So this was random. I walked up to the water cooler at work today and there was this black cat staring at me. Even though I knew that it was fake I didn't take my eyes off of it in case it was a cruel joke and someone decided to scare me! It's not even Halloween people! Who knows!
Shamrock Marathon Completed!
Hello my long lost friends. As of right now I am over 4 months late on this update. I should have made the time to do this long before now but I guess its better late than never.
First, I want to say a huge Thank You to everyone who supported me through my marathon journey! It was an experience of a life time and I couldn't have done it without all of the support. I do hope to one day do another. If you know me, you know I like a good challenge!
Well, marathon weekend was like a whirl wind for me. I enjoyed almost every minute of it and at the end couldn't really believe that I had accomplished such a big goal. I went down to my parents house on Friday night. I spent the night with them and tried not to focus on the big event and just enjoy family time. I didn't want to get myself too nervous.
On Saturday I did a little shopping with my mom and sis and then drove over to VA Beach to pick up my race packet. Unfortunately I was stuck in lots of traffic and had to take the long way to the convention center. I got around the traffic but I still wasn't sure if I would get there in time. I called up my mentor Sarah, who by the way was totally amazing, and asked if there was any way someone could get it for me if I didn't make it in time. Thanks to my great TNT family they got my packet. I ended up getting there in time so I just walked around the health expo and stopped by the TNT table for a few minutes before heading to my hotel. Once I got to the hotel I checked in and Haley and Bret came in behind me. It was so good to see a familiar face. Especially one that could relate to my huge weekend! I ended up rushing up stairs to unload my stuff and say hi to my roommate for the night.
Then I headed to dinner with my parents and Katie and Jordan. Well I was so late getting to dinner that I didn't even get to eat because I had to head back for a meeting with the team. So Katie and Jordan had a nice dinner with my parents. They were great and brought some food back to the hotel for me to eat after the meeting. It was good to eat but I could barely eat. I knew I had to carb load so I ate it anyways. The three of us ended up hanging out at the hotel talking for a bit and then I headed to bed for a good night sleep.
I woke up on race day excited and nervous and unfortunately congested. I couldn't breathe out of my nose at all! I wasn't exactly sure how I was planning on running a marathon without being able to breathe. I took some medicine and used a nasal spray, both of which are not recommended, but it was what I had to do to get the job done. I met the team down stairs and we took some pictures and got hype for the big race. Then we all went out to cheer on the half marathoners as they started there race.
Next it was our turn. I was able to see my family and friends before the race started. They were hilarious. Jordan and Katie made shirts and my family had big posters to hold up. Boy did I have the cheering section. Well, finally the race started. As expected it moved pretty slowly out of the gate but once we got going it was so cool to run with my teammates and see all of the fans along the road cheering us on! We all started out a little faster than I like so I was nervous about running out of energy to keep it up. The first part was by the beach so it was nice and sunny with a little breeze and the smell of the ocean. Once we got into the residential area the crowd died down and it was time to focus. It was great to see other TNT people out and to yell "Go Team" as we ran past. There was so much support on the race. We went down through ….where the soldiers gave us high fives and cheered us on. That was one of the coolest parts for me. Well once we got back to the main road I was getting tired and didn't think I could keep that pace much longer. It was getting really hot and I was trying to stay hydrated but the energy just wasn't there so I slowed my pace a little. I ended up running most of the rest of the race with Sarah. We both seemed to have trouble with the heat but we stuck it out to the end. I had to walk a little once we got back on the boardwalk. There I saw my parents and stole my dads water bottle. He gave me a sip and I told him he wasn't getting it back. After all I was running a marathon!
