Jennifer Farthing's Team In Training Page
100 miles -- get Jenergized!
Hello Friends and Family!
I'm training for the Montauk Century Ride (May 20) as a member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's TEAM IN TRAINING. We're dedicated to raising funds to stop leukemia and other blood cancers from taking more lives.
I'm completing this 100-mile endurance event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers--but especially for my Dad, Ed Farthing and my friend, Michael Detweiler. These are the real heroes on our team--not people like me who can simply balance on a two-wheeler and go. We need your support to cross the finish line and find a cure!
Why a 100-mile bike ride?!! Why not?!! (I only said I was retired from marathons--this should be a snap! (Right?!?)*
Please make a donation to Team In Training and help advance the Society's mission. My minimum requirement for fundraising is $2500, but you will see that I've met this goal and hope to double it! My goal is now $5000. Every dollar counts, so feel free to check "other" and give what you can.
I hope you'll visit my website often. If not to cheer me on, then to laugh at the funny photos of me in ugly bike shorts!!! (sorry--it's still too cold for bike shorts, so this one will have to do--stay tuned!)
THANKS!!!
Jen
*Training Log
Week 15: Countdown to Century Ride
Had the last sunrise ride on Tuesday with Felix and crew. We rode about 20 miles all together, and we're supposed to take it easy now. I went to spinning Wednesday but daydreamed during the sprints. Ouch -- I feel like a Yankees pitcher with a sore right hamstring, so I had to skip out on yoga. Just resting now thru start time--having a Magic Hat and watching the Subway Series... thanks for your support, and sorry about the empty promise of ugly bike shorts pix--couldn't put it out there!
Week 14: May 7- 13
I drove directly to Binghamton after the Jersey Shore ride. We just got the bad news that my Dad won't be able to get the bone marrow transplant after all--his heart can't handle it. So, third round of chemo begins Tuesday, and we wait to see what's next.... Next up in training--short and easy Tuesday morning ride and a spin class so far for me this week as we begin to taper and get ready for the century ride. I'll do about 30 miles on Saturday with the team in Prospect Park and around Brooklyn--weather's at 70 and partly sunny--if only that can be next weekend, too. Stay tuned!
Week 13: April 30-May 6
Who am I?
I woke up this morning at 5 am -- before the alarm. Could it be I'm finally becoming a "morning person?" Oddly, I'm geared up and out the door at 5:35, with 10 minutes to get to the park-- leisurely for a change. It's sunny and warmish.
FLAT TIRE!!! Admittedly, I have been rather smug as the smellies get flat tires all over the place as I cruise by on my hybrid. [Payback] Lose 10 minutes changing gear for a run.
"I've changed" -- is all I can think about as I ran around the promenade overlooking lower Manhattan at sunrise. I was actually looking forward to a ride this morning, and the run was, well, kind of mediocre....wave of panic as I remotely consider buying a road bike and joining the ranks of the smelly shirt brigade and hang up my running shoes for good.
NOPE. Didn't take.
In my frenzy, I forgot to reserve a spinning class spot, so I saved up all my riding for the BIG ONE--83 miles "downtheshore" on Saturday. I keep up with the middle group just fine on my hybrid, but you'd think I was riding a unicycle with the comments I get from the racing bikers. Many of them want to tell me how fast I would be on a racing bike, and none of them know my deep, dark secret of being a speedy teen racer on my red Peugot back in the 80s....whatever....I'm so ready for Montauk!
Week 12: April 23-29
Practiced hills this week. Did about 65 miles from Manhattan around Rockland and back. Wondering if 65 miles hills = 100 miles flats. hmmm Since I am gifted at justifying purchases and other such non-logical thinking, I'd say this works. I'm officially ready for the century. BTW: The serious cyclists are "amazed" that a mountain-biking girl can keep up. I grew up on hills, and after marathons, cycling is a cinch. (Well, at least 50 miles or so is... time will tell.)
Week 11: April 16-22
Got marooned in Binghamton under a late-season snowfall until Tuesday morning, so I missed Brooklyn am rides and joined back up for Friday, which was the best ever, since I did 20+ miles door to door. Rode about 55 miles on the group ride to Nyack in the 75-degree sunshine--sweet! Looking less ghostly now, and I'm ready for the Montauk Century--Bring it on! Oh, and did you notice I hit my revised fundraising goal of $5000? (Thanks Carla and Philippe!)
Week 10: April 9-15
The sun is up by the end of the first lap on our morning rides--what an improvement! Hitting the Wednesday spin class at 62nd regularly now until this is over, and the cycling is deeply impacting my yoga practice--in a negative way! Oh well, it's only for another 5 weeks... Went upstate and did my Nor'easter ride indoors at Planet Fitness. Indoor "rides" for me are comprised of 30 minutes shreadmill, 30 minutes arc trainer, and 30 minutes on the bike; otherwise it's way too boring. This gym, in addition to being practically free, gives out free Tootsie Rolls--love it!
