14 Miles...and a Party for Kate!

Days like today are why people hate Atlanta. When I woke up at 6:30am, it was already 75 degrees with 89% humidity, with temperatures expected to climb to 90 degrees. Not ideal conditions for running fourteen miles, but mentally, I was prepared. And running is as much--if not more--a mental challenge as it is physical. Hell, I was in such a good mood I participated in "dynamic stretching," even while the Chicago and Nike Womens' teams looked on in amusement.

I don't know if it was the Figo pasta or tiramisu or both, but I had a phenomenal run. Probably the best long run of my life. It was certainly easier than both of my half marathons and gives me hope that I have a marathon in my future.

Oh, and the Nike "core cooler" top I scored for 30% off last week at the Big Peach? Pure heaven. I didn't feel hot or sweaty AT ALL. The shirt comes in nine colors and don't think I'm not tempted to buy every single one. I know it kept me cool and dry when most of my teammates were having a really hard time with the conditions.

Today was also Kate's big birthday party. And no birthday is complete without Hello Kitty paraphernalia, including press-on tattoos, birthday cake, decorations, coloring books and more.

And doesn't Kate shirt just say it all? I most definitely am inspired.

Preparation!

I've taken it pretty easy this week in preparation for tomorrow's run--14 miles-- which will be the longest run I've ever done. I had a fun, social running week. A tough speed workout with Tim on Monday, the Chicago Team run out of the Big Peach on Wednesday and a nice four miler with Katie, my Phoenix mentor, yesterday around Atlanta Memorial Park, which has to be one of the flatest loops in all of Atlanta. Thank you, Katie!

Preparing for a long run means no drinking or staying out late on Friday nights (sorry, Christy and Colin--you know how much I love my margaritas at El Azteca, especially since it's within walking distance on my place), downing lots of water, going to bed early (of course, since I usually don't get in bed until after 2am, "late" is generally anything before 1am!) and carbo-loading. Which, of course, means Figo! Tim and I hit the original Collier Road location last week, and this week, I got take out from the Howell Mill restaurant. Fusilli with arrabbiatta, which is my absolute favoite sauce. And tiarmisu, just because if you're going to spend nearly three hours running the next day, it's nice to indulge in a yummy dessert.

I picked out a great present for Kate at Swoozie's, which has been kind enough to employ me on more than one occasion when I've needed the extra cash. Kate officially turned six today, but we'll be celebrating with a big party tomorrow after our run. I can't wait! And a definite reminder of why I'll be running those fourteen miles tomorrow. Nothing I go through as a runner can compare to spending your kindergarten year in and out of the hospital, getting chemo treatments, losing your hair and become all too familiar with needles and blood. And her fighting spirit is what gets me through days like tomorrow and the reason I continue to pile on the miles in the hopes of finding a cure.

Chicago Team!

Tonight, I had my first run with some of my new Chicago teammates. It was fun to meet everyone, especially since I won't be able to join them for training until after Alaska.

It was another run from the Big Peach--three miles this time, and I was lucky enough to run with Barb, our coach, who also coached Disney, so I trained with her throughout the fall. It also means she (clearly a blonde with more common sense than myself) can read the maps. In fact, she is so cool, she doesn't need maps! It was a nice, easy run, in spite of the humidity and hills and wouldn't you know that the first person I found myself talking to was Sally Corbett, a PR guru over at Arts at Emory, and someone I worked with frequently at the ASO, though we had never met. I love the small world that is Atlanta, TNT and the performing arts community.

We retired to a local pizza place (not a fan, so I won't mention it by name!) and had great conversation. What never ceases to amaze me about TNT is how all of these really great people--all with families and jobs and busy lives outside of running--devote so much time and energy to TNT. Not just to the running, but to the mission, to the patient heroes, to changing lives. It's also a reminder of one of my favorite quotes:

Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever had.
-Margaret Mead

TNT started twenty years ago with one man and his friends running the New York City Marathon in honor of his daughter, a leukemia survivor. That small group raised over $300,000 for its local LLS chapter. Now, our chapter can raise that from a single event. But it all started with a small group of people who wanted to make a diffence in the lives of others, much like those I am blessed to know and train with every week.

Field Day

Ah, Memorial Day. Time for lounging by the pool, sipping daiquiris and general laziness and debauchery.

Or, if you're me--a marathoner in training--a perfect day for speed workouts at the elementary school track! Tim and I headed off around noon (which is what happens if you sleep until nearly 11am!), and the thermometer read 83 degrees. I got a bit of an arm workout lugging my 20 ounces of Powerade the 1.5 miles to the track, most of which we ran at a comfortable 10:30 pace.

We were the sole people on the field, which is probably because of the aforementioned facts that it was 1) Memorial Day, 2) 83 degrees outside and 3) noon. It was a nice change to have the track to ourselves, as we're used to running in the early evenings and dodging children, strollers and stray soccer balls.

