A Well-overdue Summary

I meant to post about the marathon, say, last month after it actually took place, but it's taken until now for things to quiet down and for my foot to properly heal. :)

In short: The marathon was AMAZING. ...Well, the tendonitis I could have done without, but otherwise it was an phenomenal experience.

It began with a far-too-early 5am arrival at the airport, where I caught up with some other runners from the Maryland chapter of Team in Training. Good thing, too - I ended up spending a LOT of time with these guys and gals and now consider them good friends. (Shout out to Samiha, Emily, Muffie, Becky, Lauren, Jason, Kevin, Julie, Katy, Jason, Ray and Luke!)

We landed in Orlando, where we quickly discovered two things:
(1) Disney is a beast of a corporation and has inundated pretty much everything in the area. Seriously. The hotel clerk who checked me in drew the Disney mouse logo to indicate where I needed to initial on the resort form. It borders on creepy. Family-friendly creepy, of course.
(2) Orlando was experiencing an abnormal cold front that week. Temperature highs would cap at the high 30s (roughly 1.66C).

TnT booked rooms at the Coronado Springs, one of the Disney Resorts. It's a beautiful place with plush landscapes and an outdoor pool shaped like an Aztec temple. The only drawback would be that our bungalow was located as far as physically possible from the lobby, which made the trip to get to and from the buses/restaurant/meeting spots a tad inconvenient. We actually had the bell hop drop us off with our luggage. Kevin (our coach) pointed out that the ride wasn't exactly marathon runner training, to which I replied, "We're tapering."

From there it was off to the Expo at the Disney Wide World of Sports Pavilion. Expos are generally organized chaos at its finest, and with 50K+ runners in and out of the place to pick up numbers, bags, and merchandise, this was no exception. We picked up our bags and premium (a very nice long sleeved training shirt and some other swag) and browsed around the various booths and merchants. I picked up some KT tape for my knee and a Bondi Band for future wear. [*Side Note: Check out my girls Katy and Emily to purchase some Bondi Bands for your own runs and to help them raise money for TnT! I own #19 myself... http://runninaround.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/bondi-band-fundraiser-for-leukemia-and-lymphoma-society/

The next two days were a bit of a blur. The highlight had to be the TnT Inspiration Dinner, where the 1,500 TnT half and full marathon runners came together to celebrate and commemorate TnT and the friends and loved ones for whom we run. This occasion was extra-special as recent fund-raising efforts (over $5.4 million had been raised for the Disney event alone) had helped push TnT's overall fund raising history to over $1US BILLION. Hazah! It was great night. While eating our fill of various pasta dishes, we heard speeches from cancer survivors, race organizers, and John "the Penguin" Bingham, a runner's delight.

Because of the size of the events, the Half and Full marathons are held on different days. (You can actually opt to run both events - collectively known as the Goofy - and earn yourself a snazzy 3rd medal in addition to what I expect are some serious shin splints.) The Half took place on Saturday, while the Full was held on Sunday, so I had a full day to fret about the upcoming event. It's true what they say: Get your sleep two nights before your event - you're not going to get a lick of sleep the night before.

We met up to take the bus to the marathon together. The 5am airport meeting had nothing on the 3:30am meet up time at the lobby. Still, the adrenaline - combined with the 29degree (-1.66C) temperatures - kept me awake. Somehow Samiha and I got separated from the others. We checked in our bags after arriving at the event and then huddled for warmth inside the merchandise tent.

Before long it was time to head to our corral for the start of the race. But first - a bathroom break. Race organizers had explained that there would be close to 800 porta-toilets on race day, which seems like a lot...until you realize that some 800 toilets for 25,000 runners leads to some loooong lines for the bathroom. (In fact, I noticed a lot of people skipping the lines entirely and just heading for the grassy areas nearby.) As a result, Samiha and I were a tad behind schedule, which we figured out as we watched the fireworks signaling the start of the race as we made our way to the start.

Soon enough it was time for our corral to head into the race. Samiha, who runs like a gazelle with an endless energy supply, took off with my blessing. I kept up my pace, occasionally munching on energy beans and dodging the growing piles of shed layers and blankets that covered the course. I'd love to say that it got warmer as the sun rose, but that would be a lie. Between the wind and the low temps, the water and PowerAid at the hydration stops were partially frozen, and the areas around the tables were an obstacle course of black ice. For the first 20 miles I made pretty good time, but right about mile 21 I realized that I could no longer ignore the stabbing pain in my foot an walked most of the remainder of the race. Of course, I ran the last .2 miles - had to finish on a big note, you know?

