May 30th - Big day!

Wow, I've done a lot today and it's only 5pm.

First, we had group training at 7am at Forest Park. Let me just say that it was nasty outside...thunder, lightning, and a downpour. I didn't think there was any way that they would have us run in this mess. Boy was I wrong. I remember someone asking last time if they ever canceled group training, and they would only cancel if the lightning didn't stop but they wouldn't tell us until we were down there. So, I went ahead and headed to Forest Park with all intention of hoping it was cancel. But it wasn't. I was scheduled to go 3 miles today! It was crazy! It started out with the rain but the lightning and thunder had diminished. By the time that Gail (staff sponsor that stayed with me through my whole route today) and I had got to the half mile mark, the rain had mostly stopped and water was mainly just falling from the trees. The sun even came out around the 1.5 mile mark. Even my coach, Rick, kept up with us through most of the second half of my journey today. I have to admit that I mainly walked at a brisk pace today. Running is just so much harder outside, and that's something that I really need to work on. But it was good to accomplish that distance!

Then I had chosen to help out another teammate with a canister drive outside a Shop 'N' Save in Maplewood. The people were so generous. There for 4 of us standing around the entrance and I still managed to get $150! I was so excited to see that amount. I'm much closer to reaching my goal. (A word to those conducting canister drives themselves, people prefer to donate to a larger container than a coffee or slim jim-sized canister. Wal-mart has the perfect sized ones that I'll post a picture of soon!)

Tonight, my sister Jenny and I are heading down to the Taste of Maplewood that is in the same area so ask for donations and hand out beads if anyone wants them. I'm very sunburned from standing out in the sun for a good 6 hours today but I've loaded up on the sunscreen and hope that protects me from the sun tonight. I'm sure we will have a great time!

Presents for Donations!!

Here is the list of incentives for donations:

Donations over $50 are welcome to submit a name in honor of someone with cancer. This name will be placed on a purple ribbon and attached to my jersey for the day of the race! Here is an example:








For $100, you will receive a Team in Training Tote Bag.






For $250, you will receive a Team in Training Duffel Bag.





For $500 or greater, it can be considered a corporate sponsorship. This can get your business's logo on my jersey, the whole team's jerseys, or the entire Team in Training member's jerseys across the whole nation.

May 29th

So, this isn't really a running post but I just made something cool so I wanted to show it. It's my canister that I made for TNT donations when I'm out and about, like at the Maplewood Shop 'N' Save on Saturday, May 30th, for 9 am -6pm. I think it looks pretty neat. It's just a Slim Jim jar covered with the logo that I made on my computer. I printed then trimmed it to size and covered it with packing tape. If anyone needs the layout, just let me know and I can send it to you! (I used Open Office Draw which you may need, but it's a free program.)

May 28th

So I just got back from another 2 mile run on the treadmill. (It was past 9:30pm and probably not a good time to try to run on the roads.) So here's the breakdown:

8 min - 4.5 mph (run)
2 min - 3.5 mph (walk)
8 min - 4.0 mph (jog)
2 min - 3.5 mph (walk)
9:38 - 4.0 mph (jog)

Total: 29:38 for 2 miles

WOOO HOOOO! I was so proud that I managed to go as long as I did. I admit that the last little bit was so hard but I turned on the most upbeat song from Spring Awakening (Totally...) and it got me pumped up enough to push through. So that's a total of 4 minutes walking and 25:38 of jogging!!! I can't believe it still. I didn't have any side cramps this time which was really nice. I kept taking some big deep breaths about once or more a minute. Also, the other thing that I changed is that I just ate dinner (a big dinner) about half an hour beforehand and I was still full. I think that helped a lot actually. (And Andrea, no hurling occured.) I tried to take pictures of the treadmill screen to help me keep track of my intervals, but only one picture came out so that's what is shown here.

May 27th

I'm dripping with sweat. I'm writing this as soon as I got in the door so I can remember how my 2 miles went exactly. And I did it on the treadmill because it's nasty out and my confidence in running diminished a bit since I took the whole holiday weekend off. I was building up the 2 miles (instead of the 1 mile as I was doing) to be a bigger task than it probably was. Granted, it was very hard. Here's how I managed:

8 minutes - 4.5 mph (running [it seemed to me])
3 minutes - 3.5 mph (walk)
4 minutes - 4.0 mph (jog)
9 minutes - 3.5 mph (walk)
7 min 12 sec - 4.0 mph (jog)
Total time: 31:12

Around 4 minutes in, my right side started cramping up so I pushed through the 8 minutes with was around 0.5 mile, then I gave into the pain and tried to walk it off for a bit. Back to jogging after 3 minutes but it only got worse and it felt like my whole diaphragm was contracting. I tried to make mind over matter and just say that I can work through it, but I succumbed. I decided to walk until it went away so I could jog again without pain. I walked until 1.5 miles. Then I pushed through the last half mile. Oh yeah, so I was listening to Spring Awakening and right about 1.7 miles, the song "I Believe" came on! It was perfect timing! Most of the song is just the chant of "I believe". I needed that so that I could believe I could finished the last little bit of my total 2 miles. So I walked 12 minutes and jogged 19 minutes. Not too bad I guess. I've got to stop discouraging myself in my head. I am so worried about the fundraising and then trying to get my body to do something it's never done. For never participating in sports (except t-ball in 1st grade), I think I've come so far, but there's so much more to go!

