as my mom would say, quite a "get-up"

i took my day off yesterday instead of today per the schedule. novemeber is the month that it gets tough. we supposed to run every day but two, and one of those we need to cross train. it is time to get serious and kick some ass.

because i knew i would not run after work, i had to get up this morning. as usual, i didn't want to. i was tired, having been out last night. i hadn't eaten dinner. i think i'm getting the disgusting chest-cold thing that has been plaguing everyone at my agency. because of my declaration to kick some ass, i knew i would hate myself all day if i didn't get up.

i checked the temp and it was 36 degrees. yikes. i remembered one of the coaches saying that you can run in shorts in the 40's but i thought i was going to be freezing. my apartment is still a mess, i haven't unpacked 1/2 my stuff and i could not for the life of me find any of my pants that are approrpriate for running.

what to do! as i dug around, i spied a certain accessory i had bought for my halloween costume...hmmm. did i have the guts? yeah i did. shorts, fleece, found a red sox winter cap, sneaks...and yes. leg warmers.



like i said. quite a get-up.

the run was okay. i was glad i was out there. i was a little dehydrated. a little tired. the hill-soreness kicked in. but i did it, and i've been maintaining my pace. i'm going to go to bed super early tonight because i canNOT be sick. and tomorrow...15 miles i think.

today's mileage: 4
total mileage: 172.7

i am becoming a great athlete with a great heart

those tnt people rock. after yesterday's crazy work out, we got not only a proud e-mail from ramon, but a hill graduation certificate. check it out.



and i'll share a few of words of the e-mail from ramon. i'm so very very proud. oh yes, i am.

-What doesn't kill you makes us stronger! you guessed it ! I you are reading this, I can guarantee you are now fitter, faster, stronger than 6 weeks ago, don't thank the coaches, thank the hills and all your efforts.

-This is just one stop in a long trip: just because we conquered those hills, it doesn't mean that our job is done or things will get easier, NO WAY! Now that I know what you are capable of, YOU are in big trouble !!

-Who are you? : If I was going to tell you 10 weeks ago, that you'd be doing a workout like yesterday's , you'd probably have laughed at me, now that you have done it, continue to trust your coaches, and more important TRUST YOURSELF !!

I can only say, that you have shown the commitment and dedication from day one, the coaches are proud and happy to see How your big day it's getting closer and closer, you are going to do amazing when the day comes….NO FREAKING DOUBT !!!

As a reward to your efforts You'll be getting your Hill Graduation Certificate !! a little something that you all deserve for your dedication, hard work, willingness, for putting up with us coaches !

One more week done, one less before marathon glory ! It's truly an honor watching you becoming what you are becoming !!
GREAT ATHLETE WITH GREAT HEARTS !!THANKS for Making a difference !!

off topic: my soapbox

mid-term elections are NEAR!! and everyone best be out voting, especially if you live in a district where the race is tight!

the dems have a chance to win back congress, let's get out there and do something people! it is no longer okay to sit back and believe that other people are going to do the work. it is not alright to shrug your shoulders and say "that's just the way things are." right now is a critical time for our country and our world for so many reasons - it is our responsibility NOW to get up and question, shout, discuss, act and demand change! the united states of america was born out of a group of people that were not afraid to fight for what they believed in, and it is time to reclaim that spirit and start being INVOLVED AGAIN, god damn it! you want freedom? you want freedom and democracy to stand for something good? then it's time to stop taking it for granted and give it a little of your time.

woah. i guess i'm a little feisty this morning, huh?

so how?

1. vote. duh.

2. call for change: check out moveon.org where you can sign up for groups that are taking some time this weekend to call "unlikely voters" - democratic leaning people that don't often vote in mid-term elections - to make sure they get out and vote.

3. make a monitary contribution to Democracy For America. with contributions thus far, DFA has been able to launch radio spots in targeted districts, and your funds can help continue these efforts as well as give DFA-List candidates much-needed funds to put them over the top.

4. be an active citizen: stay informed and engaged. read the news. stay on top of the issues. have a stand.

and if my empassioned outburst hasn't inspired you, here are some reasons from our friend al gore that may...

Why should you pick up the phone?

Do it because the ice is melting in the Arctic, in Greenland and all over the world, and unless we take on the climate crisis soon, we could cross a point of no return.

Do it because the war in Iraq is a disaster, and our brave men and women who are fighting and dying there need an honorable and speedy path home.

Do it because in the wealthiest nation in the world, there are millions of kids who can't go the doctor when they get sick because they don't have health care.

Do it because President Bush and this Congress have chipped away at our fundamental rights—rights guaranteed every citizen—that make our country a beacon of freedom. Do it because our government shouldn't be able to wire-tap innocent citizens without a warrant.

Do it because of Abu Ghraib. Do it to tell the world that America won't sanction torture—and we fire the politicians who do. That's the real no-brainer.

Do it because five years after September 11th, President Bush and the Republican Congress have made us all less safe.

But most of all, do it because the country we all love needs our help. Our democracy is in trouble. America needs you. And in these next four days, you can come to her aid.

This election represents our greatest opportunity in decades to tilt our nation toward a progressive future. Making some calls to infrequent voters only takes an hour or two. But if thousands of us do this together, we can make history.

no more hills!!

tonight was officially our last night of hill training - yeah!!

in celebration of our "graduation" we were going to be running up and down the largest hill in central park until the coaches said stop. yeeeeeeah. this hill, harlem hill, is intimidating when you have to go up on a "normal" run, never mind running up and down it. i remember when i was biking at the park in training for my ride last year how i hated that hill. and now...i can run it. ha.

tonight was also the first practice that drew made it too (don't worry, he's been running on his own). can't believe i didn't have my damn camera. it was fun to have all four of us. as i've known all along, we're a good little crew and it was cool to have us all together.

so we went from 90th on the east side in an easy warm-up up to 110th street on the westside. the idea was to apply all our hill-learnings to this evening's practice. we would split the hill in two - run the first 1/2 at a high effort level, the second 1/2 at a normal one, then recover on the way back down. then the next time, run the first 1/2 normal effort, and the 1/2 half on. recover on the way back down. ramon stood in the middle marking the 1/2 way point and lovingly harassed us.

i had some new aches and pains, but i'm chalking them up to the heels i was sporting for halloween. we did 5 return trips. after coming home and looking it up, one way was about a 1/2 mile, maybe a little more. then, each way up and back was another 1.3 miles. which means we ran 7.6 miles (at least!) tonight. that, is amazing. it felt, not like nothing, no run (for me) feels like nothing, but it sure didn't feel like 7.5 miles.

and i'm damn proud. nice work char, handsome and drew!

today's mileage: 7.6
total mileage: 168.7

it's official.

so today i did all sorts of official marathon arranging.

i filled out my recommittment forms. these are more for people that haven't raised their minimum yet (which i have). they basically state that you are committed to raising the fundraising minimum and if you haven't made 25% yet, you put down a deposit of that amount. thank you for seeing to it that i would not have to do that! :)

i had to buy tickets for the post-marathon celebration, fill out the official marathon paperwork and choose roommates (charlotte's going to be my roommate of course). i'm officially in.

i also booked my plane ticket. we leave the friday before the marathon on the 14th, and i'm going to stay for an extra 5 days or so. i'm so excited - grand canyon and some other arizona/new mexico activities. i cannot wait for the road trip!

envision: a car, ribbons of highway, drivin' tunes, my cameras, painted desert, wide open spaces...the perfect marathon reward.