Training Update

So remember when I was going to post diligent training updates each week? Yeah, sorry about that. Let's get caught up shall we?

As you know from my last post, this past Monday marked the 8 week point until the 123rd Boston Marathon - meaning we are half way through our 16 week training program which kicked off back in December. Training was going well until I strained a hip flexor in early January while scaling a mountain in Peru the day after running a 3 marathon. Okay, so it wasn't from scaling a mountain in Peru or running a time I can only reach in my dreams, but man that sounds better than saying it was during what was to have been a routine/easy 3 miler on a regular running route. Seriously?! Yup.

Having learned in previous seasons that you can't rush healing, I gave my hip time to heal and started easing back into my mileage with plenty of help from my foam roller, advil, and stretching. Foam rollers come in all shapes/sizes and are particularly popular with runners for helping to massage muscles and speed recovery.  

Things have been progressing nicely and with a few 14 milers in the bank with 16, 18, and 20 all on the schedule in these next few weeks. You might be asking why only 20 miles if the marathon is 26.2? Most training plans have you maxing out with a long run of 20-22 miles around 3 weeks prior to a marathon, as by this point you should be able to tackle that distance and - if you can - you are able to get to 26.2 on race day. Following that long run at the end of March, we will begin tapering.  This roughly 3 week period allows your muscles to rest/repair, optimize you immune system (which gets stressed during long runs), and build up glycogen stores (the carbs your body holds onto which you use as energy when exercising) so you can arrive to the start line in peak condition to take on 26.2 miles. 

Speaking of peak condition, one of the best things runners can do is ensure they are getting proper amounts of sleep to allow their bodies to heal/repair, and I have certainly been guilty of short changing that as of late. As such, I am off to bed so I can tackle some early morning snowy miles tomorrow (we have another storm system moving in). Friday will be a light cross-training day with plenty of stretching, and I'm eyeing 15-16 miles this Saturday including the Newton Hills (the four famed hills of Boston's course including Heartbreak Hill which I have not yet tackled this training season). 

And since a picture is worth a million words, here are some of my favorites from training thus far - a mix of weekday runs, DFMC group shots and volunteers, and a few from today's 6 miler around the Charles (a rare treat given my schedule/Mama duties no longer allow me to train in Boston on weekdays - this was the first time in 3 years that I have done that loop)!

Hometown Weekly Feature

Thanks to our local paper, The Hometown Weekly. for featuring me this week!

Click HERE to check out their article

Monday Motivation: One Week and All The Feelings

You would think that because I ran the marathon last year I would be heading into this weekend with nerves of steel, right?  Wrong. With one week to go I woke up this morning with butterflies in my tummy and ALL the feelings. There is just something about it being one week away that makes it all very, very real.

So I headed into Boston for work. And the marathon themed New Balance posters are up in Kenmore Square. The newly unveiled "Boston Strong" painting is gracing the Charlesbridge overpass spanning Commonwealth. And the scaffolding has gone up for the finish line on Boylston. Even the yogurt commercial on the radio this morning was geared towards people running the marathon! 

Surprisingly, seeing all of these things did nothing to calm my nerves. Shocking, right? 

Then my coworkers surprised me by matching the amount raised from today's Red Sox home opener "Jeans for Generosity" day to benefit my DFMC fundraising, and my heart and mind are exploding from love and gratitude (plus all the other aforementioned feelings). I can't even compose a logical thought right now because I am so overcome by everyone's generosity throughout this journey.

So I am taking deep breaths, working to compose my thoughts, and focusing on why and for who I will be running a week from today. And of course I am also daydreaming about the delicious BBQ I will eat tonight in support of DFMC. I'll be back with some more posts to get us geared up for the big day but in the meantime, here two of my favorite marathon motivations to get you through the rest of your Monday and kick start the week. 

My prayer for the next week

It's NOT a sprint. It's a Marathon.
Overlooking Boylston Street and Mile 26. 

Yankees Fan  + Red Sox themed  "Jeans for Generosity" day at work =
DFMC baseball cap and shirt!!!

Monday Motivation: 12 Weeks To Go!

Happy Monday ya'll! 12 weeks from today we take to the streets for the 120th Boston Marathon and time is really flying by. If I have been a bit silent lately it is because I was kept busy by back-to-back trips to visit family and my favorite toddler running "coaches" - think lots of unintentional stair repeats and speed work (it's amazing how quick one can move when a tipping glass of milk is involved). Lots to catch up on this week including exciting fundraising opportunities and the introduction of my first guest post which is not to be missed, so be sure to check back as the season flies into full gear. But for now, here is your Monday Motivation!

