Thank Goodness for Michele!

All I have to say today, is THANK GOODNESS for Michele! Not only did she get me out on the track for a great track workout on Christmas Eve, but she acted today not only as a trainer, and a friend, but as a therapist too today!!!

The track workout on Wednesday was great - it is the first time I've ever done one and I am hoping that doing them on the regular will help with my endurance -- although it was tough, it was a great workout and I really enjoyed changing things up.

Today we went out to Burke Lake - -a favorite run of mine. It is so beautiful and peaceful and the run is about 4.5 miles (maybe a little less). Today on the way there I got a ticket (awesome), which capped off a very rough week. The holidays were tough for me this year and this morning it just kind of boiled over... so when Michele and I got out to BL, I spent the first 20 or so minutes of the run needing an ear (and a shoulder...). But -- Michele kept me going, even when I didn't want to and kept me moving forward. Even though the run wasn't the best I've ever done, it was good to push myself both physically and mentally.

Besides feeling crappy mentally, my body was still tired from earlier in the week - I ran and did cycle on Monday, cycle Tuesday and track workout on Wednesday. I took Thursday and Friday off and today my muscles were still a bit tired. I am hoping that taking tomorrow off will help and running easy on Monday will help get me geared up for another strong week.

As for the marathon itself, I am feeling strong about it right now. I am training SMART this year -- last year I just kind of messed around. Last year the biggest problem was I didn't know if I could finish or not -- and this year, I know I can do it -- and I want to do it better and do it right. I think by listening to my body, taking care of it, and training correctly will all lead me to be even more successful than last year.

And in terms of support, I know that I have a stronger group of supporters than I did last year -- people who WANT to help me, rather then one who feels an obligation to do so. The difference is amazing and I can't even being to explain how much it means to have it. I feel so blessed to have Michele in my life, along with the long list of friends. family and of course teammates, who are supporting me -- so THANK YOU to everyone!!!!

Well now it's time to go play... Happy Saturday Night! :)

BURRRR

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Please use the link here to donate:http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock09/sperry

Well the holidays are here -- and that means that the darn temperature keeps dropping. Today I woke up and ran with Michele and Caitlin out in Fairfax... I am not sure how it happened but the temp seemed to DROP as we ran... It was a brisk 24 degrees when we finished. I swear my butt is still defrosting from the run. I really think that in a situation like that you have to run 6+ miles to even begin to warm up... (don't get too excited - we only did three). BUT I think that running with girlfriends is a great way to start the week! :)

As for the fundraising, things are going great so far - everyone is being incredibly generous - and in a tough economy like this, it is great to know that people are still willing to give to such a great cause as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

One thing I haven't talked about yet this year is my amazing TEAM! I absolutely LOVE the team - a bunch of us went out last Thursday after the fundraising clinic in Cleveland Park and I had SO much fun! I will post a few photos soon so everyone can see that TNT is fun not only DURING the trainings and race, but also outside. We have some amazing captains and personalities on the team and I know that it is going to be a great season! I can't wait until after the holidays so we can all get together again! :)

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock09/sperry

That time of year again...

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock09/sperry

2008 has been a seriously CRAPPY year... well not the whole thing, but the majority of it has really sucked ass (you know what I'm talking about here folks... no need to go into details)... so to help get back to where I want to be I thought long and hard about the things that matter the most to me - -and the things that make me most happy.

One of those things was my past participation with Team in Training. Last year, although I did have the support of others background, it was and incredible experience overall and I was able to accomplish something that I never thought I could do. It was ME who crossed that finish line and it will be ME, along with my ENTIRE team, crossing again this spring.

Yes, that's right. I have decided to participate again in Team in Training. This year, not just as a participant but as one of the two training captains with the spring season. Training captains are another source of motivation and help for participants throughout the season. We are the ones who coordinate and set up the waterstops, help with the logistics of the training runs and keep people motivated and positive throughout the season. I can not begin to express how honored I am to be in this role -- I was so excited just to be picked to be a captain and the additional responsibility of becoming a training captain is amazing.

With the training, comes the fundraising ... I have created a group on Facebook and I am asking all the members to donate $10 to my TNT fund. So far, we have raised about $170 -- which is great. I am also going to be doing a few different things this year, including selling rights to my "ho" -- for the price of just $300, someone can "own" the ho -- they can write and decorate the ho for the marathon in whatever way they want -- obviously within reason. So, if you want rights to the HO, be the first to donate $300.

Just as last year, I will track my journey through this blog. Feel free to check back often, comment and of course, donate.

