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 

Happy Birthday Mark!

The couple who runs together stays together, right? Well, Mark and I certainly hope so! Today is Mark’s birthday. I would tell you how old he is, but I’m pretty sure he would be unhappy with me sharing that fact. He made me promise and swear I wouldn’t buy him anything for his birthday, which I’m unhappily complying with. Of course, I don’t count the cards (one from me and one from the boys) as buying a gift.



Mark's first 5k



Since I can’t buy him anything for his birthday, this is his gift. A whole blog post about him. I’m sure most of you are thinking you would rather have a gift card on your birthday. But, hopefully, Mark will appreciate this. And since this is primarily a running blog. I will talk about Mark Sharp, the runner.



Often people ask us who was the runner in the relationship first. The next most popular question is if we have always been runners. The answer to the first question is me. The answer to the second one is absolutely not. Sometimes people then ask if I “make” Mark run. This is always comical to me. In a great relationship it’s strongly discouraged to “make” your partner do something. I never tried to talk him into or bully him into running. I just shared how much I loved it, and he could see all the positive changes it had made in my life.



The truth is I fell head over heels in love with running (ok, I fell in love with the feeling of accomplishment I get from running, not so much the act itself), and it was contagious. At first, Mark was my cheerleader. He came to every race and found places to spot me multiple times during each race. It was a huge help to me mentally and emotionally. And then one day he got the itch to run.

But starting a running plan wasn’t as easy for Mark as it had been for me. Just as I started running, Mark got sick. It took us a long time to figure out what was wrong. In the end, he was diagnosed with heart failure. Trust me when I say this is never something you want to hear about the person you love. It was a very scary time. Also, this is a very condensed version of the story. Ask him to tell you the whole story sometime, it’s amazing!

Mark's first half marathon



After getting his condition stable and talking to his heart doctor, he decided he would join Fleet Feet’s No Boundaries Couch to 5k Training (the same place I started). He often says running saved his life. Which is at least partially true. His heart condition has improved tremendously. I’m so proud of him. Most people would have used a heart condition as an excuse not to run. Instead, he used it as motivation to become healthier.

Sidenote: It's been almost exactly one year since Mark's first race.  The Firecracker 5k last year was his first.  Happy running anniversary! 



In the last year, Mark has completed 5 half marathons and several 5ks. And he's inspired tons of other people to reach their running potential. He’s mentored brand new couch to 5k runners and half marathoners. Additionally, we recently started training for our first full marathon with Team in Training. It will be October 31 in Dublin, Ireland. One of the many things I love about Mark, is his loving, giving and generous heart. When we first started talking about doing this full marathon as a fundraiser, he quickly agreed to do it too. He was anxious to use this race as a platform to help cure blood cancer and to make a difference.

Please consider making a contribution to our fundraising efforts. It would be a great birthday present for Mark! We have to raise a total of $10,000 so far we have raised just over $1,000.  Click here to go to our fundraising page.

My favorite picture of us
when we got engaged after
the Mardi Gras Half

Happy Birthday Mark! I love you.  I'm so proud of you. And I’m glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you!

I Hate Cancer

When we are little, we are taught not to use the word hate.  It's something I teach our boys.  Hate is word I don't use lightly.  Mostly, I'm a lover, not a hater.  But, I can't bring myself to use any other word in conjunction with cancer.  I don't dislike it or feel lukewarm about it. I simply hate it.

With that said, a lot of good and a lot of love come as a result of cancer, and for that, I'm thankful.  I think you see the best in people during hard and trying times.  However, if cancer ceased to exist, I'd be more than ok with it.

I can't list all the people I know who have battled cancer.  It would take too long, and you'd probably stop reading.  My heart is so full of love and prayer, for my friend, Sherry Ellis, who was just diagnosed with colon cancer a few days ago.  She's handling it with a positive attitude and peacefulness that can only come through God.  I'm in awe of her and proud to be her friend.

Everytime I hear of a friend having cancer or meet someone like Tanner Page and her mom Beth, I have the same feeling.  The feeling is hard to describe...but it's a desperate, helpless feeling.  I like to fix things and make them better.  But cancer is something, I can't easily fix.  I know I can pray and I do.  But I NEED something to physically do. 