I actually enjoy track workouts because they're over quickly. However, today we did the longest speed run I've ever done--3 x 1M. Four laps around the track equal a mile--which is a pretty long distance to run at a fast pace. But we did 8:22, 8:39 and 8:37 minute miles, respectively, with short walk breaks in between. That's about a 27 minute 5k, and considering the one and only 5k I've run was around 34 minutes, I'd say that's pretty good.

However, we did skip the post-workout run up Cardiac Hill. It was a holiday, after all.

Big Peach, Big Money, Big Breakfast

Today's training run was at the Big Peach, which I love because it's the best running store in Atlanta. However, what I do not like about running from the Big Peach is that no matter how many times I've run the same routes with the same maps, I get lost. And today was no exception.

You know how people make fun of Atlanta for all the "Peachtree"s? Peachtree Street, Peachtree Road, Peachtree Battle, Peachtree Avenue, Peachtree Walk. Well, Brookhaven is the same way. West Brookhaven, East Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Club, East Club--it's simply impossible. And apparently, it takes more than two blondes (me and Christie) and two brunettes (Hannah and Jenna) to figure out TNT maps. So, when we saw Peachtree Street, we figured seven-ish was close enough to eight to call it a day.

I was waiting for some of my teammates to finish (even redheads like Sarah had trouble reading the maps), so I headed into the Big Peach to buy new running shoes, as mine have over 160 miles on them and will be shot in the next couple of weeks. For my third pair in less than six months (who said running was a cheap hobby?), I selected a slight variation on my current Sauconys, the Progrid Triumph 5, in a sassy gold and white. I'll test them out this week and hope they work, because Alaska is in exactly four weeks!

A trip to the Big Peach is not complete unless you've spent at least $200, which I managed to do by purchasing another pair of Nike tempo shorts (my faves, and Big Peach is one of the only places you can find x-smalls), a Nike shirt from the sale rack, some socks, Cliff Shot Bloks and more Body Glide. It's sad, but these days, I spend more at the Big Peach than I do at Banana Republic!

After my mini shopping spree, I joined Sarah, Tommy, Chad (our coach), Kenny and Alison for a big breakfast at the Landmark Diner. It was beers and burgers for the boys, and typical breakfast food for the ladies--I had waffles with strawberries and a side of bacon, in honor of Angela, who was out of town and whose sole motivation for running--besides helping out our dear Kate--is the bacon that her husband makes for her when she gets back from GTS on Saturday mornings.

And now, it's time for a nap--my favorite Saturday afternoon indulgence.

Solo Act

Training for Chicago officially started on Saturday, but since I'm currently training for the Alaska half, I won't be joining up with my Chicago teammates until June 28.

One of the best things about Team in Training (TNT) is running with the group on Saturday mornings. Nothing makes the miles fly by like chatting and laughing with your closest friends.

Unfortunately, this past Friday night, I had a little too much fun at my friend Emily's house, which meant that I missed Saturday's 12 mile run. Which meant that I had to brave the heat, sun and Atlanta drivers (PLEASE stop for crosswalks! I promise to run as fast as I can!) to do a 12 miler on my own yesterday.

Another great thing about TNT is the water stops. The group maps out courses ranging anywhere from 3-20 miles every single weekend, complete with water stops every couple of miles. Nothing brings a smile to my face more than the sight of blue Powerade on a table or the back of someone's car.

Unfortunately, running solo also means planning your own waterstops. I hate running with water, so I stashed some Powerade in my car and my friend Caroline was kind enough to leave some water for me on her front porch (thanks, Caroline!).

So, I slathered on the sunscreen (75 SPF, no less), strapped on my iPod and headed out around noon. Big mistake. It was incredibly warm out (85 degrees or so), and part of my route took me through Atlantic Station, which doesn't have much shade. I also decided to tackle Habersham, which I have determined is one of the nastiest hills in all of Atlanta. And of course, as I was running doggedly up the hill, exactly 1:06:38 into the run, my iPod died. Nothing like the prospect of another hour in the heat without music, especially while running up hills. So, I started repeating this mantra: Sarah, Kate, Chicago; Sarah, Kate, Chicago. Sarah, who inspired me to join TNT, a lymphoma survivor now training for her first half. Kate, a precious almost six year-old leukemia patient who tackles her illness with more grace and strength than I ever could. And Chicago, for my first-ever full marathon, and for pushing myself further than I ever thought possible. .

And those three words kept me going for another hour and twenty minutes, through hills, sweat, leg cramps, some frustrating walk breaks and a slight sunburn on my shoulders.

It was the longest I'd ever run on my own--and next time, I'll remember to take it easy on the Friday night cocktails and get my butt out of bed on Saturday morning!

p.s. My fundraising page is up and running! Check it out at http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/chicago08/lscholz