Around the half way point I saw Katie, Jordan, my uncle, cousins, and sister cheering me on. Then a little further down was Lisa, Nora, and Nora's brother. It was sooo cool having all of them there and excited for me. It definitely gave me the motivation to keep going. Well the heat was still getting to me and it was hard to keep going around mile 16 I think I was sure I wanted to quit but something wouldn't let me so I kept going. Around that time I saw my aunt Janice and Ashley waiting on the side of the road to cheer me on. They had oranges and water but at that point I just needed to keep running. It was amazing to see them too! After that it was the long stretch to the end. I walked fast a lot to save up some energy so that I could cross the finish line strong but was really disappointed that I couldn't run it all out. I do wish I had pushed myself a little harder but there is always next time right! When it comes down to it I did finish the race strong. Next we ran through fort story. It was a pretty part of the run but I was definitely tired and ready for it to end. The TNT coaches were allowed to stay along the side and jump in and run with us throughout the race. At the beginning of the race it was cool to see them and get a little boost of encouragement but by this time I didn't care what they had to say. I was grateful they were there but at one point I could have just punched someone. Let me tell you when you push your body that hard crazy things start to happen. Disclaimer: I didn't actually punch anyone…just in my head! We ran through Fort Story and once we got on the other side I was determined to push myself as much as I could. There were only about 5 miles or so to go and I knew I could do it. I ended up passing Sarah and pacing myself with a few other runners to make sure I wasn't getting behind. It seemed to work out pretty well for me. All I could think about at that point was wow I have almost finished this and I have definitely run farther than I ever have in my life. Some time during the last two miles a TNT coach jumped in and ran with me for a little bit. He asked me how I was doing and I didn't have much to say except that I hurt. He said okay lets start with what doesn't hurt. I said my face! Haha that literally was the only thing I could think of because my whole body was being put through more than it could imagine! He passed me off to another coach as I rounded the bend for the last stretch. I ran the last half a mile or so on the board walk, with one of my amazing coaches, amazed that I was about to finish one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. On the side my friends and family were screaming and cheering me on. I pushed it as hard as I could and ran strong and proud across that finish line with a huge smile on my face! I had done it! Right before I crossed the finish line my little cousin Colon jumped in and ran across with me! It was fun to have him there but when I asked him if he would run a marathon one day he said no way! Haha maybe we will change his mind when he gets a little older! As I went through and got my metal and t-shirts he got the food they were handing out. I couldn't help but laugh! After going through the line I went into the tent to check in with TNT and then off to find my family and friends! Hugs all around! That is if they didn't mind how gross and sweaty I was. We ended up running in 80 degree weather for most of the race. That is really hot when you trained in 30 degree weather for most of the time!
Well it was over and time to go celebrate! Katie and Jordan walked with me back to my hotel to get my stuff and my car. I had to take off my shoes because I could not take it any longer. We ran into Lisa and Nora on the way back and Lisa proceeded to give me a giant hug! Then along the way I saw Haley finishing the race. I had to stop and cheer her on. She did such an amazing job! After that we all met up at Cheeseburger in Paradise for some good protein! Haha I know I was craving it and that burger never tasted so good! I finished the weekend off with my family resting and a massage to top it off. What a phenomenal time I had and as hard as it was I wouldn't trade it for the world. Sign me up for the next one. Speaking of, I have only done a 5k since but I was able to beat my personal record for that race so I was really happy. I am still running but not nearly as much. I do plan on training again just not sure when that will be. Next I am going for a half marathon and a personal record!
Pictures to come!
When I started training for this marathon I could hardly run 2 miles and the furthest I had ever run at one time was five miles. I couldn't have done it with out the great coaches and training I received from TNT. So if you want to go out and complete that life goal, do it with TNT…they will get you there!
I guess now that I have posted my marathon update I can continue on with the rest of my amazing life these days!
I am going to a Potomac Nationals game with Jordan tonight so I'm really excited about that. Can't go wrong with a little all American baseball and great company on a beautiful summer evening! I have lots of fun plans for this weekend so I hope to keep up with this blog thing for you all to enjoy!
20 miles. Do you know how long that is? There are 105,600 feet in 20 miles and I ran every inch on Saturday. What an exciting experience! The first 10 miles were not too bad but around mile 12 or 13 my stomach started to hurt. I guess I changed too many things up for that run. I will have to go back to what I know works for me. By mile 18 and 19 I felt like I was ready to quit. I was sore from running but that was normal and I thought I could push through. It was my stomach that didn't want me to keep going. However, I wasn't about to let that stop me so I slowed down but didn't allow myself to stop. I knew it would be a long sad walk back if I stopped a mile and a half from the end. As I rounded the last corner I picked my pace up again so that I could finish strong. I almost forgot about my stomach hurting. When we got back the LLS staff cheered us on as we reached the "finish line." They handed us beads like medals to practice for the actual race. It was fun and they had lots of food for us to eat. I took a bite of the pizza that I was dreaming about half way through the run but my stomach was still upset so I ate a donut instead…I know what a concept! J I was very sore and the thought of getting on the ground to stretch was not fun. I continued to stretch but was sore the rest of the day. To my amazement by Sunday I wasn't really sore. Wow I am stronger than I thought and my body is learning to recover quickly.
