It Took HOW Long?

Early this afternoon, I got an email from the Chicago Marathon.  In the subject line, it said something to the effect of “Registration Has Closed in Record Time for the BOA Chicago Marathon”.  It took all of 6 days for the Chicago Marathon to sell out 45,000 slots.  6 DAYS! Last year, it sold out in a month.  In 2003, it sold out in 35 weeks.  Crazy what less than 1o years can do, huh?  That and the effects of social media like Facebook and Twitter.  You can like the Chicago Marathon or follow them to see all the craziness that has ensued since registration opened on February 1st.

Obviously, some people are bummed that they didn’t have the chance to register.  Or that they didn’t have the $150 registration fee to get in this year.  Or that they’re unsure if current injuries will keep them out of the early October race and there’s no way to transfer in with someone who down the line can no longer run.  However, one of the nice things about runners is that we like to do things for others.  So while we put ridiculous amounts of miles on our legs training (I ran 1500+ miles last year) in any weather (or at the gym like me to watch sportscenter, basketball and football), there’s always the idea of running for charity.  I’ve blogged about my experience with Jack’s Fund for whom I ran the NYC Marathon for in November and The Steps Foundation, for whom I ran the Chicago Marathon for in 2010.  This year, I’m returning to Chicago for the American Cancer Society, however, there’s a whole list of charities offering slots into the marathon as long as you fundraise a certain amount of money.  If you want to run Chicago this year, consider doing it for something better, like to support Girls on the Run, Children’s Oncology Services, The Pat Tillman Foundation or any of the other Charities offering entries into this years race.  To those in, congrats!!

Side note, to anyone interested in running the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia, registration opens Wednesday, February 15.  It sold out in a week last year!

NYC Marathon Saturday in Pictures

The Japanese Power Sushi Ranger Team

 

Expo Welcome

 

With Hal Higdon

 

With Desiree Davilia

 

NYC Marathon- taking on Friday And Saturday!

I leave for NYC today!!!!  I’m so excited- I don’t get to leave until later tonight, but there’s definitely some things I’m looking forward to.  If you are already in NYC for the marathon, I’m jealous!!!  However, us runners have some stuff that we look forward to.  Wondering what’s going on today and tomorrow? Here You Go!!! Also, can’t find the NYC Marathon Pamphlet they sent you?  Here’s the link

Friday November 4th (TODAY!!! Go Enjoy it!)

• The EXPO! The all important place where you pick up your bib and visit all the vender booths.  It’s open from 10-7 today so make sure to print out your registration sheet from your login page and bring it with you in addition to your ID.  Apollo Ohno will be at the Subway booth at 1 today
• International Taste of Travel is 2-5 at the Marathon Pavilion
• Opening Ceremony 6-8
• Fireworks at the Finish at 7:30 by Poland Spring Water

Saturday November 5th

• At 2 AM Saturday going into Sunday (so 2 AM of Nov. 6th) is Daylight Savings Time.  Don’t forget to set your clock back 1 hour before you go to bed tonight!!!!!
• NYRR Dash to the Finish 5K- family want to get involved? Here you go!!
• 9 AM- Shake out run with Runner’s World!!!  I will be there working out my travel kinks so I’m good to go on Sunday!  Head over to the Jarvis Convention Center to join in.  Meet at the PUMA Booth!!!!
• The Expo (again!!)- 9-5.  Lolo Jones (11-12), Ryan Hall (1-2) and Deena Kastor (2-3) will be making appearances at the Asics Booth
• Marathon Eve Dinner- NYRR does it’s thing.  The best thing about being a charity runner? Team Dinner!!!  THe Jack’s Fund Team is meeting for a few hours to get to know each other.  YAY US!
• Go see a play on Broadway.  There’s a Ticket booth inside Times Square where you can get discounted tickets to plays and productions.  I’ve never seen a bad show with these tickets!

Relax, hydrate and carbo load.  I’ve already started!!!

When Fall Turns To October

When fall turns to October, it means it’s close to my birthday.  Today is my last day as a 25 year old.  How am I celebrating turning a year older and I year wiser?

1. I’m running the NYC Marathon for Jack’s Fund.  It would be awesome if you could help me celebrate by helping me raise my last $791 to raise money for melanoma research.  It would be really cool if we could show cancer who’s boss!
2. I invested in my first thing from Tiffany’s.  What you ask? Something I would actually use: glasses.  Don’t believe me? Go look! I even got free shipping 🙂
3. I switched running shoes.  What, say that again?! You didn’t hear me?  After almost 2 years with my Mizuno Wave Inspire 6s/7s, I switched to the Brooks Ravenna2.  It was a good relationship while it lasted, but something changed. Me, Mizuno, I’m not sure exactly
4. I managed to get through 25 uninjured.  Impressive, I know! Uninjured and single
5. My mom visited me in KC for a girls weekend. Food, Food and shopping…that’s the way to go if you ask me!