So, I run.  It seems simple.  Running.  How does it help?  Beyond all the personal benefits, it gives me a platform to fundraise and create awareness.  As I'm sure you all already know, Mark and I are training for our first full marathon with Team in Training.  I'm immensely excited about the marathon and the trip.  But I'm even more excited to know what I'm doing is making a difference and changing lives.  Team in Training benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which specifically provides funds for research and patient support to blood cancer patients.  But often the research reaches to other forms of cancer. 

If you are interested in supporting our efforts our website is http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark.

A Reason to Run

Here we are making silly faces with Tanner

Five months from today, Mark and I will be running our first marathon in Dublin.  We are training for this race as a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.  We have to raise $10,000 in order to participate.  At this point, I'm not sure which is scarier, running 26.2 miles or raising $10,000.  Of course as I say this, I immediately think however hard this is, it's nothing compared to having a child with Leukemia. 

Our inspiration for this race is a sassy, seven year old girl named Tanner Page.  Tanner was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL) in June 2009.  She has a very good prognosis and is responding to treatment well.  She will finish her treatment this year (girls with Leukemia have treatments for 2 years.  it's 3 years for boys).  As you can imagine, it's been a very difficult thing for her to deal with on a socially.  But when you see her, she's so full of energy and life.  It makes me certain if this little girl (and her amazing family) can go through this, then surely we can run a marathon and raise $10,000.

Speaking of the $10,000, what does this money go to?  75% or more of the funds we raise will go directly to support the mission of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).  The other 25% will go to cover costs associated with the race and training. LLS funds a lot of researchers.  Since they have been participating in research survival rates have dramatically increased.  They also use the funds for patient support.  This includes (but it's definitely not limited to) co-pay assistance, patient literature, support groups, staff and much more.

We have been involved with LLS for 3 years with the Man Woman of the Year campaign. In 2009, I was a Woman of the Year candidate. The next year I co-chaired the campaign and Mark was a very active campaign volunteer. This year I am serving as the campaign chair and Mark is mentoring a candidate. When we started as volunteers, we didn't have a personal connection. Since then we've met so many people who's lives have been changed because of a blood cancer.  It is an amazing organization. 

We ask that you please join us in our race to raise vital funds to wipe out blood cancers.  Please visit our fundraising site to make a donation. 

Thank you so much for all of your support!! 

Flying Pig Half Marathon

Going into the race today, I knew there was a chance of rain.  All week the time of the rain/storms moved up earlier and earlier.  Driving to the race this morning it started to storm.  So we put on garbage bags and headed to the start line. The start line was chaotic due to the rain and it still being dark (the race started at 6:30 am eastern time, which is 5:30 am central time).  We should have started in corral D, but I think it was more like B.  Which means, we got passed a lot in the beginning.  And it rained really heavy for the first 4 miles. 

Mark decided to walk the race as he's still recovering from an injury (He was able to finish it with little pain -yea!). Gail was a little ahead of us, and we got separated from her near the start. Chrystyna and I struggled the first 4 miles.  It was clear our bodies were not recovered from yesterday's run.  Talking during the beginning of the race, we realized we probably could have trained better by running long runs on back to back days - if you are ever planning on doing back to back races, I suggest training by doing long runs on consecutive days.  The first 4 miles of the race, we mostly walked and weren't sure if we'd actually run much more of the race.

As the rain eased up, our attitudes also improved.  We were genuinely having a good time by mile 5, and we stuck to our 2/2 intervals.  Around mile 5 or 6 the elevation of the course started climbing and climbing.  When we got near the top there was some beautiful views of the river and the city.  The last 3 miles of the race were all downhill.  Can I just say having the last 3 miles be downhill is a very beautiful thing?  We ran most of the last 3 miles straight.   It felt good to run down, and at that point, we were afraid if we stopped running we wouldn't be able to start back.  It was a light rain or misty from mile 4 to mile 11 and then the rain came back harder. 

This race is very well planned out and everyone involved in it from race officials to volunteers had fabulous, positive attitudes. The expo was well organized and attended, especially considering how many races were this weekend.  Every runner received an asics tech shirt, asics backpack (which is surprisingly nice) and a poster.  This race wins for the best swag! The waterstops were really good.  They were every mile.  My favorite was a high school football team.  They were very spirited and entertaining. 

