Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Yippee! Another Reason to Run!

New Half Marathon for Women

LLS and Women's Running magazine have joined forces to create The Women's Half Marathon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in St. Petersburg FL. This brand-new event will take place on the weekend of Nov. 21-22, in St. Petersburg, FL.

It's that city's first women-only half marathon, and it is expected to draw athletes from around the country. Participants can train to run or walk the half marathon through LLS's Team In Training (TNT), the world's first, largest and best charity sports training program. With TNT, participants join a group of supportive teammates and get four to five months of training with certified coaches. In return, they raise funds to support blood cancer research and patient services.

"LLS wants to thank the officials of St. Petersburg for granting us the opportunity to put on this great event," says Nancy Klein, LLS's chief marketing and revenue officer. "This will be an exciting weekend, giving participants the chance to take on an athletic challenge while also making a difference in the lives of thousands of people fighting blood cancer."

The 13.1-mile flat, fast race course will wind along the scenic downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, through quaint communities, past historic buildings and museums.

For more information about TNT, including the upcoming summer season, please visit http://www.teamintraining.org./

Monday, February 16, 2009

What's The Plan, Man?

I know I have done this already, but here is a much updated "race" and dream schedule:

March, 2009
3.7.2009 - TRBC 10K - if my heel an ankle are 100%
3.14-15.2009 - Area 1-4 Championships (JAX - ATAC event)
3.28.2009 - Springtime Tallahassee 10K
or
3.28-29.2009 - Tour de Big Bend Cycling Festival (Double Century Ride)

April, 2009
4.24-26.2009 - Panama City Long Course Meet (ATAC event)
4.25.2009 - Rose City 10K

May, 2009
5.16.2009 - Missionette 10K (Cairo, GA)
5.16-17.2009 - GPAC Distance Invitational (ATAC event)
5.23-24.2009 - ATAC Long Course Developmental

June, 2009
6.6.2009 - Capital City Ride for Hope (100K)
6.26-28.2009 - ATAC Long Course Invitational

July, 2009
7.4.2009 - Freedom Springs Triathlon
7.16-19.2009 - Long Course Junior Olympics (Fort Myers, FL)

August, 2009
8.1-2.2009 - Area 1-4 Championships
8.15.2009 - Breakfast on the Track 1 Mile Time Trials
8.22.2009 - Miller Landing Madness (8K)

September, 2009
9.19.2009 - Women's Distance Festival 5K

October, 2009
10.3.2009 - Atlantic Coast Triathlon (70.3)
10.10.2009 - Spaghetti 100 (ride)
10.17.2009 - Race for the Cure 5K (Birmingham, AL)
10.31.2009 - Boston, GA Mini Marathon

November, 2009
11.22.2009 - The Women's Half Marathon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in St. Petersburg FL
11.26.2009 - Turkey Trot 15K

December, 2009
12.6.2009 - Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas???? C'mon now, it's an inaugural event
or
12.13.2009 - Jacksonville Marathon

February, 2010
2.21.2010 - 26.2 with Donna (3rd Time's the Charm)

The Harder They Fall

Have you ever heard the saying, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall"? Well, if you adapt it for Sunday's 2nd Annual 26.2 with Donna: The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer you could very well describe my dream of a 4:00 or so marathon. However, several things, not the least of which being the grace of God and the blessing of running with a dear friend, all lined up with me at the start to change the plan for my morning run through Jacksonville Beach and other "beach-y" towns to the north.

Saturday, 14 February 2009:
The rains water down on us nearly the entire way from Tallahassee to Jacksonville. Even as we leave the Race Expo it was still drizzling and beginning to cool off a bit. But, we have our packets, numbers, timing chips, post-race shirts, lots of freebies from the expo and we are off in search of a carbo-loading yummy dinner. We check into the hotel before dinner and then cruise up A1A just a bit to a beach-y type plaza that had the look of awesome local fare. We duck into a joint called Al's Pizza and have a marvelous meal: chorizo sausage pizza, pesto chicken penne, calamari, and the requisite hydration. Post dinner showers, and "chick" TV prep us for an uneventful night of sleep.

