me in the crowd. One of my Weight Watchers members told me after the race that since I posted my outfit on social media before the race they knew what to look for ... and actually spotted me!

The crowd was carrying me through the run as right heel pain started taking over my thoughts during Miles 15-16. I didn't know what to do. I hadn't experienced pain like that before.

But, there was no way I was going to stop.

So as I approached Mile 17 and Heartbreak Hill, I bore down, dug deep and just ran.

And you know what?

I ran the entire span of Heartbreak Hill. I didn't stop or walk once. One of my goals for the race.

The crowd on Heartbreak was rowdy and having a good time. I wished I could've stopped to have a beer with them. :P

But, the idea of seeing Tedy's Team's Running Coach John at Mile 20 kept me going.

I saw the 20 Mile marker and just ran towards John. I blurted out everything that was going on - the pain in the heel, being scared of what it was, etc.

John gave me some Swedish Fish and told me to just dig deep and finish strong.

Simply put - "just run!"

It seems easy enough.

With that little boost from John, I was off to finish Heartbreak. I never thought I would be so happy to see a Mile marker as I was for Mile 21!

Thank you BC for the reminder! In case I had forgotten that the toughest part of the Boston Marathon was over.

The right heel pain continued, but I had to push on.

I knew the course. We've been running it every Saturday since December 1 - just 5 more miles to go.

My pace had started to slow. I knew it. I could see it on my Garmin and in the text updates from the BAA.

I wasn't happy. But, I wasn't going to let it stop me.

I tweeted when I hit Mile 22.

As the pain in the heel (which occurred every time I pushed off my right foot) continued, I made the decision to stop at each of the remaining medical tents to stretch out the calf as much as I could. It was a suggestion by John to help - so I was willing to try it.

Bravo to the people working the medical tents!! They immediately came to my aid asking if I needed anything.

I walked a tad during Mile 23 and 24. But once I saw the Mile 25 marker...

... I was going to run through WHATEVER pain I felt.

Seeing that sign just reminded me how close I was to the dream - the Finish Line.

And the crowd was AMPED! Many were still milling around from the Red Sox victory in Kenmore Square and they were happy to see us.

They could see the pain and the doubt, but they were there to give whatever they could to us.

(I am tearing up thinking about the energy and love I felt during that stretch)

My friends usually cheered from outside the bar Lower Depths in Kenmore, but as I passed by they weren't there. I was hoping for a familiar face, but at that moment everyone in the crowd sounded like a friend.

As we took that left on to Boylston, I couldn't help but smile. No matter what was happening in my foot - which was the ONLY piece of my body that hurt - I was going to finish this thing. Boylston St is the epitomizes the Marathon.

I caught a glimpse of the Mile 26 marker and tried to make my body go faster. In my mind, I was Kim Smith out there. But, as you can see in the pictures I was just kinda trekking along...

Just after Mile 26, I waved to my dad and wife on my left-hand side and then turned to my right to wave to Tedy and Tedy's Team crew on the second floor of The Lenox Hotel before passing over the Finish Line.

And promptly trying to catch my breath. Not sure why I get so winded after marathons - same thing happened in Savannah in November. But as I walked through the Finish shoot, I found my mom in the crowd on my left. I stopped to chat with her ... when the explosion happened.

Just before the explosion, in the moment when I was catching my breath - I was angry. I officially finished in 4:04:08 for a 9:18 min/mile pace.

Dammit! I really wanted to finish under 4 hours again. If we took out my stop my with coach and the medical tent stops, it would've been under 4.

But, I let that go with what was happening around me.

Again, that experience is recapped here if you need it.

But, as my mom told me to get much-needed water - we were separated. So I grabbed a space blanket and my medal and tried to find my family.

This picture was taken after my family and I were FINALLY reconnected. It felt like hours. This is the smile of 1) Finishing the Marathon and 2) Jubilation of being with my Family again.

We thankfully found a cab and headed home, where I was greeted with gorgeous flowers from my parents. :)

After some much needed family snuggle time in bed with the pups and doing some media interviews with old colleagues from Chicago, it was time to have some celebration/thankful family dinner with my parents.

Enter BBQ and some Sam Adams.

Oh that beer was delicious... :)

My final stats weren't what I wanted ...

