My First 5k

Exactly one month ago today I completed my first 5k.  It was Thanksgiving morning and I did it in 00:34:37.  I was feeling absolutely amazing after that race.  I screamed as I crossed the finish line.  I wasn't tired, I wasn't in pain, I think I might have been able to do the 10k that day.  I really liked all the energy and excitement.

Up until the day before the race dad told me that he had given up on running and wasn't going to do the Turkey Trot but the morning of he changed his mind.  He didn't do the run that he registered for but he did another one spur of the moment.  My mom saw it advertised in the newspaper and told him about it.  He went over there to watch and found out it wasn't going to start a couple hours later, at 10:00am.  He had time to go home and decide to do it.  He brought my mom and their dog back in the camper and he did the race.  And this is what he had to say about it:

I did it! 7th out of 8 in my age group and 170th out of 185 overall. Not bad for no training. Now I will start training. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Say hi to everybody for me. Love you,

Dad

The run he did was a trail run so it was a little bit more difficult than the pavement I did and he completed it in slightly more time than me, about one minute more.  I was so happy to hear that he did it.  My race started at 8:00am and since his started at 10:00am we were running at the same time.  I'm on Pacific time and he's on Central time is why.  When I crossed the start line I felt a little emotional, slightly choked up.  It was a great day.  I didn't find out until afterward that dad had decided to run so I think it's pretty cool that on my first running event dad was doing one too.

I got a t shirt for him from the race and the brochure and I'm going to save it for him.  I also bought a Blogger t shirt for him since Blogger is where I'm keeping track of this story for him.  I'm going to save memorabilia and give it to him after our marathon in March.  At that time I'll also share the link to this blog where he'll be able to not only read everything I've been going through but also all the comments that my readers have left for us.  Thank you for reading and thank you for the kind words that you've shared with me on here, DailyMile.com, and my Team In Training page.

Noticing A Difference

I've had a few more runs since the last time I posted.  I have more details on http://www.dailymile.com/people/sarahkala.  The run that I am happiest about was my track workout with Team In Training from last night.  After stretching we did two laps around the track.  I was able to jog the entire time.  This was the first time that I did not run/walk.  This past Saturday I went to the coach led training which also happened to be at a track and I followed the run/walk team and ran the straights and walked the curves.  I did two miles that way and don't know if I could have done as much if I had only jogged but the half mile that I did yesterday without needing to walk was an improvement. 

After those two laps we returned for some core work.  The training was held at night and it was actually really nice to lay there working my abs underneath the stars.  I really prefer outdoors to indoors and that is why I don't think I'll be doing much training at the gym.  I also do much better when I work out with people.  I still don't have my pace down yet so to make sure I don't go to fast I still find a group that seems to go pretty slow and then follow them.  After we finished the set of exercises the coaches sent us out for two more laps.  This time I was not following behind a group, I was talking to a team captain as we jogged together.  So not only was I jogging the entire time, but I was talking.  I think that's an improvement for my endurance and for my lungs.  These are good things because tomorrow I will be doing my first race.  I'm doing a 5k turkey trot.

This past Sunday I tried to follow the course but I couldn't quite follow it exactly.  I did do most of it though so I think I'll be able to finish.  Finishing is my goal.  There are some inclines that will be a little challenging and they are early on in the course so I'm planning on walking up those to make sure I don't exert all my energy there.  We haven't had hill training yet so I don't know the techniques in that area.  I did go to a run/walk clinic on Saturday though and received some tips on walking efficiently to decrease strides and lower times. 

At the end of practice yesterday an honoree spoke.  He told us his story with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and how the money raised by Team In Training directly helped him.  He is cancer free and a lot of that is because of a treatment he received which was possible due to research from Genentech, funded by Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  He had a long battle though.  He got to the point in the story when he found out that his bloodwork had come back perfect and he said that he was surprised to hear that because physically, he felt terrible.  If anything, he thought he was getting worse.  He had no energy whatsover to do anything.  He went on to explain that his physical symptoms had nothing to do with cancer.  He was diagnosed with clinical chronic depression. 

