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
Monday, June 30, 2008
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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