... but I will have redemption in 2014!

Overall, the Boston Marathon was like no other race I have ever - and probably will ever - participate in. The crowd, the love, the excitement, the sounds, the smells, and the unity shone through during each and every mile.

Was I happy that of all days a random heel pain had to occur then? No.

But such is the life of a runner right? Not every race will be perfect and you never know how your body will perform on a given day.

So in the end, I am pleased with how I did because I represented myself, my family, my Stroke Heroes, my teammates and my followers to the best of my ability. I also completed my third marathon - not bad for someone that used to weigh in the 230s and not bad for someone who ran their first marathon in 5:59:27.

I gave 110% on that pavement!

But Boston BE READY ... I'm comin' for ya again!

#30DaysToBoston #PhotoChallenge Recap

A couple months before the marathon, I saw a blogger on Twitter asking people to get involved in a 30 day photo challenge leading up to the Boston Marathon. I couldn't pass it up. My joy of running The Boston Marathon was boiling over and I wanted to be a part of anything that had to do with the race. So with Seeking Boston Marathon and a couple other bloggers, the #30DaysToBoston #photochallenge was born...

With the events of the past week ... I write this while in lockdown mode here in Boston ... I thought it would be great to look back and see what the 30 days before the biggest race of my life really looked like.

Enjoy! :)

Day #1 - these ASICS #Shoes will be giving me support from Mile 0 to 26.2 on April 15!

Day #2 - Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee is a must have every morning with #Breakfast!! :)

Day #3 - #Speedwork I have on tap for tomorrow - 8x800s!!

Day #4 - My grandparents (aka my Stroke Heroes) #Inspire me to join Tedy's Team & run The Boston Marathon in the first place!!

I hope to #Inspire other people that anything is possible in running!! Here are the times for my first 2 marathons - left September 2006 and right November 2012!

Day #5 - Thanks to Tedy's Team I now #Snack on Swedish Fish during a long run!!

Day #6 - Of course NKOTB is on my running #Playlist for tomorrow's 21-miler!! :)

Day #7 - Post 21-miler - the final #Longrun before The Boston Marathon!! :)

Day #8 - My biggest supporters are my #LovedOnes, who show up to races no matter the weather or travel!! :)

Day #9 - My total #Distance since starting The Boston Marathon training with Tedy's Team on Dec 1!

Day #10 - no #Sweat today, but I'll make up for it with hills tomorrow!!

Day #11 - Through stretching, foam rolling & The Stick - I keep myself #Pain-free while training!!

Day #12 - One benefit of #Early morning training runs are gorgeous sunrises like this (from a run last summer in Chicago)!

Day #13 - Race bling can always #Motivate me through any race!! :)

Day #14 - I will be taking the day after The Boston Marathon off as a #Reward & taking part in these relaxing/celebratory activities!

Day #15 - What did I #EatToday for dinner? Big 'ol salad - no Easter plans this year.

Day #16 - I think it's obvious that my FAV way to #CrossTrain is Spinning!!

Day #17 - You know it's #Taper time when your next 2 Saturdays look like this!

Day #18 - My choice for in-run #Fuel!

Day #19 - I #LoveThis new Tedy's Team jacket & long-sleeve T we got last night!!

Day #20 - Being #Smelly is proof of a successful run! ;)

Day #21 - In 9 days, these #Feet will help me live out a dream: running The Boston Marathon!! :)

Day #22 - Can wearing these heels all afternoon count as a way to #Crosstrain? ;)

Day #23 - #DontLikeThis = Tapering!

Day #24 - A sample of my Race Day #Gear: Tedy's Teamsinglet, Team Sparkle skirt & Superman socks!

The most prized #Gear I will wear on Monday - aSparkly Soul headband w/ Grampa written on the inside!! I will also have my The Boston MarathonSparkly Soul headband on as well!

Day #25 - I am SO thankful to have SO many #RunFriends and love making new ones every day!!

Day #26 - My Boston Marathon #RaceDayShirt is my Tedy's Team singlet! :)

Day #27 - Yet another reason to #GetToBoston baby! ;)

Day #28 - #BAAExpo

Day #29 - Mmmm #CarbLoad...

Day #30 - #LetsDoThis

The Night Before The Boston Marathon...

