Hi everyone,
Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged...don't think I am the best blogger in the world...lol...although if that is something I am not good at..I am ok with it.
Anyway it is so hard to believe that I am only 4 weeks away from running the NYC Marathon! It has been four and a half months of hard training and pushing myself through so many mental obstacles and physical ones.
Back in January it was a struggle to run a mile without gasping for air and on Sunday I completed an 18 mile race...I felt like I was going to die, my time wasn't the best but I finished. I am going to be REAL and tell you that the thought of quitting occurred more times than I would like to admit...not quitting on the marathon but on that particular race. I have also been amazed at how much of a mental challenge this marathon is more than a physical one. There have been times where my body is killing me but whether or not I continue is a matter of what my thoughts are...and if I choose to listen to them. When I forge ahead and get out of the THOUGHT of the pain and just accept the pain then I end up 9 times out of 10 getting a burst of energy to carry me through. There is also such a deeply meditative component to running for over 2 hours....over 3 hours...over 4 hours where you lose track of time and you are almost in a spiritual place by yourself. It has been such a beautiful and humbling experience for me.
My body has hurt and been beaten up more times that I would have liked and I have never ICED my knees so much in my life...I am lucky they don't have frostbite. I am WAY too familiar with brands of energy aides like GU, Power Shots, Shot Blocks and Sharkies and how my body reacts to them than I would ever like to be...I would prefer to be that familiar with names of shoe designers, screenwriters and directors....lol...I also never in my life imagined that I would be keeping track of the amount of sodium and water in my body or have to be super conscious of replenishing both so I don't end up in the hospital. I have also worn out 4 pairs of sneakers along the way. It has been a really interesting and amazing journey.
It is still not over and the next 4 weeks I need to complete on the weekends a 14, 20, 12 and 8 mile long run as well as keep up with my weekly mileage during the week. I have the entire 26.2 miles to run on marathon day which I am really looking forward to since it will mean no more early morning runs on the weekends!
So that is where I am right now....as always, thanks for the love and support!
XO XO
Jen
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Knees, Ice and Passing 10....
Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven't updated this darn thing in awhile. Life has been busy but a lot of fun. In the middle of all this running I found time to see a few summer concerts (John Mayer, George Michael) as well as spent 10 days in Cape Cod where the running conditions are amazing. I have officially hit the double digits in my training....and it is amazing the leap I made from early July to now. I have done about four 10 mile plus runs....I have a 13 miler this coming weekend. A trainer at my gym who is a marathon runner said that the 13 mile mark is the "All Clear" because they say if you can run a half marathon then you can do the whole thing. I am not sure if I buy into that because at the end of long runs....another mile seems like a Herculean feat....
After an 11 mile run last Sunday my right knee was giving me problems...which I accurately self-diagnosed as "Runner's Knee" or "Irritated Knee-Cap" which apparently is quite common in women who aren't regular runners and it usually crops up when you pass the 10 mile mark. So I took the week off from running (just during the week) and I instead did lots of leg strength training and spinning classes. I ran 3 times during the week but just a mile and half each time just to keep my breath and heart tuned up. ICE became my best friend...I am now using ice on both knees at night and in the morning. Alleve was a big help too to keep any inflammation down. It seemed to do the trick...on Sunday I was able to do an 11 mile Central Park run...those of you not in NYC...Central Park has a six mile loop which is quite hilly...long long inclines and a huge drop followed by a big hill...who would think that Manhattan would be that hilly but it is.
Anyway, I feel really good and I am at the point in the marathon training where my week involves ALOT of running...I have a 3 miler, 7 miler, 4 miler and 13 miler this week alone....which funny enough equals 27 miles.....
So onwards and upwards...thanks again to all of you for your amazing support and love!
Sorry I haven't updated this darn thing in awhile. Life has been busy but a lot of fun. In the middle of all this running I found time to see a few summer concerts (John Mayer, George Michael) as well as spent 10 days in Cape Cod where the running conditions are amazing. I have officially hit the double digits in my training....and it is amazing the leap I made from early July to now. I have done about four 10 mile plus runs....I have a 13 miler this coming weekend. A trainer at my gym who is a marathon runner said that the 13 mile mark is the "All Clear" because they say if you can run a half marathon then you can do the whole thing. I am not sure if I buy into that because at the end of long runs....another mile seems like a Herculean feat....
