3 days until NYC!

This was taken after we finished out FINAL track workout! Are we excited or what? "YESSSS" in unison. * high fives all around *










kiyah, meghan, natalie and me. (kelley ran it the day before)

counting down the days....

I recently finished Haruki Murakami's memoir entitled What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, which recounts his training for the New York City Marathon (you may be familiar with his fiction, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, among others). He is an incredible novelist and an insightful, reflective runner.

He writes: "Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you're going to while away the years, it's far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that." (p 82-83).

I can tell you that this past weekend I was hardly in a fog at 7am when the Detroit Half Marathon started under the dark of night and dim glow of streetlights. My friend Sharad called me a "proper nutter" for battling the cold air and early morning hours, and warned me to be on the lookout for Detroit's notorious potholes along Michigan Avenue. While the latter was not so much a problem (no falls to report, teeth still in tact), the former made me laugh out loud. He's right! Who does this?!?! I reminded myself that I had wanted to run this race since before I called myself a runner, and by the time I reached the Ambassador Bridge to Canada two miles into the race I felt awake and alive. I snapped a few photos along the way, including this one of Detroit from Windsor (okay, so THAT'S a little "nutter" but whateves, I document, yo). Besides, I couldn't run full force with NYC looming right around the corner.

Murakami's goals for the New York Marathon were to reach the finish line, never walk, and enjoy the race. Sounds pretty good to me. See you in NYC.


(thanks bart, mary, melissa and arvind. You're the BEST.)

Fleet Feet - Carrboro

With less than 25 days left to the marathon, we have raised almost $1000 and need to raise another $2500 in the next 16 days.

The new owner of Fleet Feet-Carrboro, Trey Barnes, has offered to help us raise money to reach our goals. Currently, really nice, tech shirts are being sold at Fleet Feet with all proceeds going to Team for Kids on behalf of our team. These shirts are quite nice and I plan on purchasing a few more for me and my sisters. Also, on October 10th and October 17th, Fleet Feet will generously donate 5% of all sales to our Team. If you are in need of any shoes, clothes, nutritional supplements, or anything else, please consider buying on these days. If you don't live in the area or cannot make it to Fleet Feet on those days, but still want to purchase things, please let us know and we would be glad to pick up these items on your behalf.

Team for Kids - gearing up!

Why I Run....

As Meghan and I were running in the Duke Forrest a few days ago, she mentioned how she fell in love with running while living in Germany because she would walk out her door and into the woods where she could run for hours. I immediately laughed and told her that not once in my life have I ever said, "I love running," or for that matter, "I fell in love with running". So the question is, if I don't love running, why do I run?.... Well, it's probably a complicated answer that requires you to get to know me a little.

TENNIS DAYS AND MY HATRED FOR RUNNING
From the time I was 10 years old until I graduated from college, I considered myself to be a "tennis player". I spent a lot of my childhood and college days practicing and competing in tennis tournaments or playing another college team. I loved training, having a goal, challenging myself, being part of a team and competing. While being a "tennis player" certainly requires running, this mostly consists of short sprints, agility drills and an occasional three mile run. I never enjoyed this part of training. In fact I hated this part. If you ask anyone I knew in college, they would all vouch for me about how much I hated running.....I hated it with a passion.

THE RUNNING JOURNEY BEGINS
So how do you go from hating running to wanting to run marathons? After college, I found exercising to be very mundane. I would run for 30 minutes or go to a 30 minute spin class and if I was feeling especially motivated I might do a few abs and lift some weights, but that would be it. Why else would I do more? I had no reason to be "in shape". My workout routines went on like this for about a year when my sister, Juliette, convinced me that she, my other sister (Angeline), and I should all run a marathon together. Both Juliette and Angeline enjoyed running and thought it would be a fun thing for us to do once in our lives. Somehow, I was convinced by this argument and in May 2004, I entered the NYC Marathon lottery. I rationalized that actually getting into the marathon would be a complete long shot, so there would be little chance that I would actually have to run the marathon. Knowing that entry into NYC via the lottery system is very difficult, I managed to convince my college friend, Erin, to sign up as well, just on the outside chance that I got in and neither of my sisters got in. I certainly did not want to run the NYC marathon by myself. Well, lo and behold neither of my sisters got into the marathon, but by some miracle Erin and I both did. Since I had convinced Erin to sign up, I felt obligated to run NYC with Erin. I figured I should just run one marathon once in my life. So my running journey began....