I am so thankful for the people who believe in me to run this marathon. Even during training I find inspiration from the people in my life who make me believe that I can do it. Many things give me the endurance to keep running like thinking about our mission and those we are running in honor of and songs and scriptures that bring strength. There are family members whose strength during hard times encourages me. I have great friends who never stop believing in me. I don't want to let them down. I want to be able to say at the end of the race…I DID IT!
After the morning run I had time to shower, eat, and take a 45 min nap before I headed out again. That night I went to the Georgetown Pediatric Oncology unit with some teammates. We brought a Mexican feast for the families and staff to enjoy. Everyone was so thankful for the food we brought and it was good to see how our hard work with Team in Training was making a difference.
Then it was on to the next event. Saturday was full of TNT goodness; running, mission moment, and fundraising. Hayley, Brett, and I planned a fundraiser at Tonic in Foggy Bottom that night. It was a really good event and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. Brett organized for a band to come out and play so it ended up being a great event. We were able to raise a good amount of money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and had a great time doing it. I will admit that I ended the night early. Since I didn't get much rest after my 20 miles I was ready to go home to my comfy bed!
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.
-- Henry Ford
The picture is of me and my friend Katie at the Tonic Fundraiser. Not too bad for running 20 miles and getting no rest! Don't let the picture fool you I was exhausted!
I'm excited to say I am running the Shamrock Marathon with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on March 21, 2010! Please help me reach my personal goal of $2,000 by making a tax deductible donation at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock10/ashaff
Thanks for helping find a cure for blood cancers!
I ran 17 miles last Saturday! I can hardly believe it! It was really hard and I was in pain during and after the run. However, seeing the gate at the end of our run never felt so good. It was the most beautiful gate I have ever seen. Hahaha! I ran with 2 girls this week and we kept a pretty good pace together. We only stopped to use the bathroom once and fill up on fluids. I have to say the Gatorade they had at the water stop was terrible. It was pink and as Sarah said it tasted like laundry detergent. I think I'm going to bring more of my own Gatorade from now on and just fill up with water at the stops. It was nice running and chatting but running for over 3 hours means you can run out of things to talk about. We tried really hard to keep the conversations going to pass the time. In the end we all made it and were really proud of our accomplishment! Wow 17 miles is amazing. Until you have done it you can't really understand but trust me its crazy!
Tomorrow we are running 20 miles. That is exciting and scary all at the same time. My body has done 17 so what is 3 more miles right! I am hoping for a really good run. I think it will mentally prepare me for the full 26.2. I am also craving the excitement that will come with race day! Only 3 more weeks to go!
My quote for this weekend's run is going to be from Isaiah 40:31. I love the way the Message Bible reads this particular verse. "But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."
I'm almost to my goal but you can help me reach it and surpass it. Please help me by making a tax deductible donation at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock10/ashaff
Thanks for helping find a cure for blood cancers!
Oh the Hills
Okay so I'm a little behind again on the blog. Last week I ran 5 miles with Melissa on Tuesday. Then I ran with Hayley and Brett on Thursday. It felt good to get out and run a different trail with them. The only not fun part was the hills. There were a lot of them. Most of them were hard but not too bad. Then at Glebe road there are 2 massive hills back to back. I thought I was going to die getting to the top of them. Then it was a matter of getting my breathing under control to continue the run. I was so impressed with myself that I kept going. I also realized that a burger and fries before a 5 mile run is not the best idea. I probably didn't give myself enough time to digest before we ran because I was trying my best not to throw up! However, I made it to the end with no problem and was glad to have it behind me! It was a challenge but so worth it!
