Help Meghan Run

I am so sorry for the delay in putting up this post! Believe it or not, I’ve written it a couple times but for some reason it keeps getting deleted. Let’s hope lucky number three works.

Where was I when I left off last? Ah, yes, running. The worst of the hills were over by the halfway point, but we were definitely still running on an incline. Miles 11-12 were probably the funniest because I was on such a high. I have no idea what happened to us, but the three of us that were running together suddenly just got super energized. Unfortunately that ended when we finished mile 12. 12 to 12.5 was definitely the hardest part of the race. My legs were tired, and I could feel that my body was depleted of fuel. The three of us had to take turns being the motivator.

But then toward the end we started to pick back up and before long we saw this…

(I have no idea what my right arm is doing. Some kind of premature celebrating, perhaps?)

I had been waiting to cross that finish line for six months. When my long runs were hard, I would think about crossing that line, and I would pretend I was doing it when my long runs were over. Everything I worked for went into crossing that line, and it felt pretty damn amazing. One of the best feelings of my entire life, and I can’t wait to do it again.

And then seconds after crossing the line we were met with this:

Firefighters in tuxedos with silver platters that held little blue Tiffany’s boxes. It is the Nike Women’s Marathon, after all.

The Tiffany’s necklace—which is our official finishers’ medal—is gorgeous. Unfortunately I don’t have a great picture of it (I’ll take one, promise) but it says “Run Like a Girl” on the front, and NWM SF 09 on the back. I love it and it hasn’t left my neck yet. It’s a constant reminder of what I’ve accomplished.

And here is proof that I survived the race. It’s hard to tell in the picture, but I have a Team in Training tattoo on my right cheek.

The end of the race was fun, too. We collected all our goodies, wrapped up in Mylar blankets (it was cold!!), caught up with all of our Team in Training buddies and enjoyed being done! Finally we found our way to the TNT shuttles, which was way too long of a walk away, and rode back to the hotel. The race was a point-to-point, so although we started near our hotel we ended fairly far away. (The race started in Union Square and ended in Golden Gate Park, for all you SF’ers.)

The first thing I did when I got back to the hotel room was draw a bath. (Well, that was the second thing I did…I wasn’t about to use a Porta Potty out there.) It wasn’t a hot bath, unfortunately, but an ice bath. I only did my feet and lower legs, but it was still freezing!! With my jacket and Mylar blanket, though, it wasn’t too bad. And it definitely helped to ease the soreness later.

I never thought I would post a picture of myself in a bathtub on the Internet, but here goes. I think I’ve got a little post-race glow goin’ on, how about you?

The rest of Sunday was actually really fun. I can’t really explain the feeling, but I just had such a blast relishing in the whole experience. I wish I could relive the whole day—heck, the entire weekend—over again.

I took it pretty easy for the rest of the afternoon, which included a hefty nap, and then got suited up for the Team in Training victory party. This was held at a different location than the Inspiration Dinner, and to be honest I didn’t think it was quite as much fun.

The decor was fun, though!

The amount of space required by TNT was so large that this party encompassed five different hotel ballrooms, all with different themes. That part was definitely fun, but it was hard to find people. I did manage to run into all the teammates I wanted to see, however, which was all that mattered.

So that basically wraps up my weekend! I have been thinking a ton about the future of this blog, so you’ll hear some big updates soon, don’t worry. Have a great night!

RACE DAY!!

I’ll start with a few details from Saturday night. After we got back from the Inspiration Dinner, my Team in Training chapter had a little team meeting in our hotel lobby. We decorated our jerseys and listened to our coaches deliver a last-minute pep talk. I then went back up to my room, admired the gorgeous roses that my dad sent to my hotel…

…and laid out everything for race day. My decorated jersey, bib, hat, watch, sunglasses, TNT tattoos, etc.

My mom was ready to go as well with her cheering signs.

I had a late night snack (two mini WW bagels with peanut butter) and went to sleep. Despite all the warnings I heard about not being able to sleep the night before my race, I actually slept wonderfully. Better than on Friday night, thankfully.

And then I was up bright and early Sunday morning! I woke up easily and ate my prerace breakfast: two pieces of whole wheat bread with peanut butter. I met my running girls in the lobby of our hotel…

…and we walked the one block to the start! We lined up on the correct street according to our pace group and proceeded to wait.

(Sorry for these blurry iPhone photos.) It was definitely a fun, excited atmosphere and finally the gun went off on time. It took us quite a while to cross the finish line, but soon we were on our way!

(All the following photos are ones my mom took while she was following the race.) It was fairly chilly when we started (60* and foggy) so I started out wearing an old long-sleeved shirt just over my arms. There was a donation station around mile two, and I was plenty warm by then so I tossed it.

It turned into an absolutely beautiful day! What perfect weather for a race…we were never hot.

We had lots of fun entertainment along the way, from people in kilts with bagpipes…

…to gospel church choirs!

You can see Alcatraz!

