Franklin Classic

On Monday, Mark and I participated in the Franklin Classic.  I ran the 10k and the 5k.  Yes, I know it seems a little ridiculous to run both races, but it was only $5 more to do both and since I'm training for a full, it seemed like a good idea to do both.  Luckily, I was able to convince Gail that she needed to do both too, so I didn't seem like a total crazy person, well at least I wasn't the only crazy person.  I'm also so proud of Nicole and Jeanie who did both races too!

The race was fabulous.  I've been training to run this race without intervals.  Although I did walk some the majority of it was all running.  And I beat last year's time for the 10k by 4 and a half minutes!  The weather for the race was absolutely perfect.  It may not have seemed perfect when we started since it was raining, but the light drizzle felt great during the run.  Or maybe it felt so nice, because Saturday's run was insanely hot and humid.

While, my runs were really good and I'm excited about my own accomplishments, the best part of the race was seeing and cheering for the new runners who have been participating in Fleet Feet's No Boundaries Couch to 5k Program.  Seeing those runners cross the finish line was the highlight of the race.  I'm so glad I went and cheered for them after I finished. Tracey and Drew did an outstanding job coaching the group. 

This program is how I got started running two year's ago.  I remember very well how excited and nervous I was on my first race.  Most people in this program have never run before and never imagined they would be a runner.  It's amazing and motivating to see the participants transform and their confidence soar from the start of the program to race day.  If you've ever wanted to start running or know someone who does, Fleet Feet is about to start a new Couch to 5k program.  Go to Fleet Feet Nashville's page for more details. 

Special congrats to my friend and running mentor Joe who took over 11 minutes off his 10k time from last year!!  Amazing!  And this gives me hope that I can get faster too.

Mark and I will be running our first marathon this October in Dublin with Team in Training.  We have to raise $10,000 in order to participate.  All the money we raise benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is a charity we've actively supported and volunteered with the last few years.  Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.  Please help us find a cure.  Visit our website to make a donation and for more information.  http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark

2 months, 61 days or 1464 hours

Two months, 61 days or 1464 hours from now Mark and I will be running in our first full marathon. I'm not sure if I should jump up and down because I'm excited or throw up because I'm so nervous. We've run as far as 16 miles already. I'm sure I could go a little more, but I'm not sure I could go 10 more...at least not yet. I know that's the point of training.  But it's still so hard to believe we'll be running 26.2 continuous miles that soon. 

We must raise a total of $10,000 in order to go to Dublin for the race. So far we've raised $3,226. What I'm learning is that fundraising a large sum of money is also a marathon. It has all the same highs and lows. A lot of people have asked how much of the money we raise goes to costs associated with the race. The answer is less than 25%. So more than 75% of your donation goes directly to fund blood cancer research. 

Please help us reach our goal and participate in the race, but more importanly help us find a cure for blood cancer.  I'm sure if you don't have to think long to start making a list of all the people you know whose lives have been turned upside down by cancer.  Choose to make a difference and fund cancer research.

If you've already donated - thank you so much! If you haven't donated yet, here's your chance! I know 2 months is far away...but the more we raise now the fewer gray hairs I have on race day!

Please click here to help us. 

Make a Difference

Mark and I are running the marathon and fundraising in honor of a sweet, spunky little girl named Tanner. I fell in love with her right away. I asked her mom Beth to share with everyone a letter of what your gift means to families like hers...

I thank God every day for the people who have come before us who raised the money that funded research that got my eight-year-old daughter, Tanner, where she is today -- exactly four days into our new life without chemo.

How cute is Tanner!?

On June 1, 2009, a nervous young resident at Vanderbilt Children's fumbled through an explanation of abnormal white cells that led me to finally ask the question, "Are you trying to tell me she has leukemia?" Tanner was a normal, healthy five-year-old who had just finished her kindergarten year and was looking forward to a summer of swimming, ballet camp and vacation bible school. In one awful day, everything changed for the worse.

Tanner endured two years and three months of grueling, constant chemo treatments -- not because she had any complications, but because that is the normal treatment protocol for a girl with ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia). Boys, sadly, endure an extra year of treatment.

In the first month of treatment, Tanner had a port surgically implanted, two bone marrow biopsies, four doses of IV chemo and 30 days of high dose steroids. My feisty daughter could no longer walk up the stairs, couldn't get herself up off the floor without help, and needed a cane most of the time. She lay for long hours staring at the ceiling, completely robbed of her personality by the steroids.

She eventually watched as all her friends returned to school, held a virtual prisoner by her compromised immune system. She missed birthday parties, playdates, trips to the skating rink, and simple pleasures like eating out in a restaurant. She lost her hair not once, but twice. She gained fifteen pounds from steroids, only to lose it all, and then some, two months later. At some points, she became so overwhelmed by anxiety, that she needed anti-depressants to just help her function.



I'm so inspired by her!