NYC MARATHON 2004
While Erin and I lived in different cities and ran very different speeds (she was much faster than me), we would call each other the day of a long run and commiserate about how our runs were: the aches and pains (tired muscles, chaffing, sunburn, etc.), the interesting people or lack of people who were also running, and how we felt. After the first few weeks of training, I began getting accustomed to running and could even identify days that I had a "good run" (I ran "fast" and effortlessly and totally forgotthat that I was running XX miles). Soon enough it was time for the real deal, the NYC Marathon. The NYC Marathon was an experience that no words could thoroughly describe. While I ran much slower than I had anticipated, it was my greatest sporting accomplishment up to that point. I was a decent collegiate tennis player, but I had always loved playing tennis. I had never loved running. I somehow was able to mentally push myself to keep running despite me wanting to quit on numerous occasions. I had somehow managed to run 26.2 miles, despite never running more than 5 miles prior to signing up for the marathon. I had succeeded in accomplishing my lofty goal.

POST NYC MARATHON
Immediately after the marathon, I swore that I would never do another one again. But after my whole body soreness slowly wore off, I began to appreciate the journey of running and training for a marathon (my college coach would be so proud). I loved having a goal and something to work towards. Most importantly, I loved pushing myself beyond my comfort level.

To this day, I still don't love running, but I will say that I don't hate it anymore. In fact there are some days that I enjoy it (but not everyday). I don't wake up every morning looking forward to my run, but at the end of the day, I am always glad that I did it. In the end, I guess what keeps me running is the journey.






- Natalie

I heart toe protectors!!!

Thus far, my main "training injury" has been a recurring blister on my second left toe. It sounds relatively minor, but it nearly took me down on our 14-mile training run last Friday (I''ll the story of the fabled 14-mile run for another day--it did, however, involve traversing water). I'd tried everything to get rid of this blister--moleskin, body glide, vaseline--but, nothing had worked. So, while at the store to buy yet another pair of running shoes, I asked for tips. It turns out that the answer to my blister problems could be found not at the fancy running store I'd been frequenting, but at Harris Teeter, CVS, and Rite Aid. Meet the toe protector:

For just $3.00, my toe problems are solved. I just ran 6 miles using this little guy and the feeling of knives stabbing my toe that I was previously dealing with is no more. 

I heart toe protectors!!

But, really - I feel great.

No really. I feel good.

And I want to tell people that I feel great. That I feel strong. And that I'm enjoying my training. But I've noticed that some people give me funny looks when I tell them this. I guess some think that this training for a marathon should be painful. That I should wake up dreading my track workout. That I should be exhausted. Of course there are still 75 days for that to happen, but for now -- I feel great.

meg

Training for a marathon during the Summer in the South is dangerous!

You might be thinking I'm referring to the heat (96 right now) or the humidity (lots). Or maybe you even read a previous post about a snake encounter.

Yes, those are all real Southern dangers. But yesterday we discovered yet another...

GNATS!

Check these guys out!

36 Gnats

3 x 1600m

That's one gnat every 133.33 meters.

It's a jungle down here.

Powered by...Too Tarts!

Really, we are literally powered by Too Tarts. Being part of Team for Kids means that we have to raise money to support the great work that Team for Kids is doing to engage low-income youth in running programs. Last week, Tar Heel Team for Kids received what we're calling our first corporate "sponsorship"--well, it's not officially a sponsorship, but saying so makes us sound like pro athletes. Anyway, Too Tarts, (www.tootarts.com) makes crazy kids candy--super sour, super sweet--that has no refined sugar and, and they're powering up Tar Heel Team for Kids. While we won't be able to wear these lovely green shirts running the NYC marathon, you might see us spraying some "Gween Appol" sour spray around mile 19 for a quick boost of energy!

track it up, yo.

I (Noel) want to be reflective about my running, and think about how I’ve changed as a runner over time, but mostly it comes down to two phases: Noel Before the Initiation of Track Workouts and Noel After Trackin’ it Up.

