We All Run For Different Reasons.

So my last post found me hoping to complete marathon no. 3 after 3 months of training while battling a hip injury. I am happy to report that not only did I finish, I had the best marathon experience ever that day. Everything about that day was perfect, from the weather, to my running companion, Michelle, by my side every step of the way until we crossed the finish line together, to the palpable energy of the crowds lining the route from the moment we arrived on the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano Bridge to the glorious finish line in Central Park. I will never forget the feeling I had as the announcer said over the microphone, "Here comes Michelle and Paula....welcome home, ladies". It truly felt like home, and although I've been contemplating other marathons such as Marine Corps in DC to honor my dad, or Philly, I just can't stay away from NYC and Fred's Team and distance running.

On November 5, 2017, I will again be running the TCS New York City Marathon with Fred's Team - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It will be my fourth year running the marathon and fundraising for Sloan Kettering. 

Last year, our team, Philip's Angels NYC, raised over $10,000 for Fred's Team, thanks to the generosity of so many of our friends, families, co-workers and acquaintances. We are truly so grateful to everyone who supported us, not only with donations but with motivating words of encouragement and acts of kindness. No matter what it was - emails, texts, phone calls, cards and especially if you joined us on one of our training runs - the support was overwhelming, inspiring and so appreciated! 

This year, it is our wish to meet and exceed last year's total. Carpe Divas became Philip's Angels which has become #teamdreambigNYC.

My teammate and longtime friend, Michelle Hanlon-Mascari and I will be fundraising and training together and will be side by side at the starting line on November 5 with a singular focus and goal - to raise as much money as possible to support important studies and clinical trials at MSK to drive new, more effective treatments for cancer patients and to provide hope and optimism for their families.

Asking people for donations is very difficult. If you have supported me in the past, I thank you again for that...and would respectfully ask you to consider supporting me once again - please visit my personal page at http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR?px=2654113&pg=personal&fr_id=2921. 

  

We all run for different reasons. Although we all like to think the challenges we face are unique, unfortunately they are not. Sometimes we run for abstract reasons until it becomes personal. We all run for Fred's Team because we believe in the power of research and because we belive that we can make a difference. Please #imaginewithus by supporting  #teamdreambigNYC!

With much love and gratitude,

Paula

Hips Don't Lie...

Greetings from week 18 of my 18-week marathon training plan. I am in the middle of an unheard-of resting phase, the goal being to rest my hip to the point where I can successfully complete this Sunday's New York City marathon.

Yes, it's here....already.

It seems like only yesterday that I was starting the cycle again of training, yoga, swimming, weight lifting, oh and yes, running. All was going really well until it wasn't. All the additional training, hill days, sprint days, double sessions - were going according to plan, until a poorly-executed yoga move left me with a whole new schedule - one that included ice baths, heating pads, KT tape, acupuncture, chiropractic and lots more swimming.

I'm confident that I am over the hurdle, but my so-called "marathon plan" has had to be adjusted slightly. When I last left you in August, I had lofty goals of finishing before sundown while feeling like I could lift a small building above my head.

I will be extremely grateful if I can finish this Sunday. I will, as they say, "eat the elephant one bite at a time", meaning that I will mentally run the course in small, manageable increments (I don't actually eat elephant, by the way).

I will post next week sometime - in the meantime, wish  me well and send me all the good vibes and love that you possibly can.

Donations are still graciously being accepted - here! http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR/FredsTeamEvents/FredsTeam?px=2654113&pg=personal&fr_id=2721

Peace and Love,

Paula
xo

Third Time's the Charm

So - here we are, at it again! Running, training, fundraising and blogging, in no particular order. I left you last year at around this time, promising that I would report back on a semi-regular basis, trying to do a better job with the blogging business than the year before.

Sorry!

