Books of Christmas Break

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Good to Great

Stumbling on Happiness

The Emperor of All Maladies:  A Biography of Cancer

Under the Banner of Heaven

My Future House

Well...I have done quite a bit of house/dog-sitting this past year...I think about 4 or 5 different houses, which has made me realize some things about my future house (much future)...

• I will definitely be needing a fenced in yard...not the size of a postage stamp...Reg needs some room to romp around
• While the cute little cookie cutter houses are cute, most of them don't have yards and the houses are about 2 feet apart from each other...not a big fan of that...I like my privacy.  When I can hear the neighbors talking outside my window, I really wish I couldn't...

It has also made me realize some thing about any dog I may have in the future...

• I am best with mellow, chill breeds...specifically my Reg and his friends...Great Pyrenees...
• Dogs that eat their own poop gross me out hard core
• I need a dog I can trust with free roam of the house

Fall Break

Fall Break is almost here...

Current Plans:

• House/dog-sitting
• Watching Bama's Homecoming
• Orphan Thanksgiving with Shannon + Nate + Friends
• Writing my final paper for TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
  (which I am strangely excited about, although it is going to take me some time)
• Starting my INTERNATIONAL HEALTH paper

Other things I want to do:

• Finish my current book Good To Great
• Read The Emperor of all Maladies
• Get a jump start on my job search
• Train
• Boot Camp - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
• Running
• Clean out closet and apartment and donate stuff to charities

Half Marathon Training, Round 2

Well I started training for my second half marathon today...

Today was also my first run since my last race (1 month ago), so to say it went a little rough would be an understatement.

How far did I make it?  2 miles

How long did it take me?  Too long, 25 minutes

It was terrible, but I need to get back in running shape, so here goes nothing...

On Wednesday morning we woke up to our First "real" snow of the season!  We got between 5 and 6 inches, and it was absolutely beautiful!  There is something about snow that I just love; it just makes everything look so beautiful!

I spent the day inside drinking hot chai tea lattes and studying, taking breaks to let Reg go out and romp through the snow!

 Winter Wonderland!!

The furballs! 

(Resse has decided she no longer likes the camera, so she hides behind Reg or any other large object she can find to get away from it)

Reg loves the snow, although it seems that I caught him in a not-so-photogenic moment

Reese, however, is NOT a fan of the cold, wet stuff so she prefers to walk on the already plowed sidewalk! 

Picking Cotton

Picking Cotton was recommended to me by one of my former professors.  She and I always recommend books to each other and this was her latest one for me!  It was absolutely wonderful and one of the best memoirs I have read in quite some time!

Picking Cotton:  Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption

by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino & Ronald Cotton

Guanella Pass

A few pictures from when I took Moma up to Guanella Pass during her visit!

Aspens at Guanella Pass

 Hiking trail (although we didn't do much hiking)

 Me with my babies
Bug + The Reginald

 Bug...aka Reese

Reg thinking about exploring the water

 Mountain Water

 Georgetown...cutest town ever!

The candy shop that Moma and I found!

Locks of Love Haircut!

Thanks to my friend Renee I found a wonderful hair stylist who did a fabulous job cutting my hair for Locks of Love!

Lisa (owner), from L Raymond Styles, was WONDERFUL!

My hair has NEVER been this short, so I am still in a bit of shock, but I think I will learn to love it!

Ponytail! 

Eeek!  Still trying to catch my breath 

[~12 inches]
 Lisa did an "Old Hollywood" style...

another option to my typical love affair with my chi straightner

Straight...probably how I will wear it most of the time because I'm not as talented as Lisa!

Race Day Pictures!

I Finished!!

It is still a little hard for me to believe that I completed my FIRST HALF MARATHON!  Just 5 1/2 short months ago I had never run more than a mile before in my life...seriously...and today I ran 13.1!  

Yes, it may have taken me longer than a lot of people, but I did it!...and I didn't come in last...so I am happy with that.  It took me about 2:40--that's a rough estimate because in all the excitement I forgot to look at the clock when I crossed the line, and then I forgot to turn my stopwatch off until after I got through the secure zone, but I am pretty sure it was close to 2:40 (official times will come in soon and I will let you know).