As always, thanks for your support -- this is the first step in making 2009 a success for both myself AND the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock09/sperry

The Sweet Smell of Finishing!!!

Ok, so maybe I didn't smell too sweet after finishing the marathon, but BOY did I feel good. 

I did it! I really did it! 

Trying to explain the feeling as I ran down the finish line area was one of the best moments of my life. Knowing that I was able to accomplish something that I never thought that I would be able to do was overwhelming. The entire marathon was overwhelming. It was challenging, but when I got to about mile 24 and I knew I was going to finish, it was very emotional for me. 

I started the race out a bit fearful. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know what the outcome would be. As I climbed into the first 7 miles, I was nervous and it took a while for me to find a pace. There were a lot more hill then I anticipated and the rolling hills were harder then I expected since I didn't train for them. I struggled during those first few miles. 

As I passed the 10 mile mark, I continued to climb up the hills, but knowing that I had the support of Tom, Scholl and my parents on the course helped me out. Reaching the 13.1 mark was exciting knowing that I was half way there. It was a bit disconcerting when I saw the half marathoners break off, but knowing that it was "downhill" from that point helped (it wasn't actually downhill, it was uphill for at LEAST four more miles)

During the second half the crowd thinned out and we ran in a more secluded area, which was nice, but also a lot different. The were spots of crowds, but it was different from the start. The hills continued through miles 16 and 17. We ran out by a lake, which reminded me a lot of our fletchers running route, which was nice because I was able to channel my training. 

As we rounded to the last six miles, I was encouraged that the finish was close. We were out on another lake, and it was very lonely, but knowing that we only had a few miles to go helped us push through. We did walk a lot on the last six miles and we were physically and mentally exhausted. If it wasn't for Colleen, I wouldn't have made it through the last six miles (well really the whole thing). 

Running the last mile or so was amazing.  Colleen and I were together and as we crossed the finish line, she grabbed my hand and we raised our arms and crossed together. It was amazing and it gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. 

Now that I've finished, I want to do it again. Although the journey was long and hard, I want to do it again and I want to do better. I want to run the entire time and I want  to finish with a better time. I know I can do it now and now i want to do it again... I guess you could say I have the bug!

Thank you to everyone who supported me and helped me reach this goal. I'll be back to start it again soon -- this time with the Marine Corps marathon as my goal! :) 

It's almost here...

Well, I am less than 24 hours out.

I got to Nashville yesterday morning. The flight wasn't bad... I think that my nerves were more focused on the race then anything else. We went to the expo, then this morning we ended up going on a short run, which was hilly!!! WOAH. Lotsa hills here in Nashville.

Anyway, it is really starting to hit me that tomorrow is the actual race. Five long months of preperation come down to hopefully less than five hours of work. I have so many emotions - I am nervous, I am scared and even a little doubtful. I want to finish this. I WILL FINISH THIS.

I don't really knwo what to expect tomorrow - except a lot of people, hills and some pain. But I know I can do it. I have to believe in myself. There are so many other peopel that believe in me, it is time to do it.

It really has been overwhelming the amount of support that I've received from friends and family. I know I am not in this alone. I know there are people out there thinking of me tomorrow. I am not doing this alone. I may be out there running but there are people pushing me along at home -- and that is what makes me know I can do this. So, thank you to all of you that believe in me.

And a special thank you to those that will actually BE there with me - the Keoghs, Ryan Scholl, my parents and of course, my rock, Tom.

So the next time I post, it will be over. I will be a marathon FINISHER.

26.2.

It's almost here.

I've put in the miles. I've put in the time. I've raised over $3,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. 

There is one thing left to do... run the marathon. 

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared out of my pants... I know I am physically ready. It is the mental part. I need to get myself in the mindset. Get myself psyched up. Get excited and to believe in myself. DO IT!

We leave on Thursday and run Saturday at 7 am. I don't know my race number yet, but I will be sure to post it so everyone can follow along. I will be posting all week so until then...

GO TEAM!

NO PAIN!!!!

Well, it may have been a while, but what an update I have.

First and foremost, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who helped me reach my fundraising goal! Now I want to go above and beyond, so if you know anyone who would be interested in donating, send them to my website!!!!!! So far I have raised $3,100, which is great. I have decided to donate the entire NCAA Pool to Colleen, since she needs the money to reach her goal and I have already reached mine. I figure all the money goes to LLS in the end, so if it helps her reach her goal, it is all good!!!

On another, great, amazing, I-never-thought-I-would-do-it note, on Sunday, I ran 20 (yes, 20) miles!!!!!! And surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. 