After a 13.1 mile run with the team this past Saturday, I headed over to Dana-Farber for our Patient Partner welcome party. It is hard to believe it has been just about a year since I met Darla and her family, and each and every time I see Darla it is a reminder of why this team and our mission is so important. Because while much of the party was spent seeing just how many gummy bears Darla could put on her ice cream sundae (they are her fav) and hearing all about her Make-a-Wish trip to Disney over the holidays (where, according to Darla, Belle informed her she was my favorite princess- naturally), after the party we headed towards the garage which took us past the Jimmy Fund Clinic. And no matter the amount of kid friendly lights, toys, and decorations that make the clinic as fun and welcoming as possible for its patients - at the end of the day it is still a clinic. In the middle of a hospital. For kids. With cancer.

So as we strolled towards the garage I watched as Darla bounded ahead of me and then casually turned and said "this is my clinic where I go for treatments." With the same nonchalance as when she showed me where she practices for cheerleading, or where her dance recital was last year. The location is so familiar to her and forever embedded in her childhood. All at once I was struck again by the magnitude of how this disease forever changes those it touches, but also by the safe haven and hope that Dana-Farber provides for those bravely fighting it.

As we continued towards the garage, we came upon one of my favorite parts of the Dana-Farber campus - Marathon Way. In addition to highlighting each year's DFMC singlet, the team's history and milestones, and the previous year's check to the Barr Foundation (man did I love seeing that cardboard check again!), visitors have the chance to "travel" the marathon course from start to finish. And so, here is my motivation for this Monday and the next 12 that follow. And probably many more Mondays after that. I may have a long way to go until I get to that finish line, but knowing this girl is running beside me will keep me going until I get there!

                  

It's a long way from the start to the finish, but Darla is ready to help me take on the challenge!

Pointing to a pic of Darla and her family at Fenway Park which

is featured on a timeline honoring the longstanding commitment

of the Red Sox to the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber. 

Darla was in treatment when that picture was taken, and

to stand next to this smiling whirlwind of energy with a head full of hair

while looking at this picture of her tiny, balding, and in her Dad's arms was

a bold reminder of the miles she has come since her diagnosis 

Click HERE to View Erin's Super Bowl Squares for Cancer Research - $30 gives you the chance to win $100, $300, or $1000 while providing a $2500 donation toward cancer research!!!

Monday Motivation - An Open Letter to My Laziness

Dear Laziness,

So we meet again. We broke up quite a while ago and I have been just fine without you. Blissfully happy, in fact. However, lately I have noticed you trying to win me back. Your callous giggle as you push snooze on an early alarm meant to get me out the door for a run. Your brazenness as you pile another cookie on my plate. And your haughtiness while ignoring baskets of laundry ready to be put away. It seems you are everywhere I look these days and I do not like it.

When I first broke things off I knew you wouldn't take it well. You lingered around the corner always ready and trying to lure me back. But I stayed strong. And eventually, your voice became but a whisper and distant memory as I conquered my to do lists, set and surpassed goals, and enjoyed a productive life without you.

But you are persistent and, well, now here we are again.

So I am here to tell you, it stops now. We had our little holiday fling but now you have to go. No matter the rush I may feel when you first arrive, I am always left frustrated and unfulfilled while regretting all that could have been if I had only just ignored you and your pesky ways.

This is goodbye (until 16 weeks from today right around 5:00pm when I may welcome another fling- but you are NOT moving back in and I want my key back).

Not Yours,
Erin

No Turning Back Now!

I guess this means it's officially official guys.  Good thing since our 18 week training starts on Monday!

Click HERE to make a gift in support of Erin's Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

Click HERE to Sponsor-a-Mile with a gift of $126.20 or more

Raising the Bar of Expectations

It is finally sinking in. I am running my first marathon this April.

My only prior experience with marathons involved Mad Men and popcorn, so this is a rather tall order. The shock and initial excitement of being accepted to the team has been tempered by a full realization of the challenge I have undertaken.

And yet I am still SO excited. No, really.

Scared out of my wits? Sure am!
Unsure if I can do this? Yup.
Questioning my choices? Usually do.
But still excited? Hell yeah.

One of my running inspirations is Shalane Flanagan who, as she prepares to beat the American women's marathon record next weekend in Berlin, recently said:

Sometimes I shake my head and say, 'I don't know how I'm going to do this,' but I just put my head down and try. It's amazing, when you raise the bar of expectations, you somehow just meet it if you really are motivated.

And that is how I feel about this. The bar of expectations has been raised and I am more motivated than I have ever been. Bring on the good, the bad, the warm, the cold, and everything (and all the miles) in between!

While being motivated is great, I could NOT do any of this without the tremendous support of my family and friends (one of which you likely are if you are reading this)! Since sharing that I was accepted to the 2015 DFMC team, I have been overwhelmed by all of your kind notes of encouragement, support, and congratulations - thank you! Many of you also had questions, so here are some answers:

Why are you running? 
Because of this family.