6 hours and 50 minutes later I finally crossed the finish line. It was a longer time than I was hoping for but at the end of the day - f*ck it! I finished! I picked up my Mickey medal and space-age-looking blanket and found Tony and his parents (who flew down from Pittsburgh to see me run. How sweet is that??) Here's a few highlights from the trail:

*Character Spotting: Several Disney characters were on the course and available for photos including, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis the Alligator, the Stepmother and Step Sisters from Cinderella, Rafiki (the baboon from The Lion King), Cinderella, Jack Sparrow, and several Mickeys, Minnies, Goofies and Donalds. There were also some non-specific human character actors on the course, like the tourist couple who insisted we were running in the wrong direction. I initially refused to stop in order to keep my time, but I did make one exception: I stopped for a photo with Doug, the dog from Up.

*Musical Accompaniment: Along the highway portions of the course, local area high school bands played for the runners as they flew by. While running through the back lot of Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Florida Accordion Players Association provided the tunes.

*Random Factoids: Sharpie was one of the event sponsors, so along a portion of the course runners passed Sharpie written signs that contained random facts about the event, Disney, and other miscellaneous topics. For some reason the only ones I can remember now are that Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore were college roommates (which I already knew - don't ask why) and that Kevin Spacey's brother is a professional Rod Stewart impersonator.

*Goats: Not sure why they were there, but it was appreciated.

*The Magic Kingdom: I was 8 years old the last time I was at Disney (several of the parks we ran through didn't even exist then). So it was a bit of a nostalgia trip to see some of the rides I had enjoyed when I was a kid: Dumbo, the Tea Cups, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. As an added bonus, Disney had trumpeters placed on top of Cinderella's Castle. They played every few seconds as runners came through.

*TnT Supporters: It cheesy, but man is it an ego boost and motivator to hear people cheering your name when you're running. It helped that I had my name written on my jersey, but it still counts. It was also great to have TnT coaches from around the country stopping by to check on my progress and general well being during the run. Towards the end, I really needed it. (Florida TnT Coach: How are you feeling? Me: Pretty beat up. FTC: Well, you know why, don't ya? Me: Well, I'm not a doctor or anything, but I think it has something to do with the 24 miles I just ran. FTC: Thata girl! Remember to hug the corners on your turns.)

*Partner in Crime: I ran into Lauren (a fellow MD-chapter member, running in memory of her grandmother) around mile 23, when we were walking though the costume department at Hollywood Disney. We were both hobbled at that point and decided to walk/run the remainder of the course. Again, it's true what they say: Those last 6.2 miles are all mental. Having Lauren there to joke with and lean on is honestly what helped me finish the damn thing. We ran in the last .2 miles of the race, listened to the race commentators announce our names as we finished, and gave each other a big bear hug after crossing the finish line.

So that was the race in a nut shell! I picked up my Mickey Medal and TnT pin, caught up with Tony, and went back to our room, where I promptly took an ice bath and then a nap. We had a celebration dinner that night. The thought of walking the 1/2 mile to the lobby to pick up the bus to the event brought tears to my eyes, so Tony gave me a piggyback ride part way. Best. Husband. Ever. Unfortunately, due to some faulty event planning, the celebration was held outdoors in 28 degree (-2.22C) cold without heat lamps. No thank you! We quickly scarfed down some food, caught up with Tony's parents and Samiha and then headed back to the resort, where we toasted our accomplishment with some inexpensive champagne and beer.

We all flew back the next day. It was good to be home. I'm still riding high from the experience and while I can't say for sure that I'd do another full marathon any time soon, I'm hoping to do at least one more half marathon before the summer is out.

So what have I learned from all of this? I've learned that the Stick is a runner's best friend. I've learned that the most impossible challenges are often the most rewarding. I've learned that there are lessons (both good and bad) to be drawn from pain. And, I've learned that few things in this life are truly insurmountable, and often the things that seem difficult or painful are a cakewalk compared to the more legitimate battles taken on by the fighters and survivors for whom we ran.

In short: It's all good.

I didn't post any photos from the event or weekend, but you can check them out at my online album here. And remember to check out Katy and Emily's Bondi Band sale to raise funds for their TnT campaigns! It's both fashionable AND charitable.

