I have always been a treadmill runner. Something about the predictability of my pace, surroundings and sure footing made it easy to plant my treadmill in front of my big screen television, grab a bottle of cold water and put it in the cupholder, turn on the fan and run. Seems simple enough.
Unfortunately, this marathon is outside. Beyond the walls and comforts of my family room. So in addition to adding on the mileage and muscles, I need to face the weather, uneven ground and general unfamiliarity of the great outdoors. Even saying those words makes me cringe a little. It is hard to believe that running on my treadmill is a luxury, but compared to bugs, slippery pathways and August humidity, I would take that any day.
Today was our first group run ~ outside nonetheless. I think my greatest fear was pacing myself. On that front, I think I did well. I found a runner who was going what I figured to be my treadmill speed and kept up with her as best I could. Next time, I will definitly wear a watch. Either way, I managed to run the entire three miles in spite of the humidity, some rain-slippery boardwalks and general feeling of inadequacy when being passed by men and women twice my age.
I think this is a milestone for me because it proved that maybe..just maybe..this outside thing will work out. I will definitly continue to train on my treadmill but at least I know that I can manage some mileage outside.
Now, if I could only convince myself that I look like running comes naturally, rather than appearing disheveled, sweaty and ready to collapse.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
A Quick Lesson on the Definition of a "challenge"
If you consult a dictionary, a "challenge" is "a call to battle, as a duel". Or perhaps it is "something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, or special effort". In my case, Team Challenge is both of these things.
So what is Team Challenge and what brings me here? Team Challenge is an endurance-training fundraising program designed to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation provides invaluable research dollars and programs for patients in search of a cure to end the endless "flare-ups" and all-too-brief remissions which mark their lives. Research is a key to ending these chronic illnesses, and the CCFA is a key organization providing the needed funds to continue these efforts. The current race CCFA is sponsoring is a half-marathon as part of the Rock N Roll Las Vegas marathon scheduled for the first weekend in December, 2009.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, under the more general term of "inflammatory bowel disease", affect nearly 1.4 million Americans, 150,000 of whom are under the age of 18. And yet, these disorders are rarely front page news. Patients suffer in silence due to the sensitive nature of the symptoms and their treatments.
Enter stage left: me. I am a married mother of two beautiful toddlers in the process of starting my own law practice. My days are filled with my kids, the practice of law in all areas and arenas, the maintenance of a household and on the rare occasion, a few scattered moments with my dear husband. Knowing all of this, why would I decide to devote my precious free time to the grueling work of training for a half-marathon? I am not even a runner...yet. The furthest I have ever run was five miles consecutive, and that was before the birth of my son and the additional weight I added on while attending law school.
Let's review the definition of the word "challenge". Team Challenge is by for me a call to battle. I am battling my own demons of self-esteem, self-image and the physical limitations of my thirties. Somewhere on my "bucket list" is No. 2,000,004,000: Run a marathon". Coming out of law school and passing the bar took a few things off said list, and left me looking for "what's next". But more importantly, it is "by its nature or character, [Team Challenge] serves as a call to battle..or special effort". There are so many people who suffer on a daily basis from the unrelenting symptoms of Crohns and/or ulcerative colitis; their health is something that is threatened on a daily basis. So where they may not be able to devote themselves to this particular call, this is one area where (with a whole lot of personal effort, good will, the absence of armegeddon, gallons of Gatorade and zillions of burned calories) I can devote myself to helping them. Remember, I have always wanted to run a marathon; if I can do so while helping others, then so be it.
My aim in this blog is two-fold: (1) to provide an inside glimpse at the blood, sweat, tears, successes and failures for which I have held out my arms and said "bring it on" on the journey to Las Vegas and (2) attempt to share current and accurate reflections of how these diseases affect their victims and what we can do to find a cure. Not all of my posts will be this lengthy - I congratulate those who made it this far. And right now, I am off to put in my 3+ miles for today on my trusty treadmill.
So what is Team Challenge and what brings me here? Team Challenge is an endurance-training fundraising program designed to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation provides invaluable research dollars and programs for patients in search of a cure to end the endless "flare-ups" and all-too-brief remissions which mark their lives. Research is a key to ending these chronic illnesses, and the CCFA is a key organization providing the needed funds to continue these efforts. The current race CCFA is sponsoring is a half-marathon as part of the Rock N Roll Las Vegas marathon scheduled for the first weekend in December, 2009.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, under the more general term of "inflammatory bowel disease", affect nearly 1.4 million Americans, 150,000 of whom are under the age of 18. And yet, these disorders are rarely front page news. Patients suffer in silence due to the sensitive nature of the symptoms and their treatments.
Enter stage left: me. I am a married mother of two beautiful toddlers in the process of starting my own law practice. My days are filled with my kids, the practice of law in all areas and arenas, the maintenance of a household and on the rare occasion, a few scattered moments with my dear husband. Knowing all of this, why would I decide to devote my precious free time to the grueling work of training for a half-marathon? I am not even a runner...yet. The furthest I have ever run was five miles consecutive, and that was before the birth of my son and the additional weight I added on while attending law school.
Let's review the definition of the word "challenge". Team Challenge is by for me a call to battle. I am battling my own demons of self-esteem, self-image and the physical limitations of my thirties. Somewhere on my "bucket list" is No. 2,000,004,000: Run a marathon". Coming out of law school and passing the bar took a few things off said list, and left me looking for "what's next". But more importantly, it is "by its nature or character, [Team Challenge] serves as a call to battle..or special effort". There are so many people who suffer on a daily basis from the unrelenting symptoms of Crohns and/or ulcerative colitis; their health is something that is threatened on a daily basis. So where they may not be able to devote themselves to this particular call, this is one area where (with a whole lot of personal effort, good will, the absence of armegeddon, gallons of Gatorade and zillions of burned calories) I can devote myself to helping them. Remember, I have always wanted to run a marathon; if I can do so while helping others, then so be it.
My aim in this blog is two-fold: (1) to provide an inside glimpse at the blood, sweat, tears, successes and failures for which I have held out my arms and said "bring it on" on the journey to Las Vegas and (2) attempt to share current and accurate reflections of how these diseases affect their victims and what we can do to find a cure. Not all of my posts will be this lengthy - I congratulate those who made it this far. And right now, I am off to put in my 3+ miles for today on my trusty treadmill.
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