... is FULL of emotions! I don't even really know how to put them all into words.

***

I am excited.

I am nervous.

I am ready to throw up.

I am pumped.

I am honored.

I am doubtful.

I am questioning.

I am breathing.

***

With less than 17 hours til Tedy's Team crossed the Start Line (10:40am), it is finally sinking in that this whole running The Boston Marathon thing is really happening.

I mean Yes I knew it was coming, but with a full weekend of festivities - I was distracted for a while. Until I crossed the finish line of the BAA 5k this morning and realized ... it's time for THE BIG SHOW now.

I sit here hugging my foam roller and Marathon Stick wondering what I got myself into. But, WHY do I keep questioning myself. I've done this whole running a marathon before. I've done all of the training since Tedy's Team kicked off the season December 1.

Why start doubting myself now?

Well, maybe it's after a weekend of being asked: "oh, where do you qualify?" Nope, nope not a qualifier. As soon as anyone asked if I was running Monday, I would immediately say: "Yes, as a charity runner" to avoid the qualifying question. For some reason it made me feel as if I wasn't worthy to be in the same room with all of the other people doing their shakeout runs or picking up their bibs.

Then last night whipped me back into shape. Last night, we attended the Tedy's Team Pasta Dinner. Sitting in the room with my 45 teammates, hearing people's stories, celebrating that the team has raised over $300,000 for Stroke Awareness - THAT made me remember why I was doing this whole thing and why I DID deserve to be running in the Boston Marathon.

It doesn't matter how fast or slow I run tomorrow, what matters is the singlet I will be wearing ... what matters is the reason WHY I am running.

Tomorrow I run for my grandparents, for Tedy Bruschi, for all Stroke Victims, for my family, for my friends and for all of you - my supporters!

I thank you all for joining me on this journey. The countless training posts, the fundraising posts and offering up encouragement when I doubted myself.

The girl that weighed 235 lbs at one time will be toeing the line tomorrow to finish the most famous marathon in the world. I didn't qualify. But I had the honor to raise awareness and money for Tedy's Team and the American Stroke Association/American Heart Association, which is more important than any qualifying time.

This one time obese girl will be putting on that Tedy's Team singlet and representing her grandparents to the best of her abilities. I will give it my all tomorrow. No matter the outcome I know they are proud of me.

OKAY NOW I'M PUMPED!!!

---

But since I'm me and need a goal.

What do I hope to accomplish tomorrow?

1) Finish. Seems like a simple request, but you really never know what can happen during a given race so I want to remain healthy enough to complete the 26.2 mile crusade.

2) Post a time sub 4 hours. This was my goal for the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon in November 2012 (my 2nd marathon) and I accomplished it then (3:58:49) so I would like to do that again if I can.

3) PR - 3:55. This is a dream, but keeping it as a possibility based on my previous training runs. If I could keep a steady 9:00 min/mile pace, I would post a 3:55:48, which would be a 3 minute PR. I would take that for sure!!

4) PR - 3:51. I could attain this if I kept an average pace of 8:50. Definitely a possibility if I find people with a similar pace to mine. I always run better when I have a partner who is faster they I am. Why? Well I always doubt my speed and having someone with me pushes me.

5) PR - 3:50 or less. A girl can Wish Upon A Star, ya know?

---

Now that I have released the thoughts swimming around my head, I can get back to relaxing, having a yummy dinner (mmm carbs!) and head to bed early. How can I sleep on a night like this? My sweet little friend Tylenol PM. I need a full night sleep so I will be trying to dose off by 8/9.

So thank you again for being a part of my journey. I cannot believe it all culminates tomorrow. But, I know you will all be with me every step of the way!!

I leave you with Flat Dani, who is ready to Sparkle her way through The Boston Marathon!

Boston Marathon Weekend Festivities

Just thinking about the next five days is making me tired. But for ALL good reasons.

I mean yes there is the little thing of The actual Boston Marathon taking place on Monday, but there is SOOOO much more happening before then.

***

Let's see what's on the 'ol docket:

Friday

After finishing the work week at 12:15, I will be heading home, getting a good reliable backpack and heading to the Boston Marathon Expo at the Hynes Convention Center. The expo kicks off at 2pm and I think my friend Sarah and I will be there pretty much at the start. ;)

Why you may ask?

