Looking Back: Weeks 1 and 2

Since I started my Marathon blog on my own personal blog, here are a few entries from my first two weeks of training:

Run, Meghan, Run - Boston, Here I Come: Week 1

My two New Year's resolutions are to write more and to commit myself entirely to training for the Boston Marathon, which I'll be running to raise funds and awareness for my organization, Sport in Society. So, I said to myself, "Self, why not just blog about your runs?" So here we go:

People keep asking me if I've started training yet, and my answer has been that I'm kind of in perpetual training. For just over two years, I've been running about three times a week, between 5 - 8 miles during the week and usually around 10 on the weekends. Plus, three times a week I do an outdoor work out with a group of friends, which consists of a lot of body weight training infused with sprinting and core work (lots of push ups, sit ups, and stair workouts!). So, I'm kind of always training. BUT running the marathon takes it to a whole new level. Now I HAVE to run at least three times a week and my weekend distance runs will start making my weekly 10 milers seem miniscule. So today, I suppose, I started my "official" training. From here on out, I'm dedicating myself to going to bed early, eating like a champ ("eat like a champ, play like a champ")...and running 'til my legs fall off on Saturdays.


What am I most excited about? Breakfast. Breakfast is good, but breakfast is AMAZING after a long run on a cold winter day. Saturday breakfasts for the next few months are probably going to seem like the best tasting food ever!!! Although I run for ice cream, this training has breakfast written all over it.

Ok, what am I REALLY most excited about??? Getting other people excited about Sport in Society. For a while now, one of my tasks has been developing outside networks of SiS supporters, from people who work in similar fields, to young professionals who want to use their passion for sport to do something for the community. Although there are only two of us running the marathon, I see this as a perfect opportunity to get people excited about helping out...joining our fundraising team, running our water stops during training runs, helping us plan our events, etc. We have a gender violence prevention campaign called Leaders Act. The idea behind Leaders Act is that everyone has a right and responsibility to take a stand against gender violence. Really, however, it relates to everyone's responsibility as a citizen to do what they can to take action and make a difference. So, in this intance, Leaders Run....and my hope is that others will step in and Act in whatever way they can to support our cause.

I really feel that this past election and all the attention focused on participation and service has made the atmosphere ripe for community involvement. I want to seize that wave of excitement and get people excited about Sport in Society's mission and values. And, if you are excited about Obama, then you should be excited about Sport in Society, an organizaiton with a core mission of Social Justice. Listening to Obama speak is like listening to one of our facilitators lead a discussion with youth about "becoming my brother's keeper" by helping one another out, finding ways to engage in life with the eyes and ears of compassionate understanding, and taking action to solve those problems you see around you. Because Leaders Act.

I am excited every day to work for an organization that, for 25 years, has been empowering youth through adults to make a difference in their communities and which uses sport and athletes to do it. And now I'm even more excited about getting others just as enthused about having this fantastic organization as a platform to make the changes they are ready to make. I hope that people will follow and comment on our blog, join us for runs and post-run breakfasts to talk about their great ideas for using sport to make this world a better place, and tell their friends about this incredible organization that raises awareness about some of the world's most pressing social issues, challenges thinking about commonly accepted (yet unjust) norms, opens dialogue for people to discuss these issues in safe spaces, and inspires the leadership necessary to effect real change.

I'm thrilled that I won't be training alone. I'm joined in training and Sport in Society fundraising with Mark Harris, who works for Northeastern's athletic department and recently graduated from Sport in Society's Master of Sport Leadership Program. While the Dana Farber team is made up of about 500 people, Sport in Society's team is just me and Mark! I'm excited to have him as a partner, not only because he's able to swing us free burritos at Qdoba, but because he's also completely committed to and confident in our ability to raise a combined $10,000 for SiS. We've already got a number of fundraising events and campaigns in the works!