A True Runner
If I ever doubted whether or not I was a real runner, Saturday's run proved I am. I mean who would run 14 miles on a snowy morning if they didn't have to. A handful of us got up early Saturday morning and headed out to the Mt. Vernon trail. We started at mile 0 and those of us training for the marathon ran out to mile 7 and back. At first it was just a couple of flurries but then it started coming down pretty good. By the time we got back to our cars there was probably 2 inches on the ground. During that run I had 2 servings of shotblocks and one serving of Chomps (I think they are called). I drank most of my water and Gatorade (the purple kind) and what was left froze in the bottom. This was my first real experience with things freezing. That includes my eyelashes and eyebrows. I had to wipe my face to keep the snow from sticking but my hands were wet so it didn't help very much. The windbreaker I was wearing collected a lot of snow and froze to me so I was wiping that off too. I was glad I had an extra hood on the windbreaker that morning because I needed all the help I could get to block the snow. I ran probably 11 or 12 miles with Sarah and a few other people. It was so good to have someone to run with and motivate me along. I tend to find the strength to go so much further. Towards the end we all ended up at different paces so I ran the last few miles on my own…praying my way up the hills! The night before I had a few pieces of pizza and for breakfast I had toast and a banana. I think that I had a good amount of food because I felt energized and good about the run. That is until the last mile when most of it was up hill and the last section felt like it was straight up. I did end up walking some of the up hill. I think overall I ran 13.5 miles and walked the other .5 off and on. I was so pumped by the end. That is a personal record in distance for me. I finished in about 2 hrs and 50 mins. which I was happy with considering the snow and hills! At the end Maggie had made cupcakes for my birthday so I shared them with some teammates. They were so amazing! I have such amazing teammates!
The picture is just one I found online of the Potomac River frozen over. It wasn't this visible on Saturday…a lot more gray and heavy snow but you get the idea. I wasn't able to get pictures that day but it really was beautiful. At one point I saw a bunch of geese or ducks huddled together in the river. Everyone was feeling the winter weather that morning. It is amazing how God shows us his beauty. Running as really allowed me to see more of that and also given me time to just talk to him. It has been a growing experience for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I never thought of it before but it feels like running has given me the opportunity to put Luke 2:52 into practice, "Jesus grew in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God and man."
Down Week
This week is what I'm calling a down week. I have not been able or really motivated to get all of my runs in. I am glad that I got a couple short runs in so that I can maintain. However, I am looking forward to a really good/challenging run. They are calling for 16 to 24 inches of snow for us this weekend and we got some snow Tuesday night so that has interfered with our running schedule. The coaches changed our Saturday long run to Sunday, which I can't do, but I will be surprised if they actually get to run with all of the snow. Now it's just a matter of figuring out when to run 16 miles this week! This winter has really been a challenge for us to train in but we are hoping it will prepare us for a great run during the race! Bring on the good spring weather…I am over the snow!
"Life is a journey, a marathon. It begins. It ends. We all finish the line. There will be no losers. Each of us benefiting from the richness of the journey. Sometimes, benefiting from the journey of others."
Excerpt from Janice Stahl in the booklet titled What Team In Training Means to Me
I'm excited to say I am running my first endurance event with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Please help me reach my personal goal of $2,000 by making a tax deductible donation at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock10/ashaff
Thanks for helping find a cure for blood cancers!
Oh wow! Words can not even begin to describe how grateful I am for such wonderful friends and family. I was going out for a surprise night out with Katie and Jordan to celebrate the big 2-5! Yes, I turned 25 yesterday and I have actually come to terms with it. It is just a number and I am truly enjoying my life! Anyways back to the big events. They picked me up from the metro and started driving south. They told me we were going to a restaurant reserved for special occasions so I just went along for the ride. After going south past Woodbridge I started to wonder. Where in the world were we going…just for dinner! Well we ended up at the Melting Pot in Fredericksburg. Lucky for them I didn't think about there being one closer to where we live! It was funny because I told Chris at lunch that I didn't know where we were going and he asked me where I would want it to be. I told him I would like a Japanese Steak House or Fondue (the Melting Pot). I was very happy when our reservations where for fondue! We went inside and Katie and I went straight to the bathroom while Jordan was being seated. As we came out of the bathroom the host told us to turn around to go to our table. I slid into the booth and who came in beside me??? MY MOM AND DAD!!! They drove up to Fredericksburg to meet us for dinner. I truly haven't been that surprised in a long time…I'll be honest it brought a few tears to my eyes! I had a wonderful time talking, opening presents, and eating amazing food! I will brag on the spinach and artichoke cheese fondue and the bananas dipped in milk chocolate. I did enjoy the rest of the meal but those two were to die for! After dinner we had a little photo op and then headed our separate ways. I had such an amazing time and wouldn't trade these people for the world. I love you guys!
We turn not older with years, but newer every day.
- Emily Dickinson
I'm excited to say I am running my first endurance event with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Please help me reach my personal goal of $2,000 by making a tax deductible donation at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock10/ashaff.
Thanks for helping find a cure for blood cancers!
