Week 14 – Recovery Week

I never quite understand what recovery week means until this past week.   After I ran 15 miles – most of my muscles were so tight the next day.  I did my usual iced-stretched-iced-stretched routines but my shins were not cooperating with me.   I was doing fine Sunday, but Monday – I have a hard time to just go up and down the stairs.   This is the same shins that’s been bugging me before my half-marathon.   In a nutshell – I’m somewhat taking it easy this week, and only did my recovery run (another new terms for me!)

Monday

I walked for 30 minutes.   I actually felt great afterwards

Tuesday

I ran 3 miles around Seattle waterfront and wow, I was hurting the entire time.   I had to actually ran about 2 minutes slower than my normal pace.   Overall – it was an awful run.   I was so happy when it’s done

Wednesday

I did another 30 minutes walk around downtown.   I’m starting to take a liking on this walk between my running days.  It gets me out of the office and get my downtime workout in.

Thursday

I changed to my running clothes around noon, but never really made it anywhere.   I worked through lunch and still have my running clothes by the time I got home around 8pm.   I wasn’t a happy camper.   I didn’t make it as a priority.  Bad Yanni.

Friday

It’s my day off, so after I dropped my girls to school, I decided to run around the neighborhood.   I started by the school and just did a loop around on somewhat flat street (my neighborhood is very hilly).   I managed to get my 3 miles in and felt very good afterwards

Saturday

My non-long-run weekend.   Since I’m still in recovery week, I didn’t have a long run today.   Instead, I was only scheduled to do another 3 miles.   I went to my favorite trail in the morning and did my 3 miles.   My shins still hurts but not as much.   It took so much energy to run when you have some pain!   I was exhausted when I was done

Sunday

Rest

Fundraising

Big shout out this week to Brent Ozar (t) and Erin Stellato (t) who were being very generous on their support towards my fundraising!  I am slowly getting up there and still have a way to go.   I sent an email out already and hopefully things are moving fairly quickly.   For those who are looking for more tax write up for 2011, here is your chance!   Every dollar counts and your donation are being used to save life.   Please visit my fundraising page at http://tinyurl.com/RobelMarathon

Week 12 and 13: Rest and High Mileage

Week 12:  Rest

I’m combining week 12 and 13  recap as I don’t have much to recap on week 12.   It was a week after Portland Half Marathon and I was attending 2011 SQL PASS Summit. I was too busy to squeeze in the time to do my run.  Um.  Yeah.  Who am I kidding.  Let me rephrase that.  I did not make the continuous training as a priority.   There I said it.

I did, however, managed to run 5 miles on Sunday with Jimmy May (t) who is currently training for Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half-Marathon at Bridle Trail.  We had an awesome run together!  It was cold and misty, lot of hills but I felt great!

Week 13: High Mileage

Monday:

I did my strength training at home.  Not as much as I should be or as intense as I would’ve done it if I were at the gym, but I did what I could in while doing the house chores and get my girls ready to go to bed.    I did hip strengthening exercise, squat, lunges and some core exercise.

Tuesday:

It was gorgeous day out and I decided to run during lunch time.   I walked towards the waterfront and ran 4 miles at Seattle Waterfront.   It was perfect fall weather.  Sunny, but crisp cold.   Overall, it was a great run

Wednesday:

Cross Training or Walk Day.   I opted for the walk instead and did 30 minutes walk around my office.   It was misty but I really enjoyed the walk and glad I took the time to do so

Thursday:

I did 3 miles loop at Centennial Fields Park.   It was another gorgeous fall day and I love that little park.   It was a loop around the community park that have a path towards outside it.   My girls played at the playground nearby while I ran.   I felt a bit sluggish during this run as I came down with a cold the night before.

Friday:

Rest day

Saturday:

Big day for me as my schedule called for 15 miles.  Yes, that’s FIFTEEN miles.  I was a bit overwhelmed the night before since I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the number fifteen.  It seems so… well.. a LOT of miles!   I know, I know – it’s only 2 more miles than the half-marathon and I did that one already.   I can do the math too, but that doesn’t change the fact that I was a bit overwhelmed with the number.