I spent the entire last week stressing out about the big run. Since we are traveling to Tampa this weekend, I wasn't able to do the 20 with the team, so I had to add six onto the existing 14 that the team was doing. 

I was stressing because when we had to run 18, my knee was bugging me and I stopped after six. I was frustrated, scared and not really sure if I was actually going to be able to do it. The week leading up to Sunday was rough because mentally I was doubting myself, doubting my decision to run and doubting that I could actually do it. 

Insert My Rock: TOM. 

He has been my saving grace through this entire journey. When I first called him to tell him that I wanted to do it, he was on a bus to NYC and he told me from the start that it was going to be tough and that there were going to be times where I would give up things (going out) and that there were going to be times in which I doubted myself and that I would want to give up - just like last week. 

Well, last week, he got me in the right mindset, kicked my ass, put on Rocky II and Rocky IV and got me to believe in myself again. And after the run, he said to me that what he saw before I left was a smile -- something he doesn't always see before my big runs. It is without this support that I wouldn't be able to make it. 

As for the run itself, it was good. Very good. I started running directly from our apartment and crossed the Iwo Jima just as the sun came up. It was stunning as the sun came up over the monuments across the river. I have to say, I am lucky to have a backdrop like DC to train for this. From there I crossed the bridge and traveled to meet the TNT team at Fletchers. 

The rest of the run was good - and I felt strong both mentally and physically. I think when you get to mileage like this, it really comes down to how you are mentally. Having the support of the TNT team is the best possibly situation in training like this. There is nothing like running and having people encourage you!! 

As I neared my final 2-3 miles, I cranked up some Rocky and thought of the scenes that Tom pointed out to me the night before - in Rocky IV when he is getting his ass beat down by Duke and he continues to push and say "NO PAIN"... as I got tired, I thought to myself "NO PAIN" and of course the mantra "WIN SAM WIN"... nothing like a little Eye of the Tiger to get you through, right. 

The best part of finishing it was at the end. As I saw my end point nearing, I saw Tom, waiting there for me. That meant the world to me -- it was like my moment in Rocky I when he screams "ADRIANNE!!". And for all you cheesy people out there saying "oh she is such a dork", I want you to run 20 miles and then let me know if you would like to see your rock standing there waiting for you as you finish. 

Anyway, I did it. And I am going to DO IT. I am going to finish this marathon. I am going to make a difference. And I wouldn't be able to do it without each one of you that has donated your time, money and thoughts as I've been through this. I can do it... and we can all make a difference.

So THANK YOU to Tom and THANK YOU to all that have supported me... now we have taper (sounds like swimming again, eh?) and then the race... 25 days from now, I will have finished a marathon... who EVER thought I would say that! :) 

(Not So) Sweet 16...

Well on Saturday, I reached another milestone in my training... the not-so-sweet 16 mile mark.

I can honestly say that I think that this past weekends training session was and may actually be the toughest that I will go through -- simply because of the fact that it was POURING (not drizzling, not kinda raining, but POURING. As in steady hard downfall of rain). I remember looking at Colleen at about the 13 mile mark and saying "This is just awesome. Freaking awesome." (please note the sarcasm)

BUT, all the while, as I finished the run, I thought, at least we are doing this for a cause. Because even though we are going through this temporary period of pain, we are not just doing it for ourselves, we are doing it for others. We are doing it to make a difference in other people's lives and there are people who suffer from Leukemia and Lymphoma that are going through something a lot more painful and difficult and we are doing this for them.

This weekend we are pushing it up to 18 miles... and I will probably be exhausted after it, but I will be okay and I will push through it because I can do it.

:)

happy running!

It's Almost NCAA TOURNAMENT time - Join our pool!

I know it's early, but don't miss out on the biggest and best NCAA Basketball Pool this year.

Brackets are $15 and the more brackets purchased, the bigger the bank -- so fill out as many as you want, send it to friends and enjoy the madness!!!

You will have to sign into YahooSports -- if you dont' have a username or password, you can create one for free. You can join the group by linking to the address below. The group ID is 24856.

Once you've signed in, fill out a bracket (don't forget we need your email) and we will invoice you via pay pal. If you aren't computer savvy, or don't like paypal, drop us cash or a check.

Just like our Super Bowl Pool, half the pool will go to prizes (awards for top 3) and half will go to our Team in Training -- so even if you don't win the big pot, you are still giving to a cause (think tax deduction!)

As we said before, the more brackets you fill out, the more money for prizes.

Send it to everyone you know and let's make this THE pool to enter!