Please use the box to the left if you have any comments that you'd like to send me! It doesn't register your email address or anything so don't worry about spam. It simply sends your comment to me directly via email. I'd love to hear from any Team in Training people that may have been here before. Well, frankly, I'd like to hear from everyone!!

May 21st

I finished stuffing envelopes and addressing them today! Mailed on Friday!


And I wanted to post pictures from my day at Six Flags on May 17th.

Okay, that's about all I had to say.

May 19th

Today, I went for a run around our track at school after my last class. The track is 0.25 mile. I went around it 4 full times!!!! Without stopping! YAY! That's my first FULL mile outside. Granted, it's fairly flat with a little bit of an incline, but I managed. I'm having some issues with my calf muscles and feet now. The inside of my arch and leg above my ankle is getting really sore after running, even though I ice it immediately afterward. I'm probably going to add some arch supports to my running shoes and make sure that I get my feet adjusted regularly. I think that will help my feet pain, but I'm still working on a resolution to my calves. I think it's that my muscles are strong enough yet to sustain the exercise but I don't really know exercises for the soleus muscle (which I'm pretty sure it is, not the grastrocneimus). One of my professors mentioned that I could have a repetitive sprain/strain to my posterior tibial tendon which kind of runs along the area that I've got pain. But there's not a whole lot to do that I'm not already doing. Just make sure that I have enough rest between runs. If you guys have any experience with problems like this, please shoot me an email with your solutions (cindy.almon@logan.edu). That's all for today.

May 18th

I managed to run 0.8 miles outside with a few big hills! But I also walked 0.4 miles so I managed to go 1.2 miles today! My friend Jenny ran with me! (Thanks Jenny!) It is such a big help to have someone else with you! When I didn't think I would make it up the hill, she kindly pointed out the crosswalk sign ahead that obviously marked the end of the incline! Then it was all downhill (literally) from there! Anyway, I know today is scheduled as a "rest" day but I'll use that later in the week. When I have the opportunity to run, it's best to take it! Well, I guess that's about all I've got for today!

Side note: donation letters are going out soon so PLEASE send me your address to my email address (cindy.almon@logan.edu)! I have free postage for 100 letters, but not nearly enough addresses to send them too! If you have parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts/uncles, etc. that you think might be able to donate a few bucks, I'd love to send them a letter too!

Also, if your employer ever donates to charity, I can send them a more detailed "corporate sponsorship" letter! There are some major incentives for companies to donate, and it really isn't that much money in the grand scheme of a corporation! Just think of it as a tax deductible advertisement to thousands of people! Now who wouldn't think that's a great idea!!!

May 16th - Group Training 2

Today marks the end of Week 2 of training. I went to Forest Park at 7am to give my best attempt at running 2 miles! Oh my goodness, it was hard. I managed to jog the first half-mile, then walk-jog the second half-mile. But by the time I got to the 1 mile mark, I was spent. My energy reserves seemed to be exhausted. But I managed to get back to the starting line in 37 minutes. Obviously, it's much harder to run outside than on a treadmill. Regardless, it was exhausting. As soon as I got home around 9am, I crashed and didn't get out of bed until close to 5pm! Not all of the was hard core sleeping; I spent a lot of time thinking about fundraising and getting ideas put together. I have so much to do and not a whole lot of free time to do it! If you have any ideas for fundraising that have been successful for you or your group in the past, please let me know. Either leave a comment here or you can email me at cindy.almon@logan.edu. Also, I'll be sending out letters soon, so if you'd like to get one, email me your address! What a day!!.






Here's a pic from the St. Patrick's Day 5 mile Run! (3/14/09)

May 12th - My first full mile!

I can't believe I just jogged my first full mile!!!!!! I used the treadmill at my apartment gym with no incline. I started at 4.0 mpg for the first half mile, then 3.7 - 5.0 for the other half. When I got to about 0.75 miles, I realized that I might be able to make it under 15 minutes, but ended up doing the whole mile in 15:12.

This is the first time that I've actually been able to judge and account for how far and fast I went. Now I know that I can continually jog for at least 15 minutes! I just can't believe it. For so long, I was always so tired, out of breath, and muscles fatigued, that I barely made it 0.25 mile. This is such a shocker and a confidence boost. I'd like to attribute a small amount of my success today to my new shoes from Big River Running:

Also, today was the first day of school. :( One of my professors mentioned that around this time of our education (just passed halfway), a lot of students experience a burn out. It was great for him to remind us of the new students having their orientation in the next building. He reminded us of all the enthusiasm that they have right now. This trimester also marks a big change in the way that we look at things. We have mostly clinical classes; we have the knowledge and now need to apply it. It seems like it's going to be a lot of critical thinking and you can't just wing that from cramming the night before.