26.2 miles. Or DAYS!

On Oct. 9, 2011, Chicago hosted the Chicago Marathon. Now that it’s October 10th, it’s officially OK to say: 26 DAYS UNTIL THE NYC MARATHON! 26 days until I run through the 5 boroughs of NYC for the time of my life. At least for this year.  How official is it, you ask?

1. I’m $821 away from my $2500 goal for Jack’s Fund to raise money for Melanoma Research.  There’s 3 weeks left to donate!
2. I received my BIB NUMBER! 58481 incase you’re wondering
3. The Race Week Handbook.  Want to know what I’ll be doing? Or where I’ll be running? Or marathon rules? Take a peak.
4. I’m debating what to get from Tiffany’s. Yes, Tiffany’s. This coming from the person who wears very little jewelry. This is where I need help. What should I get? They do things specific to the NYC Marathon

58481 what?

In the world of running, you know things are official when you get your bib number and your corral number.  Tuesday (yes, 7 weeks beforehand), the NYC Marathon uploaded confirmation information for runners.  Who is bib #58481?  This girl right here!!  For me, I’m in corral 58 with a 10:40 AM start time.  Because the NYC is so large, they have 60 corrals set up in 3 waves of start times (9:40 AM, 10:10 AM and 10:40 AM).  I’m semi regretting my 6:10 AM Staten Island Ferry to the start but we will see in due time if I can change that.

This past weekend, I was in Chicago for the Chicago Half Marathon and was able to meet some runners who will be running the NYC Marathon for Jack’s Fund.  So far, I’ve raised $810 through my donation page and have an additional $410 in the bank, putting me about halfway to my $2500 goal for the marathon.  YAY!!!  If you’ve donated, THANK YOU!!  I really appreciate it as does Jack’s Fund.  If not, you still have time!  No donation is too small as all will be going to a good cause and will be appreciated by me and my fellow runners and Jack’s Fund teammates.  As of now, I’ll just keep running, just keep running (remember Dori- Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming?). And Fundraising!

Running for Charity- The Nun Run (literally!)

As I’ve written before, I’ve run the 2010 Chicago Marathon for Charity (The Steps Foundation) and am currently training for the NYC Marathon for which I’m running for Jack’s Fund.  Currently, I have $750 in online donations with another $386 in the bank collecting interest (I’ve donated some of my saved money since I last posted about Jack’s Fund!).  To this, I have to say THANK YOU and ask that you keep me in your prayers and pass along my story of running for melanoma research and education to your friends.  If you haven’t donated yet, that’s OK! You still have time and if you donate, you get and hand written thank you note AND you don’t have to get me a birthday present!!!  I also figured I would write of a friend of mine.

Sr Alicia Torres

During my time at Loyola University Chicago, I became friends with Alicia Torres, LUC Class of 2007.  My freshman year, she lived on my floor in Simpson Hall as an over night host for prospective students.  On occasion, when we both had students staying with us and would do things as a group.  We stayed in contact through out undergrad and after she graduate, she went on to work in the Diocese of Chicago.  Over the course of a good 1 yr plus, she ran the Chicago Marathon in order to help pay off her student loans so she could enter the convent.  Last year, she ran Chicago on 10/10/10, shortly before which she had completely paid off student loans and entered the convent at Our Mission of Angels of Chicago (which is a Franciscan community).  She blogged about her experience and titled it The Nun Run.  This year, Alicia is again running the Chicago Marathon, while wearing her habit mind you, in order to raise money to rebuild her church, Our Lady of Angels.  Since she is allowed only limited communication (as are most who are undergoing studies to be a religious sister), communication is few and far between.  As of late July, the Church was $50,000 away from being able to complete Phase 1 of their remodel and $120,000 total from being able to complete their entire project.  Their goal is to be able to have full services by December.

I had the chance to stay at the Mission last August when I ran the Chicago Half Marathon in preparation for the Chicago Marathon and know that Father Bob (their priest) as well as the postulant and those in training for the religious life at Our Lady of Angels could use a hand with their project.  Their Charity team will take on Chicago on October 9,2011 and they have some fundraising events set up for the upcoming months.  For information on how to donate, head over here (The Nun Run site) and take a look at Our Lady of Angels to learn about their mission and projects.