But oh my gosh the hills. We obviously knew there would be hills, but it was definitely worse than we expected. This picture below is just after the first small hill. It was a point-to-point course, so each uphill did unfortunately not have a corresponding downhill. Mile six was the worst, as the entire mile was uphill. And they were steep.

I felt pretty amazing the whole way, though, despite the hills. And then I saw the seven mile marker. This was my moment, when I knew without a doubt that I would finish. I was on such a high after that moment that most of the rest of the race flew by. I really tried to slow down, mentally and physically, and enjoy everything. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous—we tried to stare at the Golden Gate Bridge instead of the hills in front of us—and I was going through an amazing experience with a couple of very good friends.

And the finish? Well, you’re just going to have to check back.

I won’t lie…Saturday, the day before the half marathon, was not too exciting. I was pretty interested in saving my energy for Sunday. I woke up fairly early (thanks, time change) and some of my team members met with one of our coaches to go on a little 20-minute jog. It actually felt pretty good since I hadn’t run since Tuesday.

Besides that, my Saturday consisted of watching the Texas-Oklahoma football game, napping, heading back to the Expo to see a few more things and take a few pictures, and meeting some of our San Francisco friends for a late lunch.

Before too long, it was time to get ready for the Inspiration Dinner. One of the crown jewels of the event weekend, the inspiration dinner is where all the Team in Training participants (and their guests) get together for some pre-race food and, well, inspiration before the big day.

I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first Team in Training event, but we walked over to a big convention center and were greeted with tons of people dressed in purple, cheering us along to the main event room. I couldn’t get too many good pictures since we were walking, but believe me that it was a madhouse. It was so loud and so much fun!

We finally came to an escalator that would take us down to the main room, and I was amazed to be confronted by even more people in purple, cheering us along.

Then we arrived in one of the largest convention center rooms I’ve ever seen.

They had dozens of food tables lined up for all of us, and the tables literally stretched as far as my eye could see.

There were thousands of people (I heard 6,000?!) seated in this room!

First to speak was someone from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, who greeted all of us and welcomed us to the event. We learned, among other things, that this is a big year for both the LLS and Team in Training. This is the 60th year of the LLS, and they are proud to say that the survival rates for blood cancers have gone up dramatically since their foundation’s inception. They raise money for research, patient quality of life enhancement, and public awareness. However, they’re not stopping until we have cures.

She also announced that as of this year, Team in Training (which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year) will have raised over $1 billion for blood cancers. This amazed everyone in the crowd and still brings tears to my eyes whenever I think about it (including now). She delivered some powerful words about how this is a foundation about individuals working together. Each person raises some money for an event (my total right now is $4515!) and together, over 21 years, that has added up to one billion dollars. How incredible is that?

The next speaker was Joan Benoit-Samuelson, the gold medal winner in the marathon in 1986. It was great to hear from such an accomplished runner mere hours before we would be running our races, and she was a wonderful speaker.

Our official emcee for the event was John “the Penguin” Bingham, of Runner’s World fame! I love his columns and had no idea that he would be speaking. He is heavily involved in Team in Training and delivered one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard, to tell you the truth. He was so funny but still delivered great, appropriate information. One thing he said that stuck with me was that, crossing the finish line isn’t the big moment. The big moment is when you realize that you’re going to finish. (And when you hit that point? Slow down!) So when did I reach that point? Check back for part three of the recap!

He also said that the person that starts this Team in Training adventure is not the same person who crosses the finish line. Now that I have completed the whole journey, I could not agree more. (You can read more about my TNT transformation here.)

And then our last speaker was a lovely young woman who was running in this race and was also a survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She told an inspirational story about how the LLS directly affected her life—she contacted them for health insurance help when she was going through treatment fresh out of college, and she had a check in her hands within just a couple weeks. She was a testament to how well the LLS works and how our money truly does help real people. She delivered another great speech, and I doubt that many eyes were still dry after listening to all of these inspirational speakers. The Inspiration Dinner truly was a fabulous way to get all of us even more excited for Sunday.

So that about sums up Day Two. Be sure to check back tomorrow for what you’ve all been waiting for…the official race day recap!

When I signed up for Team in Training over six months ago—April 11, to be exact—I had no idea what an impact it would have on my life. I went to the information session by myself, was intrigued by what I heard, and took a leap of faith by signing the paperwork and paying the fee. That whole day I was on a high: I had done something for me, just for me, and it was a pretty amazing thing. Already, I felt more in control of my life and ready for anything. I didn’t know what to expect from this experience, but I knew it would be just that.

In fact, doing Team in Training has been a life-changing experience. Sure, I have increased my aerobic fitness and will be able to run 13.1 miles next Sunday in the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. But that barely scratches the surface as to the changes Team in Training has had on me. I’m not even sure how to fully explain it, but I know I’m a different person.

I am running this half marathon for each cancer sufferer out there that cannot run and even for those that can. The pain of getting up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning to run 10 miles is absolutely nothing compared to what those people and their families go through. I certainly can’t complain that I have the physical and mental ability to do it, and therefore I will do it. Thoughts of them are what get me through each and every workout and make me push that much harder. They’re also the reason I have raised $4,414 (so far!). I cannot wait to run with Team in Training again and raise even more money. So watch out, friends and family! I’ll be hitting y’all up again soon.