Sunday, 15 February 2009:

About 5:00 a.m. the internal alarm in my head goes off and we are up! We are dressed; bagels peanut buttered; and skipping out the door for the shuttle to the starting line. The Runners' Village is mostly dry in spite of the rain all day Saturday, and the volunteers seem happy to be there and are thanking all of the athletes for being there and running for the cause. We wander just a bit, then check our gear. All athletes are corralled based on predicted finish time and our race bibs are color-coded to indicate which corral. Here we split and find our respective color-coded corral(s). I head off to find the 4:15 pace group per my plan. Along the way I see runners from our Tallahassee Running Group, and then I find Maggie and Jaqui. Hugs an good luck wishes all the way around, and we are all off on our own paths again.

In the starting area I find the 4:15 Galloway group and get my Garmin turned on and locked in. The runners in the group chat briefly and share a bit of why they are there and why this pace, and their history. It's going to be a great morning. There is still a bit of chill in the air which will work well with the extreme humidity to keep us from running in sauna-like conditions. We can see the jumbo tron screens from where we are, and Donna Hicken, and the woman who sings the National Anthem. The the gun sounds and pink confetti blasts out at us from both sides, and we are running!


Things go well for the first 3 miles, even though that includes all of the hills (the bridges and overpasses from the Mayo Clinic to Jacksonville Beach proper). Somewhere between miles 3 an 4 I side slip a bit on the road striping, and step down "just wrong" on a reflector or raised piece of asphalt. I come down "just wrong" on my right foot - the one that has been ailing and haunting me since Disney. And, that pretty much is all she wrote. I move off to the side and walk a bit in hopes that it is "one of those twists" we all endure from time to time. After a bit of walking, I pick it back up running and quickly realize that, "No, this is not one of those twists or turns," and go back to walking.

I know that all of my friends and running buddies who are doing the half marathon are still behind me. So, as much as I agonize over the decision while still trying to run, I decide that this is my new, adjusted plan for the morning: I will walk until one of them comes up behind me, and then I will continue on for the remainder of the half with her - whomever she may be. And, if I have to back off again, then I will walk, and repeat the process until I get to the finish line. I mentally go through the ladies I know behind me: Ana, Vicky, Maggie, Jaqui, Ann, Patty, Lynn, and a couple others. Now I settle in to wait for who gets there first.

Not too long after I have made my decision, Maggie and Jaqui come up from behind. They are moving at an easy pace that I think I can hang with and not be in much more pain than I am currently experiencing. We immediately fall into that easy chatter of women who know each other and have a lot in common. Oh, yeah, we all three are swim moms; we are all runners; and we all have boys. We have LOTS to chat about for the next 9 or so miles. And, away we go. In a short while, Jaqui leaves us to run her own race - good for her; and Maggie and I head to the beach portion of the run. Her goal is to make it to mile 7 running, and then run walk to the finish. My goal at this point is just to finish - my heel an ankle are way pain inducing by this time. We discover that as we talk we speed up, and then we have to concentrate on returning to pace and being mindful of the overall goal. We slow up just a tiny bit so that I can ease the tension on my heel some, but the chatter never slows.

It is a good run. I, from the purely selfish side, get to spend this time catching up with Maggie who I don't see as often anymore because of Mac. And, that's okay. I explain to her that I miss her being around, and that I think of her often - which explains the cell phone calls at all absurd times of the day. We talk about Colin and Aidan, and Savannah and Mac. It is good that she can talk about Mac - especially to someone who has a boy near his age. She is nearly as excited as I am that Colin is finally going to the Junior Olympics, and she has promised him she will be there to see him swim. I know that it will be extremely difficult for her to be there, but (again, selfishly) I am so happy that she will be there for Colin. It means a lot to him that she be there.

Anyway, we talk about a lot of things and sometimes nothing at all. And, after about 2 hours we realize we are almost there, and in not too shabby of a time either. She is pleased to be under 2:30 and most definitely under 2:20. I am happy to not be on the medical cart that we saw not too long before mile 11. Yippee! There will be some awesome pictures from the beach and along the way. Hopefully the one at the finish line will be as grand as we felt when we got there.

I kicked myself mentally for a while after I decided to not finish the full yesterday. I'm still questioning whether or not I could have done it. I know I could have, but what would it have cost me? One thing I know without a doubt is that it would have cost me those two hours with Maggie and all that we now share from that experience. I would not trade that time with her for anything. It is a memory I will always have and cherish.