As far as my fundraising, I ended up raising $2,500!  My minimum with Team in Training was $1,700, my initial personal goal was $2,000.  I reached my initial goal with a little over a month remaining before the race so I set a second goal of $2,500, which I met exactly!

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of Team in Training raised $216,000 (almost a quarter of $1 million--and donations are still coming in) all in support of finding a cure for bone and blood cancers as well as supporting patient services.

I seriously cannot thank everyone who supported me through this journey enough!

To all of my wonderful and generous sponsors/donors, this would not have been possible without you.  You have no idea how many people's lives you and your generosity have and will affect, and how many lives will be prolonged because of your support.

To all of my friends on facebook who commented on my run updates, liked a status, etc. you provided me with more inspiration and motivation than you probably realize.  Many of you I haven't talked to or seen in years, and it was so nice to see your encouraging thoughts after each training session! :]

To all of my teammates and coaches who I have trained with, thank you for your constant motivation while running as well as sharing your stories, mission moments, and reasons for commitment to the cause---especially Laurie!  Laurie, thank you SO MUCH for your support all season, it has meant so much to me!

To my weekly running buddy, Michelle, thank you for making me get my butt out of bed bright and early to run (even if it was still dark out and we were running by moonlight lol)...and for meeting me at the finish line today!

To Moma, who flew to Denver from Alabama to watch me run...and cooked healthy, delicious things for me all week...and met me at the finish line with a hug and a smile, muchos gracias!! I love you! :]

This was truly a life changing experience, and if you are reading this thinking "I could never run a half/full marathon," you can!  Because if can do it after never having run before in my life, then you can too!

As promised in my fundraising letter, since I reached my fundraising goal before race day, I will be cutting my hair this week for Locks of Love!  It's going to be SHORT...eek!!  Pictures to come!

So what now?  Well, I will definitely be running another half!  Possibly either the Vegas Rock 'n' Roll half in December or the Disney Princess half in February!  We shall see!

Thanks again!

Go Team!

Mission Day!

For the last couple of weeks I have been seriously slacking in my running, which made me a little nervous for our MISSION DAY RUN!  Mission day served as our end of the season celebration and gave all of us participants a chance to remember why we worked so hard training and fundraising.

Mission Day Highlights Included:

• A special "Mission Moment" at the start of training where all 90+ participants who attended had a chance to say who they were training in honor/memory of
• This was way more emotional than I expected...some of my teammates have lost friends and loved ones DURING their training, others have had friends and/or family diagnosed during training, some know people fighting a daily battle with cancer, and many are in remission, thankfully.
• Water stops along the route so that we could practice under real race day conditions
• TNT cheer stations along the way
• A post-run breakfast with teammates!

My run went pretty well!  I ran the full 13.1 miles in 2:32:21, and it gave me the confidence I needed for race day!  This was both the longest and farthest I have ever run in my life.  There are so many people who have helped me through this journey and they don't even know it.  I just want to thank all of my friends on facebook who have offered me encouragement and words of wisdom through my training--you may not think your comments or "likes" on my wall mean much, but they mean a whole lot to me, so thank you, thank you! :]

In addition, I am so excited for my moma to be flying out to Denver to meet me at the finish line!  I haven't seen her in 7 months!

T minus 13 days until race day!

New Personsal Best for the 5K!

Yesterday I started my birthday out with a run with my friend Michelle!  We try and run together at least one morning a week, although it should be more like 3 times a week--Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (but sometimes I just can't get up early enough)!  We had a great run...and I completed a new personal best for the 5K (32:24)!

We had a celebratory morning with a delicious breakfast at Le Peep, thanks to Michelle!

Yesterday was just that...yesterday

2.5 miles away from a half!!!

I missed team workout again this weekend :[

My friend Matt was in town from Auburn, so I went out with him Friday night...staying out late Friday night is not so conducive to getting up early Saturday morning and running for 2 hours.  I was going to try make up my run Sunday morning, but I was still tired!  I went up to Boulder Sunday afternoon to tube Boulder Creek and tour Avery Brewery with my friends Paige and Annie and was going to run when I got home, but I was in SO MUCH PAIN from tubing over rocks that, that didn't work out well either...