I’m also running this half marathon for me. I consider myself quite the optimist and even I never thought I could do something like this! Clearly, I have proved myself wrong. This has taught me that, as corny as it sounds, anyone can do anything they want to. That is one of the most important tokens that I’ve taken from this experience, and it’s one that I’m going to have with me forever. It’s like one of my favorite quotes (here I go again with the quotes, I know).

Our deepest fear is not that we’re inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond all measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

But I digress. As always. Back to the point, this whole experience wouldn’t have been possible without the support of many people. Over 65 people have donated to me in this cause, and to them I am exceptionally grateful. Therefore I have decided to dedicate each mile of my race to someone or something that has had a large impact on my me. I’m not going to share my whole list because I’ve already told those people and they know who they are, but here are a few snippets:

The first mile is dedicated to my honored teammates. One of them was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia eight years ago. Thanks to a drug called Gleevec, which was developed in part with funds from the LLS, he is in remission and trained with my TNT group this season. He ran the Chicago Marathon yesterday and did an awesome job. My other honored teammate is the mother of one of my best friends. It pains me to see such a wonderful, generous person go through something so tough, and she represents all of the people out there in the world who don’t deserve to be fighting cancer.

Miles 9 and 10 are for my mom and dad. I cannot put into words the importance of my parents so I won’t even begin to try here, but suffice it to say they are the most important people in my life and the most special to me. My mom is coming to San Francisco with me, and I know my dad will be waiting with bated breath to hear my updates during the race (yes, I plan to text en route ). I also have my marathon-running dad to thank for this whole running thing, because what girl doesn’t grow up wanting to be just like her dad?

Miles 11-13 are about me. I know these will be the toughest miles—mentally and physically—but I also know that I have it within me to do this, hence this decision. Mile 11 is dedicated to my past. I will revisit lots of things (as many as I can get to in one mile!) that have impacted me and shaped me to the person I am today. I don’t believe in regrets; rather, I believe in taking everything you can from an experience, whether it turns out good or bad. There are always lessons to be learned and ways to improve for the future.

Mile 12 is for my future. I will take what I have learned and think about how I can apply it to my future. I know the possibilities are endless and my potential, like everyone’s, is limitless. I absolutely cannot wait to see where the future takes me.

Last but most certainly not least, lucky mile 13 is about the whole Team in Training experience. In a nutshell, basically everything I have mentioned in this post! Throughout the whole race but particularly during this last mile, I want to soak up every single thing that I can. By doing this and by thinking of all these special people and events that I have mentioned, I bet I won’t even be able to feel the soreness in my legs.

And here is one last quote for you (just of this post, not forever, obviously ). This is actually my favorite quote of the moment, I have it hanging on my desk.

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED. Talk to you soon!

Hey everyone! I can’t believe the Nike Women’s half marathon is so close ! I’ve been signed up for this event going on six months now, and it’s finally almost here. Just 10 days left! I’m working on my final preparations, and one of the most important ones (to me, anyway!) is my iPod playlist.

As soon as I have my full list of songs, I’ll start putting them in order based on where I think I’ll need them. I’ve been gathering song ideas, but I need some more so I’d love to hear your suggestions! I like energetic music that gets me pumped up and ready to run. What’s your favorite running song? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Here are a few of the current ideas (sorry it’s small!):

…the word DIET!

I have never liked it and always thought it ironic to have the word die embedded in the very word so many people use to describe their eating habits:

I really need to lose weight, I’m on a diet.

Oh, I can’t have that, I’m on a diet.

To me the word has a negative connotation and it brings thoughts of restriction, unhappiness, and short-term benefits. And as it turns out, anyone can lose weight on a diet. If you restrict calories enough and stay away from certain foods, you will definitely lose weight.

Wait…that sounds pretty good, right?

But will you lose water weight or muscle instead of fat? Will you lose weight in a healthy way and will you keep it off? Will you be able to sustain this way of eating for the rest of your life? Is this way of eating the most nourishing thing you can do for your body?

Maybe not so much, considering a lot of popular fad diets out there.

Because I eat quite healthfully, people often ask me if I’m on a diet. Nope! This is how I eat, this is how I’ve eaten for a while, and this is how I will eat for the rest of my life. That’s the beauty of healthy eating: it’s sustainable and enjoyable. Since we can’t get away from eating (it’s something we all need to do several times a day for the rest of our lives), it doesn’t make much sense to become embroiled in a yucky process and hate it so much. And because ~95% of people who lose weight on a diet gain the pounds back, it may be time for us as a nation to try something else.

Try this instead: Eat whole foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean protein. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Take normal portion sizes and balance your plate. Make eating a mindful experience.

Join me in the movement to eschew diets. How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle without dieting?

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[More powerful TNT thoughts:

“One day when there is a cure for blood-related cancers, every time you lace up your shoes you will remember that you were part of a history-making team.”

Just had to share! If you’re thinking about Team in Training…do it!]