I am telling everyone that asks why I started running that I'm doing it for my dad.  I tell them that I want to show him that I love him and support him and that he inspires me.  All the aches and pains that I will experience from my training and my accomplishment when I cross the finish line will be a gift to him.  Team In Training is helping me make this a reality.  My fundraising will hopefully make living cancer free a reality for more people, like it has for the honoree that shared his story last night.  My dad does not have leukemia or lymphoma but he does suffer from depression and as this honoree pointed out, so do a lot of the people that have cancer.  Hearing this connection was really good for me.  I think that Team In Training brings hope to a lot of people because there are success stories even though there is still not a cure.  Team In Training says, "Saving Lives One Mile At A Time".  Here's to saving lives!  Cheers!

Catch Up

It may appear that I haven't been doing anything but it's just that I haven't made the time to sit down and write.  Not to say I've been working out so hard either though.  I started a new job last week and I've been adjusting to waking up at 5:30am and a long commute.

Last Sunday started out good.  I talked to dad and he was really motivated.  He was believing in himself and telling me all the ideas he had and where he wanted to go with his running.  He had talked to an old running buddy from back in the day and that man was doing good and was good enough to encourage my dad.  So as my dad was telling me that he knew that one day he could place in the Senior Olympics I was hoping that this time this feeling of his would last.  I wanted to bring this good energy and goal planning to the present and asked him if he planned on running any of the Turkey Trots.  He hadn't really thought about it and after we talked it all out he said that he would do one (he was looking them up as we spoke).  He even said that he'd order the XS and send it to me as a souvenir from his first race.  That made me really happy and I decided that I would do the local Turkey Trot here too.  I was looking at it earlier but wasn't sure I could really do a 5k (3.11 mi.) yet.  I want to do it though and I want to order the t-shirt in his size and save it for him.
Following this conversation I went to the gym and all was good.  Well, sort of.  I was supposed to do a 20-40 min. "easy run" but I haven't learned pacing yet and sprinted and lost my energy.  I only lasted 00:12:28 but did complete a mile and in less time than the previous one mile.

By Monday morning my dad had already lost any positive thoughts.  Unfortunately, this is the reality of Bipolar Disorder.  He has highs and lows and both sides can be extreme.  I won't go into the details of the conversation but for right now he has given up on running.  Hopefully he somehow changes his mind but I discovered he hasn't even gotten running shoes yet so that's going to be hard.  He bought a few pairs of racing shoes on Ebay though.  He bought them on Sunday.  When they arrive maybe he'll feel like running but no way of telling.  The racing shoes he bought are not shoes that he can train in though because they are for people that do good with no support so they're only good for sixty miles.

I wasn't able to do any marathon training during the week and I missed the track training because I was in training for my new job and very busy but as I get settled in I'm going to be able to make it part of my new routine.  I'm not just saying that, I do have a plan.

On Saturday I met my team at the Berkeley Marina for our first group run.  We met at 8:00am and it was cold.  I warmed up pretty quickly after I started though.  We could have run up to 4 miles but I did 2.  I'm happy with that though.  It is the longest that I've run so far.  I know I could have done more but I had to go to the bathroom so bad.  I don't think I'm going to be able to drink as I run.  I need to buy those gummy electrolyte things.  I'm also going to try and drink a lot of water the night before a run and see if that helps.  I also need to buy a better sports bra.  I wore a hat on my head to cover my ears but it made my head too warm and my ears still hurt.  So adding to the list of "to buy" is a sports head band that covers my ears.

Pacing was much easier for me on Saturday since I was running with a group.  I started off in a pack and stayed at their pace until I had to tie my shoes.

Oops I'm at work now....to be continued

Have a great day!

Exceed All Expectations

Today was Kickoff Day for Team In Training!!!

We met at UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) for the official start of the season and we got a lot of good info, including our workout schedules.  We also heard from some honorees and their stories were very inspiring.  I know my dad will be proud of me no matter what distance I run for him but now that I have decided to run with Team In Training I have a lot of people counting on me.  I owe it to my team, my chapter, our honorees, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to do my very best at raising funds to continue to improve and save lives.

Our schedule didn't have us set to run until tomorrow but the stories I heard today inspired me to start today.  I went to the gym and I ran 1mi. in 12min 53sec. and then I biked for 1mi.  Mama Lisa said we shouldn't do more than what is in the schedule, especially if we are new to running but I thought 1mi. wouldn't be so bad.  As I ran I saw a large sign on the wall that said, "Exceed All Expectations".  I really liked that and decided that was going to be my motto.  That is a motto not just for my training, but a motto that's good to live by in all areas of my life.  I'm starting a new job on Monday where expectations will be high but I'm confident that I can even exceed expectations there.