Same time, same place NEXT YEAR. I'm already registered. I must be crazy!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday the 13th

A friend of mine sent "our running group" an e-mail earlier this week inviting all of us to gather together for a "Valentine's Lunch" on Friday the 13th. The chosen venue sounded promising, and we had all been asked to bring our favorite love story to share. So, I joined the group. I did not share my favorite love story at lunch. It is more just for me than for anyone else. But, I have decided to put it here. All names have been removed (to protect the innocent, of course), but I know who "he" is, and so does "he."

My favorite love story happens every day. Yes, it is a profound example of cheesy and I don't tell him as often or as appropriately as I should, but he loves me every day even when I am not very lovable - much less likable on occasion. Ever since I leaned out of a second story window to find a "cop" on my front sidewalk, he has loved me. Even when I growled at him the day before our wedding, he loved me. Even when I stomp and storm and fuss and fight, he loves me. When I don't keep things neat; when dinner is frozen chicken fingers; when I run out the door for yet another extracurricular activity, he loves me.

There you have it. My favorite love story. I hope it remains my favorite until "death us do part."

With all that many of our group have endured over the past years (since August, 2006) I find it simply amazing that we are still (mostly) well-adjusted, functioning members of society. Thank you, my friend, for including us in your personal demon-chasing celebration of a day that is vastly over-marketed to those who are not strong enough to express love on their own accord.

Have a great weekend, and thank you, again, for getting us together as a group for a reason none of us would have expected.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

I'm Eva

Good Morning, World! My name is Eva (say it like this: "EEEeee-Vaaahhh..."). I am a "trashy dog mix" rescued by my new family from the Tallahassee Big Dog Rescue group. I and my two brother puppies were put in a trash bag - you know the big black Hefty kind - and thrown out of a moving vehicle into a ravine and woods when we were about a month or so old. My new mommy and brother, Aidan, met me at the pet store and fell in love. Duh... A couple of days later I took a car ride to my new house and I got to stay! Instant family! Two canine sisters, a daddy, and two human boys to play with and adore me. What more could a puppy ask for? Not much, I tell you.

I have a comfy kennel all to myself; my own brand new dinner bowl, an lots of pink puppy toys. And, I like to help older brother, Colin, with his piano homework.

I'll do my best to log onto mom's blog and keep you posted. Stay Tuned...

Monday, February 2, 2009

The Junior Olympics

To all of you who have listened to me brag, and then moan, and then moan and brag some more on the ever developing (sometimes frustrating) swimming abilities of my older son:

First, if you did not hear the loud (very loud) exclamations of joy and elation that came from the FSU Leach Center this past Saturday Evening, I feel that I should pass on some awesome information. Colin Abbey qualified to compete in the Spring 2009 Florida Junior Olympics (swimming) in the 200 yard freestyle event. He is committed to achieving qualifying times in one if not three other events (the 50, 500 and 1650 yard freestyle) in two weeks. The Spring 2009 Junior Olympics will be held in Gainesville, Florida, the weekend of the 19 - 22 February and we will be there! This is only the second time Colin has achieved a JO qualifying time, and the FIRST time that he will actually be able to participate and compete against/with the best in the state. He is so very excited.

Second, thank you for listening to me all of this time about him and his swimming things. But more importantly, THANK YOU for your support of him and his endeavors: for coaching him (even as his mother tries her darnedest to not interfere and fails); for sitting on the pool deck in the heat of late June through thunderstorms just to watch the "mile;" for riding with him for miles in preparation for any one of his triathlons; for loaning him equipment and mentoring him; for swimming in Lake Hall with him prior to your own Ironman experience; for sitting on the most uncomfortable concrete bleachers of all; for traveling to small southern Alabama towns to see him swim; for allowing us to stay in your home(s) and for feeding us while we are there so he can swim and compete; for showing up to cross country meets to see him be not the fastest - yet just fast enough; for picking him up in out of the way locations to get him to a meet while I ran a half marathon half way across the state; for taking him to meets with you and having your family put him up and feed him for the weekend; for car pooling with that "Crazy Abbey Lady" to and from everywhere.

Truly, for loving him and supporting him as you have, thank you. He would not be where he is with out you, I promise. Thank you!

Coaches for a Cause

Mac's "SwimSTRONG" Foundation

Mac's "SwimSTRONG" Foundation
Love this art work. Click for link to the web site. And follow Team TRI Mac at www.trimac-competingforareason.blogspot.com