I'm hoping that this seemingly new-found ability to run will be a great stress reliever, although the fundraising aspect is more of a stress-causer. (Yeah, I think I just made up some words.) Regardless, this is going to be one crazy summer!

But hoooooooray for making it completely through a whole mile!

(Donate $1 for my first 1 mile success to show your support!)

May 11th

I just finished my first outdoor training run through my apartments and around a local park. According to Google Earth, I went 1.18 miles. I admittedly walked a bit more than I expected but I jogged a lot too. It really makes a big difference when someone is running with you to push you harder to go just a little farther. I liked the route that I took so I'm going to try to go that way this week until I have to extend it to 2 miles, then I'll work something else out. And technically today was a rest day, but Coach Rick said that we can switch the days around. And since Wednesday is my big "quarter of a century" birthday, I doubt I'll get a run in. I'm hoping to see "A Chorus Line" at the Fox Theater!

Overall, I definitely exhausted myself to about the same extent that I did at group training. As long as I keep pushing myself and nothing gets too easy, I must be doing something right. I'd love to have your feedback! Answer the poll, leave a comment, and most importantly, show me support by leaving a donation for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

May 9th - First Group Training

Today was the first group training!! We met at 7am at Forest Park and began with an injury prevention clinic. Basically, he just showed us some stretches and simple at-home treatments for common injuries. The guy leading it is actually 2 trimesters ahead of me in school so I'm sure I'll run into him on campus.

Now onto the running: I was scheduled to run 1 mile. I ran pretty much the entire first half mile, which is more than I've ever ran!!! Then walk/jogged the second half mile. It was really great to have a girl by my side that was struggling just like I was. We would point out trees and say, "we just have to make it there" but once there, we'd point out another landmark. It was really great! I'm still in shock with how long I actually jogged. I was done in a little under 20 minutes. I probably could have walked it faster. But I need to get used to the jogging pattern, even if it is slower than walking.

Today got me really excited about training. It showed me that you really can do more than you think you can if you put your mind to it! I'm very excited to start jogging more and increase the mileage. This is going to be a great summer!

(Show your support by sending a donation! - Link to your left!)

May 8th

So, I guess I don't have a lot to update but it all begins soon! I've really just been unpacking and organizing/decorating my apartment, getting it ready to start school. I received my training schedule and it was supposed to start Tuesday. Since I've been nearly dead for most of the week, I didn't start until last night. Still super busy, I used the compact elliptical machine in my living room to do a mile. Since it's manual, I think it adds a lot of resistance that wouldn't be there on a normal elliptical. I'm still kinda skeptical about how well my knee will hold up with running. The first group training is tomorrow morning at 7am with an injury prevention clinic beforehand. Also, according to the schedule, Fridays are scheduled rest days which works out great since that's the day that I usually work, when my boss remember to put me on the schedule.

Anyway, so here goes nothing. It's all starting now!

(Donations are very encouraging!)

May 4th

Lots to recap!

Last Sunday: went to the zoo and then watched The Reader with Jenny and Michael.

Monday thru Thrusday: Jury Duty! First day I sat in the big juror assembly room for the whole day. Tuesday I was selected for a jury panel and the 50 or so of us that were chosen were questioned the entire day and I found out I was selected for the jury at the end of the day. Wednesday: Listened to the trial all day. Babysat my 4 year old little sis that evening. Thursday included 5 hours of deliberation and a not guilty verdict. Then I went to a Flight of the Conchords concert and got to meet the 2 guys in the band afterward and took a ton of pictures! That was awesome!

Friday: Went to a classification class on how to classify disabled athletes according to their abilities so they only compete against other athletes with similar abilities. When I came home, I checked my tempature and it was over 100 degrees. I had awful chills and was suffering. Didn't sleep at all.

Saturday: Kickoff party was that morning but I had to stay home. :( I was really sad to miss it! Also, that day was the Gateway Games for disabled athletes which I was supposed to volunteer at. I ended up spending the whole day in bed going in and out of consciousness.

Sunday: Made it to the last day of the track meet in the morning. Then passed out as soon as I got home.

Today/Monday: I woke up around 10am and I've gotten a lot done already, like applying for the Master's in Sports Science and Rehabilitation program at Logan and paying some bills. If I keep this upward swing from my illness, then hopefully I'll get some things unpacked.

I think training is supposed to start this week and I'll get on that as soon as I feel like I can really move around again. I'll keep you posted on all the training I do!! Be sure to check out my TNT page or the other websites on the left side of the page.