Before track workouts I ran because it allowed me the solo time to slowly clear my head and simply be present in my body – feet hitting the pavement, arms relaxed, abs slightly engaged, air coming in, air going out, ahhhh, gratitude practice, just this. I didn’t think to try and run as fast as I could – WHY would I do THAT? Everything changed when our group decided to get serious about training. I still have my solo slow fun runs, but thanks to Meghan our running group had to start “training” if we were to run a marathon. Haha! Psshhhttt. I can do that, no problem, was my first thought. That is, until Meghan was revving her little Honda engine outside my doorstep at 6:15 in the morning (i.e., pre-coffee) ready to drive our group to the UNC track. Noel Before the Initiation of Track Workouts had quickly become a thing of the past.

I like to observe my thoughts on the walk from the car to the track – the mental “psych-me-ups” is what makes me laugh. I can do this, I tell myself. Yeah right, it’s gonna suck, my cynical self says. Fire it up, my inner coach retorts. Forget about it, yells my slumbering self from the sidelines. You’re an athlete - DO IT – is the final phrase that ends the conversation.

Since I’m the resident track workout complainer, and being in DC away from my NC peeps, I skipped out on the last two Monday track workouts in favor of a “rest day.” (I did, however, strength and core train on Sundays, so my rest days were well deserved). Lucky for me though, my coworker Joel stepped up to the plate yesterday and decided to join me at the track for an after-work 15-minute warm-up, two 800m quick laps with a 90-second rest interval in-between (times six), and a cool-down of 10 minutes. We each had our ipod shuffles and warmed up no problem. Two sets of speed intervals in and Joel had fallen by the wayside in favor of doing pushups. I kept looking over to make sure he was working. He was. On the third set of speed intervals Joel’s brother Neil joined me on the track and put me to shame - talking about the Marine Corps marathon as I was huffing and puffing, running in the far right lane as I ran the inner circle, and sprinting around the track to clock in a six minute mile as I walked for a rest interval.

The really neat thing about track training with others is that they hold you up, no matter what. We each fell into different slots on the running continuum, yet we kept on going. If I was out there by myself last night, I would have stopped after three sets of intervals, but because of Joel and Neil I kept moving. Afterwards, I felt great. In fact, for me, one of the best parts of a track workout is not challenging myself and expanding my lungs and feeling my rubbery legs swiftly carry me the distance, it’s the celebratory teammate high-fives and overall rockstar feeling I get afterwards. Because of this, and because I want to be a better runner, I’ll continue to track it up, no matter what.

Unwittingly, carrying on a tradition

In Korea there is a tradition called Baek-il, a celebration of a child's 100th day of life and the return to good health for the mother. The celebration stems from a time in premodern Korea when infant mortality was high and living to 100 days was a sign that the child would survive to see its first birthday. Only then was the child officially welcomed to the family with a celebration for family and friends.

Today, we are officially 100 days away from the marathon. It's fitting, then, that Meghan's having a backyard gathering...a potluck with good drink, great food, and close friends. We might not have a spread as decadent as this little fellow (on left) did for his 100 day celebration, but it will certainly be delicious and I suspect that we might all leave Meghan's feeling the way he looks.

Good thing we have 11 miles tomorrow to work it off...

Why I Run

One of the first times I ran with my teammates, we filled rest-time between track intervals with a discussion about the sports we participated in in high school. The convo kind of went like this: Noel, "basketball"; Natalie, "tennis": Meghan "shot put" (I didn't even know they had this sport outside of the Olympics!); Kiyah, "volleyball, field hockey"; and, Kelley, yes, me, "um, does being president of Drama Club count?" The answer, if you're guessing, is no; being president of Drama Club doesn't count. I wasn't an athlete growing up, far from it, in fact. Below, you'll see evidence of my non-athleticism--check out that round face!






















I didn't start running until I was in my mid-twenties, and when I started, I didn't love it. In 2004, I trained for my first half-marathon, hoping to run it with my dad, a marathon-running maniac who didn't start running until he was 50! Frankly, I hated the training, running 10 miles all alone when you don't love running isn't the greatest. After the half-marathon, I basically wrote off the notion of running a marathon--no way was I going to do THAT training alone.

Fast forward to fall 2007, when happenstance brought me together with "the athletes." I learned that running could be fun if you did it right--stayed strong with weight training, cross-trained, mixed it up with long runs and interval training, and, most importantly, ran with fun, smart, interesting women. So, I find myself training for the New York City Marathon to raise money to teach children to lead active, healthy livestyles (something I wish I learned before I was 25!). And, I can tell you that the reason I run is because I like it! Who knew that the little round-faced girl in the photo above would turn into this lady below:

Powered by Slurpee.

