My New (but healthy) Addiction

My poor shoes have not received the acknowledgment that they deserved. I bought a new pair of Brooks a few weeks back, and took a picture of them (a la Lauren style) right when I brought them home. They are Brooks Addiction and they are beige and lavender...Elle Woods me cause they are sooo pretty.

I wore them out for a quick 4 mile run on the day of purchase. I also wore them for the 21.7 miler in the rain that we had on Friday. These shoes supported me from Hopkinton to BC...here's hoping they will get me from Hopkinton to Copley on April 21st. Let's just say, the shoe fits...so I have some Happy Feet!

I Survived!

(Photo: Me, Liv, Stef & Steve at the Marathon Starting Line)

:Enter Gloria Gaynor & dramatic piano music:

At first I was afraid,
I was petrified,
Kept thinking I could never run Hopkinton to BC without owning a Garmin two-oh-five,
I spent all last night just hoping Friday's weather forecast would be so wrong
With Steve, Liv & Stef by my side, I grew strong
Oh I'm thankful the four of us get along!

Right after Ashland,
We found our pace,
When I called that oblivious chick driver in Wellesley Center: "B!tch!"
- Oh if only you could have seen her face,
I should not have made us play that stupid ABC game,
But Stef's Dairy Queen was the perfect Q,
It got me through a lot of our long run
And so did my Mint Chocolate Gu

From Hopkinton we did go,
Man, Framingham was a bore,
The 10-15mph headwinds from there through Wellesley were trying to tell us:
"You're not welcome anymore",
Mother Nature's rain starting at Mile 15 was her attempt at getting us to say goodbye
Did she think we'd crumble?
Did she think I'd get on the train at Woodland, quit & cry?
Oh no not I

I will survive
Oh as long as I put down my left foot and then my right
I knew I'd make it to that church by BC alive
To my muscles, after 21.7 miles, please forgive
For the Dana-Farber patients, my love I give
I will survive
I will survive
Hey Hey!

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart
after twenty miles I was tempted to walk
up the hill that broke Johnny Kelley's heart
And I spent a moment reminding myself
that my Auntie Nancy's memory is why I am here
I refused to cry
Instead I held my head up high.

April 21st, you'll see me
Still smiling too
I don't care what Coach Jack says,
that downhill by Grossman's...I'm in love with you
Having my mom drive by us in Wellesley
made me oh-so happy
As did the cargo train honkin'
Thanks to Liv's creativity!

I will survive!
Oh as long as I put my left foot in front of my right
I knew I'd make it to that church by BC alive
To my muscles, after 21.7 miles, please forgive
For the Dana-Farber patients, my love I give
I will survive
Yes, I DID survive!
Hey hey!

(Photo: The four of us after our last long run before 4/21...
It's Taper Time!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stats:
Miles: 21.7
Avg. Minutes/Mile: 9:03
Mint Chocolate Gu's Consumed: 4
Ginger Chews Consumed: 6
Letters Satisfactorily Completed in the ABC Game: 42
Horns that Beeped at us to Cheer us on: 6 (including my amazing mother & a cargo train)
Smiles upon reaching the Church at the BC T-Stop: 4

Bring on the Taper! April 21st Cannot Come Soon Enough!!!

The Runner's High

We all have heard this phrase time and time again: Runners get a natural high after a good long run.

Before I started this insanity, I knew this was true...sorta. Once I began running though, my friends and family realized that my attitude towards everything had changed drastically. I no longer stressed about the "little things." I even had someone say to me last week that they wanted to get to know me better because: I am a runner and just assumed that I would be more laid back than most people. Yes, I know what you are thinking. The Lindsey a few years ago would NEVER have had someone tell her that she is "more laid back than most people"...just ask my family, the Needhams and my college girls.

I originally wanted to attribute this change to my experiences with fellow DFMC'ers. All of them are so relaxed, so genuine, so selfless and so normal. Yes, I said it, I called you guys normal....don't try milking it beyond that.

The pinnacle of this realization, to me, probably was the passing of my Auntie Nancy. All of these little issues that I face are not necessarily "stresses", but rather - life. When I'm stressed about my summer job search, or about keeping up with daily class assignments, or about meeting "Mr. Right" (which, let's face it, has involved quite a bit of searching), or about where I am going to be living after I graduate law school, or if I will ever pay off my debt with my career in public interest law, I realize that for the most part, I will get through all of it. Everyone else around me is facing similar, if not greater, problems.