In addition, Suzanne, one of my closest friends, is also in training; she's going to be on the Dana Farber team, running in honor of her boyfriend's mother who recently passed away after an inspiring fight with cancer. There is no better way I can imagine running a marathon than running it with Suzanne by my side. Suzanne has the ability to keep me thoroughly entertained throughout the entirety of a run, regardless of the distance. Although I once feared running with a partner because my running is a time for reflection and meditation, I do not lose that with Suzanne, a person with whom my conversations range between deeply religious and philosophical questioning to frivolous jokes about flatulence.
Today Suzanne and I had our first official run back after break. I planned out a route, as I mentioned, focused on breakfast. We went from my new 'hood in JP, all the way through the City, and ended up in my old Somerville 'hood, where we got Acai at Modelo, the fantastic Brazilian bakery on Winter Hill. Acai, if you don't know it, is a "super food" form the Amazon rainforest. It's a berry that is jam-packed with Omega 3's and is blended into a smoothie like meal and mixed with fruit and granola...it's kinda like eating ice cream for breakfast!!! According to facebook, it's the new diet of the stars, so if you eat it you might just turn into Oprah. But, hey, if that happened, then I'd be rich and wouldn't have to do all this fundraising!

Despite feeling an extra burn due to the fact that we were running against the wind for 10 miles, the run was, on the whole, great! It was fantastic to see Suzanne after a few weeks, and the 10 miles gave us plenty of time to catch up. We were on the South West corridor bike path for quite a while, so didn't have much traffic to worry about, and then we were in the Boston Public Garden (Suzanne's favorite spot) and running down Beacon Hill's Charles Street, lined with great restaurants and gorgeous brownstones. We were on the Charles for a bit, which every time I'm on it and taking in the gorgeous view of Boston, makes me SO glad I'm in Boston! At the museum of science we crossed the river and then ran through Cambridge and Somerville, through Inman Square and Porter Square, and then finished with an end of the run uphill push to Peter G. Piro Square....mmmm, Acai. The sun was shining and gorgeous which made for a soul-filling experience. The only down to the run was that we were running against the wind the entire time (since we just went in one direction the whole time). We wound up finishing much slower than we usually do, so either we were talking far too much or the wind was slowing us down as much as it seemed to. When we got there, Caitlin was primed and waiting with warm sweatshirts and a credit card to buy us some Acai. Of course, the support team is the most important part of the training experience!

Below I've posted the map of our run. Suzanne took a picture, but I'll have to wait til she sends it to post it. Thanks for reading and, when we get our page up and running, donating!



Week 2 - 13 Miles and Scrambled Eggs

I am on a high. A sheer high from this week's run.

At the end of last weeks ten miler, I was afraid that I had perhaps lost all of my running juice. I've been running 10+ miles on the weekend for nearly two years now, but the past few weeks have hurt... a lot. Over break I ran a 10 miler with a former coworker of my mother, who smoked me, absolutely smoked me, on what may have been my most painful run ever. Then, last weekend, I had my second awful feeling 10 miler in a row. Because we ran only in one direction, we were running against the wind the entire time. So, although it was a great run overall, it was somewhat brutal beating on against the wind for over an hour and Suzanne and I most definitely clocked our slowest pace yet! This week just added to the feelings of insecurity in my running. I now realize that my lack of juice was an attribute of just getting back from break and getting back into the swing of a full day of work plus evening classes, but every morning felt like I got hit wit a ton of bricks and that my legs just wouldn't GO.

But yesterday was a redeemer for all of the pain and negative feelings. Suzanne, Mark and I set our for our first long distance run as a threesome and I genuinely had a fantastic time for almost the entire 13 miles. It's hard not to enjoy a run when you're blessed with the beautiful sunshine we had yesterday morning. The sky was clear and the sun was radiant. There is still a bit of snow on the ground, so rays of light were dancing off both the sky and ground. The only downfall to such a clear winter day is that it is freakin' cold. I think the temperature read 20 degrees when I left and I didn't have to take off any of my 4 shirt layers during the run as I usually do. Once we got going, the cold wasn't a problem since there was no wind factor, but it does make it extra difficult to get your legs warmed up and in the running groove.