This little trial run I did tonight was a good lesson for me.  I forgot to bring the sensor for my ipod Nano so that I could use Nike+.  I need to be sure to remember that for now on.  I also am thinking that when I run outdoors I'm not going to have to wear a ton of clothes because my temperature definitely did rise and that would have been uncomfortable if I hadn't been able to remove my shirt (I ran in my sports bra but it covered everything).  My music was also a little boring.  I think I might try listening to an audio book and see if that's any better.

The schedule tomorrow says:
Easy Run (20-30 min.)
OR
Cross Train
Stretch 15-20 min.

I'll do the 20-30 min. run tomorrow but I don't think I'm at the point yet where I'd call that "easy".  Right now, that's kind of my max.

An estimated 110,960 new cases of blood cancers will be diagnosed nationwide this year alone; some 55,100 patients will die.  Please consider sponsoring me by donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on my Team In Training webpage.   Become part of the cure!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/Oakland10/sharton

Thank you!

Not Looking Good for Dad

I received the following email today from my dad:

Good Morning Sarah,

    I know you don't want to hear it, but there will be no daily log. My depression is much stronger than I am. I'm tired of all these dreams I have only to lose out to the depression. I know that I will never be able to move out of this area and will never be able to focus on my health. Everytime I get a good start, something happens and I sink back into a deep depression. I seriously cannot handle anymore setbacks or failures. For now I am working on getting my weight down and maybe get some jogging in. I'm not going to think about the pressures of the spring marathons. If it happens, great. If not, it is just another failure and I will except it. For now it is day to day, crappy weather and no future in sight. Hope you can understand and not get on my case about it. There is nothing that can be done.

    I had to let you know why you are not getting a daily log. Sorry I started your day off with negative news.

    Love you,

       Dad

I'm going to call him and tell him that I love him.  It sounds like he's very down right now and like he said, there's nothing that can be done.  That's how his depression is.  I don't think there's anything anyone could say right now to make him feel any better.  At least his note didn't sound completely hopeless though.  He did make it seem like the marathon may still happen.

Originally I had said that if it got to a point where I felt my dad was giving up on running the Oakland Marathon that I would tell him that I am planning on running it with him as a way to maybe motivate him to keep trying.  I don't think this is the time though, it's too early.

I met with my Team In Training mentor today to talk about my fundraising plan and answer any questions I have about that or training.  We have our kickoff event this coming Saturday.  That will be the official start to my training and I'm really looking forward to that.

I am really determined to make this work.  I know my dad has a lot of regrets in life and there are things that he wants to do now that he's not able to because of his depression.  I do not have any diseases or illnesses that would prevent me from doing this so I want to do it for us both.  Hopefully we will be at the start line together on March 28, 2010 with our numbers on ready to run 26.2 miles.  

Thank you for reading this...you are part of my journey.  And thank you so much to those of you that have been emailing me and/or posting your comments in support of what I'm doing.  I really appreciate it.

Introducing Dad

From my dad:
(shared with permission but he doesn't know it's here)

     "It has been twenty years since I last ran a marathon. It was February 3, 1990. I was 37 years old and finished in 3:21:21. Not bad for the start of my second year of running. I started running after talking to a coworker that had just completed the Chicago marathon. He told me all about the race and his training. I told him that it sounded like fun and that I said I would start training for the next year marathon. After laughing he told me that it would take years of training and even then I would have a hard time trying to finish it. That was all I needed to hear. Six months later I ran the Sunburst Marathon in South Bend Indiana in a time of 3:51:16. At the time that was faster than he had ever finished and I believe he still hasn't run that fast. He shouldn't have said I could never do it. I went on to running in local races and marathons off and on for three years. At the time it was all for fun. I wasn't eating the right foods of training very smart.

     Now I'm 57 years old. I am retired and have a lot of time to think about my running days. I always kept detailed log books and I enjoy reading them today. Then it hit me, why not run again, train right, eat right and go for the win. Great idea.

