New Year's Resolution

I am perhaps 15 days late, but today I joined a group of people with arguably the most popular of New Year's resolutions.

You could say for those that don't ever follow through, I am perhaps fulfilling my New Year's resolution early.

Though, the first step really doesn't count toward your resolution.

Riddle me that.

Hours

At the end of every long distance endurance event I can barely remember anything I was thinking about during those hours that have past.

Here is a good forum to read what some think about during the time.

Revenge

Team in Training is a great training group and an even better experience. Motivation is really inspired by a Killer. They don't use the word revenge, but that is what I like to associate the group with. A number of people have had their lives interrupted by a disease and they are doing what they can to fight back. It is pretty cool. I am glad I don't have a real strong reason to lead the pack in the fight, I am glad to do what I can, I just know I want a cure to be found so I might not have to face what some have.

I received this email today from a girl in the group:

Dear all,

It's hard to believe this season has almost come to an end. I imagine most of you are feeling the combination of excitement and nerves that I am feeling. I still have trouble wrapping my head around 13.1 miles, much less the 26.2 that some of you all are doing! However, when I start to feel wary about Sunday, I stop to remind myself of how far we've all come.

I'm sure some of you all entered Team in Training as experienced runners. Others of you might have been in good shape, had some experience running short distances, but no real long distance experience. Others of you may have been like me -- complete novices. I used to claim I'd only run if someone was chasing me. Clearly it had to take something monumental to change my mind!

During this experience, when I have felt frustration at how difficult running has been for me, I've often reflected on my very first day at M.D. Anderson. I was a newly diagnosed cancer patient, and I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect, I had no idea what chemo was going to be like, and I didn't know how this fight was going to end. The first day I was there I underwent a battery of painful tests, ranging from a CATscan and a PETscan to a bone marrow biopsy. I whimpered, teared up, and sobbed at various points throughout the day. I honestly didn't know how I would make it through another day of tests, much less 6 months worth of treatment and the fight of my life. After 10 hours at M.D. Anderson, my family finally pushed me out the doors in a wheelchair. I remember glancing up at my fiance (then boyfriend) and telling him "Kelli- 1, Cancer-0". I scored several more victories over cancer during the next few months, including the ultimate victory of going into remission.

I view this event the same way. It's another victory against cancer that we are ALL scoring. Every dollar we have raised undermines the power that cancer has. We are all going to keep fighting until we ELIMINATE BLOOD CANCERS ENTIRELY! I'm ready to put the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society out of business. :)

They call me an "honored teammate", but the TRUE honor has been training with such an amazing group of people this season. I see you all out there, week after week, early on Saturday mornings, sweating through run after run, aches and pains, and not giving up. This group is one of the most amazing I've encountered in my life, and I cannot thank you all enough for all the hard work you have put in and the sacrifices that you have made. It's been an incredible season, and I know we are all going to do wonderfully this weekend.

I wish everyone the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday night!

Go Team!

Kelli Lilienstern

--
http://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/houston09/klilienstern

Motivation

If there is one thing that I know will be different this marathon time around it is extra motivation. This is easily the most important element in running a ridiculous amount of miles.

I will be wearing a purple Team in Training singlet that, while raising awareness, lets everyone know I am running for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Add to the thousands of regular supporters and volunteers of the marathon a cheerleading army of cancer patients and survivors recognizing your effort in a fight to cure a killer disease and you have a powerfully running element.

On a tragic note, for whatever reason, Nike is no longer a presenting sponsor of TNT and thus my singlet is a generic brand. Sadly, this was one of the main reason I was drawn to TNT in the first place about 2 years ago.

One Week

One week until the Houston Marathon. I ran this race two years ago. It was my first marathon and I ran it in 4 hours and 18 minutes. I have run another marathon, an ultra marathon and a half ironman in the time between my reunion with this race. I am in the best shape of my life and yet I am wondering if I can beat my original marathon time.

Marathons are difficult to predict, other than you know a course of 26.2 miles is laid out for you.

The Sickness

Of all the events and races I have run, I can only think of one where I didn't overly care to the point where nerves never played a part. Ironically, it was the most recent event in which I went the furthest I have ever gone, a 30 miler. I also signed up less than a month before the event and didn't have a real goal, just didn't want to die.