On behalf of me (running for Jack’s Fund) and Alicia/ Our Lady of Angels, we appreciate any support you can give us, no matter how big or small!

7 Mile at 7 PM (Allentown, PA) Race Review

It’s been awhile (alright, a few weeks) since I last did a race.  I found a 7 mile race in Allentown, PA (an hour or so from Philadelphia) that was an evening race rightfully called the 7 Mile at 7PM.  Us runners, we sure know how to have a fun Saturday night!!  I went up early before the race and went to 4:15 mass at the Cathedral by Lehigh Valley 17th St hospital and then headed over to the Park off Jefferson St where the race was being held.  Little difficult to find check in and the start, but there were arrows on the ground which I figured would lead me in the right direction.  I was able to pick up my shirt and bib, but still had about 90 minutes before the race.  I headed to get gas for my car as I was just about out and took a look at the course map which I brought along.  I got to take my Jack’s Fund shirt out for a run.  Also this week, I’m close to $700 in online donations for Jack’s Fund (including $220 I put in myself) with another $338 in the bank so over $1000 total.

I was in one of those it’s a good thing I could live out of my car moods as I brought some water and powerade with me like I always do only to find out that the race only had 1 water stop on the course and that was at the half way point (1 water stop for 7 miles, really?).  Around 650, runners were directed to the start for instructions.  There was maybe 100 people at the race, so it wasn’t that big.  One of the volunteers was giving a course description and completely lost me and the people standing next to me.  We agreed since we weren’t Kenyans or Ethiopians or in contention for even winning the race, we really didn’t care.  As someone else put it, just follow the person in front of you.

We were off at 705 and began our gravel pounding run.  Who knew about a mile in there would be winding hills with a steep incline like no other.  My legs were still tired from the 15 miles I put in Thursday countered with the fact it was a 7 pm race.  I knew I probably wasn’t going to be anywhere near the front of the pack so not finishing last was the goal.  It was still really humid and by 3.5 miles in, I had sweated through everything and was dripping with sweat.  I was so glad to see water station because I knew I was half way through (no mile markers makes things difficult).  The second half of the race, it started getting dark.  It was kind of uncomfortable because it wasn’t lit and in the back of your mind, you’re thinking is someone going to jump out of somewhere.  I was able to pass a few people along the way and the last 1/2 mile or so, I picked off another 2 people (yay me!).  Unofficially, I finished 7 miles in 1:12:30.  There were photographers at the end taking pictures as we finished and boy were the flashes bright!  Even better was that there was ice cold water and hamburgers and hot dogs.

Good race, don’t know if I’m willing to drive the 2 hr round trip to do it again.  I would suggest moving it up a week or 2 or starting it 1/2 an hour earlier just to deal with the darkness.  It was good that there was food at the end.  If your ever looking for a 7 miler, you may consider this one!

Running for Jack (‘s Fund) and Bob

One of the things I love about fellow runners is that they always like to do things to those around them.  Running groups for support or to give kids something to do and off the streets, volunteering at events and raising money to support various charities.  Last October, I ran the Chicago Marathon for the Hall Steps Foundation.  Early this year (read February), I emailed Jack’s Fund about securing a spot for the ING NYC Marathon on November 6, 2011.  The organizers were beyond thrilled and my Fundraising Page has been up and running ever since.   The NYC is probably one of the most popular marathons to run in the US, which would explain the lottery system to get in AND the $2,500 fundraising minimum if you run for charity.  Jack’s Fund was established in memory of Jack Marston, a family man who ran 4 marathons in his life and battled melanoma (skin cancer).  Jack lost his cancer battle and his family established the foundation in order to raise research and educational funds for melanoma research.  I spent a good 9 yrs outside in the sun as a lifeguard and another 6ish years on swim team.  Summers=loads of sun.  Because of that sun, I know a few people who’ve ended up with skin cancers because of the amount of time they spent outside.

Coming into this training season, I came in running to honor and remember those who’ve had to deal with melanoma.  This morning, I received an email from the team coordinator about one of the Jack’s Fund runners for the Chicago Marathon Team.  Bob Marsh was set to run the Chicago 1/2 Marathon in a few weeks and the Chicago Marathon October 9th for Jack’s Fund.  Over the past few years, he’s been battle melanoma and this past weekend, he lost his battle.  From those who knew Bob, he was never one to give up and joined Jack’s Fund so “no one would ever have to suffer like [he] did.”  Though another runner will step in an ‘fill his shoes’ so to speak, I’m asking you to help me reach my goal so people no longer have to suffer with  a disease that is so preventable.  So take out your sunscreen and run on over to see how I’m doing with my training and fundraising.  Any support will be greatly appreciated!