Another reason why my attitude has changed is because of all the endorphins I produce during the course of any given long run. The science behind all of this confuses me, though. Fortunately, my friend Jeff found an article in the NY Times today that discusses this phenomenon in more detail. His favorite line was: “You could really see the difference after two hours of running. You could see it in their faces.” This is cute, and true for the most part.

My favorite line was: "her runner’s high came at the end of a marathon, and it was paired with such volatile emotions that the sight of a puppy had the power to make her weep."

There is a 100% chance that the endorphins I release will generate an effect like this one. I may have calmed down a bit on the Spaz-O-Meter scale ever since I started running, but I am still uber emo Lindsey (wicked emotional for those who don't get my lingo) and would probably cry at the sight of anything fabulous at the finish line on April 21st.

And you all wonder why I am SOO addicted :)

On another note - a shoutout to one of my Buttercups for her donation today! My friend Jess' donation got us to the $7,500 mark! My other Buttercup, Robin, already donated (as did her amazing bf AP!). Thank you to the Buttercups, and everyone else who have already donated...did I mention that we have 100+ donors so far? AMAZING!

Weekend Forecast

With this forecast, I truly do not understand why I am choosing to do my longest run ever on Friday instead of Saturday or Sunday. Oh the irony!

	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	Rain to Snow	Partly Sunny	Mostly Sunny
	38° | 28°	42° | 28°	44° | 31°

Belated Massage...and some Fundraising News

Today, I finally got my first massage during the course of training. Throughout the massage, the masseuse kept saying "Wow, you are so sore." I think I heard that phrase about a dozen times throughout the hour-long massage. Thanks Ma'am. Of course I am sore. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.

On another note, for those of you who have been tracking this diligently, I upped my fundraising goal to 10k. Why? Because I am only $30 shy of my original goal of $7,500 and KNOW that we can totally push that to the max (that was for you, Briz). So step up your game guys! I know there are many of you who want to donate, and are holding off. Now is just as good a time as any to donate here.

Also, if you are pleased with my blog entries, or if you have something to say, don't be shy. Comments are welcomed. In fact, they are encouraged.

"For the Hills Sake"

Throughout last night's workout on the hills of Waltham's office park, I was trying to think of how I could nicely describe it in my blog. I got home from going out with the DFMC runners at Bertucci's, and sat down to write this blog. I couldn't think of any good words to describe it. I wanted to give myself some time to chill out afterwards, hoping that today I would say "Wow, I really needed that. Those hills definitely made me feel good about myself." Unfortunately, I'm not going to sugar coat this at all.

The workout hurt. A lot.

I told Lauren about it today - I said we did 7 miles of "those hills" throughout the office park in Waltham that surround the Boston Sports Club. Lauren said it sounded like hell. I responded: "Hell would have been nicer. At least it is warm there."

After doing two ginormous hills, Coach Jack said we were going to do a couple more..."For the Hills Sake". 24 hours later, I still don't know what he meant by that. My calves were killing me throughout the workout, it was bitter cold out despite us being a week into spring, and my constant concern was whether I was going to be too sore to run my long run on Friday. In hindsight, I guess it was good to get some hills in before the taper begins. The highlight of the workout was probably the last hill. I was dead last running up it. I literally had Coach Jack (who was riding on his bike as we did our workouts) push me up the hill. Usually his words of encouragement are a sufficient enough "push." But no. Jack literally pushed on my back to help me up a part of the hill. Quite the coach...I say this time and time again, but I am truly lucky to have him.

46,000

The DFMC Bulletin Board lately has been flooded with entries related to our big run this weekend. We all are constantly reminding each other of why we are running Boston. One DFMC runner stated quite an inspirational statistic that really hit home.

It will take 46,000 steps to run 26.2 Miles. This corresponds with the number of people diagnosed with cancer in a calendar year in Massachusetts.

As I prepare for my journey from Hopkinton to Boston College on Friday, my longest run to date, I am going to keep this thought in mind.