Against my better judgment, I (Noel) bought a new pair of Nikes.

Last Friday after the black toenail episode I went to the running shop to purchase a new, larger pair of my favorites, the Asics Gel Kayano, and because they were out of my size I was persuaded to try on a “comparable shoe” before making my decision. I had plans with Jake and Kevin to run a 10-mile loop around DC in the morning and couldn’t run without shoes. The sales clerk came out with a Nike box. I shuddered.

In the mid-1990s I purposefully switched from running in Nikes because of their poor labor practices and workers rights (not to mention human rights) violations. The clerk assured me that because of the backlash among consumers (and the world at large) Nike had cleaned up their act and was now one of the most respected in the business. After trying on the shoe, I acquiesced. The shoe fit magnificently – a wider toe box and cushiony insoles cupping my heels felt like a walking down Easy Street in a lazyboy recliner. I was ready for my run around Capitol Hill.

I met Jake and Kevin at the Eastern Market metro station. We three were suited up and ready to go – heart rate monitors, water bottles, and new shoes for me. Our intention was to run thirteen miles with the promise of a 7-Eleven slurpee at the end. I can roll with that, I thought. No problem. I haven’t had a Slurpee since high school and I ran thirteen miles a few weeks ago. We started off quick – my heart rate shot up. I suddenly missed the plentiful and freshly running water fountains scattered around Rome. We were lucky to find one working fountain in DC. Jake, Kevin and I were talking, catching up, admiring the sights along the mall and sweating under the DC humidity. It’s been a while since I’ve run in a group – it was great! But, by mile seven I was spent. I needed to walk. Running 10 beats per minute above my normal heart rate range left me feeling like I was continuously sprinting for the finish line. But the Slurpee, I thought. I’ve got to earn the Slurpee! Finally, my legs downshifted and my lazyboy feet fell into walk mode. When I caught my breath I started running again, slowly, still smiling, and trying to keep Jake in view as we ran the final stretch up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the 7-Eleven on 8th Street.

Now I know my nutrition friends may not promote sugar-sweetened frozen beverages on a daily basis, or on any basis, but what about the glycogen window? And what about the disgusting (to me) goo that some of my teammates ingest (a-hem, I won’t mention any names here - wink)? Isn’t that stuff is exactly like a Slurpee but without the spoonstraw?

This is what I know: after such a long run in the heat, that Slurpee tasted like an elixir that would let me live forever. I immediately went into robot mode and walked into the CVS to buy camera batteries muttering under my breath “Powered – By – Slurpee! Powered – By – Slurpee.” Jake and I even went back for refills.

Ten minutes later I was wandering through the United States Botanic Garden admiring the pineapple plants, the beautiful Don Juan flower, the exquisite Bleeding Hearts from Africa and (yes, this is true) the Clematis Sugar Candy. See? The world is powered by Slurpee.

Tree roots, mud puddles, and snakes...Oh My!

Natalie, Kelley and I decided to brave the Carolina North trails on Saturday for our 10 mile run. We debated abandoning the plan in favor of the Duke Forest trails, which we all know better, when we learned that Alison and Kona (her chocolate lab and our trailblazer) had a change of plans, but decided against burning the extra gas and stayed closer to home. I had run the trails earlier that week and realized that, what initially seemed like a winding & disconnected series of trails were really just two big loops with optional off-shoots. These off-shoots always lead back to the main trail, and I thought if we do manage to get lost in there we might deserve it.

As we headed into the woods, the paths we had followed the week prior became quite obvious and soon our conversation drifted to more interesting topics than "Do you remember this [fill in the blank object that would indicate we were on the right path]?" and "I think it's just a little further ahead and then a left." After 20 minutes we had hit our stride.

As Natalie outlined her potential dissertation topics, and I glanced down at my heart rate monitor, I hear Kelley, just a few steps in front of me on the single track trail speak a single word. "Snake," she said, as calmly as though she were answering a question about what she had for dinner last night..."pasta." I looked down to see it stretched across the path right before me.
Ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration...but only SLIGHT. Once we were a safe distance away and I slowed to a pace where I could talk again (there was no question which of the "fight or flight" responses my body was choosing) I asked Kelley if it was a copperhead. Learning that it was not, I realized that Kona was good to have around for reasons other than simply showing us the way through the woods.

