1st Group Training Session!

This morning we had our first Group Training Session at the Big Peach in Brookhaven. There was an apparel and footwear clinic at 8am (ahhh, getting up that early on a Saturday really cramps my style!) that was really interesting. Although I already got fitted at Big Peach for a new pair of running shoes, it was nice to learn about the mechanics of running and how it all fits together. The guy giving the clinic said something that kind of terrified me .... now that we've taken the first step in running a 1/2 marathon that we're OFFICIALLY runners! I've always deep down wanted to be a runner, or really even just athetic in some capability, but now I guess this is it! haha! At least I'm getting to look the part and wear cute workout clothes!

We did a 2 mile run/walk this morning and it went really well! I went with a smaller group of people, all really nice, and in addition to good exercise there was good conversation! I really think I'm going to enjoy being in a group and having a group of people to see on a regular basis! I'm pumped for this event and while I may not necessarily look forward to the training and hard work, I'm looking forward to crossing that finish line with new friends and a few steps closer to finding a cure for Crohn's and Colitis!

Is Vegas hilly?

Atlanta sure is hilly ... who knew? I went out for a 3ish mile walk tonight and swear I climbed the equivalent of Mt. Everest in the neighborhood next to mine. OK ... maybe I'm slightly dramatic, but I swear it was the steepest street I think I've seen in a long time. No doubt I was huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top and my legs were burning! It's a good thing Vegas is flat, because I think I might not survive if I had to run in Colorado or something! I'm such a wimp!

Day 1

...Check! Only 97 or so more days to go! :) I signed up for the run/walk training program, so it's nice in that it starts really slow and makes running these 13.1 very attainable after following the program. The tough training days are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The other 4 days are easier days consisting of 20-30 minute walks or cross-training or active recovery. Today was an easy 20 minute walk day. I did just that ... I am definitely NOT going to be an over-achiever in this 1/2 marathon quest! :) My main goal is just to cross the finish line!

In some exciting news, my cousin Amanda signed up for Team Challenge in Long Island! She'll also be following the same training program, and then we'll meet up in Vegas and run together! I'm so exicted, and will have someone to run with when I go up to NY in October! It's great that she'll be getting the word out on Crohn's and Colitis on Long Island! I know she'll do amazing!

It's Official ...

The Team Challenge winter season is officially underway! It's funny to think that this is the "winter" season .... I mean, it's close to a thousand degrees outside and now I have to run out there on a very regular basis. At least it's not as hot here in Atlanta as it is in Charleston. While I absolutely love Charleston and would love to move back there eventually, it is hot!

Yesterday we had our Kick-Off party for Team Challenge! There was a pretty large group that gathered, and we heard from some great speakers who have participated with TC before in past seasons. We also met 2 of our 3 honored teammates -- children who have been diagnosed with Crohn's or Colitis. It is for these kids that we're doing what we're doing .... no child should ever have to deal with these diseases!
This is James, one of our honored teammates. He is 2 years old and has Ulcerative Colitis. Look at that sweet face! It just breaks my heart that this little boy has an incurable illness, and most likely has constant pain in his little tummy. At his age, it's pretty likely that he can't tell his parents when he's hurting or where he's hurting. His dad mentioned that he takes a slew of pills every day to keep his UC under control ... poor baby!

Tomorrow starts my actual training regimen! Stay tuned ....

Rough Week ...

Ever have one of those weeks that seems to go on and on and on? Well, that was mine. It was like that today, too, where the morning seemed like 4 entirely too long days, and when I looked at the clock it wasn't even lunchtime. It's funny how some days at work fly by but still seem soooooo long!

With that said, I haven't done well this week at all in terms of training. Luckily, I don't technically start training until Monday. I did go out twice this week, on Monday and Tuesday, I think. I've got some good excuses though, as always. On Wednesday night, I went to a Crohn's support group meeting that is sponsored by the CCFA. We meet every other month and just talk about Crohn's and Colitis, and our struggles and triumphs with the disease. It's nice to be part of a forum to talk about Crohn's with other people who get it. Not that I don't appreciate my friends and family who hear me complain and talk about my symptoms to no end, but it's nice to be around others who really understand. It's such a sucky disease that there's really no way to make anyone else understand it ... it just is what it is. On Thursday night, we had an Audiology department meeting for work. We went out to dinner, and it was nice to see the whole group of us at once, but I didn't get home until late and sure wasn't going to exercise.

And here I am on Friday night ... absolutely exhausted from the week that dragged on, drinking a glass of wine and just relaxing. I deserve to NOT exercise tonight :) I'm working on my fundraising letters, so be sure to check your mail soon because chances are good that I'll be asking you so politely to donate to my marathon!

2.6 miles!

Tonight I went out for a bit for a scheduled 2 mile walk. I did about 2.6 miles through the neighborhood around my apartment, but don't worry, I walked most of it and couldn't run very far. Every time I go for a walk outside rather than at the gym, I'm amazed at the houses in my neighborhood! It's such a well to do and nice area that I live in! I found a few new schools .... including the Georgia Hebrew Academy and a public elementary and middle school. I think I walked close to a park too, because I saw it on the map when I came home and googled my walk, but I must have taken a wrong turn and missed the park by about a block. I'll have to make it down there another night!

I think my favorite thing about going out and getting exercise (which I consistently find difficult to find things I like about it), is getting to listen to my iPod. I've got a lot of music on there, and many mixes for different events, but my favorites for running/walking have to be my Nascar mixes. You know you can't go to a Nascar race without appropriate redneck music ... my favorite being "Dixieland Delight" and "Family Tradition." They always make me want to run through the whole song. I think perhaps I spent too long living in Tennessee (and too many Friday and Saturday nights at Hanna's in the Old City with my favorite DJ Ray Ray!)!

Time to spare ...

Lucky for me, official training with Team Challenge doesn't start until August 24th. Since I moved to Atlanta in May, I've been trying to get out there and take short walks/runs. I had it in my head for awhile that I wanted to do this 1/2 marathon, and I didn't want to be completely out of shape when official training actually started.

With that said, I have a LOT of work to do when it comes to training. Last weekend, I went to Big Peach Running Co to get a new pair of running shoes. I figured if I was going to do this thing, I better go big or go home. So, I went and got fitted for a new pair of pretty shoes (yes, I wanted them to be pretty, but no, I didn't pick the prettiest pink running shoes because they were not the most comfortable ... shucks). When I was talking to the guy at Big Peach, I mentioned that I was running a 1/2 marathon and he casually asked how much I had been running recently. "Well ... you see, I've never really run before ... I still kind of get winded when I walk to the mailbox or up the stairs to my apartment." No lie, I'm sure this guy thought I was the biggest idiot. And especially when I told him that I wanted pretty shoes ... although I like to think that I redeemed myself on that front.

I've been trying to go to the gym at least 3 times a week recently to walk/run on the treadmill. This week I felt pretty yucky, so I only went out twice (but hey! that's better than none, right?!). I did get up bright and early this morning and walked/ran about 2 miles around my neighborhood. I've mostly just been going on the treadmill at the gym, pretty much because by the time I get home from work I'm exhausted and just want to sit on the couch, and then when I decide to walk it's getting late and I don't want to be outside by myself. But man ... I better start training outside because it's sure a lot different than running on a treadmill. I can pretty easily do 2 miles on the treadmill (usually running for 4-5 minutes and walking for 1), but outside I can barely manage running for 2 minutes at a time. I just get impatient with this stuff ... I want to do it all NOW .... but that's exactly why I joined Team Challenge!

This is why I'm doing TC!

This is the video that they showed at the Team Challenge information meeting that I went to. Feel free to watch it and see why we're doing what we're doing. If you forward to 2:15 in the video, you'll see a child who is affected by Crohn's. When I see this little boy having to put a tube down his own nose to receive nutrition, my heart just breaks. No child should ever have to go through that. I give myself shots every week to help keep my Crohn's in control, and I still have breakdowns about doing it. It hurts, I bruise, I bleed ... and every week I put it off as long as I can because I just want to cry. I do it because it makes me feel better at the end of the day, but I don't know how I would have survived as a child with Crohn's. If it's this hard as a "grown up," I can't imagine what it's like to be a child with this disease! I want to find a cure so that these children never have to deal with the pain and suffering of Crohn's and Colitis!

At the pool ...

On Sunday I overheard some girls at the pool talking about gym class in high school. "She almost failed gym in high school ... how in the world do you even manage that?"

Which of course reminds me of my own high school gym class, which is part of the reason I said I would never run. You see, Jennifer and I signed up for a baseball/softball/racquet sports gym class with Coach Bazzle .... mostly because we figured there would be a lot of boys in the class. We were right, and for the most part, the class was pretty fun ... save for one assignment. That one assignment was to run a mile around the track, which doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me and Jennifer it was. We decided to run about 1/12 of a lap, and then just decided that we'd walk until the time was up and take a failing grade for the assignment.

Needless to say, when I've told people that I'm running a 1/2 marathon, it typically elicits a chuckle. I get it, it really makes me laugh too because it's completely out of character for me! No worries .... I'll aim high and see where I land!

I said I'd never do it ...

I actually said I'd never do several things, which has drastically changed within the past week. I said I would never run and I said I would never start a blog. I can't say exactly what has forced me to do either, except some sort of crazy spark!

Welcome to my journey of training for the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon! I will be running with Team Challenge, a group dedicated to raise money and find a cure for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis! This cause is close to my heart (and even closer to my gut!) and I hope that someday soon there will be a cure for these terrible diseases!

I'll be updating with my progress of fundraising and training and hope that you will stick with me through this process!