On another level, I am wearing blue today in honor of Matty Dubuc's Angel-versary. Unfortunately, I never met Matty, but he touched the lives of many of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners. My heart goes out to the Dubuc Family today.

I need to remember that this training process and this run is not just about running Boston and crossing that finish line at Copley. It is not about my time, the weather on race day, how nice the Newton hills will be to me on April 21st, what I wear on a given training run, or about how many Gu's I should eat on Marathon Monday. It is about the patients. It is about the research. And it is about finding a cure for a disease that has struck too many loved ones.

Week of March 23rd

Sunday 3/23: much needed rest
Monday 3/24: 3 miles elliptical; core conditioning, lifting & stretching
Tuesday 3/25: 7 miles of HILLS!!! Hill workout in Waltham. Happiest moment ever. True Story slash I hope you can interpret my sarcasm in blog form.
Wednesday 3/26: Rest and MASSAGE!!!!
Thursday 3/27: 4 miles around the river with the Crossroads DFMC'ers
Friday 3/28: 21.7 miles - EAT YOUR HEART OUT! Taper Time :)
Saturday 3/29: Resting and a weekend visit to the Big Apple

Time Stamp: 2:34pm on Monday 3/24

It is 2:34pm.

I am hoping that in exactly four Mondays from this exact time, I will have finished Boston.

A Letter to my Body

Dear Body,

I wanted to apologize for being so tough on you these past couple of months. But, I need you to stick it out a little while longer. We have less than a month to go, and only one 20+miler before the taper begins. Then, you will get your chance to rest. I need you now more than ever though, so you can't break down on me yet. This race is very important to me and to the patients at Dana-Farber.

I know I have been especially mean during these past few weeks because of the constant increase of weekly miles and my desire to run faster. I am sorry if the hills in Waltham yesterday hurt you. But, you didn't need to retaliate the way you did. I was rather embarrassed at the Puma store yesterday when you wouldn't let me bend over to tie the shoes that I was trying on. Instead, I had to have my mom tie them in front of a store full of people. You made a scene, and that was not justified. I've purchased two new pairs of kicks in the past week for you - one for everyday use, and one for the marathon. I don't know how else I can show my appreciation besides that.

OK fine - I hope that the hour long massage that you are getting this coming week will make up for my neglect and continuous abuse. I know I am being very selfish and am not treating you the way that you deserve to be treated. I also know that in many years from now, you will be angry that my stomach lining has dissolved into nothing as a result of all the Advils I am feeding you. But know that I am trying really hard not to hurt you.

Please accept my deepest apologies. You will be handsomely rewarded after April 21st. I promise. I just need you to hold out until then.

With love and appreciation,
Lindsey

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY.

That is all I really have to say right now.

But, well I guess I am really never at a loss of words, so I'll say a little more....For those of you who said you wanted to donate closer to the date, I can assure you that we are closer to the date. Knowing that the marathon is one month away makes me want to throw up in my mouth.

Week of March 16th

Sunday 3/16: 13.1 miles - New Bedford Half Marathon
Monday 3/17: Becoming O'Weinstein. Rest day :)
Tuesday 3/18: 30 min elliptical, lifting
Wednesday 3/19: rest
Thursday 3/20: 6 miles - river run
Friday 3/21: 4 miles to test out my new kicks!
Saturday 3/22: 15.4 miles (2:05)

To Life! To Life! My Marathon Bib Number!

22018.

That is the number that will be with me from Hopkinton to Boston on April 21st for (hopefully at most) four hours.

The 22 is for all the Dana-Farber runners. I guess we are in corral 22. I feel like a horse already thinking about it.

How about the 18? Well, I clearly obsess about my Jewish pride. My marathon number could not have been a more perfect fit.

18 = Chai (see Hebrew Letters above) = Life.

It is a very lucky number in the Jewish religion. Many people give donations to charity in increments of 18 (See my current marathon fundraising total...I have 36 cents sitting there). Well, this member of the tribe will be running with it proudly displayed on her Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge singlet. I can hardly wait!

Hey Moby Dick! Double or Nothing!