If Kona had been at the head of the pack, she surely would have shown that snake who was boss. Unlike I did...who ran as fast as possible... in the opposite direction.

-KJD

Back in Black.

I (NOEL – the missing team member) have been somewhat lax in my official marathon training – not for lack of cardio endurance or internal drive, but because I have fallen prey to the infamous BLACK TOENAIL syndrome that I’ve heard so much about but have never experienced firsthand.

The path leading up to the BLACK TOENAIL (isn’t it so much more dramatic in ALL CAPS?) began with a plan to rid myself of the used and tattered running shoes that had served me well. I wanted to start training for the NYC Marathon in freshly cushioned, sparkly white and blue runners, so before leaving for Italy in June I purchased a new pair of Asics Gel Kayano v14 Size 10 on Ebay for $100. This is steal considering they retail for over $135. I’ve been wearing this brand and style of running shoe for over six years, and this was my first time purchasing them on Ebay. My old running shoes had clocked in the miles and my plan was to leave them in Italy to make room in my suitcase for More Important Things (i.e., pasta + espresso + limoncello). Getting rid of the old pair is a story in itself, so if you have the time and curiosity, check out my other blog which details how Mary and I were running from “the law” in Italy in a last ditch attempt to “throw our shoes up.” My intention was to just leave them at the bus stop for someone else to pick up and use (ala Detroit-style) but as is the case with Mary, nothing is ever that simple.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=112176485

Upon return to North Carolina I laced up my new Kayano’s and the toebox felt a little snug. Hmmm. I thought. Same style, same color, and same size as my old shoes, but since they’re new, I must have to break them in. I went for one trail run – it was just okay. My second run on June 30th was here in DC where I’m working. This run marked my first official “track workout” (although done on a treadmill at the gym) and began the decent into toenail transformation.

I can do this, I thought. I just gotta break ‘em in. No worries. I’m TRAINING, I kept telling myself. Like Rocky. Nobody said running a marathon was cake. This positive self-talk kept me going through the weekend’s long run of 9 miles at Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelake/

Burke Lake Park was voted one of the 10 best fitness trails in America by the American Hiking Society, and its 4.7 miles of shoreline trails helped me recharge my batteries after a long week at the office. I was so happy to be out in the woods that I hardly noticed the toes on my left foot wincing with every step. It wasn’t until that evening that “the shiner” appeared. One of my toenails had gone purple, and when I touched it I could feel it all the way up into my armpits. Hmm, this isn’t good, I thought. I glanced over at my shoes, then down at my toenail, then over at my shoes before shaking my fist in the air thinking that somehow I had purchased “fakes” on Ebay! This can’t be! I ran a few more times in said shoes before hitting up the running store in town, and sure enough, when I measured my sockless feet, I had somehow grown to a size 10.5 since I’d lift Italy. Must have been all of the pizza I ate. Haha.

So, since this debacle I’ve been cycling at the gym and examining my toenail daily like it’s some kind of middle school science experiment. I can’t wait for it to fall off so that I can discover the world underneath. (I hope you’re not eating at your computer right now because I’m sure the thought of that is making your stomach turn.) Because the pain has subsided, I was finally able to run today for the scheduled “tempo run” of 6 miles (on the treadmill) and my toenail was cooperative. I did a two mile warm-up (6 mph), three miles at tempo (7-7.5 mph) and a one mile cool-down (6 mph). This weekend, Burke Lake for 10 miles – black toenail or not.

- nlk

Knock, knock, knock on wood

Somewhere between finishing the Owl's Roost Rumble half Marathon with Meghan and Noel, and beginning training for the NY City Marathon a few weeks ago, my shins decided they had had enough.

"We're done, finished, OVER and OUT!" they screamed at me and promptly decided to give me trouble. Even standing up to ride the bike in spinning class made them throb. The docs in sports medicine said it was likely just my body not able to handle the increase in mileage. The physical therapist told me it was because my big toes wasn't quite flexible enough and he added a little piece of tape to my inserts to give it extra "drop". I even had a bone scan...nothing. I crossed my fingers, knocked on every piece of wood I could find, prayed to every God I could think of...I iced, I elevated, I RICED... and still there was little improvement. For those Seinfeld fans out there, I was left imagining my shins with lightening bolts hitting them and given the answers I was getting that may as well have been the cause.