After an 11 mile run last Sunday my right knee was giving me problems...which I accurately self-diagnosed as "Runner's Knee" or "Irritated Knee-Cap" which apparently is quite common in women who aren't regular runners and it usually crops up when you pass the 10 mile mark. So I took the week off from running (just during the week) and I instead did lots of leg strength training and spinning classes. I ran 3 times during the week but just a mile and half each time just to keep my breath and heart tuned up. ICE became my best friend...I am now using ice on both knees at night and in the morning. Alleve was a big help too to keep any inflammation down. It seemed to do the trick...on Sunday I was able to do an 11 mile Central Park run...those of you not in NYC...Central Park has a six mile loop which is quite hilly...long long inclines and a huge drop followed by a big hill...who would think that Manhattan would be that hilly but it is.
Anyway, I feel really good and I am at the point in the marathon training where my week involves ALOT of running...I have a 3 miler, 7 miler, 4 miler and 13 miler this week alone....which funny enough equals 27 miles.....
So onwards and upwards...thanks again to all of you for your amazing support and love!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Fourth of July - Fireworks in the sky and on the ground...
Hi there everyone,
Hope you all had a Happy 4th of July!
I escaped the humidity and heat of NYC for the overcast and cool skies of Cape Cod. I got out of the city on Wednesday night and was so happy at the wonderful beach and running weather of the Cape. Thursday was a wonderful 3.5 mile run - the same one I did Memorial Day weekend except this time it was effortless. I can really feel how well my body has adjusted to the training. Thursday afternoon I mapped out an awesome 8 mile run to Chappaquoit Beach which is a route that is super heavy on hills - in fact it is basically all hills the entire way along the ocean. So Friday I took it easy and ran 2 miles and walked 1 mile because I knew I had the big long run the next day.
I woke up on Saturday and my family were making bacon, sausage, hash browns, eggs and toast...I resisted and prepped for my run with lots of water and a good 20 minutes of stretching. I told my family to drive the route to look for me if I wasn't back in 2 hours...lol! The 4 miles to "Chappy" were a breeze and my pace was right on target even on all of those hills. On the way back things went well until about mile 6.5 when all my toes went numb. I got nervous and had horrible images of my toes turning black and having to be chopped off due to lack of circulation and I couldn't stop those images from running through my mind - the level of paranoia was hysterical now but quite frightening in the moment. Ha ha! So I am running and moving and scrunching my toes trying to get some life back in them and I just pushed ahead reminding myself that I only have a mile and a half left...no big deal. The last mile felt as good as the first one and I was done! I did a very difficult 8 mile run and it made me feel like some sort of super hero! I could see fireworks going off and a big band cheering me on....all in my mind of course!
As a follow-up - I looked up the toe numb thing and apparently sometimes when running over 5 miles a nerve is pinched and you lose feeling. So they say to land differently and it helps. Good knowledge to store away.
Sorry I don't have anything more exciting to report. I am just eating like a truck driver...very healthy foods but often because of all the calories I am burning every day. The running is becoming an addiction...every day I can't wait to get my run in and all day I think about my upcoming run. I asked my other friends training for the marathon if they are getting obsessive and they all said they were too. I guess when you are focused and passionate about something you do sink all your time and energy into it....new love, a new part, a new film you are writing etc.
So I am remembering to stay PRESENT and ENGAGED....which has helped with the obsession a lot!
Till next time.....
XO,
Jen
Hope you all had a Happy 4th of July!
I escaped the humidity and heat of NYC for the overcast and cool skies of Cape Cod. I got out of the city on Wednesday night and was so happy at the wonderful beach and running weather of the Cape. Thursday was a wonderful 3.5 mile run - the same one I did Memorial Day weekend except this time it was effortless. I can really feel how well my body has adjusted to the training. Thursday afternoon I mapped out an awesome 8 mile run to Chappaquoit Beach which is a route that is super heavy on hills - in fact it is basically all hills the entire way along the ocean. So Friday I took it easy and ran 2 miles and walked 1 mile because I knew I had the big long run the next day.
I woke up on Saturday and my family were making bacon, sausage, hash browns, eggs and toast...I resisted and prepped for my run with lots of water and a good 20 minutes of stretching. I told my family to drive the route to look for me if I wasn't back in 2 hours...lol! The 4 miles to "Chappy" were a breeze and my pace was right on target even on all of those hills. On the way back things went well until about mile 6.5 when all my toes went numb. I got nervous and had horrible images of my toes turning black and having to be chopped off due to lack of circulation and I couldn't stop those images from running through my mind - the level of paranoia was hysterical now but quite frightening in the moment. Ha ha! So I am running and moving and scrunching my toes trying to get some life back in them and I just pushed ahead reminding myself that I only have a mile and a half left...no big deal. The last mile felt as good as the first one and I was done! I did a very difficult 8 mile run and it made me feel like some sort of super hero! I could see fireworks going off and a big band cheering me on....all in my mind of course!