I was up early but really had a hard time to move.   I really, really didn’t want to go but I had promise Jimmy that I would meet him at the trail head so we can run together.  So I dragged my bum out of the bed, laced up my shoes and head out.   We went to Snoqualmie Valley Trail — my favorite trail which was so pretty with different shades of color on the trees.   It was cold and misty with very little of sunshine.    I did my usual 3-1 Galloway technique (3 minutes running, 1 minutes walking) and it was amazingly awesome.   I felt great the entire run and not even once I had to talk myself to keep running.   Jimmy ran for 11 miles and he stopped, but I continued running.   I hit 13.1 miles and realized that my time was 6 minutes faster than my half-marathon time!  I was sooo excited!  I broke my personal record!!    3 hours and 2 minutes later – I finished my 15 miles with a huge grin in my face.   That was the farthest I ever run and I felt awesome!

 

Sunday:

Rest

Fundraising:

New beginning on the fundraising front.  I have a new goal.  I plan to send out my fundraising letter this coming week and other than announcing my crazy adventures in my blog, I haven’t done much.   However, if you are reading my blog all the way to this point, please visit my fundraising page at :  http://tinyurl.com/RobelMarathon.   You can read on why I am running and while you are at it, pull your credit card from your wallet and skip a latte this week and join me in this adventures instead  <smile>.   Any amount is greatly appreciated!

 

My Next Crazy Adventure: Coast to Coast Challenge

I had so much fun with the Portland Half-Marathon and am so proud of my accomplishment that I want to take it to the next level.    I want to keep pushing my limit and see where it will take me.

Life is short and   I want to be able to look back and say, yep, did that, done that, oh did that one too, so did that one.   Is that too much?   Maybe, but I’m going all out.   I had a second chance to look at life differently and I want to encourage others to do the same.

No, I’m not going to sweet talk others to climb the mountain, or run a marathon.  However – I am challenging everybody to go after things that you always want to do.  Whatever that is.   I know we all have that one thing or two that we always want to do, but there’s always something prevent us from doing that.   My challenge to you — make the time to do that one thing while you still have the time, health and ability to do so because, well, you just never know.

Life is too short for you to not go after your dreams.

Allright.  Enough with being all wise and mature.   I want to go back to being crazy.

So without further ado, here’s my next crazy adventure — I’m going to run a full Marathon.   You would think that I would stop there, right?  No, not me.  I have to go a bit more.   To be exact — I’m going to do the Disney Coast To Coast Challenge.

Yes.  I mean exactly what that page said (assuming you clicked the link).   I’m going to run Walt Disney Marathon at Disneyworld on January 8, 2012 follow by TinkerBell Half-Marathon at Disneyland on January 29, 2012

Wait.  I’m not done.

I’m going to join Team in Training again and help them raise money to fight blood cancer.   I had absolutely an awesome time with the team, and the support from the coaches, staff and alumni during Portland Half-Marathon was incredible.    On top of that – I feel like I’m involved in something important because I will be part of an incredible team who works very hard to raise the money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for their patient support and blood cancer research.     I am a living example of what this organization do.   Because of their cancer research support, ten years ago, the medicine that I currently take is available for the public.   This is the medicine that allows me to have a normal life.   As normal as you can be as a survivor.   I’m one of the lucky ones.   There are others that are not as lucky as I am.

The second half of this challenge is the fundraising.   This is where all of YOU can get involved since I will need a lot of help to reach my goal.   Details about the fundraising can be found here.

I know that some of you have been so generously supporting me in my previous fundraising efforts and I thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, however, I am going to shamelessly ask again for your help.    Why?   Because not only you are helping ME, you are giving me and the rest of the blood cancer survivors hope.   You are helping give the families of the survivors tremendous support because that’s what the money you are giving is for.    Leukemia & Lymphoma Society offered incredible support to a particular patient AND their family.   I know it because I was at the receiving end of that effort.

So there.  That’s my next crazy adventure.   Hop on and join me.   You won’t regret it.   You will save lifes.   You will save my life.