Amy Wallenbeck's Team In Training Page
Racing to Save Lives
Welcome to my Team In Training home page.
I am training to participate in The Nike Women's Marathon (October 21, 2007) as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I'm completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!
One of the people my team is running for is Mary Beth McGrew. She's a wife and mom to her 2 sons and was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in March 2002. Mary Beth is in remission and is training for the Anchorage race!
Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the Society's mission.
I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!
-Amy
**The Finish Line: I did it! With your love and support, I crossed the finish line of the Nike Women's Marathon on Sunday! It was an incredible experience and I wish I had the words to describe the weekend but nothing quite captures it. You should know that their were 5400 TNT runners/fundraisers in the race and together we raised $18.5 million for the LLS! What an honor it has been to partner with you in support of this worthy cause. Thank you for your donations and encouragement over the last 4.5 months. I couldn't have reached any of my goals without you.
The course was difficult, thanks to those San Francisco hills but it was also filled with beautiful ocean views, perfect weather, lots of cheers from family, friends & complete strangers, conversations with other TNT runners/walkers from around the country, a gospel choir, a hip hop tent, bagpipes, a marching band, an oxygen bar, a chocolate station & men in tuxes handing us our Tiffany necklaces at the Finish Line! Yes, there were also blisters, bruises and sore muscles but nobody wants to hear about that. :)
It was truly an amazing experience and every day, it sinks in just a little bit more. I hope you all get to have this kind of rewarding experience someday soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting me and the families that are helped by the LLS. See you on the course!
**Final Week: I haven't updated this in a couple weeks but I wanted to make sure to write before I leave for San Francisco. Thank you to everyone who helped me reach the fundraising goal! I couldn't have done it without your generous support. I leave in the morning for SF with my team and we'll be running on Sunday! I can't believe it's really here. I don't feel ready but I'm trusting my coaches who say differently. It's going to be a fun weekend, though, so while I'm a little nervous, I'm also excited. I'll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck!
**Week 20: The last 2 weeks have been about recovery and fundraising. My mileage is decreasing now that we're so close to mararthon day. I struggled with discipline this past week but I'm back on track and hopeful that the next 2 weeks will be better. I'm excited and nervous that Oct. 21st is so near. We've all worked really hard and I'm looking forward to the weekend where all that work is celebrated.
It will be great to see how much money all the teams have raised for the LLS. I'm off to boot block, which means standing at an intersection with a sign asking people to make donations. I'm close to my goal but still have a little ways to go so feel free to send your friends and family to this website. There are many families in need of our financial support so this is a great opportunity to join this worthy cause. Thanks, everyone!
**Week 18: "It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." Ann Trason
I fully understand that quote and I found it helpful to remind myself of it throughout the course. It's good to know it will hurt. What will hurt? Everything will hurt. But the pain's not going away and you still have mileage left to complete so get over it. Those are some of the things than went through my mind today. Other thoughts included: "I can do this," "I will not quit," "I am strong", "Just one foot in front of the other," "Have you hit a brick wall? Aim higher and jump over it," "My only job is to endure."
Several people have asked me how I felt after completing the 22 miles. My honest answer is, I don't know. It's strange. Perhaps I'm not able to process it just yet because I'm so tired. But it mostly feels the same as ever other week where the mileage has been increased. Every time I am challenged like this, I am sore in the same exact way. There's some comfort in that but it also makes the fact that I completed 22 MILES today a bit...anticlimactic. Now, don't get me wrong, I am proud of myself and my team. I feel great about knowing that I WILL finish the Nike Women's Marathon in 4 weeks.
My body has never been worked like this before so it's been an interesting journey. Training for a marathon is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge. I had heard that before but now I've experienced it. Thank you to my family, friends and teammates who have been so encouraging over the last 4 months. I couldn't have gotten this far without you.
**Week 17: The Nike Women's Marathon is in just 5 weeks! I can't believe it. It feels like I just started training last week but in reality, it all began 4 months ago. I'm definitely getting nervous, a theme that's likely to repeat over the coming weeks of blog entries...sorry, in advance.
Today was another 8 mile day so it wasn't too bad. The hardest part was that I did it by myself on the treadmill. I didn't know until last night that my usual ride was out of town this weekend and I didn't have a plan B. I'll be sure to have the transportation situation set up for next week because it's a long one and I will certainly need my team and I want to be there to support them, as well. So, this morning, I slept in until about 8:00 and then spent the next 45 minutes talking myself into getting on the treadmill. I used the "Pumkin Spice Latte Motivation Technique" (PSLMT) with great success. When I finished my workout, I put on a sweatshirt, (that's right, I didn't even shower) grabbed my bag, walked to Starbucks, placed my order, and sat in the window writing in my journal and sipping on the tasty treat. When I was done writing, I caught up on phone calls with family and walked home. It's a perfect day for a walk, sunny but cool. I love mornings like this.
Next Saturday, I'll need more than the PSLMT to get me through the 22 miles scheduled for that day. So, this entire week will be focused on positve thoughts. (Warning to all Kansas Citians: This means there's a good chance that I'll be talking to myself more often than usual. Do not be alarmed. Feel free to look but try not to stare, that's just embarassing.) It's going to be hard but it will also be exciting. I mean, 22 miles is no joke. I'll have to come up with something really great to celebrate. Maybe a venti latte. :)
**Week 16: After 2 weeks of missing team runs, I headed out at 5:30 this morning to join my team in the 8 mile run/walk. As nice as it was to be on vacation, it felt good to be back out on the trails and into a good training routine again. I missed a 20 mile run last weekend which was making me feel very behind. But I have one more long one (22 miles) before the mileage decreases and we approach marathon day so I'm trying to focus and hope that I'll be ready. Just 6 more training weeks left!