As a follow-up - I looked up the toe numb thing and apparently sometimes when running over 5 miles a nerve is pinched and you lose feeling. So they say to land differently and it helps. Good knowledge to store away.
Sorry I don't have anything more exciting to report. I am just eating like a truck driver...very healthy foods but often because of all the calories I am burning every day. The running is becoming an addiction...every day I can't wait to get my run in and all day I think about my upcoming run. I asked my other friends training for the marathon if they are getting obsessive and they all said they were too. I guess when you are focused and passionate about something you do sink all your time and energy into it....new love, a new part, a new film you are writing etc.
So I am remembering to stay PRESENT and ENGAGED....which has helped with the obsession a lot!
Till next time.....
XO,
Jen
Monday, June 30, 2008
Move on down...move on down the road....
Hi everyone,
Well I am in my 2nd week of training and things are going great. I ran about 18 miles last week and I feel really strong and healthy.
It is amazing how much running is more of a mental challenge than anything else. I had a hard day on Tuesday of last week...for some reason my breathe was off...I was getting a cramp in my side and my legs felt like they were full of concrete. I was running and I honestly wanted to cry because I was so frustrated. I had so many good runs in the previous days and I could believe that running a simple 3 miler was beating me to the ground. Then I had a total AHA moment...that is life. Sometimes for no reason at all you are swimming in the pool of crap and you don't know how you landed there but it smells really bad and it is gross and you just want to cry. So I cried a little and I kept on running. I finished the 3 miles...my time wasn't good and I felt YUCK about the whole thing but I finished. I finished....
The next day my legs felt like gold and I easily ran at a quick pace a nice 6 mile run with ease. I DON'T GET....I probably never will.... The day of the marathon could be a day in the pool of crap or it could be my I GOT A GOLDEN TICKET day....who knows? All I know is that I need to prepare myself to persevere regardless of how my day is going. That begs the question of how do you prepare for a mental challenge? I guess my only answer at the moment is that you just keep focus...you remember that as bad as it may feel in that one moment...it is ONE moment that you need to get through...and you deal with one at a time until you are in the moment that feels better. The moment that feels better is just around the corner...
That's all I have for now...
With love...
Jen
Well I am in my 2nd week of training and things are going great. I ran about 18 miles last week and I feel really strong and healthy.
It is amazing how much running is more of a mental challenge than anything else. I had a hard day on Tuesday of last week...for some reason my breathe was off...I was getting a cramp in my side and my legs felt like they were full of concrete. I was running and I honestly wanted to cry because I was so frustrated. I had so many good runs in the previous days and I could believe that running a simple 3 miler was beating me to the ground. Then I had a total AHA moment...that is life. Sometimes for no reason at all you are swimming in the pool of crap and you don't know how you landed there but it smells really bad and it is gross and you just want to cry. So I cried a little and I kept on running. I finished the 3 miles...my time wasn't good and I felt YUCK about the whole thing but I finished. I finished....
The next day my legs felt like gold and I easily ran at a quick pace a nice 6 mile run with ease. I DON'T GET....I probably never will.... The day of the marathon could be a day in the pool of crap or it could be my I GOT A GOLDEN TICKET day....who knows? All I know is that I need to prepare myself to persevere regardless of how my day is going. That begs the question of how do you prepare for a mental challenge? I guess my only answer at the moment is that you just keep focus...you remember that as bad as it may feel in that one moment...it is ONE moment that you need to get through...and you deal with one at a time until you are in the moment that feels better. The moment that feels better is just around the corner...
That's all I have for now...
With love...
Jen
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A Full Circle Moment and Some Geneology
This weekend I traveled up to Boston with my mom for my cousin David's graduation party. On the way up there I was filling her in on the marathon and was talking about how happy I was to be running for Team Children's Hospital Boston. My mom said to me "You had your feet fixed there.". I was shocked. Years ago when I was a really young child...between 1 and 3 years old I had feet that turned in so they were facing each other so I had a really difficult time walking. I knew this but I was way to young to remember anything about it. My mom told me that it was about 18 months of physical therapy and special shoes before my feet were corrected and this all took place at Children's Hospital Boston. Now about 30 years later...I am running the NYC Marathon for Children's Hospital Boston....with those feet that were corrected there and I had no idea. If that isn't a full circle moment I don't know what is!
