Track, Yasso, and a Double Mastectomy OH MY!

Miles to date: 209

This week brought me over 200 miles run! That number is only going to get a whole lot bigger in the upcoming months as we train for Disney's Goofy's Race and Half.  Last Sunday I did a pretty impressive ten miles after 3 straight days of running including my super fast for me 5k!  All the girls decided it was ok to take running on Tuesday morning off and get in some much needed rest.  We were back at it with 6 on Thursday and 12 not so pretty miles on Sunday.

Tomorrow is the first day we get to run on the track instead of running mile repeats on the road and I have to admit that I'm pretty excited!  I even have a track shirt I've been saving to wear to commemorate being back on the track.  On top of that it's also a work out of Yasso 800's - I was lucky enough to meet Bart Yasso at the expo for the Pittsburgh Marathon in May, so it seems fitting that my first track workout in months is his!

 

Tomorrow also is an important day for Jen, she goes in for surgery - a double mastectomy!  I love her attitude and outlook on this process she'll "do this once - but not again"!  I'm so proud and in awe of her bravery!  So after the run in my special track shirt I'll be sporting purple at work for her.  So put on some purple and send her positive thoughts, prayers, wishes whatever it is that you're in to, because I know that I will be!

Motivation and Inspiration

Miles to Date: 181

Even though it's been summer time - it's been pretty busy and hectic around here.  Training is no exception.  I've been cranking out the miles and running hard!  This week we had a lot of miles to put in: 6 on Tuesday, 6 on Thursday, 6 on Friday, a 5k today, and 10 tomorrow!

Sometimes it seems really tempting to take it easy in this heat and humidity, run a little slower, and not push myself near as hard.  When it comes down to that time I try and think about my friend, Jen, her battle is so much more than my last measly mile in the heat or pushing myself to run just a little bit faster.  After this last chemo treatment she hit a rough patch and had to spend almost a week in the hospital.  After a 7 mile run last Thursday morning I showered and hopped in the car to make the 2 hour drive to visit and surprise her in the hospital.  Her hospital shared a parking lot with a Starbucks so I played the "I was just in the neighborhood getting a latte" line.  We joked that true friends know each other's Starbucks orders.  She is going through and dealing with so much that when it comes to things like being sore running I try not to sweat the small stuff (just the humidity!)  She really is my hero and motivation to do well at running!

I went to the anniversary sale this week at the Track Shack where I was told that sadly I had to retire my Nike's and start wearing some Asics. Luckily they're purple and judging from my 5k time today they are my "magic shoes"(thank you Forrest Gump). Leah and I also got matching purple Nike visors to supplement our ever growing Nike apparel collection.

Today a bunch of us suited up in our Nike shirts to run the Track Shack's Celebration of Running 5k.  Gloria and Betty (both Breast Cancer Survivors themselves) joined us with the Abso-FREAKING-lutely Amazing Shirts.    Leah and I started the 5k together and she finished in an impressive 34:17 and I ran a 34:36 - a PR of 3 minutes!  Granted we both thought we were going to throw up but that's a small price to pay for running so fast!

For now it's just resting up for our 10 miles tomorrow and another week of running. That and crossing my fingers that Jen starts feeling better and can start running soon herself!

Me and Leah with our matching shirts and visors

After the race with my medal and "dedicated to Jen"shirt