Well, I am REALLY hoping I can snag a pair of the exclusive New Balance Boston Marathon sneakers, which are only sold at the Expo. So trying to get there as early as possible will help my chances. *Fingers Crossed*

Aren't they amazing???

(I missed out on the exclusive Run Disney sneakers because we got there too late)

Additionally, I am picking up my bib for the BAA 5k AND the Boston Marathon so lots to get done.

Plus, I have a ton of booths I want to hit up ... the high priority? Meeting the ladies behind the amazing Sparkly Soul headbands. :)

***

Saturday

I had the honor of being invited to a special Runner's World Shakeout Run with Bart Yasso, which takes place Saturday morning at 7:30am. I am wicked excited to be meeting up with so many of my fellow bloggers and some of my running idols.

Around lunchtime, I will me joining some of my local Twitter/Facebook friends for lunch before they head into the Expo (and maybe I go back ;)). I will definitely be seeing Sam from Running and Cupcakes and Colleen from The Fit Bee and hopefully some others!!

As if that wasn't an exciting day already, the wife & I have the Tedy's Team Pasta Dinner that night 6-9 at the Lenox Hotel. If we are still functioning, we will end the night with the Runner's World party, which is located close by. I want to take advantage of as many chances as possible to meet some of my running and blogging idols.

***

Sunday

And on the day before the Marathon, I decided to sign up for the BAA 5k (8am) with my best friend Sarah. Sarah is turning the Big 3-0 on Monday and since I will be busy running ;) I told her we could run the 5k together the day before as a shakeout run for me.

The biggest hurdle? Holding myself back from race pace.

Thankfully I will have Sarah there to reel me in and keep me in check. Since the BIG SHOW is on Monday!

The rest of the day will be spent relaxing at home and making sure everything I need for Monday is laid out in advance.

***

Monday

The Big Show! :)

Nerves will be setting in. Nervousness will be in full effect. Excitement will be seeping from all parts of my body.

I need to be at the Boston Commons by 7am to take the bus to the Start Line.

Once there, we have a place where all Tedy's Team members can hang out - out of the elements - before the Start.

My wave is set to start around 10:40am.

Then it's GAME TIME baby!

After finishing (assuming I do :P), I will meet my family and the rest of the team at the after spot at a nearby hotel.

I can't wait to see everyone after they Finish, especially my family.

***

Tuesday

My treat day!

Hey, I deserve a day off from work after the Marathon so I took one. :)

I am meeting my friend Abby for mani-pedis around 11am then followed by lunch/drinks in Davis Square.

I will then putter around until a 90-minute (yup I went there!) massage at Massage Therapy Works.

Once the wife gets out of work, I hope to meet up with her for dinner and possibly getting my 6th tattoo.

I am looking to get the phrase "One Step At A Time" with "13.1" and "26.2" on either side. I need to check with Painted Bird Tattoo parlor to see if they have time.

***

Now doesn't that sound like one exhausting, amazing and life-changing weekend???

I am smiling, crying and feeling tired all at the same time. :)

But, I feel blessed and can't wait to share all the memories with you all.

Will I see any of you over the next 5 days? Maybe grabbing a beer to celebrate?

Boston Marathon & Tedy's Team Update

I can't believe there are a mere 78 days remaining until I run The Boston Marathon with Tedy's Team!!

I am excited ... anxious ... nervous ... pumped ... and overall honored to be able to run on April 15, 2013 for such a great cause.

Tedy's Team is a group raising money and awareness on behalf of the American Stroke Association:

Tedy asked the American Stroke Association to work with him to create “Tedy’s Team,” a group of runners raising money for the American Stroke Association and training to complete the Boston Marathon® and the Falmouth Road Race.  Their participation supports Tedy Bruschi’s fight against stroke and honors both the survivors and the loved ones lost to America’s No. 4 leading cause of death.

In addition to the dollars being raised, an equally important issue for Tedy's Team is the increase in awareness of stroke and recognition of its warning signs. Tedy’s Team is striving to reach as many people as possible in its message of recognizing the warning signs and acting appropriate when seeing them -- calling 9-1-1 immediately.