I stopped running for 6 weeks and things got a little better.

Then I went back to yoga. My first night I imagined all my breath going into those shins and as I exhaled I imagined what ever the cause of the pain was leaving my body. It was very, as Meghan would say, oooovy groovy. But I kept at it.

I ran 9 miles on Saturday, and 6 on Monday. And 7 the Sunday before. Now, when I get out of bed in the morning my shins are quite. They're not silent, but I'm able to drown out their voices with just my breath-- and that feels pretty darn good.

- kjd

Track Workout #1

Natalie and I (Kelley) did our first official training track workout this morning at 6:30AM. Following the FIRST program described in Natalie's post below, we did a 10 minute slow warm up followed by 4 sets of 3 minutes fast and 3 minutes recovery, then finished up with another 10 minutes to cool down. These track workouts are not exactly what I'd call fun, but they really do work. I also love how efficient they are--a great workout in a pretty short period of time. That said, you won't see me out there running a track workout by myself--I need one or more of my fellow team members there with me to keep me in check. Thanks for keeping me in check this morning, Natalie!

FIRST Marathon Training Program

For the 2008 NYC Marathon, we have decided to train using the FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) Marathon Training Program.

I (Natalie) decided to try FIRST when I trained for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. There were many reasons I wanted to try the FIRST program. First and foremost, I wanted to pay tribute to my alma mater and some of my undergraduate professors (Bill Pierce) who developed the method. Secondly, I liked the idea of running with purpose 3-4 times a week instead of running every day. I found that I just don't love running enough to be doing it every day. With FIRST, I was able to engage in other forms of physical activity instead of running 6 days a week, which allowed me to stay motivated for my runs. Finally, I liked that the FIRST program allows my body to take a break from all of the pounding that I feel from running. I could spin, swim, and even play tennis.

I have trained for 3 marathons using FIRST and I will never use another program. I found it to be effective (increasing my running pace) and most importantly a great way for me to stay motivated and injury free.

The FIRST program has gained a lot of popularity through Runner's World, but I have become the unofficial spokesperson among all my friends and family. I have run the last few marathons with friends and both of my sisters and I have convinced each person to use FIRST program. This marathon is no different.....

Full Circle (Meghan)

My earliest running memory is watching my dad at his first triathalon at Hagg Lake outside of Portland, OR. Two weeks ago my dad and I did a 100-mile Livestrong bicycle ride that included Hagg Lake.

There is no doubt. My dad is my running inspiration. He started running in his 30's and got a solid 30 years out of his body. He has run too many marathons and ultramarathons for me to count. I grew up hearing about 'running buddies.' There were the noon hour boys at work and the Sunday morning crew. There were nicknames and designated joke tellers. There were always smiles.

While I could see that running was a great thing for my dad, I never really got it. That is, until, I ran with him. For a brief time we both lived in Germany, the land of heavenly trails. My dad didn't have any running buddies and I didn't have any money for a gym. So I ran. We ran. And we talked and laughed and told jokes. And I got it.

We trained for the Berlin Marathon and I tore my achilles 6 weeks out. I had a great time cheering for my dad and sister and a few of his Seattle running buddies. But I really wanted to run.

Fast forward 5 years. My dad ran all the cartilidge out of his ankle and as a last resort had to have his ankle fused 2 years ago. He can no longer run more than 40 minutes. It has been a big adjustment. We have since become cycling partners.

He's never run NYC. I'll do it for him.

9 miles, 90 degrees, 90 percent humidity

OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But this is July in North Carolina.

This was our second official week of training and we actually got to run together again (minus Noel who's in DC). We ran the Carolina North trails. 5 women, 2 dogs, a single goal.

We met at the trail head at 7:30am and were off on the trails. Mix of gravel and single track, rooty trails. We all had a good run. We finished at about a 9:30 minute mile pace and had lots of laughs. Fortunately Kiyah's shins/calves felt good. Despite Natalie's hatred of trail running, not a single fall...this time.

It's pretty amazing that 9 miles seems like a relatively short run to all of us now. But we know we have a long way to go.

We are fired up!

It's official. We are training. 111 days, 22 hours, 37 minutes and 1 second to go!

Check back frequently to watch our progress.