We also stopped in and visited my moms parents since we were in Boston. I was talking to my Grandpa Salenius about the marathon and he told me that in the 60's the Finnish dominated the Boston Marathon. The most famous Finn was Eino Oksanen who won three years in a row - this was before the Kenyans began dominating the race. He told me that he has no doubt I will do a great job at the marathon because of my Finnish blood...which by the way comes from him! He said that the Finnish have a word that describes me perfectly and it is "Sisu"...which roughly translated means a "deep ingrained will and inner strength".
Wikpedia: Sisu is a Finnish term that could be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. The equivalent in English is "to have guts", and indeed, the word derives from sisus, which means something inner or interior. However, sisu has a long-term element in it; it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain the same.
I just thought this was pretty cool...I knew the Finns could fish but I never imagined that running would be something that could be coming through me via my Finnish genealogy!
I headed to Cape Cod on Saturday afternoon and had the nice surprise of my brother, sister in law and nephew showing up. So I got to spend a wonderful day at the beach with little Cameron on Sunday. My family is so amazing and supportive of my training schedule and made a point of waiting for me to finish my run before we all had breakfast together. I was planning on doing a 4 mile run but instead went out for a faster pace and many hills on a 2.5 mile run. The sun was beating down very hot but I was able to finish it easily and at about a 10 minute mile pace which with all the hills was very good for me. So the training is on track..I have a dinner tomorrow night with a friend so I am getting to the gym in the morning to get my run in then.
What an interesting weekend!
So far so good.......
XO,
Jen
We also stopped in and visited my moms parents since we were in Boston. I was talking to my Grandpa Salenius about the marathon and he told me that in the 60's the Finnish dominated the Boston Marathon. The most famous Finn was Eino Oksanen who won three years in a row - this was before the Kenyans began dominating the race. He told me that he has no doubt I will do a great job at the marathon because of my Finnish blood...which by the way comes from him! He said that the Finnish have a word that describes me perfectly and it is "Sisu"...which roughly translated means a "deep ingrained will and inner strength".
Wikpedia: Sisu is a Finnish term that could be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. The equivalent in English is "to have guts", and indeed, the word derives from sisus, which means something inner or interior. However, sisu has a long-term element in it; it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain the same.
I just thought this was pretty cool...I knew the Finns could fish but I never imagined that running would be something that could be coming through me via my Finnish genealogy!
I headed to Cape Cod on Saturday afternoon and had the nice surprise of my brother, sister in law and nephew showing up. So I got to spend a wonderful day at the beach with little Cameron on Sunday. My family is so amazing and supportive of my training schedule and made a point of waiting for me to finish my run before we all had breakfast together. I was planning on doing a 4 mile run but instead went out for a faster pace and many hills on a 2.5 mile run. The sun was beating down very hot but I was able to finish it easily and at about a 10 minute mile pace which with all the hills was very good for me. So the training is on track..I have a dinner tomorrow night with a friend so I am getting to the gym in the morning to get my run in then.
What an interesting weekend!
So far so good.......
XO,
Jen
Friday, June 6, 2008
Discipline spreads like a rash....
One last thought for today....I have noticed that the more disciplined I have gotten in my workout schedule...the cleaner my house is...the more organized I am....I have been at my very best as far as productivity with my writing and acting and in general I just have everything really pulled together.
I think discipline is something that allows us to be focused and in that focus we can get a lot more done. I have never been a huge advocate of productivity for the sake of "being productive" because frankly that just sounds tedious and not very fun! It also allows you to overwork because you are now the hampster on the treadmill of "productivity". I am talking about being disciplined in the sense of making the time to workout, creating the time and environment to write for a few hours and just getting all your STUFF done....then all that extra time is spent being deliciously luxurious...relaxing with friends or just doing something that is a wonderful WASTE OF TIME....so embrace the focus...and enjoy wasting your time...it will be the best time you spent...lol...
Have a great weekend!
Jen
I think discipline is something that allows us to be focused and in that focus we can get a lot more done. I have never been a huge advocate of productivity for the sake of "being productive" because frankly that just sounds tedious and not very fun! It also allows you to overwork because you are now the hampster on the treadmill of "productivity". I am talking about being disciplined in the sense of making the time to workout, creating the time and environment to write for a few hours and just getting all your STUFF done....then all that extra time is spent being deliciously luxurious...relaxing with friends or just doing something that is a wonderful WASTE OF TIME....so embrace the focus...and enjoy wasting your time...it will be the best time you spent...lol...
Have a great weekend!