I am running in honor of my Stroke Heroes - my grandparents - who both survived strokes. Unfortunately on December 27, 2012, we lost my Grampa suddenly from cancer so this race is especially in his honor.

I keep him with me on all of my runs on the inside of the Sparkly Soul headband I wear on all my training runs and I will wear in the Boston Marathon itself.

There are two main components to preparing for the marathon: fundraising and training.

Fundraising

In order to run with Tedy's Team, I needed to raise at least $5,000 and as of today I am at:

Woo!! I am wicked thankful for such a kick ass support system. My friends and family have truly risen to the occasion. I thankfully also raised $1,000 through my 30th Birthday 5k.

If you are interested in donating, you can do so here.

Training

For the most part, I am using the same training schedule that I used for the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon in November, which was a success. It is a combination of a few different websites and help from my friend/pseudo running coach Sarah.

It is a great mix of running and cross-training. I have really been working on incorporating more Spinning into my routine, which really helps on the hills. I've also wanted to increase my speed work as I am trying to (possibly) one day qualify for Boston, which means I need to take at least 24 minutes off my current marathon PR. So cross training is a MUST...

I am LOVING the group run components to this marathon training schedule. Every Saturday Tedy's Team has a group run out of the FitCorp gym on Beacon St. The run begins at 7:50am and is designed for a certain length, but you can always add or subtract depending on what your personal training schedule has you at.

Since so many of my Savannah runs were done alone, I love having teammates to run with on Saturdays. My teammate Meg lives right by my house so we can carpool in together, which is wicked fun. It is also a nice bit of accountability especially on wicked cold mornings. :)

My group run times and paces have been amazing. I think the group, and Meg in particular, are helping to push how far I can truly go.

But, I missed the last two training runs - the first because I was running the Disney Half Marathon (where I got a new PR) and the second because of sickness - so I wasn't sure how yesterday's 10-mile run would go. Since I had been sick, I didn't want to risk trekking in to Boston and not being able to finish the run so I stuck around my house to complete it.

This was definitely my slowest long run pace since starting Tedy's Team on December 1, but today was really about the mileage, getting back to running after being sick and battling the snow/cold weather than time.

So I was proud of myself for getting out there ... even with all the salt on the ground. ;)

But just as important as the running and cross training are, is the refueling of the body!! Especially on long run days.

I make sure to end all of my long runs with some low-fat chocolate milk!

According to the Got Chocolate Milk:

Lowfat chocolate milk contains the right mix of carbs and protein scientifically shown to help refuel muscles. Chocolate milk helps restore muscles quickly to their peak potential.

Yesterday, I paired it with a banana and an english muffin with peanut butter. Mmmmm...

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After my training schedule was thrown off for the last two weeks due to being sick, it is time to get back into full swing and get back to my groove. We have 10 group runs remaining until the Boston Marathon and I cannot wait to take full advantage of the group experience.

So Boston Marathon prepare ... I'm coming for ya!

Tedy’s Team Group Run – 10 Miles

Temperature yesterdsymorning at 7am on accuweather.com read 35 degrees. Real feel tempature? A balmy 24 degrees.

Yikes!

I wanted to just curl back under the covers and hide... but I didn't! I had a team run to do. Plus, the temps will just get colder as the winter training schedule goes on...

Plus my teammate Meghan and her husband Josh offered to give me a ride instead of a longer/colder MBTA ride. Their generosity became my accountability.

I put on my XL Under Armour long-sleeved shirt. Yes, I've been too lazy to buy a smaller size so I just keep wearing the larger one. :P It's all good.

I also decided to add a little Holiday cheer to the run by breaking out my Santa socks!

I'm ready to add more to it for next week! ;)

Once I got to FitCorp (our starting point), I noticed that one of my headphones were missing one of the earbuds. Ugh!

I went outside early to make sure my Garmin Forerunner 110 would "acquire satellites" before everyone else came out to start since the past 2 weeks I've been the last one to start because my GPS watch took so long to acquire the satellite.

Well despite heading out 5 minutes before everyone else, it still took 9 minutes to acquire satellites and I still ended up being the last person to start the run. Ugh!

I got about 1/2 a mile into the run and I was sweating. Apparently despite the Real Feel temp of 24 degrees, I had somehow overdressed for the run. And I still had 9.5 miles to go! Ugh!

