Official Results

Apparently, something happened at the half marathon yesterday and my start time did not register. I've been in communication with the race timing company and my official race time is (drumroll please...... :) )

1:59:22!

That's definitely the motivation I need to keep on steppin'!

Exceeding Expectations

Today turned out to be a beautiful race day. Tim & I 'slept in' until 4:30 a.m., ate breakfast and headed to downtown Omaha. We found relatively close parking with no problem, checked our bag of stuff, waited in line at the porta-potties and we were off.

I felt extremely relaxed today and my running felt very smooth. I hadn't really checked out the course before today, so I wasn't paying too good of attention to the location of the mile markers and I missed seeing the first three; so I basically had no idea what my mile time was. A lady nearby with a fancy GPS running watch said her pace was 8:40 per mile and then I realized I was going a lot faster than I realized.

I settled in to a decent pace and continued to feel very relaxed. I had heard that the course was tough because of all the hills, but I didn't find them to be as intimidating as I had heard. I saw Tim & some of my TNT friends along the route (as well as someone who works out at my gym!) at the half marathon turnaround. Unfortunately for Tim, he was so excited giving people high fives that he missed the turnaround and ran a mile past it along the marathon course--meaning he had to turn around still to come back to the half marathon course. (He ended up putting in two extra miles but still kept the pace he'd trained for). The TNT water stop along the course was great--the way the route was set up we actually looped around and hit it twice. Lots of encouragers there!

I tried to pick it up around mile 11 and really kicked it in at mile 12. The finish wound along the riverwalk and I couldn't quite see the finish line, so I kept praying I'd see it soon and kept my legs a-movin'. What a blessing to see my mom and dad, sister and nephew cheering at the finish line! According to the race website, my 'gun time' (the time from when the gun sounded to when I crossed the finish line) and my 'race time' (the time I crossed the starting line (after the gun sounded because I was far back in the crowd) and finish line) were the same, so my time is not accurate. According to my watch, I ran 13.1 miles in 1:59.30. The website says 2:01.13. Either way, I very much exceeded my time goal of 2:15!

After an ice bath, my legs feel really good. I am in a lot better shape physically and mentally than the last half marathon I ran in June and I can tell. I really don't even have muscle soreness right now. Some of my joints are a little sore (knees) and I rubbed a spot raw under my arm, but those are minor in comparison to major leg pain or blisters. I am hopeful that with consistent training over the next few months that I continue to progress and have a wonderful marathon experience.

A few race pictures are included.

Keep on steppin'!

Tomorrow = a big day

Good morning, friends! I joined my TNT peeps for a light jog this morning (many of them were doing their 20 mile run in preparation for marathons next month) at Lake Zorinsky in Omaha. What a beautiful place! I am feeling pretty good and I am looking forward to the half marathon tomorrow.

Please keep Tim & I in your prayers that we will have a great time, finish strong and have no injuries. If you'll be in the area--look for the TNT water stop at 12th & Cuming! I'll post results and pictures tomorrow--after my ice bath, of course.

Keep on steppin'!

FALLing into place

Hello friends! I'm just back from an easy two-mile jog. Tim joined me--we cracked up laughing and talking the entire time. It's fun to run with a buddy! It was a beautiful fall day. The leaves are starting to change colors ever so slightly and there's a sense of fall on my mind. I am praying for cool running weather Sunday morning for the Omaha Half Marathon. I'll be thinking of you when I get up at 4 a.m. to get prepared for the 7 a.m. race! (I'll have to eat, drive 45 minutes to downtown Omaha, park and then warm up--it'll be an early night Saturday! :) )

Donations are starting to fall into place too. Today I hit the $500 mark! That's 13.5% of my total goal of $3,700. I'm on target to reach my goal of being halfway done with fundraising by mid-October. So far, I have been amazed with how quickly people are responding with their finances, well wishes and encouragement. This is a fun journey!

I'll run one more time on Saturday morning at Lake Zorinsky with my Team in Training (TNT) peeps on Saturday morning--another easy couple miles. Then the big day is on Sunday! I'm shooting for 2 hours and 15 minutes for my finish time, but I hear that the course is kind of tough. If I'm feeling good, I'll try go to for closer to 2 hours. Either way, that will shave many minutes off my 2:29.19 finish in the Council Bluffs Marathon in June.

Keep on steppin'!

Milestones

The best way to measure progress is by milestones along the way. Today, I achieved two important milestones: I have received $100 in donations online (Thanks, Amy!) and with my run today, I have now run more than 100 miles since I began my training! While I should have had a few more miles under my belt as far as miles go, I am proud of what I have accomplished so far.

Miles run September 14-20: 30
Days until the Omaha Half Marathon: 6

Keep on steppin'!

It's a Beautiful Day...

I had an absolutely FANTASTIC 10-mile run today. For those of you who aren't runners, you're probably wondering how any mileage in the double digits can be pleasant--but today truly was. The temperature was wonderful, it was calm and peaceful outside (i.e. no crazy gnats to dodge like there are on evening runs!), my legs felt great, no stomache ache and I ran slightly faster than my goal pace for next Sunday's half marathon. I expected to be sore when I was done running (as is typical) but even four hours after I finished my run, I still feel great. What a blessing!

It's really amazing to think about how 'easy' it was to do this run. I have aches and pains regularly, but luckily no lingering injuries (and now that I have limited the number of days I wear heels to work, even my calf tightness has disappeared! :) ). But what I feel when I run (and after) is nothing compared to the true pain--both physical and emotional--that is experienced by children who have cancer and their families. That's why I'm doing this. I am running in honor of Haleigh Pentico. Haleigh was born in May 2007 in Omaha. At one month old she was diagnosed with AML M7, a rare form of leukemia that impacts only 100 U.S. infants annually. Haleigh spent 145 days in the hospital, underwent chemotherapy, several procedures and battled multiple infections. She was released at Thanksgiving in 2007, but still visits her cancer doctor monthly. The experience has been grueling, but the Penticos are grateful for the work done by Team in Training participants to strive for a cure for children like their daughter. Check out the darling shot of Miss Haleigh last Halloween.

It's also a beautiful day because (drumroll please)....I received my first online donation! Okay, so it was from my husband Tim, but it's still thrilling to know that this is finally real! I am stoked beyond words to be training for my first marathon and raising funds for an organization as truly fantastic as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Be checking your mailboxes for a letter from me! :) If you are too excited to wait until then, visit my website (listed above in the blog header). Thanks for your generosity!

Until next time...keep on steppin'! :)

Crossing things off the to do list...

I am so excited about this new adventure! Today, I got my first batch of letters ready to mail. I hope to get an email/Facebook post out yet tonight. I am praying for a successful response so I am able to reach my fundraising goal of $3,700. Last night, I had a good medium-distance workout of 8 miles and I took a 12-minute ice bath...my first one since 10th grade cross country! Today, my legs feel amazing so I am going to keep that in my arsenal.

I am running the Omaha Half Marathon on Sunday, September 27 in preparation. The weather has been beautiful for training so it's easy to stay motivated right now.

Not only is this my first marathon, its also my first blog. I will figure out posting my training schedule, pictures, etc. and as my mileage increases--so will the content on this blog! :)

The reason

I'm training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. I have officially signed up to run my first ever full marathon--at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL on January 10, 2010. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. To read more about my marathon training adventures, visit my blog at iamrunningforareason.blogspot.com. Thanks for your support!