Jen
Training Has Begun.....
Well this week was my first week of training or I guess you could say "official" training since most of you know I have been killing it since January. It is so funny I am just naturally inclined to be overly ambitious...I think it really is hard coded into my DNA.
I had an amazing 4 mile run on Tuesday...it is the first time EVER or at least in the past 8 years where I enjoyed the run instead of just being sheer agony. I could natter on about conditioning...that all the spinning, body sculpt, abs, core fusion classes are paying off and my body is now fit...blah blah blah. I think I just got out of my own way and let my body do what it does the best. I actually felt like an athlete again which I haven't felt in years...it was like my body remembered what my mind forgot. It was like "Yeah Jen, this is what we do...we like this." and then that message was given to my mind. So I enjoyed the run!
So in typical Jen fashion...lets do 4.5 miles on Wednesday since 4 miles was so easy yesterday and then body conditioning and then abs session for 30 minutes. Lol....back to the overly ambitious. So after spinning on Thursday and a short 2 mile run and then acting class on Thursday night (yes, my acting class is physical and awesome)...my poor body is like "STOP". So my point is...I need to learn moderation or I am going to get burnt out or injured. Today I am not doing a darn thing and I am going to like it...no I don't like it...I am trying to convince myself I like it but I feel guilty so I am going to embrace the guilt and let my body recover.
This weekend I will be in Boston and Cape Cod so I will do a nice Cape run on Saturday and Sunday morning. Big shout out to my cousin Katie who really got me into training mode over Memorial Day Weekend when she KICKED my butt on multiple runs at the Cape. I am very competitive...and to be struggling a few paces behind Katie on our runs did more for my running than anything ever could...so thank you baby!
More soon!
Hugs and Kisses,
Jen
I had an amazing 4 mile run on Tuesday...it is the first time EVER or at least in the past 8 years where I enjoyed the run instead of just being sheer agony. I could natter on about conditioning...that all the spinning, body sculpt, abs, core fusion classes are paying off and my body is now fit...blah blah blah. I think I just got out of my own way and let my body do what it does the best. I actually felt like an athlete again which I haven't felt in years...it was like my body remembered what my mind forgot. It was like "Yeah Jen, this is what we do...we like this." and then that message was given to my mind. So I enjoyed the run!
So in typical Jen fashion...lets do 4.5 miles on Wednesday since 4 miles was so easy yesterday and then body conditioning and then abs session for 30 minutes. Lol....back to the overly ambitious. So after spinning on Thursday and a short 2 mile run and then acting class on Thursday night (yes, my acting class is physical and awesome)...my poor body is like "STOP". So my point is...I need to learn moderation or I am going to get burnt out or injured. Today I am not doing a darn thing and I am going to like it...no I don't like it...I am trying to convince myself I like it but I feel guilty so I am going to embrace the guilt and let my body recover.
This weekend I will be in Boston and Cape Cod so I will do a nice Cape run on Saturday and Sunday morning. Big shout out to my cousin Katie who really got me into training mode over Memorial Day Weekend when she KICKED my butt on multiple runs at the Cape. I am very competitive...and to be struggling a few paces behind Katie on our runs did more for my running than anything ever could...so thank you baby!
More soon!
Hugs and Kisses,
Jen
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Jennifer....the marathon....and Children's Hospital Boston
Hi everyone - thanks for checking out my blog....I have never been into the whole "blog" thing but so many of my lovely friends and family have been so supportive on my push to run the NYC Marathon on November 2nd that I thought the easiest way for everyone to share this journey with me is through the blog...
I didn't get into the marathon through the regular lottery so I am running for charity. I chose Miracle for Miles because it is for Children's Hospital Boston. As many of you know, my roots are in Boston as well as 99.9% of my family. I also went to college at Northeastern which is just down the road from Children's. My brother was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was a child and I was just a little girl so I know first hand how hard it is for children to understand when they are diagnosed and it is crucial for them to have support, love and education. I am passionate about raising as much as I can for Children's Hospital and thanks for your support!
Lots of love!
Jennifer
I didn't get into the marathon through the regular lottery so I am running for charity. I chose Miracle for Miles because it is for Children's Hospital Boston. As many of you know, my roots are in Boston as well as 99.9% of my family. I also went to college at Northeastern which is just down the road from Children's. My brother was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was a child and I was just a little girl so I know first hand how hard it is for children to understand when they are diagnosed and it is crucial for them to have support, love and education. I am passionate about raising as much as I can for Children's Hospital and thanks for your support!
Lots of love!
Jennifer
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