     My plan is the start training today. In less than six months I will do the Inaugural Oakland Marathon and then a month later I will do the Big Sur Marathon. I am already signed up for both of them. Why races in California when I live in Illinois. The last several years I have been taking trips to the bay area to visit my daughter. I love hiking on Mt. Diablo and lately have been thinking it would be fun to be a trail runner. Also, being from Illinois, where there is no hills and it snows all winter, how cool would it be to listed as one of the top finishers in my age group with my name and address listed a long with all the runners from California. I'll be running the two marathons for fun, but it will be the start of something big. When I get home from Big Sur, in the end of April, the weather will be getting better and I will be able to start building my name in my age group in the local races.

    My long term plan is to train and race for the next two and a half years till I turn sixty years old. By then I plan to compete in the senior games and be a top ranked runner in my age group.

    Today I can barely jog a mile. I am five foot eight and 175 pounds. I am going on a very strict diet and will be training daily. Each evening I will post what I have done for the day, how I feel, what I ate and the miles that I run. Once a week I will post the pounds that I lose, the total miles for the week and any milestones that I hit." 

 

So this is the man on the journey with me but he doesn't know, so don't tell him ;-)

Dad Joining Blog But He Doesn't Know

Earlier today my dad and I were talking and he mentioned someone he met that might be able to help him train smarter.  I asked him if he had ever heard of Team In Training.  First he said he thought that was just around in my area (California).  Then he said that if it's by him it would be in Chicago (he's in the suburbs) and he's not going to Chicago.  While I continued to talk to him about it I got on the site and found a nearby chapter for him with an upcoming informational meeting.  (Of course I found one!) And then he said that the program is designed for people just starting out.  I told him that it's for all levels of athletes and he could tell him that his goal is to decrease his time and they would work with him for that.  I said he'd just have to raise money for the charity.  That would be an obstacle with his condition, even more so.  The direct response was, "I'd like to raise money to pay my bills." (Wouldn't we all?) I didn't go there though, just encouraged him to at least check out the information meeting.

Well, he just called me again and he said that if I'm really interested in his training (I asked him to mail me his first running log from 1989) then he could send me an email every day with an update on his progress.  I told him that he could do that or he could start a blog and share it with the world and get feedback and make connections.  He told me that he didn't think anyone would be interested.  I do though.  I think he's fascinating and I know there are others like him that could relate to him and his struggle.   If he does this comeback I know his mental state will improve to some degree and hopefully he could be an inspiration to others. 

Since he doesn't want to give blogging a try I asked him if I could have free rights to publish anything online that he emails me.  I told him to put parentheses around anything that is private but I made sure other than that, would it be okay for me to use it and he agreed.

He said those emails will start tomorrow so starting tomorrow this blog will have two authors but one of them won't know.  After the marathon I will share this blog with him but until then, it's just between us....my readers to be and me.

My Motivation to Run a Marathon

My dad is currently training to run the Oakland Marathon on March 28, 2010.  He used to run marathons and other running events but he suffers from chronic depression so that amongst other things has prevented him from a lot of his potential.  We talk on the phone a lot and I try to help encourage and motivate him when he gets good ideas like this but when he's low, he's very low and the periods of high don't last long enough.  I'm hoping that he will stick through his training and complete the marathon.  I remember once before, years back that we were talking and I had gotten the idea that after he dies I would run a marathon to honor him.  I don't know how but at the time it seemed appropriate for me to share that idea with him.  He told me that if I was really serious then he'd rather me just do it while he's alive.  Makes sense.  Well, I think now is the perfect time for me to do this for him.

Instead of telling him now and getting his hopes up, I've decided to make it a surprise.  I know he'll be thrilled and I love to surprise people.  I'm not sure how training is going to go.  Maybe I'll have to switch it to just doing the half marathon.  I don't think I've mentioned this yet...my dad is the only runner in the family so this is a huge challenge for me.  I don't know how his training is going to go either.  He's in Chicago and winters are rough, much harder to train there than here in the Bay Area.  If it gets to a point where he is talking about giving up and I think I'm still on track to being able to do it then I will tell him that I've been training and hopefully that will be enough motivation for him to continue.

Goal: Going from 0mi to 26.2mi.
Oakland Marathon, March 28, 2010 with my dad

I registered for Team In Training yesterday and started training today and did 1.99 miles. Check back soon for more on that next time.