Questions? Just let us know!

Thanks and GOOD LUCK!

Click here to join the group:
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_team?GID=24856

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnca04/SamPerry

It's been a while since I posted and I figured everyone was due for an update! The training is going okay - I am starting to have a major guilt complex that I am not training as hard as I should be. I am still having trouble with my darn knee and it is limiting the time that I can run during the week. As for the long, weekend mileage, things are progressing well. I just feel like I need to run more consistently on the weekdays.

Two weeks ago I ran 12 miles (WOOOOHOO) and then we had a low mileage weekend last weekend. I fought a horrible cold and was only able to do four miles, but it is this weekend that I will put myself to the test... 16 miles. AAAHH. I am scared but excited to see if I can push myself that far. We will see. I might need to get a massage after so I can walk. :)

On a fundraising note, Colleen and I are holding a raffle at McFadden's on Friday night. We have Calfornia Tortilla Coupons, Warner Theater Tickets, Starbucks Cards, and Caps tickets that we will be giving away. We both need about $900 more, so if you can't come to the raffle, PLEASE remember to donate.

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnca04/SamPerry

Perfect 10... sort of

Well I just hit a personal best ... 10 miles!!!!

I would be lying if I said I wasn't tired and my legs feel like they might fall off, but knowing that I can do that much mileage makes me more confident going forward with my training. 

I've felt over the past few weeks that I have been stuck in a rut, not being able to get over five or six miles, but today I was able to push past it and go the distance with the team and finish all 10, and I am very proud of myself.

I am not going to lie, I had a lot of motivation on my side -- Tom and I are heading up to NYC in today to go to the Villanova/St. John's game at Madison Square Garden. Then tomorrow, we will head down to Philly where I will make the pilgrimage to the Rocky stairs, where I will climb up them in my 'Win "Sam" Win' shirt. From there, we will go to the Toby Keith concert in Baltimore -- what more motivation to finish would you need?

Until later...  YAH ME!

SUPER Bowl

Well it certainly was a SUPER Bowl last night... Here are my Top-5 moments of the night...

5. Budweiser's Rocky Commercial... I was so fired up after that commercial I could have run five miles... Amazing, just amazing.

4. My little brother winning the big pot (read below)

3. The Giant's Winning... not that I was totally invested in the game, but I know it meant a lot to the boys, so I am happy for them! Now granted, if this were the Met's and the World Series, it would been much higher on my list of highlights...

2. Tom Petty ROCKING HOUSE during the halftime show. UNBELIEVABLE. It makes me EVEN more excited to see him 12th row CENTER on June 8. Yep, that's right, this American Girl Won't Back Down!!!!!

1. Raising $750 for our TNT Fundraising... :)

But seriously, a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Super Bowl Pool -- we sold all 100 squares at $15 each and half the pot went to our (Colleen and I) fundraising and half went to prizes. Shelby, Stacie's sister, walked away as the big first half winner with about $170, while Devin, my lil bro walked away as the BIG winner with $370, so CONGRATS to both of them.



On a training note, I ran four miles on Saturday -- not the desired six that I wanted, but I am slowly working up. I know it takes time and I also know that my knee needs rest in between each day of work. I tried to run yesterday, but I needed to rest. I am looking to run during lunch today, but I don't think that is going to happen because of rain and a stupid meeting! Maybe after the meeting I can sneak away... we will see!



Anyway, thanks again to everyone who helped out and contributed. Please remember that you can always make a donation on my TNT page -- I am getting closer everyday to my goal of over $3,000 so every little bit helps...



http://www.active.com/donate/tntnca04/SamPerry



Thanks and until next time... crank out that Tom Petty and think of me!!!!

There are TWO Memorial Bridges in DC.

So I know it's been a while since I posted, so I apologize for that.

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who is generously donating. I am just about 50% to my goal of $3000!!!!

Things are not only going well with the fundraising, but I am FINALLY back to running!!! It has been VERY hard for me in Physical Therapy, but I am seeing so much progress over the last two-three weeks, that I am running three times a week, with minimal pain. Although I am behind in my training, I have faith that with the cardiovascular endurance I have from cycling, I will be able to get back on track very quickly.

Speaking of training, I've been running with Colleen and boy, did we have an expereince today!!! For those of you who don't know Colleen, I like to think of her as my partner in crime. She lives next door to Tom's brother and we are both doing TNT and running the Nashville Marathon, so it only makes sense that we run and fundraise together (we are doing a Super Bowl pool so if you want to buy a square in the grid, they are $15 each - let me know).