So by the first Mile of the run, I was NOT feeling the run. I was letting all the little annoyances get in my head.

Then as I passed Mile One, I had a realization...

4 months from that moment I would be running The Boston Marathon itself!

Ahhh!!

If that doesn't put a little bounce in my step I don't know what could!

Once I had that vision in my mind, I powered through the next 4 miles to the halfway point. Our coach John and Tedy's Team Manager Zack set up a great water stop at Mile 5. I stopped, stretched a little and was ready to continue on.

The weather ended up being perfect. Week One (6 miles) we ran in snow the entire time and in Week Two (8 miles) we ran in a nice downpour. But on Week Three (10 miles) we had a wonderful clear sky!

So the final 5 miles were thoroughly enjoyable. With each step I could feel my grandparents - my Stroke Heroes - on each of my shoulders pushing and cheering me along.

It was great.

I felt strong and in control of my strides.

Before I knew it - it was Mile 9 and we were quickly approaching the final hill near the State House. If anyone knows the hill I'm speaking about, it's a doozy.

But thankfully my Spin classes and Pure Barre classes pay off on that hill each week, as I lock down and push up that hill as quickly as possible ... mainly since I'm ready to be done! :o)

I was definitely pleased with my time overall. This was the third week on the same course and I'm becoming more familiar with the bumps, hills and intricacies of the path each week.

John has slated another 10 Mile run for the group next week and I can't wait to break out my Santa shirt and socks! :)

Happy Running Folks!

Tedy's Team Group Run - 8 Miles

Dark ... Cold ... Raining ... Windy ... Overcast. All of those were building up against me and the training run this morning.

My alarm went off at 6am this morning and as I heard the rain outside, I thought to myself - "Just skip it. You can run 8 miles later today or tomorrow."

Then a picture of my grandparents appeared in my head and out of bed I jumped.

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I am running The Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013 with Tedy's Team IN HONOR OF my stroke heroes - my grandparents.

Both of my grandparents have suffered strokes and Tedy's Team is here to raise money for the American Stroke Association, while also teaching the masses about Strokes, especially the warning signs.

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Thankfully I lay all of my clothes out the night before so getting ready this morning was quick and out the door I went.

The 15 minute walk to the train served as a time to acclimate myself to the rain/cold/wind ... yay?? :P

After a short train ride, I was at FitCorp waiting for the rest of the group to join me.

What I love about the group runs besides having people to run with :P is seeing so may dedicated people putting their time and resources into raising money for a good cause. There are about 5-6 charities that take part in this group run so it is a great way to meet people in your own charity group, but others as well.

Plus we can all suffer through the conditions (snow last week and rain this week) together!

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We headed out at about 8am for either a 6, 8 or 10 mile run depending on where you are in your training. Since I did 6 last week, I decided on 8 for this week.

I ended up being the last person to hit the course since I was waiting for my Garmin to acquire satellites. Darn buildings! :P

John (our coach) and Zack (our awesome Tedy's Team Leader) were at the 3 mile mark with water, Gatorade and encouraging words to keep going. Thanks guys!

It was basically the same course as last week (up Beacon St and back), which allowed me to better pace myself since I KNEW there was a nice BIG hill waiting for us at the end (near the State House).

I felt good during the whole run besides some slight twinges of pain in my right hip and knee. I'm really hoping with some stretching and foam rolling that will go away.

But, it was great seeing so many runners along the course and chatting with a couple different people alone the way. Since this was Week Two, we are starting to recognize each other, which is great!

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My Garmin was slightly off at the beginning of the run, but worked itself out (somehow) by the time I made it back to FitCorp.

I was worried with the hill at the end again, but I every time I face a hill I am thankful for the leg strength from Spinning, Body Pump and Pure Barre that helps propel me up. Each hill I encounter now gets a little more doable/manageable (I refuse to say easier because no hill is easy to me).

I'm pleased with a 8:35 min/mile pace, but I need to work on slowing my long runs down to closer to 9 min/mile (aka marathon pace).

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I'm so thankful for this team experience thus far and honored to be a member of Tedy's Team.

If you are interested in making a donation, please feel free to do so here.

I appreciate all the support! :)