They sure got there quickly, though! I ran from my house (uphill) to meet Suzanne and Mark closer to the pond, if you take a look at the map below, you'll see that the next few miles go behind the pond and up Perkins and Goddard Streets into Brookline. If you know the area at all, you'll know that Goddard St. is something of a mini mountain, going up and up until you get to Larz Anderson Park....but with its gorgeous green hills and amazing view of the city, it's always worth it when you get to Anderson! It's my favorite place to watch the sun rise during a run, but these days I'm generally back home and in the shower before the sun starts showing its head.

I was torn between running up the hill at the beginning both because our legs weren't quite warm and because I didn't want to ruin the next 11 miles we'd have to run, but it turned out to be a great incline. I imagine if we keep running that hill we'll definitely be in good shape for heartbreak hill on the marathon course!

The rest of our run brought us through Brookline's Allandale farm area (even MORE uphill) and back down Centre St. (a very weak downhill for all the uphill) and past the Pond again.
We stopped for a quick water break back at our starting point and then set out for another 4.5 mile loop down the Emerald Necklace to Fenway and back.

I never cease to be blown away by the sheer beauty of the area in which I live. I technically live in one of the biggest cities in the Northeast, yet I can go out for a thirteen mile run and spend most of that time in wooded rolling hills, farmland, and in the quiet of secluded riverway trails. Thank you for that, Olmstead!

While I was certainly tired by the end of the run and could think of nothing but food by mile 10, the best word I can think of to describe the morning was sensational. Literally, my mind and body were alive by the sensations of sunlight, fresh air, good conversation, and as it's written in the Olympic Charter, the joy of effort.

It is easy to experience such contentment while running 13 miles when you're running with Suzanne and Mark, two of the most humble, grateful people I know. Seriously, I can't count the number of times each expressed gratitude for having the sheer ability to run, having a downhill, having good jobs and supportive friends. That kind of positive energy is contagious. They are both quite inspiring in their commitment and determination. Two people who, if they decide they are going to do something, do it. Mark actually ran the San Diego Marathon last year, so is the only Marathon veteran in the group. However, he did it entirely without training, so we've got a step up in that department. He's committed to it, though, that's for sure. It's amazing to me that he can go from barely running, to finishing a 12 mile loop with us without a hitch.

Suzanne is equally as determined and committed. Honestly, the girl is pumping with so much energy that she could go out today and run a double-marathon (yes, people actually do that!). But she's determined to train. And she's determined to do all that she can to honor the memory of Jonathan's mother, who gracefully passed away with cancer this past year. Suzanne shares her faith and love with everyone she encounters and is able to do it in a humble, inviting way that is both impressive and inspiring. Her running is a facet of her faith and where she often gets in touch with her deepest feelings and it has been a joy to be present to that for the past year and it is undoubtedly going to be a driving force for me the day of the marathon.

My own gratefulness and commitment are definitely most present when I run, or reflect on my running. This past week, especially, my thoughts kept returning to how grateful I am for the very fact that I have two strong legs and am able to get out there at all. Sure, after 13 miles it hurts and perhaps I didn't run that 13 miles as fast as I would have liked, but I just ran 13 miles! A lot of people don't have the physical ability to walk, let alone run 13 miles. Others don't have the time, the safe surroundings, or the physical health to even get out the door, let alone run 13 miles. So this week, whenever doubt set in, I returned to gratitude for these two long, gazelle like legs I have.

And I am committed to doing "the leg work" for those who can't. Not only those who can't run or don't have the access to be physically active, but those who are generally disenfranchised by our so often unjust society. No, running a marathon is not going to create a just society. But my hope is that I will be able to use my pursuit as a means of raising awareness and funds for Sport in Society, an organization that strives to foster equity and empower people with the knowledge and tools to construct the just world we all envision. And that is another opportunity for which I am unbelievably grateful. I am thankful every day that I get to work for such an extraordinary organization, and I wish there was even more I could do to support its work and our amazing staff.

Oh, yeah! Breakfast! Let's not forget the most important part - how lucky I am to return home to my own support team, which this week included Jessi, my best friend growing up! My friends took the cooking lead this weekend and made us some AMAZING scrambled eggs with veggies and toast. Jessi put together a sensational fruit salad and, of course, the java was hot and delicious as always! Really, though, the best tasting thing in the world after 13 miles of running is three huge glasses of water and a banana with a dollop of peanut butter!