Thanks again to everyone who lent their support (emotionally as well as financially) to me as I prepared for the marathon. I couldn't have done it without each of you!!!

Lots of Runner's Love,
Adj

The Final Countdown

So it is a mere 4 days before I hop on a plane and head south for the big event. I'm ready. I think. There was a minor snafu after the 20-mile run when I developed a case of peroneal tendonitis that kept me off my foot for the past 2 weeks. A bit of a bummer, to be sure, but some Aleve and a sturdy ankle brace later and I'm ready to resume some light training. The timing of my injury actually worked out since I'd be tapering at this point anyway.

Sunday is the big day! I've heard good and horror stories about the event. (Good: HEAPS of people. Horror: Apparently Disney will pick your sorry butt up off the course if you're not keeping the 16minute mile pace.) For those who are interested in seeing the course in 3D, Google Earth has posted footage of it here (http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/info/detail2?name=MarathonMapDetailPage). It seems you can also track specific runners (i.e., me) using some crazy people-hunting feature they've designed here: http://live.activeresult.com/msg/MSG-signup.tcl?event_id=3

So that's it. It's time to put up or shut up, as it were. If you're still interested in donating or sending the name of friend or loved one for me to run in honor/memory of, just send me an email.

Wish me luck!

4 Weeks In

A brief recap of what I've learned during this past week's training:

(1) Ankles are a surprisingly sensitive area of the body.

(2) 8 miles are a LOT harder to run through than 7. Running into a giant spider web does not help make the distance any easier.

(3) Nothing helps haul one's bum into gear like dropping $88 in registration fees to run a half marathon through the city of Baltimore. (October 10th if anyone wants to cheer me on!)

(4) Motivation to run is hard to come by after a full day of work and crappy weather conditions. Is this part of the mental wall I've heard so much about?

This week is my "easy" training week, which I think means I don't have to run too many runs before this weekend's long run. We'll be running with the team that's training for the Baltimore full marathon (also Oct 10th, so they're doing a 20mi run), so this will be the first time I get to practice eating goo and stopping for water/hydration breaks during a run. I've heard some fairly entertaining tales about varying levels of success people have drinking/eating while running, so this ought to be interesting.

I'll try to take pictures.

Based on comments on my last post, I will definitely be sending SASE with my fliers. If you'd like to help out (and ANY amount will help) please send me your mailing address at adj.nanaye@gmail.com and I'll send a flier along post haste.

Thanks, y'all! :) And thanks for all the support!!!

First week recap

So I've completed a little over a week of training and I thought I'd recap for everyone how things have gone thus far...

Actual Running: Turns out, I'm not as awful as I anticipated. I'm not the fastest by any means, but I'm also not the slowest. This is an unexpected blessing, as I've discovered that in order to compete in and complete the WDW Marathon you have to maintain a minimum 16mph walking pace for the entire event. Now, that doesn't sound like much, but 16mph can seem like Olympic time trial speeds after 26 miles. Right now I'm at something like a 14/15mph, which is sloooooow goings, but when I try to speed up my coach is right there to remind me that I'll be doing this for 6 or so hours, so keep it at a pace that won't cause my lung to burst.

Team Training: The first TnT training was actually pleasant. Not that I expected my teammates to be abominable, but I was worried about how I'd do on the track. Nothing like punking out on the first day. But all went well. Kevin (our coach) had us introduce ourselves to each other and then went over some basic stretches. Then it was onto some quick laps around the high school track we were using that day. 1/2mile of learning to pace myself, which is much easier when you have people to chat with while on the course. A quick break followed by more running - just another 1 1/2 miles - followed by Q&A. Kevin explained some various running methods and techniques (I quickly glommed onto the Galloway method of run/walking the event), as well as basics on hydration, calorie maintenance, and running gear. There's a shoe clinic on Thursday that I'll have to miss because Lina can't take herself to the vet, now can she?

Saturday is the next team workout, and should prove more challenging. We'll be sharing the trail currently used by groups training for the October Baltimore Marathon. It'll definitely be more than 2 miles. Here's hoping I finish some time before Sunday.

Cross Training: Kevin is a big, big, big advocate of cross training at least twice a week to work out muscles that come in handy during endurance events (i.e., knees, back, abs - that sort of thing). I've been mixing it up with a Yoga-lates (it's a Pilates/yoga hybrid) and an exercise bike, which seems to be helping strengthen my knee, thank God. Unfortunately, I'm using the Hopkins gym for many of my workouts. It's not that the gym is sub-par; the gym itself is great. Plenty of workout options, including a climbing wall and an indoor track. Not-so-great are the television options in front of the machines, including the bike. This week I suffered through 4miles' worth of MTV's Next.