While 'not dying' is a good goal for basically any race, the events that bring out the most worry are the ones you know well in advance that you are competing in. So much can happen, and time to prepare also becomes time to destruct. Funny, that this upcoming IRONMAN in mid 09, I mailed an entry form in a full year in advance.

I have a marathon less than 10 days away and there is sickness all around. It might be the weather, time of year, economy or global warming, but somehow lot of people around me are sick.

I must not become sick.

New Year's Resolution Jump Starter

I need 8-11 people who are looking to get in shape.

Think bird learning to fly.

Christmas

Missing spending Christmas day with your family can be a let down. Christmas miracle?

Well, I didn't win the game of Boggle we played.

Killer

Do you ever get the idea, what you are doing to your body is killing you?

Mine, I should suppose, is a fine line between killing and strengthening. 

Bad Sport Combo

Cold and darkness.

It is tough to run, jump, bike, swim, anything, in those conditions.

I'm struggling to think of one thing that is fun in that situation. Caroling?

The Why

NBC had a special on the 2008 Ford IRONMAN World Championship yesterday. The broadcast opened with voiceover that most clearly sums up the reason why my name is on a list.

"How many of us can truly treasure the experience of a single day, that didn't include a birth or a marriage, for the rest of your life?"

Every time the IRONMAN is mentioned, it becomes clearer that this is much more than just a race. I have 6 months.

Sunmart 50K Pics

It was a cold morning 7:45 AM and 35 degrees. Good for shorts and a shirt.

Looks like I am running pretty crazy here just trying to warm up.

Definitely, a tough photo. Don't let them see your eyes.

Pain is in these.

Coming in and back out for one last 12.5 mile loop. Just look at that ham bone working.

One of the best tips I was ever given:

At the end of a race don't look at your watch and stop it right when you cross the line.

Put your arms up, look for a camera and act like you just won the race.

You know what you are thinking after 6 hours of running?

I smell food. Where is the food. I must crawl to the food.

They had the best post race meal, everything.

Trot Shots

Everyone lines up, they release a wild turkey and runners dash to try and grab it. Not really.

Running at a brisk pace.

Down the final stretch as I begin to achieve breakneck speed.

I can really finish races. This at the end of a 6 mile run.

Must slow. Must hydrate.

Almost gotcha.

PFunk "Matador of Nog"

Merry Christmas Brad.

50K Breakdown

Have you ever seen Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed? It is a little bit how I feel detailing the race. I completed the 50K, no problem. But, here are the secrets...

First, I didn't run the entire 30 miles, few do, and those people are called the winners. I planned to be out there for 6 hours. I ran the first 2 hours (around 12 miles) with the knowledge I was going to knockout more than 1/3 of the race. If you have run a road race, but have never done a trail run, it is as different as badminton is to tennis. Trails are tiny (usually only two people can pass each other if both parties know it is happening), there are basically no straightaways and every step you take could be your last. Tree roots are like tripwires and wipeouts are frequent, as you can imagine they become more frequent the longer you are out there and the less you pick up your feet. But, trails are fun.

The beginning of the race is like a huge game of follow the leader running through the trails. I felt good, just cold. The only thing that hurt was my elbow (?). I ran for 2 hours as you know, but here is the secret...

I walked for 15 minutes and ran for 30 minutes and continued this the rest of the 4 hours and 17 minutes of the race. I came into the race with a walk 10, run 30 strategy, but the extra 5 minutes felt so good. I really wanted to see if I could stay fresh this way. It is basically the blueprint I was thinking about taking with me to the Ironman. It worked pretty well. The only real snag is running for only 30 minutes at a time makes it difficult to just go zonal and detach your mind from your body and become a running machine. And, starting up running again after walking is like needing a push on a sled down a snowy slope.

Here is another secret. I brought two old pairs of shoes with me (new shoes aren't as big of an impact on trails). About 3 hours and 30 minutes into the race, I switched out shoes. The first pair was working up some serious blisters. It felt unbelievable to switch. 

6 hours of doing any one thing is a lot. That is the main thing. Mentally, I was so sick of moving. I think the biggest challenge is what you do with yourself and what you think about in the time you are focusing on only one thing - just moving forward.