Week 9: April 2-8
Happy Easter. Aside from this morning, a freezing and windy ride out to Coney Island, around Prospect Park a few times and back home, I've done very little riding (OK, none) since the Tuesday morning sunrise ride. I actually bought some non-cycling clothes and shoes for spring over the wknd--phew --I was beginning to get worried about me!
Week 8: March 27 - April 1
Fun, long ride on Saturday--finally out of Central Park, and actually on the road in NJ with the TNT squad...which is made up of very nice, normal athletes, btw. It's been a long time since I road up in the heights and over the GWB--we encountered lots of rude, smelly-shirt packs of serious cyclists--what a humorless bunch! I headed upstate right after the ride and stopped in the outlets to run a quick errand (in my gear, like a real jerk), and it was the first time I was all tricked out--check out the photo Mom snapped when I arrived! This was the first time I saw Dad back at home, and he looks great! He was allowed off the oxygen, but before we sent the tanks back, I treated myself to an oxygen facial and did a few hits before driving back to the city--wow--I look about 27!
Week 7: March 19-26
Rode again with the TNT gang in Central Park, and it was a pretty good day. Tuesday ride was canceled due to snow/rain, so I did an extra spin class. Went to Thurs am ride in Prospect, which was very small and a great workout with Adam.
Week 6: March 12-18
Rode 35 miles Saturday, and did my first 6 am ride in Prospect Park with Felix, which was totally fun! I caved and actually purchased gear: pump, CO2 cartridges, tools, new pedals, new shoes, hydration pack... I’m trying to resist my inner gear head by not buying a road bike--which I’m apt to haul into the apartment one of these days. I’m hitting spinning class at NYSC every few days, so I think I’ll be OK. I went to my "new" gym in Vestal: Planet Fitness (For $10 per month--about a tenth of my NYC gym membership!)
Week 5: March 5 – March 11
Dad has bounced back!!!! -- leukemia is destroyed by the latest round of chemo, and Aunt Helen is a bone marrow match – yippee! Now there’s nothing else keeping me from getting back to the gym. I even joined another gym upstate so I can get on with it. I missed outdoor training ride #1, but heading for Central Park on Saturday.
PS: 40's the new 30!
Weeks 3-4: February 19 – March 4
BLUR. Dad was really sick. I did some spinning when I was in NYC, and got back out there with the running, which is like riding a bike, I guess. Phew. I ate a lot of food that people brought to us--not part of my training regimen! Oh, and guess who’s 40? (Hit $3500 in fundraising.)
Week 2: February 12-18
On Monday, I got up early and went for a run to the gym, on the treadmill, and back home for a total of 3 miles. Amazingly, it was light outside—spring must be approaching after all. Since my fierce cold in December, I haven’t been running, but again, I figured how hard can it be to get back on track? After all, isn’t 3 miles a cakewalk after years of double-digit runs before breakfast? Not so. I felt heavy, old, and slow on the treadmill, and it was all I could do to bang out the 2.5 on it. Conservatively, it’s got to be a quarter mile from my place to the gym…right? Reality hit. The elliptical I’d been recovering on was nothing. I was officially [gasp!] out of shape. I ask you: 1) How did it happen so fast, and 2) how can I get it back? BTW: I sent an email out at Kaplan, and I hit my fundraising goal of $2500 on DAY 5!!
Week 1: February 5-11
I was more intimidated by the fundraising than the training, so on Wednesday, I went to the TNT kick-off meeting, then set up the website later that night. I sent out the first of four email blasts for donations.
On Thursday, the donations started pouring in. By Friday morning, I had raised over $1000. I sent out another email. By Saturday morning, over $1500. While I was in DC, Michael sent out his email. On Sunday night, I reached the two-thirds of goal mark. Thank you all!!
I went to my first TNT spin class Thursday night – the first time on a spin bike in a year. As many of you know, I’m a regular gym-goer, and I’d gone to spin class once or twice a week for over ten years. Since moving offices, I hadn’t found a good class or the time to make a weekly commitment to spinning. If I had time, it went to yoga. It seemed like a good plan.
Though it felt good to be “back in the saddle” for a great cause, the padding on my ugly cycling shorts was sadly lacking – Ouch – or I was [gasp!] out of practice! I went again on Sunday, and reacquainted myself with Jack, an instructor I spent every Thursday lunch with back when my office was at 1440 Broadway. Ouch again – my slightly cuter, pink and black shorts have even less padding, and the bruise sustained last Thursday were apparent. But Jack’s class was great, I kept up well, and I was on my way.