There's so much to say, again! Last year was my second go-round at the TCS NYC Marathon, fundraising and running for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's charity fundraising team, Fred's Team. Last year, our team of four called ourselves team Carpe Divas and succeeded in raising $18,500 for cancer research. The marathon was easier and less scary, albeit not without a dramatic late-in-the-day (mile 22!) visit to the medical tent by yours truly. Fortunately, the wizards who inhabit this tent I speak of fixed me up, got rid of my leg spasm and sent me on my merry way, a mere additional 4.2 miles, to collect my medal at the finish line.

You live and learn, they say....which brings me to this year. Yes, I just can't stay away. Strangely, this marathon bug has really taken hold of my now almost 56-year-old brain and body, and I spend inordinate amounts of time researching better, more efficient ways to train and accomplish my goal. High on my list this year is the book, "Older, Faster, Stronger" by Margaret Webb, chock full of advice on training, diet and so forth. So what's new this year? More yoga, of course, more strength training, and the addition of speed and hill training days. Previously, I was content to just get the miles in but now am hoping that these changes and adjustments might get me across the finish line a teeny bit quicker and feeling a bit more strong. Also "timed carbs" and twice-a-day workouts during the shorter-run days. We'll see how that goes. It's all fun and games until my work schedule resumes on August 31.

Also new is our team name - the Carpe Divas have become Philip's Angels, in honor of a dear friend, Philip Gray, who was lost to cancer this past June. His is just one of too many stories that so many of us have experienced, and we run to honor him and to continue to fund research and provide hope to cancer patients and their families. You can read a bit more about Philip on my fundraising page, which is right here - http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR?px=2654113&pg=personal&fr_id=2721

The third time's the charm, they say. I think the first two times were pretty darn charming in their own right, but that's just me. I will keep you posted!

Thanks and much love and gratitude as always,

Paula
xoxo

The View from the Other Side

So despite my best efforts, I abandoned blogging way before I intended to last year.  I had so much to say.  If you followed my earlier efforts, you would know that I am a mediocre runner who was training to run the NYC marathon for the very first time at the age of 54 at this time, last year.

I covered some simple topics - training, mindset, yoga with running, frustration.

I had so much to say! So little time to say it!

The happy ending to that story was that I saw it through; I raised $3,500 for Fred's Team/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I finished, injury-free.  Recovery was not so bad.

Everything that I had heard but doubted proved to be true....the training is harder than the marathon; it would be an experience I would never forget, the "bug" would bite me.

They were right.

I trained, I cried during some of my long runs, I learned the value of epsom salt baths and ice and pasta.  I questioned my sanity, I wondered what I was thinking and why I thought this might be a good idea.  I learned how to run with large quantities of water and to tolerate gels.  I couldn't wait for it to be over.  "One and done" became my motto.  

I prepared 6 hours of playlists to entertain me during the marathon.  

During the last week pre-marathon, I approached the event with a mix of dread, anxiety and terror.  I worried about everything - the weather, the port-o-sans, event security.  I ran out and made extravagant last-minute purchases of socks and underwear and cold weather gear which, I hoped, would ensure my success.  I had a legendary breakfast of lemon waffles AND oatmeal the day before.

Then, something crazy happened...I showed up, waited 3 hours at the starting village in Staten Island, NY in unheard of windy, cold weather conditions, started....and the rest is history.  Thus began one of the greatest, most memorable events of my life (outside of my wedding day/births of my children/college commencement, of course).

As it turned out, I didn't need 6 hours of playlists...I only listened to about 15 minutes' worth of music on the Queensboro Bridge.  I couldn't tune out the experience.  I didn't want to miss anything.

Friends and family came to cheer me on - starting in Brooklyn and following me all around the city. Friends at home tracked my progress on the New York Road Runner's marathon app.  The well wishes and suppoprt were overwhelming.  Suddenly, loved ones were at 59th Street, 61st Street, along First Avenue, in Harlem, the Bronx, at the entrance to Central Park. If they came to see me, I stopped to hug them.  Seeing familiar faces along my journey made me feel a bit like Dorothy en route to the Emerald City.  

So, now....I'm training again.  And fundraising.  But the view from the other side is quite remarkable. The first time I ran after the marathon, about 2 weeks after, I discovered that running had taken on a completely different quality.  The experience left me with a sense of trust in myself, my body, my feet, my spirit  - everything - that nothing else can really compare to.  

