Less than 8 weeks until my fourth half marathon, and I’m going to count the weeks down in this blog. I’d like to say I’m a great runner but I’m not. At 47, I putz around the event courses like a woman in a more, how shall we say, senior division? Average finish times are what my timing chips turn in most often. I don’t really care, because I run for just about every other reason out there except competitive performance. To keep from smoking, for mental health, to study residential landscapes more easily than while driving (I moonlight as a landscape designer), for weight control and to fight osteoporosis, and because sweating feels good – pretty much in that order.
The latest reason is Team in Training. “TNT” is an amazing organization/program now celebrating its twentieth year supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while helping train amateur athletes to compete in various types of endurance sports events including triathlons, marathons and half-marathons and raise funds for LLS.
As a TNT team member I have access to awesome coaching, various informational clinics (such as nutrition, shoe/equipment, injury prevention, fund-raising, speedwork/form), a web page to collect donations, and team social events to help me reach two goals – athletic and fund-raising. I have competed in two Team in Training events and this fall will run in the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco CA on October 19. I have found that because of TNT’s guidance both goals are amazingly easy.
Each team has an Honored Hero, who is a patient being treated for any type of blood cancer. This Hero is local and we celebrate our successes together periodically throughout the training season. I never fully calculated the power of my ability to do something important for someone else. Through Team in Training I have raised $7600 since I started and if I make the goal for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, I will have raised (with my blessed donors) over $10,000 in 12 months’ time. That’s a dent! And 75% of whatever I raise goes directly to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That’s a great ratio.
If you know a woman who could benefit in her body or her soul, or both, please tell her about Team in Training.
By the end of August we’re supposed to be doing 10 miles, according to the training schedule TNT provides. Then the remaining 3 is achieved more gradually, Sept – Oct. As an old lady I worried about stepping it up 4 miles in August, from 6 to 10, and now I have a bit of a knee injury. I fell on my bike during the Acworth Women’s Sprint Triathlon on August 10 and somehow injured the inside of my left knee. So my training has been extremely guarded and I’m not on schedule distance-wise. I will HOPE to do 8 - 10 this weekend. Please send good vibes my way.
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2 comments:
How was your weekend? Did you make your distance goal?
Naomi, thanks for asking! I did NOT make my distance goal that weekend.. I had to stop after 6 miles. My knee started hurting again in mile 2 and the pain became excruciating by mile 6. So, a visit to my orthopedic surgeon and a couple of X-rays later, I am sidelined for 3 weeks (this is REALLY hard) withia bone contusion so I'm afraid the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco on Oct. 19 is out of the picture. At 47, my bones won't take an accelerated training schedule (I know this from experience). TNT has graciously allowed me to switch events (with a doctors' note) and now I will run the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. I am disappointed about the Nike Half because I have ALWAYS wanted to run that course! But I am relieved that my bone contusion is not a serious or long-term issue (provided I heal it RIGHT the first time). So I swim instead. I can resume running on the 19th and believe me I am counting the days!!!
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