July is Almost Over!!!

I can't believe that July is almost over and there have been 0 days over 90 degrees!!! We hit the high 90's in April and May. Now in the summer, we are lucky if it reaches 80. This summer is much cooler than last summer BUT the humidity is always so high. I'd rather it be really hot with less humidity. And this rain has been a killer :(. It's sad because I love the summer!

Only 3 more days until Wildwood!!! I really hope we have nice weather! I'm not begging for the 90's, but sunny with no rain just for the days we are there. Mom needs it!! And I'm really excited to run there. It's a different area, and I love the boardwalk!!

So today mom ran with me! She did great; I was very proud of her! But the humidity was killling her breathing :( . It was killing my breathing too, but not as bad as hers. So here is my map from today's run:

Humidity and Running

Let me start by stressing how much I HATE the humidity!!! It makes my runs so much more difficult, and kills my breathing! I'm in the midst of training for PDR, and sometimes just second guess myself. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a runner. But I'm not giving up! I still need to eventually run Boston one day!!

I ran today 5.00 miles at an avg of 10:10 pace. Ran the first 2.50 miles with mom at ~10:40 pace. Then, ran the last 2.50 by myself at ~9:30 pace. It was so tough especially that I did hills too! Mom did great, even though she doesn't give herself enough credit for it.

PDR is 8 weeks from Sunday! Ahh I can't believe it! I haven't run a 1/2 marathon in over a year. Tomorrow, I'm heading out for 8 miles *fingers crossed*!

Thanks again to everyone for the constant support!

Here is the chart from my garmin:

My Favorite Running Quotes

Just wanted to post some of my favorite running quotes!! Some are inspirational, and some are kind of funny:

1- Running- Cheaper than Therapy

2- A 1/2 marathon is just a 5k race with a 10 mile warm up

3- The journey is more important than the destination

4- The pain is temporary, the pride is forever

5- A marathoner's response:

• yes it's really hard
• yes I had to train A LOT
• yes I know it's hard on the body
• yes I know I'm crazy
• and yes every marathon is 26.2 miles!

6- Running is 50% mental, 49% mental, and 1% insanity

7- To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift

8- Pain is weakness leaving the body

9- A marathon is like life with its ups and downs, but once you've done it, you feel you can do anything

10- You run the first 20 miles with your legs~ you run the last 6.2 with your heart

11- When people ask me why I run, I tell them there's not really a reason, it's just the adrenalin when you start, and the feeling when you cross the finish line, and know that you are a winner no matter what place you got

I wanted to share a few of my favorite running quotes. It's been such a tough year from me. I took some time off when mom was diagnosed because I just couldn't do it without her. But I've gotten back into it. I am slower this year than I was last year. My 5k time is ~3 minutes slower, but I've decided I'm ok with that! At first I was like OMG I am so embarrassed because everyone is going to laugh at me. Then I realized who cares!?!? I'm still out there running and this year, I'm running for ME. Of course I have those few people that think it's funny and after every race say "o you could have done better, remember where you were last year?" O yeah that makes me feel great!!!! Last year, I was so competitive and had a goal time for every race. If I didn't reach that "goal" I would just break down and cry and be so tough on myself. That really made me not enjoy running! This year I'm much more laid back. I know I won't PR at PDR, but guess what? I don't care! I'm training alone for the first time ever and it's not easy. But hey I'm doing it! And I am just so happy to be back to running. In time, I do plan on running a few more marathons and hopefully BQ one day. But that is a goal that I know is not close by, but I will achieve it when my body is ready and when I'm mentally ready to devote my life to marathon training again.

So thanks for the running support and everyone should just remember that running should be fun!!

Random News

I'm so happy to be back to running. I am looking forward to PDR, it's only 8-9 weeks away OMG! I am 99% sure that it won't be a PR but I'm just thrilled to run a 1/2 again. And besides running a 1/2, this is the first time that I've been training by myself. I never thought I could! So I'm beyond excited. My fingers are crossed that mom will be feeling well and able to come support me :)!

We are taking a family trip to Wildwood next week with some family friends. We had to cancel our cruise that was for this week due to chemo, so we figured we'd head down to the shore. Believe it or not, we are all looking very forward to it! It should be a good few days away.

Again, a BIG THANKS for all the support these past few months. I can't thank you all enough!! It means a lot to us all!

My weekend was a lot of fun. I went to Rutgers with my friend to see her apartment and have a night out. Then, me and my 2 best friends went to the boardwalk since it was a nice night! Here are some pictures :) They also show my new hair cut! I still can't believe I cut it all off, but I love it!!

BELMAR 5 RACE REPORT 7/11/09

Well as most of you know, I just started getting back into running as I train for PDR in September. I'm not nearly as fast as I was last year, but I've learned to accept that. The most important thing is that I'm back out there running and training on my own.

I ran the Belmar 5 on Saturday. It was my first 5 mile race since November. I knew for sure it wouldn't be a PR, but I was just running for fun. It was extremely hot out (just my luck), but it was probably the coolest day for the race in the past few years. I started off a little too fast, and realized I wasn't going to hold that pace, so I slowed down. The first 2 miles were great, but from mile 2-3.5 we ran on Ocean Ave. in complete sun light and no water stops. I was going to die. I thought about stopping because I was afraid I was going to faint, but I didn't. It's such a quick course that it didn't even feel like 5 miles. But, I finished 5.01 miles in 47:22 (chip time). I'm overall happy with my time considering the heat and me just getting back into training. I don't have anymore 5 mile races for the summer, but have several 5k's coming up. Here is my finishing picture (i know very attractive haha):

Update on Mom

Hey everyone! Well most of you all know how hard this year as been for both myself and my family. Mom is doing great and is done with chemo in October. For the most part, she's feeling good and looks awesome! It's just very tough for her to be dealing with this all. It's taking a toll on her mentally and physically. But I am just so proud of how well she's been coping. I mean of course she has her good and bad days, but that's normal. Her chemo is so strong this time around it's crazy. She doesn't get a break! The week she's not on chemo, she has to go for shots 3 days that week to keep up her blood count. They give her really bad head aches. Otherwise, she's awesome. This hasn't stopped her from doing much, even though she thinks it has. I love spending time with her and always making sure she's ok. I give her the space she needs though to be alone and do thinks by herself. And hey, she's gotten back to running! Her first run in 7 weeks was yesterday and guess what?!? SHE DID 3 MILES @ A 10:01 PACE!! She wasn't happy because after almost 2 miles she had to stop and catch her breath. Ummm HELLO!?!??!?! Mom hasn't done anything in 7 weeks AND all that chemo affects her breathing! I can't wait for her to get back out there with me! I miss my running partner so much it's crazy. But whenever I run now, I run for her. I always say "If mom can beat cancer and do so much while on chemo, then I can suck it up and run a few miles". And it works each time. Again I thank you all for the continued support and prayers helping us get through this tough time. Mom has kept her chin up and all this support has only made her realize how strong she is. When this is all over, we can look back and this year and see how much she accomplished while under so much stress. Mom is truly a hero and the best influence on others. She always encourages and wants people to be happy that sometimes she forgets to worry about herself. We had a cruise planned that we had to cancel, and she kept apologizing. But we keep telling her who cares there will be so many other vacations! So we are just going to Wildwood for a few days to get away and all spend time together. She is the best mother ever and it's just a shame she had to deal with this. I hate seeing her upset or in pain. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. But God did this to her for a reason and once it's done, she will realize how strong she really is. Everyone has to remember that they can reach any goals and do anything they set their mind to; just like mom beat cancer. Look how great she looks!!