Anyway, this morning we decided to run together - a nice 4 mile run, no biggie. So remembering a run I did back with Sal, reversed it and started out across the key bridge and went down through Georgetown and rock creek parkway and things were great. Then, we went over the bridge... THE WRONG BRIDGE. Seriously, DC has WAYYY to many Memorial Bridges.

We ended up standing in the middle of a 4-way intersection with rush hour cars going by. So we walked down the hill, up another hill (another intersection) and then down a different hill only to end up on the WRONG side of the GW parkway. It was like frogger gone bad.

Knowing there was no way in HELL we were going to cross the GW, we scaled a fence, hiked up the woods (yes, woods) and ended up on 66, right by the Key Bridge exit (I think it was 66) ... so we RAN on the side of 66 (I really hope my mom isn't reading this because she might ban me from running) to the toe-path where we finally got back to our car... PHEW.

Needless to say, I am the idiot that made us go across the wrong bridge... I think I might start carrying a map with me.

We will try another run again on Thursday (hopefully Colleen will still want to run with me :) ) and hopefully I will have another, not so dramatic story to tell.

Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for donating and THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!

PS - Big shout out to Jen! I know you are reading this so THANK YOU for your donation and support!!! :)

So... I ran on Saturday and I am not really sure how it went... you see, we got there at about 8 and we stood around in the FREEZING cold for about 45 minutes and THEN decided to run.

Now, granted, I did have my wonderful Under Armour Cold Gear (THANK YOU WAKE FOREST FIELD HOCKEY!), but even with 2 layers on of CG on my legs and three (yes, three) on top, I was still so cold by the time I started running that I couldn't feel much of anything... but I was hurting like hell after I defrosted (about three hours later).

I took Sunday off (unless you call power cleaning your apartment a workout), and then ran again on Monday.... and it still didn't feel very good. I am not feeling very confident about my knee right now, but I know it will get better with time. I feel great today -- and that is AFTER two spin classes this morning (don't tell my PT about that...)

I am going to see how it feels tonight and then run again tomorrow. Maybe I will have some good news -- you never know! :) It is like 70 here so I am itching to be outside.

I also want to thank everyone who has donated so far. I can not tell you how much I appreciate your support... and if you haven't donated yet, please remember to do so -- I need to raise $3000, so every penny helps!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnca04/SamPerry

Thanks!

The first mile...

So I ran my first mile. And it was just one mile. One stinking little mile. One stinking little cold mile. It wasn't even enough to warm my body up.

But, you have to start somewhere, right?

On a positive note, my knee isn't killing me, which is a good thing. I did ice it after and I've been up and down the stairs quite a few times and I am still alive.

Tomorrow I am going to get back on the bike and actually take a class - -which I am looking forward to. It has been a long time since I've been on the other side of the stereo, which will be nice - I can actually focus on the workout!

I am going to run with the team on Saturday morning. Hopefully I won't get too depressed as my team runs eight miles, while I putter out a measly two... but again, you have to start somewhere -- and as it says in my PT office "It Takes Time"

The beginning... sort of.

So I've never really been one to post, or read blogs, but I figure since people are donating their hard-earned money to my marathon, I would give them a chance to follow along with my progress, rather then just get an email at the end saying I finished... so here it is, a blog about my marathon training.

I guess I should start by explaining WHY I decided to do this -- it wasn't like I just woke up one day and said, hey, let's run a marathon. I have to say I got very inspired by three of my friends -- Allison from ECU, her hubby Luck and my buddy Sammy -- they all ran the Marine Corps marathon and I figured that if they can finish a marathon, so can I. I thought about it and figured I needed a new challenge. Running has never come natural to me, not like swimming or cycling. I wanted something that I will have to work at and something that will push me. I wanted to do something I never thought I would accomplish -- and that is a marathon.

So I found Team in Training and decided to give it a go. I started to train on my own in November and the pre-training with TNT began in December. I was up to about six miles and was starting to (gasp!) enjoy running, when I encoutered a severe pain in my left knee. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with runner's knee. I've been in physical therapy for the last three weeks and I just got permission to begin running again. Although the running I did before was great, I consider this the beginning of my training.

And now, here I am. Getting ready to start all over. I am going to keep a blog on my training and fundraising here, so now you can track my progress. I am excited for this journey -- I have already met some incredible people through TNT and although I am nervous about what is ahead, I know that it will be great!

Thank you in advance for your support -- I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it.

-Sam

"All I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's gone the distance
with Creed. If I can go that distance, and that bell rings, and I'm still
standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."