And, because of this family.

And, because cancer does not discriminate between a newborn baby or thirty-six year old Mom with young kids. It just plain sucks. So I want to do something about it and help ensure that Dana-Farber can continue its innovative research, which has consistently led to higher cure rates and advanced treatments for those bravely facing cancer.

Also, because I am healthy and I can. So many people do not have this option, for various reasons. Who am I to ignore the blessings that are my mobility and health while so many others struggle each day to maintain or reclaim their own? If there was ever a time to go after what has long been a secret goal, it is now. And so I am!

Why Boston?
My first "Marathon Monday" was shortly after we relocated to the Greater Boston area in 2012. I had no idea about the history of the marathon or this region's deep-seated love for their race. The 2012 running was historic for the abnormally high temps topping out at 89 degrees and ranking among the ten hottest days in race history.

The 2013 running was historic for far different reasons, of which you are likely well aware. Though you may not be aware that my office sits on the 26 mile point of the course. When the first bomb went off, I naively thought it may be a cannon shot or gun display in honor of Patriots Day (on which the race is ran every year). As I neared the window of our office to take in what I thought was festivities, the second bomb went off. Exactly one block from my office. The resulting moments of that day, and the week that followed, will be forever seared in my memory and heart.

The despicable acts of violence carried out on April 15, 2013 shaked my faith in humanity. But the strength, determination, love, and support of the Boston community on and since that day has helped me to see the sheer power and goodness of humanity. Hopefully in the future I can more eloquently capture my emotions about that day and what this race now means to me and to this city. But that is another post for another day. So until then - why Boston?  Because there is nowhere else I would rather take on this test of endurance and celebration of human resilience than in a city that has become a shining symbol for both.

Are you already training?  

Umm, sort of? I am in the midst of training for the Boston Half Marathon which I am running on October 12th. Which is half the marathon distance, hence the title. Only half. 13.1 miles. And I need to build up to 26.2 miles. Oh goodness, what I have done. Is it hot in here? I am starting to sweat a bit. And my stomach hurts. I think maybe I misread the marathon distance and thought it was 16.2. That is still a lot of miles. Ahhhh. What have I gotten myself into? Googling "marathon distance." Hmmm, wait- it burns HOW many calories? Googling "how many cookies can you eat after a marathon." Okay. Feeling a little better. I think I can do this guys...

So yeah. Physical training is only one component of any sort of training. Much of it is mental and not to be underestimated. I am constantly mentally training (myself to be motivated and run vs. eating cookies). After the half marathon, I will maintain my base mileage and mental motivation until our official marathon training begins in early December. The 18 week training plans we will follow have been designed by team advisor and 1976 Boston marathon winner Jack Fultz, and I am deeply grateful to have Jack's leadership and guidance on this journey. Our team will also have monthly meetings and group long runs starting in November, which will be an exciting element of training and also give me the chance to meet some new running friends as well.

And speaking of training, tomorrow's long run calls for 12 miles so I suppose I should go plan my route...and post-run snacks...but really, my route...

This pretty much sums it up...

Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston

I  got a spot on the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team!!!!

I am running the Boston Marathon!!!!  

Ahhhh!!!!!!!

These are the thoughts that keep rotating through my mind in the hours since receiving the news that I have been selected for the 2015 DFMC team.  This girl who could not run a mile in high school will be running 26.2 of 'em come this April.  

I could not be more excited.  Or terrified (but the good kind).

An ambitious running goal should be met with an equally ambitious fundraising goal, and my goal is to raise $10,000 before I take that right on Hereford and left on Boylston (which refers to the last two turns on the marathon course). 100% of the funds raised by the DFMC supports the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research.  Since 1987, the Barr program has allowed talented and passionate doctors and investigators to pursue innovative research which has forever changed and shaped the approach to cancer care and treatment, not only at Dana-Farber but beyond. This crucial funding helps us all race towards the Ultimate Finish Line: A World Without Cancer.

While gifts of any amount are appreciated and vital, I am encouraging people to donate $26.20 in honor of the marathon distance.

You can also "sponsor a mile" for $126.20 and I have kicked things off by sponsoring the last two-tenths of a mile (as I imagine that after 26 miles that last little bit will certainly feel much longer).

There is a reason this is called the marathon challenge. Because it is a challenge, in every sense of the term. But it is one which I am looking forward to tackling and I know with a lot of hard work, I can do this!  I will be sharing every step of my journey from Hopkinton to Boston right here, and thank you to those of you already cheering me on and to my amazing husband Dave for urging me to apply.

T-Minus 217 days.  I've got some running to do!

Runners are directed to take a right on Hereford and Left on Boylston,

before heading past my office (at the 26 mile mark) and then to the finish line! 

How long is 26.2 miles exactly?  This long.