Has anyone ever watched this show? Contestants vie for the attention of one guy or gal by performing acts of what I can only politely describe as extreme public humiliation for a brief one-on-one date. It has this whole Roman amphitheater/gladiator v. lion quality to it, but with elements of speed dating thrown in for giggles. The episode I endured included a young man who really likes football, so his initial challenge for the interested ladies (the ones he didn't reject upon first viewing them) was to dress them up in super-padded football uniforms. The girl then had to run as fast as she could to make a touchdown before a K-9 unit police dog (a foaming-at-the-mouth German Shepherd) was released, with the directive to attack and tackle her.

I kid you not. The dog took out the first girl, which made the young man laugh so hard he nearly herniated something. ("That was fun...for me!" he cried out. Charming.) The second girl took one look at the dog and promptly turned around and ran back to the bus/makeshift green room holding the other contestants. The third girl made the touchdown, but was still tackled by the dog who proceeded to maul the back collar of her uniform. While she was still wearing it. Apparently Prince Charming thought this demonstrated her skill and commitment (and her seeming low standards) and they went on a one-on-one date that consisted of feeding each other nachos.

How is this entertaining again? Ladies, I have certainly made my share of questionable relationship decisions in the past, but I think I have enough sense to say that if the man you're interested in thinks that it's hysterical to watch you earn his approval by letting a member of a K-9 unit damn near rip your face off, just let him go, hon. Let him go.

More to update after Sunday. Stay tuned!

The Spirit of the Marathon

Those for whom I run

While I'm running in memory of my godfather, Jim Meehan, and my cousin, Dr. Joseph Wiley, I'm also running for two young boys who are still alive and fighting their own battles with cancer here in Maryland.

Matthew Valenti was 2 years old when doctors determined that his severe anemia was a symptom of B-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). Here's what Matt's dad has to say about his little guy:

Matthew spent almost a month at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The first week they gave him transfusions to get his blood count up and then he began the chemo treatments for the next couple of weeks. The chemo medicines hurt Matthew’s legs and joints and he couldn’t walk for a few weeks, but he hardly complained…he said, “Can you help me up this step? My legs feel a little wobbly”.

Oh, Matthew turned three years old on February 9^th, 2007.

Matthew started the second phase of his treatment on April 23, 2007, which is called delayed induction (DI) and we hope he will be in long term maintenance by July of 2007. The DI is pretty difficult on everyone as Matthew won’t be able to leave the house except to go to the hospital until it is over.

When Matthew is stuck in the house, he loves to play with his older brothers, Jack and Zackary. They are a lot of fun and they really are a blessing with helping out, keeping Matthew in good spirits and occupied His brothers are very good lacrosse players and are teaching Matthew to play; he can cradle and shoot the ball already (he loves to score goals). Matthew’s most favorite things are his matchbox cars and playing with his Granddads.

I'm also running in honor of 19-year-old Justin Knight, who was also diagnosed with ALL at a young age. From age 6 to 9, Justin endured intense chemotherapy. Thankfully, Justin responded well to treatment, and recently celebrated 8 years of remission without chemotherapy in March.

New Incentives & Garment Shopping

I'm slooowly working my way back to being regularly active. Mostly, this entails taking my butt out of my car and walking to and from work. It's about a mile each way, which is no small feat early in the morning. For me, at least - I'm not a morning person.

I'm also becoming accustomed to the fact that I need to invest in some quality gear. The shoes I've got - thanks to the kind folks at the Running Store in Georgetown, I found out that I over-pronate (i.e., I roll my feet when I walk). Thus, I ended up with a nice new pair of Asics. Now I just need to pick up the proper undergarments - the regular sports bras I've had since undergrad just aren't going to cut it - and I am set!

The Kick Off Breakfast where I get to meet the other runners and tri-athletes is a mere 2 weeks away. I cannot wait! I'm really looking forward to seeing who else is willing to sacrifice their weekends, shins and knees for a great cause.

Speaking of which, I've decided to up the ante for my donors!

Silver level donors ($100)
will receive an LLS Canvas Tote Bag!

Gold level donors ($250)
will receive a TnT Duffle Bag!

Remember to spread the word!

Orlando Run: 150 days and counting...