So now this training cycle is different as well...knowing what to expect and knowing how I will feel during, say, a 16 mile training run is both a blessing and a curse.  It's sort of knowing what labor and delivery will be like after you've already had a baby and are having another one.  I've lived and learned and will be taking cues from last year to try to make this year a little better.  First on the list - running with a group of people during the long runs....hopefully it will prevent me from crying a little bit.

And I will continue blogging past August.  Stay tuned.

It's All Relative

First of all, may I just say, "August?? Really??!" 

So here I am, training Week 6, Day 1, on the eve of Day 2. It's funny how the weeks of this summer have now become referred to in my mind as Week 1, Week 2 and so on. 

 

When I last left off, I had completed my first 9-mile run.  In the meantime, I have covered a 3, a 5, another 3 and a 10-mile run.  Tomorrow will be a 3-miler.

 

It's funny how this has all become relative. When I first started to "learn" how to run 6 or 7 years ago, I followed an amazing plan called the Couch to to 5K (or C25K) running plan.  The premise was simple; following the plan would get you off the couch and comfortably running 5K, or approximately 3.1 miles, in 9 weeks. Prior to following this running plan, my attempts at running involved well-intentioned but poorly-executed sessions which involved running too hard, too fast and too far.  This resulted in shin splints, side stitches, quick burn-out and frustration.

 

The C25K plan was so good and so effective and I was/am such a passionate believer in it that I actually presented it several years ago as an oral assignment during one of my required undergrad classes, Voice and Diction. (For clarity's sake - I attained my undergraduate degree as an adult, completing my B.A. in Human Behavior and Development/Psychology in 2011.)

 

Anyway, at that time, and pretty much until I started training for this event, 3 miles seemed pretty far.  And it is, until a 3-miler becomes your short run day.  Toward the end of my 10-mile run this past Saturday, I knew I had reached a breakthrough of sorts when I realized that I only had 2.5 miles to go - "Wow!" I thought, "I'm almost home!"

 

If learning, or re-learning how to run interests you, please visit www.coolrunning.com.  Search for "Couch to 5K". If you choose to follow the plan, follow it to the letter - the beginning will leave you feeling like you can do a lot more than what they're asking, but be patient.  You won't be sorry!

Aquamom

Perhaps you've noticed my nom de plume, "aquamom60"?  When I speak of fitness-related pursuits, swimming has always been my weakest link.  I've always looked on with admiration at those who can swim leisurely, rhythmic laps for exercise.  Maybe it's the Zen-like appeal of the water. Maybe it's the way the environment becomes a little muffled with your head under water.  Maybe it's the glide through the water or maybe it's the timing of the breath (three pulls, then breathe!), or maybe it's the absence of terror or panic on the serene swimmers' faces. Being a pushover for accessories, I think the cap and goggles could be a compelling factor for me as well.

 

Because I was never a strong swimmer, a top priority when I had my kids was making sure that they could swim.  This way, if there was ever an emergency, at least they'd stand a chance of being able to save themselves if I was unable to.  We are a beach and pool-loving clan, our family, and I wanted them to grow up with a love and appreciation for the water.  So they were all enrolled in Mommy-'n-Me swim classes as babies and they could swim before they could walk; they all became lifeguards, and they all dabbled on one level or another with competitive swimming. 

 

Hal Higdon tells me that Sunday is a cross-training day - a day to spend an hour doing something else that's vigorous and cardio-based - just not running, and nothing with lateral knee movements.  Having missed any of my opportunities to attend to a yoga class today, I decided to pull out the cap and goggles and get into the pool. With a kickboard, of course.  I thought that kicking my way through an hour on a beautiful, sunny late Sunday afternoon would be the perfectly leisurely- yet-vigorous-cardiovascular solution - how hard could that be?

I spent one hour kicking lap after lap in a 50-meter pool, interspersed with some deep-water running, with the kickboard at full-arm extension.  I actually got into a rhythm, enjoyed listening to some Allman Brothers and Jimmy Buffet courtesy of the pool sound system.

