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