A New Year - A New Goal

Happy New Year! I've been a very bad blogger and have re-committed to trying harder to be more consistence with my posts ...

This one will be short for now ...

So, I've signed up to run my FIRST MARATHON ... oh boy ...

I'm terrified, but determined. The thought of training for that distance (42.2 kilometers) is scary enough, but actually showing up on race day and running it all in one shot is another thing all together!

I'm running for arthritis research as a member of Joints in Motion and will run Maratona di Roma in March 2013!!! In ROME!!!

I have a full year to train and a $6,500 fundraising goal to meet. I hope to achieve my fundraising goal very early (by June 2012) so I can fully focus on training. My website is here:

http://arthritis.akaraisin.com/nl/TammyVeronicaMariaButler

I'm just getting geared up to create my training, nutrition, and fundraising schedules/plans and will record my progress through this blog. I hope to train smart and get into the best shape of my life to ensure I complete this goal successfully. I've ran a few half marathons, but doing two back-to-back is going to be my biggest personal challenge yet.

Wish me luck! Any help you can offer whether it be nutritional advice, running tips, marathon tips, fundraising ideas, or donations/sponsorship would be greatly appreciated!!

Happy Running
:o)

Tammy

One week ends, another begins, and so it goes ...

on and on ...

I had a great 12k run this morning ... finally a nice dry day! Still having issues breathing ... can't wait to see the Respirologist to see what's going on ... hoping it's just the cold air irritating my airway and that it soon won't be a problem as Spring is just around the corner (then I have allergies to contend with, but at least it's tolerable).

Was afraid to wear my new orthotics on the long run this week, but will continue using them this week on my shorter distances and hopefully have them feeling comfortable enough for next Sunday's long run.

I only got three runs in this week, but that's good. I've been feeling pretty tired, so it's okay to take it easy, right?

Did I mention that I am signed up for the half marathon?!?!?! I registered about a week or so ago! AND I also registered for the next half marathon clinic which will take me up to the end of September ... that will be the longest amount of time I have EVER ran! Started January 14th ... so that will be almost 9 months of running (in succession!) ... I sure hope I get stronger and faster soon ... We're doing the Tely Teaser April 2nd, so that should give me some indication of how I am doing ... my chip time for Tel 10 2009 was 2:05:16 ... so if I do better than that - gravy!

Anyway, gotta get ready for the week ahead...

Happy Running :o)

Tammy

Squish Squish

Last night's run was probably my first really soggy run ...

We ran about 5K, after a talk about stretching, and I was soaked from head to toe! At first, I was so cold I thought "I can't do this" ... but, fortunately, I kept going and warmed up rather nicely. I didn't notice the rain at all after a while; the puddles (and mini rivers), on the other hand, were hard to miss since the water was ICE COLD!!!!

I wore my new orthotics all this week, while at work, and tried them out during last night's run ... I may need the left one tweaked, as my left calf felt like it was going to pop at some points during the run and today my entire left side from my lower back to my toes is really giving me some grief. Why can't I just be a natural runner? I love running, but hate it when my body fails me! Between the breathing issues and the various injuries I've had over the past two years, it's really a miracle that I haven't given up yet!

Oh well. I'll be hitting the bike/elliptical for tomorrow's distance and will hopefully have a nice LSD Run Sunday morning.

Happy Running :o)
Tammy

Trainin', Trainin', Trainin' ...

YAY! I managed to get my four runs in again last week for a total of 24K's! That is the most I think I've ever ran in a single week! We ran 11K Sunday ... it was a very nice day for the last day of February. Mild, no wind, and dry! Had some issues with tight calves/shins and breathing (as usual), but overall had a great run.

This week I think I'll be doing two of my runs on the bike/elliptical to avoid injury. Apparently, I have Compartment Syndrome in my lower legs which is uncomfortable at best ... but I will concur this minor "bump in the road". Also, my doctor seems to think I have "Sports Induced Asthma" ... I laughed at him - mainly because I've never had any "Sport" related injury/illness in my entire life simply because I was never a sports enthusiast!

Once the weather warms up I am hopeful that my breathing will improve. For now, I sound like a squeeky toy during my runs, which is just fine by me! As long as I can get out there, that's all that matters!

Well, I'm looking forward to a week of cross-training, stretching, and gutting my closets! Spring is in the air and I cannot wait!

Until next time ...

Happy Running :o)
Tammy

Getting Stronger!

We ran a great 10K route yesterday morning and the weather was absolutely perfect! It was so nice that we had to take off our running jackets and wrap them around our waists in order not to pass out from heat exhaustion!

Our route included a few inclines, but the biggest one was Temperance Street ... and we were warned before the run that we were not allowed to walk it! Well, I started walking along the street just before Temperance (about 20-30 feet) - that's when the jacket came off! I took a swig from my water bottle, looked up (swore), and dug in! Fast, tiny, steps and arms pumping mad I made my way up the hill ... over the crest ... and didn't stop until I reached the other end of the street! It was tough, but I kicked Temperance's ass! It took an extra minute or two to recover (I was wheezing like crazy), but I made it back to the Running Room strong!

Looking forward to another week of challenges ...

Happy Running :o)
Tammy

Still alive and kicking!

Oh boy ... I was never good at keeping a journal. So, as you can see, my blog is falling to the way-side - but I'm still here and I've been doing allot of running (well, allot for me)!

Get this - I ran FOUR times last week!!!! I used to run only twice a week in other clinics and thought "oh my gawd, how am I ever going to run at least three times a week" when I first started the half marathon clinic. Well, I ran three times a week for the first four weeks and managed to finally get a fourth run in last week. I am hoping to run four times a week for a few weeks and see if I eventually get strong enough to do all five runs on my schedule before the clinic comes to an end!

I am getting stronger, I can feel it! I've been sprinting to the finish to add an extra kick at the end of each run ... and I've really been loving the LSD runs Sunday mornings. We're up to 10K this Sunday ... should be a good challenge :o)

Well, I'm off again. Got to fit in a treadmill run tonight, 3K tomorrow, 10K Sunday before a new week begins. Hill training starts in two weeks ... eek!

Happy Running :o)
Tammy

Bad Little Blogger!

Boy have I been a bad little blogger! It's been a week since my last post ... shame on me!

Oh well, I've been busy! Since last Sunday I ran 4K on Thursday without any walk breaks and I ran 10K Saturday on my treadmill (we had a big snow storm, so I opted to run inside). Our long run was shifted to Saturday because the Hypothermic Half Marathon was today.

Thursday's clinic introduced us to Liam who talked about the psychology of running ... obviously he had a positive impact on me, since I ran 4K right afterwards without stopping. Positive thoughts really do have a positive impact on your run. The moment you give into the fear of being last, the pain in your shins, or any other negative factor that might enter your mind, you need to stamp it out with something positive. Focusing on your form and telling yourself that you'll make it goes a long way in making it so ...

Today (Sunday) is a rest day ... I've got allot of work to catch up on for my university course, but I cannot help but procrastinate. I'm a little sore from my 10K on the treadmill and from all the shoveling over the past couple of days - all I want to do is eat and watch movies!

Back to work in the morning. I'm hoping to get at least three, possible four, runs in this week ... I'm going to remember Liam's talk every time I put on my sneakers ... and perhaps I should incorporate his knowledge into the rest of my life as well!

Happy Running :o)

Tammy