**Week 14: Well, there's not much to say this week since I'm in the midst of a particularly long work week and wasn't able to join the team for the Saturday long run/walk. Instead, I completed the 8 miles on a treadmill when I got home from work. It was okay but I definitely prefer the team sessions. Hope the team had a good run!
**Week 13: At some point in the 18th mile of my training this morning, I began singing "18 bottles of beer on the wall, 18 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around..." You get the idea. And don't worry, I wasn't singing it out loud for all the world to hear and therefore, be concerned about my psychological state. When you're out on trail for hours by yourself, it's interesting to see what thoughts pass through your mind. Not sure what it means that "18 bottles of beer" came to mind but it made me laugh and gave me the extra energy and motivation to complete 18 beers, I mean, miles.
Some of us chose to start the morning at 5:00 while others began at 6:00. Starting earlier was great because it was much better training weather. The only negative is that there were many moments where I was running in pure darkness. A little spooky. Once again, the first 10 miles felt great and the last 8 were pretty tough. By the last 4 miles, I was reminding myself that all I had to do was put one foot in front of the other. When simplified to that level, it seemed possible even though every bone and muscle in my body was aching. When I finished, I realized I had completed this 18 miles in less time than the 16 miles two weeks ago! This was good news, good news indeed.
**Week 12: It's another Saturday morning and another team run completed. Today's distance= 8 miles. Short. Well, short in comparison to last week's 16 miles. Thankfully, we started at 6am so we were done before it got too hot. Can you believe I am saying "thankfully, we started at 6am" on a Saturday morning?! Yes, that's just how unbearably hot it has been all week and will continue to be this week.
Anyway, I usually have my cell phone with me but accidentally left it in the car this morning. I don't own a watch so I use it mostly for time. I felt a little lost not knowing what time it was and I was concerned that I was having a particularly slow day. I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the finish and discovered I was a little faster than normal. Weird...good weird.
**Week 11: I survived 16 miles today! I feel surprisingly good but talk to me tomorrow when walking might be an impossibility and we'll see if that statement still holds true. :) The first 10 miles felt good, miles 11-13 were brutal and the last 3 miles got better the closer we got to the finish. Miles 11-13 were so difficult because it was a very humid 90 degrees and we were in direct sunlight. It was rough but we did it and we didn't even get lost!
I couldn't have done it without Jen & Theresa- thanks, ladies, you're fabulous! Another huge thank you goes to our coach, Doug, who graciously checked in with us throughout the course and provided much needed encouragement.
**Week 10: After last week's hill training and 13.5 mile course, this Saturday's 6 miles seemed like no big deal. I ran it with my friend, Jen. We were chatting away & missed the turn on the course, even though the coach had taken the time to put chalk arrows on the pavement & tell us where the turn was before we began.
These are mostly unfamiliar roads to me so I rarely know where I am in the midst of these training sessions. Once we realized that we had likely missed the turn, we started asking random people that passed by, "excuse me, do you know where Neiman is?" The first couple people didn't speak English, or pretended not to speak English. And the final person, told us it was opposite the direction we were heading. We didn't know by what distance so, we just kept going, creating our own course.
Because we are often at the back of the pack, fellow teammates have gotten used to passing us on their way back and encouraging us as they pass. Saturday, it was less about encouragement and more about "hmmm, has anyone seen Jen & Amy?" We wondered if a search party would be sent but since it was only 6 miles, we returned before anyone got to that point. There were lots of "where were you" questions and we tried to be creative in our answers but it didn't get us very far. We just got lost...kinda. :)
Btw, Jen- thanks for pushing me this week!
**Week 9: A half marathon! I now know that I am capable of completing a half marathon which is pretty exciting. I still have about 3 months of training so I think I'm in good shape. This weekend's course was chosen for it's hills and we were all hurting a bit as a result. Of course, we're prepping for a marathon in San Francisco so bring on the hills! I wonder if San Fran will also have deer to greet us along the path?
Please, take a moment to look to the left at the scrolling names. THANK YOU to all the people that have donated to the LLS on my behalf, both those listed & those that wish to remain anonymous. I am eternally grateful for your support and encouragment. At this moment, we've reached 45% of the goal. That is fantastic & I couldn't have done it without you!
**Weeks 7/8: I had a great vacation and even managed to get some training in, although, I must confess, I didn't complete it all. During my college reunion and after going to bed at 2:30am, my alarm sounded at 5am. That's right, it was crazy. I was up early enough to enjoy a beautiful sunrise, along with the many roosters that repeatedly announced the arrival of morning. I ran down Rt 19, just me, the roosters and the truck drivers. FYI- I went to college in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, I did about 9 miles and then did a lot of walking during the rest of my vacation. Upon my return home, I immediately hit the treadmill & I'm now back on track! This past Saturday was a short 6 miles and it felt great. We started the and ended this run with a "silent mile." We were literally silent during those 2 miles and the names of several honor patients lined the path. It was a meaningful reminder of what we're doing and why. It is an honor to be a part of this team and this cause.
**Week 6: This was a rainy week and I learned this is not my favorite weather for training. Saturday's long run was a mere 6 miles but it felt like the longest 6 miles I've ever completed thanks to the pouring rain & wind. But I did it and I'm really thankful it was a shorter distance. And since I don't know what the weather will be like on race day, this is all good preperation. Next week, I attempt to train while on vacation...wish me luck!
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