But, through it all, Tanner fought... and Mark and Emily ran. Because we all believe there is a better way; that no child should have to give up two or three years of their childhood to a disease we could potentially cure. We met Emily and Mark when Emily chaired the 2011 Man and Woman of the Year campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Tanner was honored to serve as Girl of the Year. Tanner and Emily immediately hit it off -- kindred silly spirits -- two people with boundless energy and hearts of gold who have a great desire to help others.

I'm so proud of my daughter for what she has accomplished, and am eternally grateful to people like Emily and Mark for all that they do to help families like ours. I'm ever mindful of my obligation to "pay it forward" and be sure that we are paving the way for more humane treatments for blood cancers, or, better yet, a cure! Please know that should you decide to support Emily and Mark by donating to their Team in Training run in Dublin, you will not only be supporting two wonderful and selfless people, but will also be helping to assure no family ever has to endure this nightmare again.

Thank you,
Beth Page

Progress - Look How Far You've Come

It's easy for me to get caught up in my next goal and forget how far I've come. This can be true for lots of areas in my life, but most of all it can be applied to my running life.  It's also easy for me to be disappointed in myself when I'm not where I want to be in relation to my goals.  It's harder for me to take a step back and appreciate the progress I've made.  But when I do, it's truly motivating. 

I began running 2 years ago this month with Fleet Feet's No Boundaries program.  On our first group run, we ran 1 minute and walked 2 minutes.  We did this for 30 minutes.  I was sure I would die from the effort.  We did this to train for my first 5k.  A 5k is 3.1 miles.  On the first night of training, I remember feeling like a 5k might as well be to the moon because it seemed just as impossible.

Today, I am training for my first full marathon. I've completed 10 half marathons.  I've ran in all sorts of other races from the Ragnar Relay to several local 5ks.  I've also always run intervals.  Every race I've ever run was as an interval runner. I'm training to run my first race (Franklin Classic 10k) without intervals.  On Monday night at Tin Roof 2, Gail and I ran 6 miles without intervals. 

It was an amazing feeling to complete that run.  There have been many days when I was absolutely sure I could never give up my intervals.  There also days I was sure I could never run more than 5 miles or 13.1 miles.  On Saturday, I will run my first ever 16 miler! 

I'm a slow runner - back of the packer.  I've consistently run my miles in the 12:30 time range.  Recently, I've been able to run in the 11s!  But it's easy for me to forget that I started at 14 minute mile. 

I have so many more goals as a runner.  I want to be faster.  I want to run a half in each state.  I want to run a half without intervals. I could go on and on.  But right now I think it's important that I pause and look back and appreciate the progress I've made.  When I think about the progress I've made, I'm excited.  I feel strong and capable.  If you find yourself struggling, take a step back and appreciate the journey that's brought you here.  It's helped me.

Mark and I will be running our first marathon this October in Dublin with Team in Training.  We have to raise $10,000 in order to participate.  All the money we raise benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is a charity we've actively supported and volunteered with the last few years.  Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.  Please help us find a cure.  Visit our website to make a donation and for more information.  http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark 

Guest Post from my Sister - My Sister the Runner

*Unsolicited writing from my sister...you can see how lucky I am to have a fabulous sister!



Sisters are the best!



If you know Emily and myself you know we are pretty opposite.

Since she found her love for running I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I’m now running too. Well I’d hate to break the opposite trend we have going so no I’m not a runner. I have to say that Emily has found a focus and a discipline with her running that I can’t help but admire.

Admiration is a feeling I’ve know all my life growing up with a older sister like Emily.

No matter where life takes her, no matter what her busy schedule demands of her she has always kept one eye on me. She has always looked out for me and guided me through many of life’s troubles.

Two years ago when Emily was campaigning for Women of the Year I quickly realized it was not for the title or any perks that came with it. She was spending hours of her time planning events, networking and seeking donations for a much greater cause. When you see a sick child there is no reasoning that can make it make sense. And for Emily there was nothing that would stop her form helping in any way she could. Her continued support of the cause shows how deeply it touched her.

My fiancé often tells me I have a “bleeding heart.” I so quickly feel the pain and suffering of anyone around me and want to do whatever I can to help them. Well here is one characteristic where Emily and I couldn’t be more alike. I got my compassion from her and her “bleeding heart” is calling her to help children with leukemia and lymphoma.

I am happy to support Emily and Mark while they raise money for such an amazing selfless cause. We all have healthy children in our lives; let’s reach out our “bleeding hearts” to those that aren’t as healthy.
 
Please use this secure link to make a donation http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark 
 

Longest and Hardest Run Ever and Why It Matters

Mark and I were planning on running 14 miles today.  We were going to run at River Park where Team in Training was meeting, but our plan was to start at 5:30, an hour before the rest of the group, to avoid the heat and because we were going a little farther. Seems like a great plan, right?  Well nothing went according to plan.

Instead of getting up at 4:30, we turned the alarm off and slept until 5:30.  My stomach very much did not want to participate in the run.  After 2 bathroom stops, we finally made it in time to start after the group.  But it was overcast and not yet ridiculously hot, so there was hope. 