During the race we swore we wouldn't attempt such a crazy thing as two halfs in one weekend again, but within 15 minutes of finishing we had decided we might try it again.  There are several things I will do differently next time.  But it was a great experience, and I'm very glad we did it.  Sometime during yesterday's half, I realized today's race would be my 10th half marathon.  All 10 have been completed in the last 15 months.  Wow!   If you had told me 2 years ago, I would be finishing my 10th half marathon today, I would have laughed. 

For my next running adventure, Mark and I will be training and fundraising for the full marathon in Dublin, Ireland (I don't usually say Ireland, but someone thought I was talking about Ohio when I mentioned it the other day) with Team in Training.  I'll have a blog with more information about it very soon.

Derby Festival Minimarathon or Race 1 of 2

This was a really great race!  The course was beautiful and had very little elevation changes.  I highly recommend adding this race to your list of races to run.  There was pretty good crowd support at the beginning, middle and end.  The temperature outside was cool when we started and warmed up, but it never felt too hot (there was a nice, light breeze most of the race).

The very best part of the race was running through Churchill Downs.  It was amazing to get to run through there.  We stayed on pavement and not the horse track, but it was awesome.  Horses were running and were beautiful.  There were also lots of available bathrooms, which couldn't have come at a better time! Mark (who didn't get to run due to an injury) was waiting on us as we exited Churchill downs. It was a great time to him and motivated me for a couple miles.

Gail, Chrystyna, Victoria and I ran together the whole race.  We probably started off just a little too fast.  But we felt really good most of the race. Hopefully, we didn't jinx tomorrow's run. 

As we were running today, I kept thinking about how far we've come in the last year.  I felt really good today.  It never really felt like I was going to die (extreme, I know, but I really felt that way a couple times last year) or that I wouldn't be able to finish.  Feeling so good today, makes me really excited to see where I'll be as a runner this time next year.

The finish of the race was really well done.  They kept the festival theme going and had carnival rides and some food stands where you could purchase carnival food.  They also gave out lots and a variety of snacks to finishers.  The best part of the finish was the small cartons of chocolate milk (yes, I had 2, don't judge).

Though overall the race was really fabulous, there are a few places I think they could really improve.  The first is the water stops.  They were laid out well, but the majority of them gave out small bottles of water, which in theory sounds like a good idea, but didn't work out too well.  First you had to open them.  And it created twice as much work for the clean up crew as most people tossed the lids and bottle separately.  Second, they didn't offer a sports drink until around mile 10.  I could have used it much sooner.

The race (and company of course) was really good.  I'm a little sad I didn't get to see my training group finish the Country Music Half, but I'm sure they were all outstanding!  Now it's time for an ice (or maybe just cold water) soak and to head to Cincinnati for tomorrow's race!

Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon

*originally posted on nashvilleandbeyond.com

Can you feel the energy in the air in Nashville? Extra excitement is buzzing around town. In case you’ve been living under a rock – I mean in case you didn’t already know – this Saturday is the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon.

Even if you aren’t a runner, you can find a reason to be excited about the race. It’s easily one of the top 10 road races in the country based on attendance. Over 35,000 of your closest friends will lace up their shoes to run. Many of those people will come in from out of state, which gives us a great opportunity to showcase our fabulous city.

If you are running the race – best of luck to you! It’s a great race and an awesome experience. Running a race is one of my favorite ways to see a city. If you aren’t running the race consider volunteering or cheering the runners on. Having participated in the half last year, I can say it makes a huge difference to those of us running to have people cheering along the route. If you are feeling creative make a sign, most runners welcome the distraction and enjoy reading your sign!

For the last 4 months I’ve been pacing a group of runners for Fleet Feet Nashville’s training program for this race. Every Saturday morning instead of sleeping in, we’ve been up early to train. This is going to be the first half marathon most of them will complete. It’s been a truly amazing experience to watch each of them grow and prepare for a goal as big as running 13.1 miles.


If you want to feel inspired or encouraged, find yourself a place near LP Field (the finish line) and watch thousands of people meet their goals on Saturday morning. Each of those finishers has been training for months. They’ve gotten up extra early in the morning or stayed up late at night to get in their miles. They’ve been training in both freezing and hot temperatures, the rain, the snow and the sun. No matter how hard or easy the race has been for them, you will see each of them break into a huge smile as they cross the finish line. The feeling in the air will be joy, exhaustion, elation, but most of all, accomplishment.


For more information on the race, road closures, volunteering, being a spectator and much more check out http://nashville.competitor.com/.