Lesson du jour:  it's amazing how fast your heart rate jacks up when you get in the pool!

This weekend has been nothing if not one humbling experience after another! 

After an hour, my arms were like rubber bands and my legs were wobblier than after the 9 miles ran yesterday.  So the second lesson du jour is: just because you're not sweating doesn't mean that you're not kicking some serious butt!

9 Miles

So as scheduled, Saturday was scheduled to be a "long" run.  The way Hal Higdon's program works so far, you run three consecutive days mid-week - short, a bit longer then a bit shorter, and on Saturday you have your long, grueling run.  The first week's long run was 6 miles, the second 7, the third 5 and now this past Saturday was 9.  Higdon's formula has you progress for a few weeks then every third week you pull back on mileage - then surge ahead and keep adding.  So next Saturday will be 10 miles but then the one after will be 7...and so on. All I know is that (1) I hadn't ever run 9 miles consecutively before this weekend and (2) I have to run 20 miles the morning after my upcoming birthday in October. Obviously, there will be some building up in between but I'm just sayin'....yikes.

So the thing about 9 miles is this: it's sort of like the 3/5/7 pound scenario, and if you've ever attempted any kind of weight loss you will know what I mean - you know how you can lose the same 3-5 pounds without a great degree of excitement but as soon as the scale reflects a loss of more than 5 pounds, say 7 pounds, suddenly it's a game-changer? Suddenly- it sort of clicks and you think "whatever I'm doing must really be working!" and  it motivates you a bit to keep doing EXACTLY what it is you're doing?  Then before you know it, you've lost 11 pounds, and so on? Well, that's what 9 miles was like for me. It wasn't the same-old/same-old 3- or even 5 mile run. 

Since my husband and I had plans for the majority of the day on Saturday and since I estimated that the run would take me approximately 2 hours, I had to set my alarm for 5:30.  This would afford me the necessary time needed to lie in bed and stress out over the task ahead of me.  Once up, I quickly got dressed, passed on the morning java and just got going before I could change my mind.  (Motivational tip:  I have been known to sleep in half of my running/workout gear, i.e., sports bra, socks, etc. the night before I have to get up and out early for a run or workout, so that when the alarm goes off, I think: "I'm half-dressd already! All I have to do is stand up!"  Don't knock it - it really works!)

So as stated, I got up early and was out the door by 6:15.  Being that it was Saturday, I decided that the route should be main roads (less traffic on weekends but still not as scary as some of the pathways/trailways can be with no one else on them).  Using my trusty smartphone app, I navigated myself 4.5 miles from home, turned around and headed back the exact same way (what's known in runderland as "out and back"). What worked about this is that 4.5 miles seemed to me to be the "goal".  It's the same kind of phenomenan as when you are anxious to arrive somewhere that you haven't driven to before, and it feels like it takes forever to get there but then the ride home goes by in a jiffy. 

What I discovered was that the second 4.5 miles was by no means a piece of cake but it also wasn't as heinous as I feared it would be.  I also discovered that a great deal of positive thinking is going to have to take place toward the end of the long runs.  (I really leaned on breath control and the yogic mind-body connection right around the same time that I was dashing around looking for a gas station that would permit the likes of me to use their ladies' room without the purchase of a tankful of gas.)  I also realized I have to get a grip on the food/hydration balance, and that I have to find an external battery source for my phone so that the navigation and music keep flowing and also in case I have an emergency.  There's a lot to work on.

The great news is that my legs felt pretty great later that day and the next day! And my energy level was ok!  And after I did a little preemptive icing of my bunion, all was well! (Plans are in the works for an entire future blog entry about the bunion.  Stay tuned.)

So even though I walked through my front door 2 hours later and said "I don't know if I can keep doing this", I think that I can.  Just like Henry Ford said.

-Paula

To donate to my run:  http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR/FredsTeamEvents/Freds_Team?px=2654113&pg=personal&fr_id=2150