When we got to 2.5 miles we saw lightning and took cover just before the storm hit.  On the radar it looked like it was going to quickly pass, but then it appeared to move right on top of us for a long time.  We waited about 30 minutes and after the most severe weather was gone we took off.  Which, of course, was hard after not moving for so long.  It rained on us for the next 8 or so miles. 

I'm so familiar with routes at River Park that I didn't do much to prepare for this run.  Big mistake.  When we got to Ravenwood, we'd only been 4 miles.  So we went down Raintree and then back and then through Oakhall.  Then we came to Crockett Park. 

At mile 8.5, I realize we are only 1.5ish miles from our car.  What to do?  We both really wanted to get 14 in (ok maybe me a little more than Mark), but our car was so close.  And our conditions had been so bad for most of the run.  My shoes felt like they weighed 10 lbs each.  It seemed so easy to just go back then, but we decided we were committed to 14 so we, somewhat hesitantly, turned around and ran the opposite direction of our car.  

This was a big moment for me - it was a mental win.  It was a moment where I recommitted myself to the full the marathon in Dublin, to fundraising $10,000, to training on a set schedule no matter what, to eating properly to fuel my run and to my goals.  It's also the moment that reminded me why I signed up for this to begin with.  Because I have a choice to run, and people cancer have no choice.  They don't choose to be sick.  I choose to help them.

making silly faces with Tanner

For the next several miles I thought about sweet Tanner Page.  And how I would gladly run this far everyday if it meant she didn't have to have treatments for over 2 years and that she could just be a sweet, spunky little kid.  I also thought about my friend Jennifer Dunn who lost her son Chase to blood cancer.  I can't even imagine what she's been through.  When I wanted to quit today, thinking of Tanner and Chase and their families kept me going. 

When we got back to Ravenwood, we should only have had 4 miles to go.  However, with the detours we had taken it was really 5 miles.  At this point, my ipod was doing crazy things.  It had a mind all its own.  I couldn't turn the volume up or down or change songs.  This isn't tragic, but somehow it kept playing Christmas songs, which got really old when the sun came back out and it felt like it was a million degrees out.

The last few miles were by far my fastest - yes I'm surprised too.  I ran ahead of Mark with only about 4 miles to go.  Which was probably a smart thing to do, especially because I'm sure he wanted to kill me when he realized we were going to run 15 miles instead of 14. 

Since it's been a few hours since we finished, I can say it was a really good run.  It was hard, but empowering.

Our full marathon is just 3 months (holy crap) from tomorrow!  Our running only makes a difference if we also fundraise.  Please consider making a donation.  Visit our website at http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark.  Thank you so much for cheering us on and supporting us!

Letting Go of the Security Blanket

It's been almost 2 years since I started this running journey.  I began with Fleet Feet's No Boundaries Couch to 5k program.  Training ended with us being able to run 4 minutes/ walk 1 minute.  I was an interval runner, which was just fine with me.  I loved my walk breaks. 

However, there was a tiny part of me that wanted to run without intervals.  Now to be clear, when my legs and lungs were burning and my watch beeped signaling a walk break, that tiny part of me was quick to shut up.  But there's still been this desire to move beyond intervals.

A while back I learned Fleet Feet would soon begin a 10k training with a goal of running it without walk breaks.  This is very exciting because, I know myself well enough to know my chances of success are greater in a group.  I also knew a few my friends would be doing the training too.  It's much easier to stop and walk when I'm alone than it is when I'm in a group.

A few weeks ago on one of our Monday night runs, we decided to try it without intervals.  I ran 2 straight miles.  The most I'd ever run without a walk break.  Then on July 4th, I ran the firecracker 5k with someone who was finishing the no boundaries 5k training and wanted to run the whole thing.  It was my first 5k without intervals, though I did stop and walk a few times.  And in the interest of full disclosure, I had to let the person I was running with go ahead of me during the race.  She was so fast; I couldn't keep up!  But it was a giant step for me to run the race without the comfort of intervals.

Last Thursday at our group 10k training, I ran 3.5 miles without walking at all!  Drew Jones is leading the 10k training.  Before we started the run he said, it doesn't matter how slow we go just don't walk.  So I played that over and over in my head when I wanted to walk and kept pushing.  And amazingly, I was able to finish with a much faster time than my normal 3.5 miles.

I'm excited to be a part of this training and to be challenging myself.  I've known for a long time that I was physically able to run without intervals...but it's been a matter of convincing my mind.  I know it's going to get harder as we increase the mileage, but it will be worth it!  I'm planning on running my shorter weekly runs without intervals and keeping my intervals for our long runs and for the marathon.  My goal is to start the half marathon training next January in a non-interval group! 

* Mark and I will be running our first marathon this October in Dublin with Team in Training.  We have to raise $10,000 in order to participate.  All the money we raise benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is a charity we've actively supported and volunteered with the last few years.  Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.  Please help us find a cure.  Visit our website to make a donation and for more information.  http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark