I did it!!!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

As many of you already know, this Sunday I completed the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix, AZ! After 4 1/2 months of training, it is so hard to believe that the race has actually come and gone. I'll do my best to describe all that went on, and I posted a few pictures. For more photos, visit my Facebook page. If you'd like to see the professional shots (warning: they're not pretty), you can go to this website: http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=44488&BIB=36368&S=230&PWD=

Getting There

The team flew out on Friday morning, but Dave and I both had to work. Instead, we left our respective jobs at 3:00pm, hopped on the metro, and proceeded to fly from Reagan Airport to Phoenix, by way of Houston. We didn't get to our hotel until about 11:30pm Mountain Time (1:30am Eastern Time). We were tired, but also pretty hungry, so we went across the street to Hooter's - the only restaurant still open at midnight. We eventually made it back to the room and went to sleep around 1:00am MT. As tired as I was, I kept waking up and had a hard time sleeping through the night.

A Day of Anticipation

The following morning, my team and I met downstairs in the lobby for a final 8am run. We were only out jogging around for about 20 minutes, but it was nice to finally see everyone after having spent the entire day before working and traveling. Keri and I decided that after we showered we would walk over to the Expo so that I could pick up my race packet and do some shopping.


The Expo was only a couple of blocks from the hotel, just past the arena where the Phoenix Suns play. It didn't take me too long to get my packet and t-shirt, since they were very organized and had a separate table for each corral (The half marathoners were assigned corrals based on our estimated finish times, and our corrals would be allowed to cross the starting line in numerical order).


After taking care of business, Keri and I moved on to the fun stuff. An Expo is almost like a carnival for runners. We sampled the foods and drinks at a bunch of the little Expo booths. We also bought matching sunglasses, mini-belts - neither of us wanted to wear our fuel belts -- and little throw-away bottles for our Gatorade. Then we picked out new shirts. Keri got a t-shirt that says "Will run for margaritas", and I bought a long-sleeve pink tech shirt that says "I know I run like a girl. Try to keep up." I'm looking forward to wearing it on outdoor runs back home!

After returning to the hotel, we picked up Elizabeth and used Phoenix's brand new light rail system to navigate our way over to the Mill Avenue neighborhood of Tempe, the location of the
race's finish line. I liked having an opportunity to see where we would wind up, and I also enjoyed the lunch that we ordered at the local sushi place - in spite of the slooooow service. Dave met us there and ate with us before we returned to the hotel to relax before the pasta party.

Light rail

TNT had reserved rooms at three hotels for it's various chapters throughout the country, and our chapter was fortunate to be located at the same hotel where both the Pasta Party and the Victory Party would take place. We met in the lobby a few minutes before the Pasta Party, and the sea of TNT people was totally overwhelming. The staff and coaches from all over the country lined up on either side of the entrance, making an alley-way for us to walk down. They dressed up, and cheered and used noise makers as we walked by them. While most of them wore purple hats and wigs, it was easy to spot our DC coaches in their tall red, white and blue flag hats. After walking through our little procession and getting carb-loading food from the buffet line, we moved into the ballroom to hear the speeches for the evening.

Coach Colin, Coach Rich, and Coach Jim

The MC for the event was John "The Penguin" Bingham, who is quite possibly the most famous marathoner in the world who has never won a medal (for more, visit: http://www.johnbingham.com/index.html) . That is because he is always at the back of the pack "with the recent divorcees and recovering alcoholics", as he puts it. At about 60 years old, The Penguin has participated in around 4o marathons. He regaled us with hysterical stories about women pulling lipstick out of their race tights before their finishing line photos, and setting off metal detectors at the airport with finisher's medals. The Penguin also explained his personal connection with TNT - he lost his first love to Hodgkin's Lymphoma back before the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society had the funding and research necessary to put people with this disease into remission. He really got us inspired and motivated, and best of all, Keri and I got our picture taken with him. He made me promise to friend him on Facebook, which I will do soon.

Keri and I with The Penguin

Additional speakers included a mom who lost her daughter to Leukemia, and there was not a dry eye in the house by the time that she finished telling her story and thanking us for what we were doing. In addition, a man who was somehow connected with the PF Chang's races - I'm not sure what his exact title was - also shared with us some of his favorite marathon stories, grossing us out with a story involving dried prunes on race day. That's the only moment of the evening that I wouldn't mind erasing from my memory! In general, the Pasta Party was a lot of fun, and it was just what we needed the night before the big race.

After the Pasta Party, we went up to Jenny and Katie's suite on the 31st floor (I'm still not sure how they scored that room) for a quick team meeting. The coaches went over the logistics of the day as they passed out coronas - none for me - and temporary TNT tattoos. They explained that they liked sharing a drink with their team the night before the race, and that we were all expected to put a temporary tattoo on our right cheek. This tradition probably wouldn't be as memorable if they meant the right cheek on our faces. When the meeting was over, I made my way back to my room, laid out my stuff, and attempted to sleep as much as I could before the big day.

It's finally here!

I was already up before the three alarms that I set had the chance to go off at 5:45am. As I applied Body Glide and prepared my belt, I tried not to focus on what was about to happen. I kissed Dave goodbye and went downstairs to meet the rest of the half marathon team (the marathoners had already left before us, since their race started an hour before ours).

The lobby of the hotel was a sea of purple, since pretty much all of the TNT runners were wearing identical singlets. We took pictures, munched on bananas, and waited in line in the dark and cold for the shuttle buses (basically school buses with the word "School" covered by a taped piece of paper) to take us to the starting line. It was dark and chilly when we got there, and we were able to meet up with the marathoners from our team one last time before they crossed the starting line. We spent the next hour or so checking bags at the UPS truck, waiting in line for the disgusting porto-potties, and sitting huddled next to each other for warmth. In spite of the chilly area, it was still a heck of a lot warmer than being back in DC.

At about 8:30, we made the move to our waiting spots. The walkway was narrow, and Elizabeth and I helped each other climb up and down over ledges before going off to our respective corrals (I was in corral 16, she was in 10). I donated my layer of throw-away items to children collecting clothes for charity, and I stretched and people-watched until I heard the gun go off. I had imagined a mad dash for the starting line, but that only happened with the people all the way up in corral 1. The rest of us remained roped into our corrals like cattle, and as each corral was permitted to cross the starting line, the people holding the ropes permitted the corrals behind them to inch forward. Finally, about 40 minutes after the initial gun time, it was my corral's turn at the front of the pack. The men removed the ropes, and we were off!

The lead wheel chair racer - amazing.

The first few miles passed in a blur, just as Andrea said they would. I knew there were other people from my team in my corral, but I didn't see them at first, so I kept going on my own. The first band we passed was an oldies cover band wearing poodle skirts. It was quite comical watching people try to run and do "the twist" at the same time.

Dave was waiting for me at around mile 2.6, and he took a picture of me and waved his "Run Autumn Run" and "My wife is a rock star" sign. I also saw Keri Peele, our campaign coordinator, at about the same time. She hollered my name and shook her TNT cowbell. All I could think of was the SNL skit starring Will Ferrell.

Taken by Dave around mile 2.6

Overall, it was definitely nice to have my name printed on my shirt, because several people shouted out "Go Autumn" and "Keep it up, Autumn!" along the way. That definitely motivated me to keep going. I'm also glad that I had written "My first 1/2 marathon" on the back of my singlet, since several people congratulated me on that and told me that I was doing a great job.

After a bathroom stop at a row of porto-potties between miles five and six, I saw a few ugly green visors go by (the DC team's headwear of choice), and so I caught up with a couple of my teammates for a little while. They were going a bit too fast for me, so I eventually dropped back. It was nice to be with teammates for a bit, but I definitely missed the easy conversations I would have been having if Andrea or Kate were there. At the same time, I made the most of it and found that doing the majority of the race solo allowed it to be a very introspective experience. It also allowed me to notice some interesting people around me, such as the women wearing shirts that said "We've got the runz", or the lady handing out popsicle sticks of Vaseline to passing runners (it sounds funny, but when your singled has been rubbing up against the underside of your arm for the past six miles, Vaseline is actually very helpful).

Another unforeseen adventure was passing through the Cytomax and water stations. I had experience with water stops thanks to my two previous 10K races (see earlier posts for more information on these), but the high number of people throwing half empty water cups on the ground left the water stop areas particularly slippery. Likewise, the ground around the Cytomax stations had a thick coating of Cytomax, the sports drink that PF Chang's serves on the course (I had never tried it before and didn't want to risk putting something new in my body during the race, so I carried two small disposable bottles of Gatorade with me). Instead of being slippery, the Cytomax areas were actually quite sticky, and it required more of an effort to pick my feet up around those stations, especially towards the end of the race.

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to run with two of my coaches. Coach Colin was relegated to the marathon course, but Coach Rich ran with me once, reminding me to eat the sports beans in my belt. Coach Jim ran with me for a bit, and then caught up with me again about two miles later. He helped me stretch on the sidelines when my left knee was starting to bother me a bit (I stopped to stretch two different times throughout the course of the race). Coach Jim also attempted to take a picture of the Oakland A's Spring Training Stadium using my cell phone camera, so that I could show Dave where his favorite team trains. I love my coaches, and I'm really going to miss them!

As I was running my double-digit miles, I remembered something that The Penguin had said the night before at the Pasta Party. He told us that the best moment of the race is not when we finish, but when we know that we're going to finish. That moment hit me just after mile 12. I was running over a bridge into Tempe, and I could see Camelback Mountain , which I new was right next to the stadium/finish line. Spectators lined the road on the other side of the bridge screaming and cheering. They called out my name as I passed, and assured me that the finish line was "just around the corner" (it was still about a 1/4 of a mile away, but it was far closer than I had been up until that point). I became overwhelmed by the realization that I was actually going to finish the race, and the actual act of crossing the finish line is really just a blur. I'm looking forward to seeing it when the professional photos are ready. When all is said and done, I ran the half marathon in 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 44 seconds. Not too horrible for a newbie!

The next thing I knew, I had my medal around my neck and I was in a line to collect water and some post-race snacks. I picked up my bag from my corresponding UPS truck, dropped to the ground to stretch in the middle of the parking lot, called Dave, and made my way over to the TNT tent in Charity Village. I signed in with TNT, got my "13.1" pin (yay!), ate the hot dog that Dave bought for me, and hopped on the comfy coach shuttle back to the hotel - no school buses for half marathon finishers!

Ignore my orange lips - there were popsicles at the finish line.

The rest of race day involved comfy pillows, bags of ice, and pizza from Uno's - courtesy of my wonderful husband. There was a victory party, followed by drinks - just one for this tired little distance runner - at the Mexican restaurant across the street (fulfilling the prophecy on Keri's "Will Run For Margaritas" shirt). Naturally I wore my new medal around my neck the entire time. Before I knew it, I was back in the hotel packing for the trip home. The day that I waited for since August passed so quickly!

Coach Jim

With Keri and Elizabeth


Going Home

The flights back to DC surprisingly took place with minimal discomfort. The trip took longer than expected because Dave and I gave up our tickets on the second (overbooked) plane in exchange for seats on a later flight, plus $200 in airline vouchers for each of us. We spent the majority of our annual vacation budget on this trip, but $400 in travel vouchers means that we can probably still take another trip this year. Another out-of-town race weekend, perhaps? Haha, don't worry, Dave - the next trip is your choice!

Tuesday was spent resting and watching the Inauguration in Alexandria's town square with a bunch of other residents, and today's arrival meant back to work for both of us. My sixth graders were excited to see my finisher's medal, and they all wanted to know if I had worn the green visor that they decorated for me, which of course I had. I wrapped up the afternoon on the Mall, taking pictures of what was left over after 1.8 million packed themselves in to watch history in motion.

In the long run

Basically, things are pretty much back to normal, except that I am now a runner. TNT really did provide me with a life-changing experience. There I was, the kid who always got yelled in gym class for throwing the softball in the wrong direction or completely missing the kickball, and I actually ran a half marathon. I also met plenty of people who found running even later in life than I did, which doesn't matter one bit in regard to one's ability to participate in and enjoy an endurance event. More than 7,000 women finished the race before I did, and I wasn't expecting to do any better than that; I just wanted to finish. Now I know I can do anything - maybe even run a full marathon some day!

There are so many people who made this experience not only possible, but highly enjoyable:

- To Dave, thank you for always supporting me with my decision to do this, from not complaining when I noisily rolled out of bed before dawn on Saturday mornings, to helping me with my fundraising, to cheering my name along the race course. You're the best husband - and best friend - a girl could ask for!

- Andrea, knowing that you would be jogging along by my side always made me look forward to those early morning training runs. I have no idea how you managed to train, fundraise so successfully, and be a mom to your three beautiful children all at the same time. I'm so glad that we're going to continue running together, because I would have really missed you otherwise. I can't wait for dinner at your place!

- Kate, I really enjoyed running with you, getting to know you, and getting the chance to baby-sit your adorable little boys. GW Parkway 10 miler, here we come! We're going to rock that course!

- Erin, I'm so glad that I found such a great neighbor, captain, and friend (not to mention race weekend cat-sitter) right down the street. I will miss our morning chats in the car about mysterious items on the playground. We need to keep running together - I can't cross 395 without you, or I might fall down!

-Keri and Elizabeth, thanks for making race weekend so much fun. I had a blast with you ladies, and really enjoyed getting to know you!

- Coaches Jim, Colin, and Rich were always so knowledgeable and helpful, and really made me feel like an athlete. Thanks for the motivation, support, and great new stretching techniques! You guys are awesome!

- I'm also super grateful to my family, friends, and coworkers who motivated me, asked for regular updates, and contributed to this wonderful cause on my behalf. You guys definitely kept me going when I felt like giving up!

What started as a way to honor a cousin that was diagnosed with cancer (who is having a wonderful recovery by the way!) has turned into a completely new way to look at myself and what I am capable of. TNT definitely gave me the courage to accomplish something that I never thought I would do, and inspired me to continue to see how far I can go. I'm excited by the prospect of being a life-long runner, and I'm at peace with myself and all of the pent-up anxiety caused by years of embarrassing Phys. Ed. classes. I'm also relieved that I finally found my sport. I may not be fast, but like John "The Penguin" Bingham says, "It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination."* I'll go one step further and say that equally important is who you meet along the way. Stay tuned for more running adventures (I signed up for a 10-miler here in Virginia in April, and I won a free entry to September's ING distance run in Philadelphia), and thanks for reading!

P.S. Feeling inspired? It's not too late to donate: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Interested in participating in a TNT event? The spring and summer seasons are just around the corner: http://www.teamintraining.org/nca/

* Bingham, John. No Need for Speed : A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running. New York: Rodale P, Incorporated, 2003.

Counting down to Race Day!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Today was the last training before the race! Since all of the Disney people are doing their marathon and/or half marathon this weekend (go Andrea, Erin, Kate, and everyone else!), neither they nor the coaches were at training today. Emma was left in charge, a whopping eight of us showed up at Fletcher's Boathouse this morning. I've never seen the parking lot look so empty! Fortunately Elizabeth (who I had run with once before on the Mt. Vernon trail in Alexandria) was there, so she and I did an easy - albeit cold - six miles together. It still amazes me that I can put the words "easy" and "six miles" in the same sentence, but they really do train us well.

Since Erin wasn't there, Dave was kind enough to drop me off and pick me up at the boathouse. He was having trouble using the GPS without me on the way back to get me, so Emma and I sat in her nice warm car and chatted for a bit. It turns out that she worked for almost a year in the development office at my school (by the way, this office is directly above my classroom)! She actually remembers a lot of my coworkers. What a small world!

Another great coincidence is that Katie, Dave's childhood friend who currently lives out west, will just so happen to be in Phoenix next weekend to cheer on her friends in the same half marathon! She wants to hang out with us, which will be great, since we haven't seen her since our wedding a year and a half ago, and we probably won't get another chance to see her until her wedding this fall.

I'm still amazed that the big day is only eight days away. I would love for this week to fly by, but I have a feeling that it's going to shuffle along at a slow pace (much like I will after hitting mile 12). To all of you who have given me encouragement, moral support, and donations to my webpage, thank you so much. You have been instrumental in my ability to follow through with this training program. To anyone who would still like to help me or my cause, here's how:

1. I'm still accepting financial contributions to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's life-saving research. No amount is too small and every little bit helps (even $1 donations add up!) Find out more at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates.

2. Give blood. Cancer patients often have to undergo blood transfusions after certain procedures, and our nation's blood banks are always in short supply. Giving blood is free and only takes about 15 minutes of your time. Find out more at: http://www.givelife.org/.

3. Join the bone marrow registry. You have to pay a fee to join, but the testing to determine your bone marrow type is simply done by rubbing cotton swabs that you receive in the mail along the inside of your mouth. Once you are on the registry, you will be contacted if you are a match for someone. The procedure is a simple, out-patient one that will help save someone's life. There are a lot of leukemia patients out there - many them children - who cannot find a bone marrow match in their families, and a donation from a stranger is their only hope at survival. To find out more, visit: http://marrow.org/

4. Keep me motivated! Post comments here or on my Facebook page, so I can have your good thoughts with me during the race!

5. Join a TNT team in your area and participate in an event. Not only will you get in shape, discover a fun hobby, and make new friends, but you will also be supporting a wonderful cause. Go Team! For more details, visit http://www.teamintraining.org/.


Thanks again to everyone, and be on the lookout for one or two last updates before the half marathon, as well as stories and pictures from Race Day!!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

T Minus 2 Weeks Until the Big Race Weekend!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

With a sniffly cold, icey weather, lots of food, and several wonderful days with my family and in-laws, the holiday season is officially over. I let a lot of the aforementioned factors get in the way of my training schedule, but I'm doing my best to get it back together now.

Today was the second-to-last training for those of us doing the PF Changs races, and the last training for all of the people racing at Disney next weekend. I knew this meant that it would be my last training with Erin, Andrea, Kate, Betsy, and many others, so I was kind of sad about that. I felt particularly awful when Andrea arrived with her two beautiful girls only to drop off my fuel belt - which I left in her car - and to pick up her race packet. It turns out that her whole family has been sick, and that she and her husband have been taking turns having the flu. Poor things! That meant that I sadly wouldn't get to run with Andrea today, but I'm still sending her great wishes for her upcoming race day!

Our training today was back at Haine's Point, the same place where we ran at the beginning of the season during Hurricane Hannah (OK, it was downgraded to a Tropical Storm, but I'm still very proud of that run. Look for the "Liquid Sunshine" post in the archives for a more detailed description). While we were doing announcements and warming up, somebody noticed a bald eagle in the tree above our heads. I had never seen one outside of the zoo before, and it was so beautiful and magestic. I was worried that we would scare him off as we cheered and chattered loudly, but he sat unmoving during all of the usual pre-training noisiness. It wasn't until people started quietly giving updates about their honored teammates that the eagle started to move. As someone was in the process of talking about a loved one's lost battle with cancer and how we are working to prevent that from happening in the future, the eagle left the tree and slowly glided away. It was a truly an incredible site.

I assumed that the coaches were just going to have us do laps around the point like we did last time, but they opted for more of an "open run". They had us do a loop around the mall in a route that allowed us to pass the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument (we passed around that one twice, actually), the World War II Memorial, the reflecting pool, and the Lincoln Memorial before heading back to Haine's Point. It reminded me how lucky I am to live and work in such a cool place. How many people have the privilage of nonchalantly saying, "Yeah, I ran from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial this morning?" Not many. I love DC!

I'm so glad that Kate and I ran together, because I totally wasn't paying attention when the coaches announced the route (fortunately, she was). With her help, we did our 8-mile trip relatively easily, although that last lonely stretch on the point can get pretty monotonous. Kate managed to take off in a sprint for the last mile and half or so, but I have no idea how she had the energy for that. As it is, I did the best I could and still returned home with sore hip flexors. Hopefully, the excitement of race day will push me towards a strong finish. I suppose that hoping not be sore after the race as well is a little too much to ask!

In any case, I can't believe that the race is only two weeks away. We've been training since August, and it's just become a part of my routine. It's definitely going to be weird not to see the same people that I'm used to seeing every Saturday. Erin agreed with me on the car ride home that she's going to miss our trainings, minus the early wake-ups, of course! We decided that we're still going to try and get together for Saturday runs in the neighborhood, but will probably do so a little bit later in the morning. Kate mentioned that she would be interested in running with me, too, if we can ever get together. I also know that Andrea and I talked about doing a race together every now and then, and I would love that too (maybe the GW Classic 10-miler in April...What do you think, Andrea?). I can't even begin to express how amazing it feels to go from being the kid who everyone made fun of in gym class, to someone with whom other people actually want to run. This whole experience has really changed my life. :-)

Tomorrow's the last day before Winter Break is offically over. I start school again on Monday, and I know it's going to be a busy two weeks leading up to the race. It's time for the final push!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

13.1, 10K...just your average December :-)

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

I did it! This Saturday was our longest training run to date, and Andrea and I officially ran 13.1 miles! That is the exact distance of the half marathon, so I know I can really do it! Don't get me wrong, that last mile was not pretty, but we attempted to keep talking and reminding each other that we were almost done until we made it to our little finish line. Mile 12 took us to the part of the trail in Reston where we did our first trail run of the season back in August (where Andrea and I realized that we run at the same pace). It was kind of surreal to be back there, remembering how three miles exhausted us so much at that time. Then, there we were, about to complete the whole half marathon distance. The amazing thing is that outside of coming down with a cold, my body really didn't suffer too much. Maybe I really am becoming a runner!

The week before, I did not participate in the training run because I chose to do the Jingle All the Way 10K instead. The course and starting point were the same as the Veteran's Day 10K, except that the tents were filled with the sounds of Christmas carols and the smell of hot chocolate. People were dressed as elves and reindeer, and there was even someone in a full Santa costume. In addition, I got to see the Juggler. There's this guy who juggles while he runs, and apparently he even runs marathons while juggling. It's pretty impressive to watch.

It was a really chilly race, and I felt like the cold air was working against me. Still, I sped up when I saw the time clock at the 5k marker and realized that I was a little behind where I wanted to be. I also moved as quickly as possible for the last mile once the finish line was in sight, and I attempted to sprint for the last .2 miles. I managed to shave about 50 seconds off my last 10k time, so I was pretty proud of myself. However, between running a bit faster than usual and not stretching enough after the race, I paid for it the following day. Still, it was a good experience, and I'm definitely glad I did it.

That was my last race before Phoenix, and this weekend was the last time I will run 13.1 miles before the big race, as well. I'm more excited than ever, and I can't wait to cross that finish line. What I nice belated Christmas present to myself that will be. Happy Holiday to everyone!!!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Thank you Border's Shoppers!

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Thank you so much to the Border's shoppers who made today's gift-wrapping venture far more successful than last week! I want to send a special thanks to the man who had us wrap just about all of his Christmas gifts, and then gave a very substantial donation. It really meant a lot to those of us who were wrapping today!!

For anyone who took one of my business cards today in hopes of finding out more about TNT, you can visit the local chapter's website via the following link: http://www.teamintraining.org/nca/

Tomorrow I'll be running in the Jingle All the Way 10K, and next Saturday is our full 13-mile run. I'll be in Arizona before I know it!!

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

12 Miles and Feeling Good (Sort Of)!

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Today was my first 12 mile run!! I'm so proud of myself, and I can't believe I made it. After a pretty draining 10 mile run two weeks ago, I was a little nervous about how this one would go, but it really wasn't bad. The coaches had send out an email saying that they would be there earlier than usual in case anyone wanted to get a head start. Since Erin was planning to get there early as well, Andrea and I decided to meet at 7:15am and start our run as soon as possible.

I was a little disappointed to see that there was no bathroom anywhere near where we were running, which meant no pit stops and no place to change after we were done. Fortunately I didn't have to use the rest room during the run, and Andrea and I made the decision to locate a gas station or similar establishment after finishing up, where we could get out of our soon-to-be wet and freezing clothes.

The run itself went really well, and we spent the whole time talking, as usual. It was insanely cold out, to the point that the water in my bottle started to freeze and my thighs got so numb that I couldn't feel it when I touched them. Since Andrea and I started earlier than most people, we were at the head of the pack for a change. It felt good to know that we would be finishing earlier than usual, and we kept ourselves busy by breaking the run into smaller segments (only four miles until the first water stop, only two miles until we pass it again, etc.). Every now and then we'd see Coach Jim, who would tease us for cheating somewhere along the way, since we were so far in front of everyone else.

Before I knew it - well, about 2 hours and 20 minutes later, but who's counting? - the run was over, and we gratefully gulped down non-frozen water at home base. Andrea accidentally poured some on me when I was stretching on the ground, but I was already so cold and covered in sweat that I barely noticed! We also munched on chocolate peanut butter brownies and piping hot pizza slices, even though it was only 10:00am. Hey, I had just run 12 miles - I deserved a reward!

After our sketchy changing session in the bathroom of a local McDonald's, Andrea drove me home so that I could shower and quickly eat a bit more food before heading over to Border's. I had arranged to wrap gifts for 6 hours in return for donations to the cause, although I actually wound up staying for 7 hours. Wendy, one of my teammates, was there helping me for about 5 of those hours, and I was very grateful. Having her there made the time pass more quickly, and she was also more vocal about attracting customers. Plus, she's a way better gift wrapper than I am, and she gave me some pointers. I came away with a new little chunk of money for my fundraising efforts, and I got to spend most of the time sitting down, so I can't complain. Thanks to the Border's employees and the kind people who made donations today!!

A couple of weeks ago, Dave and I baby-sat for five children all under the age of five as a fund raiser. While they were adorable and their parents were very generous, I don't think I could have done that today after running 12 miles! I have another Border's fund raiser next weekend, and my father said that he'd pass my fund raising information down to his friends and church groups, so I'm hoping to continue my efforts for another couple of weeks. Every little bit helps!

Next week is a down week for mileage (only 6), so I might do the Jingle All the Way 10K instead of going to training - I haven't decided yet. In two weeks, we have to run the full 13 miles, so then I'll really be able to say that I am officially prepared for a half marathon! Wish me luck!!

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Another Eight

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

This past Saturday we went back to Rock Creek Park, the place that Erin and I had trouble finding the first time around. This time we made it there in plenty of time, and the Water Station people found their way, too. Andrea and I did another eight miles relatively easily, in spite of the humidity and pockets of hot and cold air along the course. Who would have thought that eight miles could be just another Saturday run for me?!

I'm still struggling to meet my fundraising goal, so I'm trying to come up with some ideas for how to reach the minimum. I have two weekends of gift-wrapping coming up, and I think I may set up a happy hour. I also am offering myself as a Spanish tutor, with all of the proceeds going to the charity. If anyone has any additional ideas, please do not hesitate to let me know!

This coming Saturday requires another ten mile run. I'm looking forward to having a second double-digit run under my belt, especially after the last one went so well. I am going to spend my short runs this week doing intervals to work on my speed. I may not be able to do anything about losing to 78-year-old men in races, but I can certainly reduce my pace by a few seconds!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

My first race!!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

I competed in my first race today! It was only a 10k, but I was still proud of myself. I knew I could do it, because Andrea, Kate, and I easily banged out a 6 mile run during training yesterday, so I was prepared. The race was called the Veteran's Day 10k, and I had heard about it from Petra. It started up near the DC side of the Arlington Memorial Bridge and went down to Haine's Point (home of our Hurricane Hannah run...see the "liquid sunshine" post from September for more details on that) and back. At 7:30 this morning Dave dropped me off at the Lincoln Memorial so I could walk over to the starting grounds.

As a newbie, I was completely clueless about how these races work, so I didn't realize that there would be a baggage check. Therefore all I brought with me was my debit card, my metro card, and a few quarters for calling Dave, all of which I had crammed into the pockets of my tiny running shorts. I would have brought my cell phone and maybe a pair of pants for afterward had I known I could have left them behind.

The starting grounds were dotted with food tents, a small bandstand blasting music, and of course an unsightly cluster of port-o-potties. As I grabbed a cup of water from the refreshment table, I heard an announcement that "Sarge" would be leading all interested people in a warm-up by the bandstand. I was curious as to who Sarge was, but also a little intimidated by the sudden vision of an army vet screaming orders into my face as I tried to keep up with jumping jacks. Fortunately, Sarge was not nearly that scary, and actually turned out to be quite funny. He also taught us a ton of new stretches that worked our hip flexers, and other muscles that I don't often think about before a run. He did of course make us drop and give him 10 at the end of the warm-up, but I did my best not to look too pathetic.

Following the stretches, everyone was corralled over to the starting line, where a marine sang the National Anthem and DC's Mayor Fenty wished us well before joining the runners himself. Before I knew it, we were off! There were about 2,000 of us, which is approximately 18,000 less than what I will see during my half marathon, but it was still good practice to try manuveuring around others. I needed to make sure that I passed people with enough space on either side of me, and that I looked behind me before moving to the left or right to avoid a collision from behind, much like switching lanes on a highway. By the time I got comfortable with my pace, people had spread out far enough that I had plenty of space to myself.

Sometime shortly before I hit the 2 mile marker, I saw a police motorcylce coming from the opposite direction, heading towards the start/finish line. I thought, "it couldn't be...", but it was - the first runners were already within 2 miles of the finish line, and were going to cross it in a few minutes. It was amazing to see people running with such speed, and all I could do was clap while running as the first 20 of them whizzed by me. Incredible!

At the two miles and four mile markers there were water stops, and I got to practice grabbing a cup from an extended hand and drinking from it, while trying not to lose my momentum. The first time I sloshed water all over my face, but I was a little more prepared two miles later. Both times I was careful to throw my cups into the garbage cans, unlike so many runners who just crushed their cups and threw them on the ground. I know that this is common practice in races, but it really didn't take much effort for me to toss my cup in the provided recepticle. All the same, I thanked the handsome young soldier who was running around collecting the fallen paper goods, and he cheered me on in return.

My legs naturally started to get a little tired towards the end of the race, but they didn't really hurt, and I didn't get winded at all. This lead me to believe that I can probably push myself a little harder during other races to improve my speed. I decided whil I was running that I'm going to sign up for a 5k in the near future to do some of this speedwork.

Even though I wasn't that exhausted, I was super excited to see the finish line up ahead of me. There was a man near the line with a computer that read our D-tags, which were the time chips on our shoes. He called us out by name as we crossed the line. It was a little odd to hear "And here comes Autumn Yates. Good job Autumn!" from a total stranger as I was finishing, but it was kind of exhilarating too. I grabbed a water bottle and looked up at the clock to see that a little more than an hour and ten minutes had passed since the start of the race, and I found out at the results board later on that my exact finishing time was 70 minutes, 23 seconds, with an 11:05 minute mile. I also came in 623rd place for the women. I was pleased for my first race, but I definitely think I can do better, especially after I learned that the 78-year-old oldest runner beat me by about 14 minutes!

Following the run I got some food, picked up the long-sleeved shirt that I checked, and sat down to watch the results announcements. The top ten finishers for both men and women each got monetary prizes and windbreakers, and the top three finishers in each 5-year age bracket (from under-19 all the way up to 74-79 years old) also got prizes. In between, they pulled names from a bucket for a variety of door prizes. I won a $25 gift certificate to a local running store! That was a nice surpise. Now I can get some winter gear as my longer runs start to get chillier!

On the way to the metro, I took the long way so I could pass both the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials. The race was, after all, in honor of Veteran's Day, and the monuments were bustling with somber on-lookers searching for the names of lost loved ones, as well as others who were there for the same reasons as I was. It's heart-breaking to see so many names on those walls, and I'm glad that I could participate in an event on a holiday that honors their memory.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable morning, and I am proud of myself for completing my very first race. I think I might start an album so I have a place to put my race bibs and pictures, because I have a feeling that this will be the first of many.

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Running for Office

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

I ran TEN miles this morning! I still can't believe it. Erin was out of town, so I went over to the O&D Trail in Vienna with Dave. The O&D is one of many "rail to trail"s in the area, meaning that old railroad tracks that were no longer in use have been paved over to create scenic wooded trails. The foliage is at its peak around here, which made the trail extra pretty.

Fortunately Andrea was there today, and she and I ran together. I am truly grateful that I have a teammate that runs at the same pace as me! We keep each other motivated, keep our paces up, and make the whole run go a whole lot faster. Today was no different, as we spent the entire ten miles talking about work, family, and recent little anecdotes (Andrea's kids sound adorable by the way, and I can't wait to eventually meet them!). It's nice to have someone else to discuss the week with too, especially since she was a teacher before she became a full-time mom. The more I run with her, the more I know I am going to miss her when she goes to Disney and I go to Arizona!

Today there were two water stations instead of one - no, nobody got lost on the way to setting them up this time! - , and they were lovingly manned by members of Petra's and Miriam's family, as well as Monique. Monique is training with us, but she also ran in the Marine Corps Marathon last Thursday. She had her impressive medal around her neck as she cheered us on from the sidelines and took pictures. Most of us stopped to inspect her new piece of jewelry and congratulate her on her accomplishment. Pretty soon I'm going to be getting a finisher's medal too!

Coach Jim ran with us for a little bit on the way out, as well for the tail end of the run as we were coming back to the rec center. He's such a nice man, and he seems genuinely concerned about each of us and our health. He is always reminding us to drink more, he checks in with everyone to make sure we don't have any injuries, and he knows all different sorts of stretches to suggest when something hurts. While he was running with us, I got to learn a little more about him. It turns out that he has two boys, ages 16 and 23. Never in a million years would I have guessed that he was old enough to have a 23 year old son. It's becoming more and more obvious maintaining an active lifestyle and knowing how to take care of yourself are an important step in preserving one's health, no matter how old you are.

As I said before, Coach Jim was with us when we finished the 10 miler. I was a little tired, but I was so proud of myself. Jim told me that just by looking at me he could tell that I could have gone even farther today. None of the coaches had ever said anything like that to me before, and I realized that he was right. I had been running a long time, but I was still energized and in good spirits. There is now no doubt in my mind - I am officially a runner, and I am definitely capable of running this half marathon (and maybe a full marathon some day)!

When we got back to the parking lot, I realized that I had put my stuff in Tina's car instead of Jim's, and so Dave and I had to wait a long time for her to return from the trail with her key. Although this prevented us from leaving as early as we both had hoped, I was happy that Dave got a chance to meet some of my team members. It's strange to have this whole separate world that my husband isn't a part of, so I was really glad that he was able to come hang out today. After all, we are going to be spending a decent amount of time with these people in Arizona, and it will be good for them to not be strangers.

Once we got my stuff from Tina's car, we popped back home for just a few minutes before heading back out to vote. Today is the last day for absentee voting in Alexandria, and we wanted to make sure that we didn't have to wait in crazy lines on a work day. The line was still two hours long today, but we did our best to pass the time quickly. Standing in line for two hours is not the easiest thing to do after running for 10 miles, but my candidate has been "running" for two years, so it was the least I could do. :-) Basically, I had two monumental firsts today - the first time I ran a double-digit mileage count, and the first time I voted in person in a general election (the past two times were by absentee ballot, since I was in college and then graduate school). I have never felt more in shape or more patriotic than I do today!

Tonight we will be attending an event at my school. It will be a tented party in the school yard, which probably means another two hours of standing. This has definitely been an exhausting day, and I am looking forward to getting into bed tonight. I think I've earned it!

Thank you to everyone for reading, and for all of your support!

My Fundraising Webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Falling Behind While Running Ahead

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Eeek! I am falling behind in my blogging again! Sorry to all of my regular readers (if I have any), but I will try and catch you up on how things have been going in my little running universe.

Columbus Day Weekend: Running is For the Dogs

For Columbus Day Weekend - and my wonderful husband's birthday - a group of my college friends decided to rent a cabin in Cooperstown, NY and take in the baseball festivities. I had never been there before, but the town is quite adorable, and somewhat Gettysburgish in its quaintness. We passed time seeing the sites, taking a brewery tour, eating lots of food (of course), and playing cards in our campground's Adult Room, which was nothing more than a few couches and a projector screen TV.

Since I couldn't run with my team, I decided to get up on Sunday and run in Cooperstown. I had mapped out a route on mapmyrun.com, which I thought would get me around just fine. Perhaps I should have printed it instead of trying to commit it to memory. In any case, things started off well because Susan accompanied me for the first 2 1/2 miles or so. After she returned to the cabin, I attempted to remember the route, but wound up on a lonely - and very creepy - dirt road in the woods. The road eventually let out on a more open road, but by the time I hit a lake and a State Forest, I knew that I was completely lost. During that time, I was also chased by dogs on two separate occasions, so I was not exactly a happy camper. Fortunately I had my cell phone with me, and after placing a call back to the cabin, Tim was able to use the GPS to locate me. He said the same thing happened to him not too long ago, so fortunately nobody razzed me too much about getting horribly off-track. That's the last time I run alone in the wilderness!


Saturday, October 18, 2008: Has anybody seen the water stop, or the starting point for that matter?

On our way to this training, Erin and I got horribly lost and wound up taking a joyride throughout the district of Columbia. I definitely should have brought Samantha - the new GPS that I got Dave for his birthday. We eventually found our starting point at about 8:00, 15 minutes after we were supposed to be there, when we actually should have been early. It turns out that a bunch of other people got lost too (including Andrea, who didn't get there until I had almost finished my run), so nobody had started running yet. The coaches made the announcement that half marathoners were only supposed to do a recovery run of 6 miles, and that the water stop was the turn-around. This would not have been a big deal, had the water stop set-up person not gotten lost in the park! To make a long story short, I wound up running right past the place where the water stop should have been, and did somewhere between 7-8 miles instead of 6. I kept up a really good pace, though, and I also spent most of the time chatting in Spanish with another runner. My first bilingual run - yay! This was definitely one of my more achy post-run days.


Saturday, October 24th - Eight is Enough

This past Saturday's starting point was much easier to find, as it was in my hometown of Alexandria. It was drizzling as I did my eight miles, but I didn't mind. I guess if you run in a hurricane at the beginning of the training, it puts everything else into perspective for you! Andrea couldn't be there, so I did the first few miles more or less on my own, with the exception of a run-walker who I chatted with on occasion when her intervals placed her near me. She gave me really good advice: I need to figure out my pace, and during the race I need to look for the people who run holding pace numbers. Apparently there will be different people running with signs that say "8 minute mile", "10 minute mile", etc. I need to find my guy (probably 11 minutes), and stay within eyesight of him, so that I don't get so excited on race day that I run too fast and tire myself out. I've heard that it is pretty common to use up a lot of your energy in the first few miles because of all of the commotion around you, which actually makes your pace a lot slower once you've tired yourself out. Hopefully this won't happen to me.

On the way back, I ran with a really nice woman named Elizabeth, who ran at pretty much the same pace as me. It definitely made the time pass a lot quicker than during the first four. I can only imagine how quickly my weekday runs would fly by if I just had someone to run with!

This coming Saturday is a 10 miler. My first double-digit run...oh my goodness!!

Hills

I did my required four miles today. It's funny, but I'm more exhausted now than I was when I ran eight miles on Saturday. I think I couple of factors come into play here: 1. I'm running alone instead of with Andrea and the others, 2. I put in a full day of work and dealt with a 45 minute commute before starting my run, and 3. My neighborhood is way hillier than any of the trails we run on during training. My coaches say that hill training is really beneficial, and I know that it will build up my stamina and make me able to go faster on flat terrain, but it still isn't any fun. Hopefully Cooperstown isn't super hilly, because I'm looking forward to another not-to-difficult (albeit lonely) eight miler when we go out of town this weekend.

In related news, one of my coworkers is doing the Nike Women's Marathon a week from Saturday. She has to go out to San Francisco for it, and she's really looking forward to it. I'm excited for her, and I can't wait to see that Tiffany's necklace that she'll get in lieu of a finisher's medal. To me, the hills of San Francisco are worth it for the bling that you get to flaunt afterward!

And the winner is...

My Fundraising Webpage

...Karen!  Karen, a cyclist who knows someone on my running team, won my raffle for the long weekend at the lakeside cottage in Upstate NY.  Congratulations Karen,  and thank you to everyone who entered!  Check out the video below to see my friend pull the winning ticket:

I haven't been updating my blog since I started the raffle, since I wanted the information and cottage photos to be the first thing that potential entrants saw.  Now I feel like I can finally catch everyone up on the past three Saturdays!

Honored Teammate Picnic

The honored teammate picnic was on Saturday, September 20th.  After an easy four mile run we gathered by the canal at Fletcher's Boathouse for bagels and cake.  While we were eating, people on my team got up and shared their personal stories.  Monique shared the story of her sister, who died 20 years ago of complications from Leukemia, and she explained that thanks to all of the hard work of fundraisers like us, patients are far more likely to survive now from the same disease.  Marc stood up with his two year old daughter and explained that she had been fighting Leukemia since January, which is why he decided to do a Team in Training event.  In addition, Sarah, who is currently undergoing treatment but is still training for a half marathon, attempted to share her story but got too choked up to do so.  Her husband stepped in and explained the details of her treatment, in addition to thanking us for all of the fundraising work we were doing.  There were many others who also talked about friends and family members who were battling a blood cancer, or who unfortunately lost their battle.  It was an emotional morning, and it reminded us why we are out there doing what we're doing.

Running with Cows and Horses

On Saturday the 27th Dave and I had to attend a wedding in Upstate NY (congratulations Eric and Diana!), which meant that I would have to miss Saturday Training for the first time.  Since I knew I would be a little too busy to run on Saturday, I chose to get my six miles in on the Friday.  I used www.mapmyrun.com to plan a route in the secluded area surrounding my mother-in-law's house, and proceeded to exhaust myself running up steep hills through the lakeside farmland.  At one point, I was worried that I missed the cross street (literally named "Cross Street") to get back to a road that I was familiar with.  There were plenty of little dirt roads that cut into cow pastures, but they looked like they turned into driveways as they got closer to the farmer's barns.  I was really starting to get nervous, but eventually I did come upon a hilly, narrow, gravelly little road called Cross Street.  There was a sign that said the road is closed between November and April, and I thanked my lucky stars that it was only September (I think I would have cried if I had had to turn back the way I came).  I soon discovered the reason for the sign, as the road was really more of a treacherous little path that is probably impassible in the cold NY winters.  As I attempted to run down it, I decided to try the Energy Gu that I had picked up at the Bethesda training.  It was caramel flavored, but it had caffeine in it and it basically tasted so disgusting that I barely had any of it.  I'm definitely going to stick with sports jelly beans!  In any case, I made the lonely 6 mile trek and I was very proud of myself.  It's really starting to get easier!

8 Miles!!

Yesterday we were back at Fletcher's Boathouse, but this time for an 8 mile run.  I was happy to be surrounded by my running buddies, and Andrea and I chatted easily along the path.  We ran from Georgetown to Bethesda and back, which was no small feat.  Still, it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  The shorts and sports beans that I purchased at the Army 10-miler Expo the day before helped.   I still can't believe I ran 8 miles!

Following the run, Erin and I borrowed a table from Tina and proceeded to run a bakesale in front of Giant for the next four hours.  It was pretty successful, and we each walked away with $98 for our fundraising webpages.  People were so generous, and some came up to us and thanked us because they had lost loved ones to a blood cancer, and they were just genuinely happy to see us out there raising money for the cause.  I was exhausted from the run and nervous about the fundraiser, but it was so rewarding and inspiring to hear people's stories.  Now I know more than ever that I need to meet my fundraising goal.  Thanks so much to all of you who have already donated!

Enter to win a long weekend/three nights at a lakeside cottage in NY!!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Here's my most recent fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am raffling off a three
night stay at my mother-in-law's lakeside cottage in Upstate NY.  
A $10 donation to my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society webpage buys you a chance
(two chances for $15!) to stay at this beautiful secluded spot on Owasco Lake, 
one of New York's famous Finger Lakes, during the off-season (September-June)!
Just so you know, my mother-in-law usually rents this out for $400-$600 for the
same amount of time!

If that's not good enough, here are some additional perks: the cottage
is both kid and dog friendly, and the winner has the option of
extending their stay - based on availability - in exchange for an
additional donation to my webpage!

The cottage is small but cozy, and has a kitchenette, two bedrooms, a
full bath, and a living room with satellite TV and wireless internet,
if you choose to bring a laptop.  The bedrooms sleep 4 total and the
living room has a pull-out couch, which allows you to add an
additional 1-2 people if you don't mind being squished.  The cottage
has its own deck that provides lovely views of the lake (I
particularly enjoy being out there at sunset!), and is just a few feet
away from a private staircase that leads directly to the lake.  Down
there, you can hold a bonfire on the beach, canoe, or kayak (provided
the water isn't too cold). 

If you want to do more than sit by the water and enjoy the beauty of
your surroundings, some nearby attractions include museums and historical
sights, vineyards and winetrails, the charming town and great shops of Skaneateles,
and bigger cities such as Rochester and Syracuse.  I'm pretty sure that the nearest
place to ski is about an hour away, but if you're a ski enthusiast, let me know and
I can double-check for you.


If you are interested, you can do the following:

1. Check out the photos above.

2. Enter the raffle by visiting my fundraising webpage and donating
$10 for one chance or $15 for 2.

3. Send me an email at autumn.yates@yahoo.com to let me know that
your donation is for the raffle.  I will send a reply confirming that
I received your message and donation.

It's that simple!  I will pull the winning ticket on Sunday, October
5th, so that the winner still has some weekends to choose from if they
want to use the cottage in the fall.  Make sure you buy your chance
now before it's too late, and thank you for supporting my fundraising
efforts!

Chugging Along

It's amazing how Tuesday's Back to School Night can leave me exhausted for the rest of the week. I think it's because I'm not used to putting in a 13 hour day at school, nor do I ever hope to be. My running also got a little thrown off, too, because I had to switch from a Tuesday run to a Monday one. My legs were still feeling Saturday's 5 miler and Sunday's humid jog, so Monday definitely hurt. Now I know why Mondays are supposed to be rest days. Fortunately this Wednesday was just a cross-training day instead of a running day, so I was able to get home nice and early and use the ellyptical. I had the gym all to myself, which was great.

Today is another 3 mile run, and then I get to rest tomorrow before Saturday's 4-mile run at Fletcher's Boathouse. It's just a recovery run, which explains why it's less than last Saturday. Following the run, we are going to have our Honored Teammate Picnic, during which Personal Honored Teammates (loved ones of team members who have survived a blood cancer) are invited to partake in the activities and share their stories. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and very inspiring. This is good news, since my fundraising has hit a lull and nothing motivates me more than a reminder about the real reason why I'm doing this. I have a bake sale coming up with Erin at the Giant on Duke Street, and I am still working on getting on the list to do gift wrapping at Border's. I also sent an email to the Wonderland to see if they would be willing to let me do some sort of fundraising Happy Hour, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. I'm thinking about talking to the people at Chevy's in Pentagon City, too, and perhaps contacting some other places. I'm definitely starting to feel like I have two jobs!

In related news, thank you to those of you who have been clicking the ads on the left side of this blog. So far, I've made $3.78 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society just because a few people have done nothing more than click on a few ads. Please continue clicking, as my goal is to raise $100 that way!!! Thanks everyone for your help!!

I love my new hobby!

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

Woohoo, no tropical storm this weekend! This morning's run went really well. Erin and I left for Bethesda at about 7:00 this morning. Andrea was at that wedding and Keri was home sick, but I ran most of the way with Kate, who's office is only a few blocks from where I work! Kate definitely had me going at a really fast pace, and I talked so much that I got a bit winded by the end, so I let her go on ahead of me. Still, I was only about the 6th person to get back to our starting point, since the fastest people mainly do the marathon and therefore had to run three miles longer than me.