My blog entry about the New Bedford Half Marathon was a long time coming. When I think about the day, very few things stick out in my mind - those being: headwinds, fish sandwiches and Jeff's uncomfortable obsession with whales (BlueBook Citation, See Jeff Blog Entry 1; Jeff Blog Entry 2; Jeff Blog Entry 3). Five of us crammed into Tyler's car and we headed to good ol' New Bedford early Sunday morning. We arrived with T-2 hrs before gun time, so we set up camp in the gymnasium/wherever they were giving out our numbers. The place reeked of fish chowder and fish sandwiches (the oh-so-delicious post-race meal they were planning on serving...thank G-d I was allergic to gluten and brought my own meal!). The race started at 11AM. I am stealing Tyler's words that he posted on our DFMC Bulletin Board describing the course b/c I am on spring break and give myself permission to be lazy.

To give you an idea of the course: Mile one is flat and fast, it’s near impossible not to go out too hard. Mile two is about the same, which creates a bit of a problem for mile 3, which is predominantly an uphill climb – time to reel it in. From 4-9 you can pretty much cruise over some rollers and you actually start feeling pretty good until you take a left turn and next thing you know, you are running straight into a 10-15mph headwind - for the next mile and a half. After turning back into town you are greeted by a lovely hill at mile 12. The race then circles around and finishes downtown, right where it all began.

So here it was, my final time:

935 LINDSEY W. 25  45/117 BOSTON 1:52:00 8:33min/mile

So my official time was 1:52, but my watch time was 1:51. I wanted to break 1:50 for my double donations. Mind you, my watch time wasn't fully official. I knew I crossed the starting line about 35 seconds (at least) after gun time. However, I saw my mom, surprisingly, standing and waiting for me at the finish, so I gave her a huge hug before I even stopped my watch. Fortunately, after a bit of Jewish guilt-tripping (my mom taught me well), Chris and Jay each still doubled their donations. I got a great PR (my previous Half marathon was 1:58). I felt pretty good throughout the race, with the exception of the fabtastic headwinds at miles 9.5-11ish. My first mile, admittedly, was WAAAAY too fast. But because I was so concerned about breaking the 1:50, I didn't even notice the hill at the end. I booked it. Regardless, I was pretty happy with the results, and the corresponding donations. Bring on Hopkinton and the post-marathon celebratory Whale Watch!

Wanna Bet? I am Ciderly Yours.

I was recently propositioned. No, I was not propositioned by Client #9, but by my friend Chris, AKA "TLB", AKA "Radar". Chris was one of my cross country co-captains in high school, and now is one of the fastest distance runners that I know. When I ran the BAA Half last October, I just barely broke the 2hr mark (1:58), and I learned that I need to break 1:50 in a half marathon to be on track for my goal of a four hour marathon. So Chris made a bet with me. If I break 1:50 (based on my watch time, not official time b/c official time will be off a bit) in the New Bedford Half on Sunday, he will double his donation. I explained this bet to one of my best friends from college, Jay in Chicago. He told me he would double his donation as well. Anyone else want to jump on this Vegas bandwagon?

On another note, I've realized that I have become quite the cider drinker. This whole running phenomenon is still new to me, but I am catching on slowly. My DFMC running buddies do intense workouts, then have one, maybe two glasses of water to rehydrate, and then break out the beer within an hour of the workout. This is pretty standard behavior for runners across the country. Given that I am the gluten girl (gluten free entry to follow at a later date), I cannot fully participate in this beer drinking scenario. But, I also know that if I went drink for drink with them with my vodka sodas, I would end up hugging porcelain. Instead, I keep up with them with cider.

I had my long awaited summer intern reunion last night. Again, as the people around me drank their beers, I attempted to keep up with my fermented apple juice. I should own stock in Magners by the end of this marathon training. We had a good showing - Denture McGov, Khush, Wax Smilin' Sar, Murph, Seth, and Alex Copperfield. After seeing all of them, I realized that I am thoroughly looking forward to the last six miles of the marathon. (WHAT?) These loyal cheerleaders will be along the route at BC Law/Centre Street, BC @ Lake Street, Comm and Mass Ave, and then at Hereford b/w Comm and Newbury. I would hope that when my intern loves finish some of their day's worth of boozing, they'll meet me at Copley, within an hour of me finishing, with an ice cold Magners. YUM!