I chatted with people as they came in, and then changed in the car once Erin came back. She has since showed me which set of keys in the key box are hers, so now I don't have to wait for her in order to grab my stuff. Once everyone was present and accounted for, a bunch of us went and got bagels at the place across the street. We crowded around a sidewalk bench and chatted as we ate. I got to hear about different runs and fundraising ideas, and Erin and I decided that we're going to do a bake sale at a nearby Giant to try and raise some extra funds. So many people have these great ideas that will probably put them way over what they need to raise, so I really need to step it up to meet the minimum requirement. My donors have been so generous, though, and I definitely can't complain. Thank you so much to all of you who pushed my fundraising total into four digits!

All in all, I enjoyed my five mile run this morning, and I'm having a great time with the new company I'm keeping. Every training makes me fall more in love with Team in Training and it's mission, and I can see why people come back year after year. Good friends, good health, a good cause, and good food afterwards - it's addicting! Next week's six mile run will be a distance record for me, and I'm so excited. Wish me luck!

Updates

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

First of all, I recently gave Google permission to start running advertisements on the left side of my blog. In exchange, Google will pay me about 10 cents for every time that one of my blog readers clicks one of these ads. You don't have to buy anything, just click the link! Any additional money that I make off of this will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as part of my fundraising effort. Therefore, please check back every day and click the ads even if I haven't written any new posts!

In addition, I wanted to let everyone know that as of a couple of weeks ago I added a second Personal Honored Teammate. My neighbor Joyce's grown son has suffered from four bouts of a rare cancer in his blood vessels, and the doctors are currently monitering this fourth and most recent return. My thoughts are with both Trey and his family.

In related Honored Teammate news, Jean has been feeling a lot better recently. She discovered that she can drink creamsicle shakes from Walter's, a hotdog stand that has been a staple for decades in Larchmont. Mom reports that she has also been up and around, doing small chores around the house. I'm so happy for her, and hopefully her strength will continue to improve as we get closer to the holiday season. It's not officially Christmas Eve unless Jeannie is sitting at my mom's kitchen table making the ladies of the family (and my poor, outnumbered Dave) laugh hysterically!

Well, it's back to work for a little while, and then it's time for my Tuesday run. I think I'll run on the mall again today!

Pictures as Promised

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates


Here are some photos from yesterday's wet and wild event. The first one is of me and Petra, and shows just how soaked to the bone we were after running. The second one is of Petra and Erin demonstrating the wind speed that we felt out on Haine's Point. Enjoy!

Liquid Sunshine

My fundraising webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

(Thanks to all who have donated so far. I'm up to $925 in donations that will help save lives!!!)

Ok, so if I had to choose between running in 100 degree weather or running in the rain, I think I would choose the rain. That said, I don't think I ever foresaw running in a hurricane. However, that is exactly what I did this morning!

Today's 8:00am run was scheduled for Haine's Point (the national park past the Jefferson Memorial and along the Potomac). When we stretched and warmed up at 7:45, there was really only a light drizzle. By the time our run was well under way, it started to come down harder. Andrea and I continued to keep each other's pace up, and chatted with ease about our families, education, and past jobs. The coaches cheered us on, calling out that the torrential downpour was just "liquid sunshine." Haha, sure. Still, I think the rain kept us cool and motivated, and we finished our 4 miles easily. We weren't really even out of breath, and I think we both could have gone farther!

When we got back to the parking lot the rain was really picking up and the wind was crazy. Many people were standing there barefoot because everyone's sneakers were soaked through, and the staff was signing people out under an umbrella. I did get my tote bag prize for already raising over $600 (woohoo!), and I was able to use it for some of my soaking wet stuff. I returned home looking like a drowned rat, but all in all it was actually fun! I'll post a couple of pictures once Erin and Keri send them to me.

For those of you wondering about the first week of school, it went really well. I was able transition nicely back to work, and I feel like I'm prepared for the weeks ahead. I'm still figuring out the running/work balance, but I'm getting there. I tried out the Bethesda buddy run, but it was just too far away. I may try the buddy run on the Mall on Thursday, but other than that I think I will stick to running on the Hill and maybe doing one run at home each week while it's still light out.

That's about it for now. This Hurricane Hannah survivor is going to go relax and enjoy a lazy, rainy Saturday on the couch! Check back soon for pictures!

Shopping Takes the Pain Away

Fundraising Page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/pfchangs09/ayates

First of all, I have decided to put my fundraising page at the beginning of each post, since my mom wasn't able to successfully copy and paste from the little description at the top left of this blog. Hopefully this will be easier for anyone who is trying to move between this page and that one!

Well, 6:45 definitely came around early this morning, and Reston is a longish drive from here. I'm so happy that Erin is my neighbor! We all met in front of Reston's Potomac River Running store, and seeing the fun goodies through the window was a primary motivator for getting me through my run. The trail wasn't far from the store, and after stretching and taking off it became apparent that Andrea and I run at pretty much the same pace. This was great because it allowed me to keep my speed up, and it made the run go by faster. I'm pretty sure that's the fastest I've ever done three miles, and I wish I had a watch with me to prove it. Andrea said running with me had the same effect on her, so hopefully we can make it a regular occurance!

As promised, we all got to file into the running store after we finished our end-of-run stretching. I was finally able to get my Virginia is for Runners Shirt! I'm glad I waited, because this store had one in a pretty baby blue, and the other franchise only had them in white and gray. Maybe at some point I'll get back to purchase the kelly green one that they have (their $25 each, so fortunately for Dave I'm going to try to limit myself to just two.).

I also purchased the water belt I had been dreading. Wearing it makes me feel like a dork, but it will come in handy during those long runs later on. Plus how dorky can it be if everyone around me is wearing one too? I rounded out my purchases with some high-energy gummies and jelly beans, a moisture-wicking visor, and two more pairs of balega socks (one of which was free with my coupon!). I spent a small fortune, but fortunately our 10% Team in Training discount made it hurt a little less. I'm so excited to try out my new goodies tomorrow!

When I got home, I discovered that my fundraising total climbed a bit higher, and I reached the minimum that was needed by September 2nd in order to qualify for a free TNT totebag. Yay! I love free stuff!

Tuesday the kids come back, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up the positive attitude regarding my new workout regime.

work + training = craziness

OK, so running all summer hasn't been that big of a deal, considering that during the parts of the day that I wasn't running, I was doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. This week I went back to work so that I could attend meetings, plan my lessons, and set up my classroom. After I was done, I went running on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and I am exhausted. On the plus side, I have been falling asleep early and sleeping very soundly (although this meant missing parts of the DNC that I tried to stay awake to watch). I'm wondering what it's going to be like once the kiddies come back. I may have to start running at home at least once a week after work, at least until it starts getting dark earlier. Then on the other two days I could either run on the Hill or with a buddy run group. There is a group meeting up in Bethesda on Wednesdays, so I'm going to try that next week, I think. It's just frustrating to have to go so far in the opposite direction just to run with other people. Ugh, I think I'll feel less uneasy once I have established a working routine.

Tomorrow we run in Reston, and Erin is picking me up at 6:45 (eek!). Afterwards, we're going to Potomac River Running, so I can finally get some fun new toys. More updates on what I buy later. :-)