And so I had to do my long run yesterday!  It was terrible.  I didn't wait long enough for it to cool off, so it was hot, and after yesterday I have decided I really don't do well on long runs at night.  I ran 10.6 miles in 2:05:25, with an average pace of 11:49/mile, which is about 30 seconds slower than my "normal" pace.  I had a really hard time pacing myself yesterday...my first mile was really fast, then for the next 3 miles my average pace was around 10:00/mile, but I slowed down significantly after that, having to walk a lot.

My goal for this week is to experiment with fartleks per my friend Andrew's suggestion!  I would really like to have an average pace of around 10:00/mile and he swears this will help, so I am going to attempt it!

I am also thinking about running the Vegas Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 in December!  Key word is THINKING!  Andrew is running the full, and then my friends Ken and Bri are doing the half.  It might be a good time!

13.1 Reasons to Run a Half Marathon

Originally from an Active.com article:

1. It's a challenging, but manageable distance.
   The marathon has the appeal of scaling Mount Everest, but just as in preparing to scale Mount Everest, preparing to run 26.2 miles is no walk in the park. If you're brand new to the sport, you're likely looking at six to nine months of consistent marathon training including long runs of 3 hours or more.
   
   The half marathon may lack the "sexiness" of the full marathon, but most new runners with three months of training can conquer a half marathon. Long runs likely won't exceed two hours. There is some commitment involved with half marathon training, but it doesn't have to consume your life.
   
   
2. You're not ready for a full marathon.
   There could be a variety of reasons why this is the case. Maybe you didn't allow enough time to train. Maybe it seems too daunting. Perhaps a slight injury compromised your training. Your work schedule is too demanding. Whatever the reason, the half marathon is still a challenging distance and 13.1 miles is nothing to sneeze at.
     
3. There are countless races to choose from.
   The number of half marathons taking place throughout the year has simply exploded the past few years. It's the fastest growing race distance out there and unquestionably the most popular race distance. Virtually every weekend you can count on one or multiple half marathons taking place within driving distance of your home.  So, you've got no shortage of options when it comes to a half marathon race.
   
   
4. You have a thing for bling.
   Many races include all kinds of perks and amenities to draw runners to the starting line. One such amenity is the ubiquitous race medal. The bigger the race, the bigger (and gaudier) the medal you'll typically receive at the finish line. Medals now double as coasters, bottle openers and more. If you complete more than one half marathon in a particular race series (for example, the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon Series), it's likely you'll get a special medal for your multiple efforts. So, if you've got a penchant for the bling, half marathons will hook you up.
   
   
5. You're contemplating ramping up for a full marathon.
   Before signing up for a full marathon, you should probably have at least one half marathon under your belt. You can run most of the 13.1 miles at your target marathon pace and gauge how far you are from swinging this pace for 26.2 miles. An alternative approach is to go for broke and use your race result to project a theoretical marathon time. If you've never participated in a race, and a marathon is on the calendar, a half marathon can be a nice dress rehearsal for the full.
   
   
6. You want to recover quickly.
   It can literally take weeks to fully recover from a marathon. It's not uncommon to feel a bit flat, fatigued, and a bit off long after you've completed 26.2 miles. The half marathon is taxing, but even if you run a hard half marathon, the recovery window for 13.1 miles is much shorter than that of the full.
   
   
7. There is less injury risk with a half marathon versus a full marathon.
   Injuries are the bane of any runner's existence. One of the big factors that contribute to running related injuries is training. To be more specific, overtraining increases the risk of running related aggravations and injuries. The higher the weekly mileage generally the higher the risk of running related. Needless to say, you're not going to log nearly as many miles gearing up for a half marathon versus a full marathon.
   
   
8. You like to party.
   As mentioned earlier, the perks and amenities at races today are staggering. Aside from the gaudy 'bling' one typically receives, there is almost always some kind of post-race party or celebration. Destination Races sells out all practically all of its wine country-themed events to some degree because of the post-race wine tastings following the race.  The anti-oxidants can speed recovery and augment the runner's high. Live music often accompanies the imbibing of said anti-oxidants. If you like to party, the half marathon may be your distance.
   
   
9. You want to take your running fitness to the next level.
   The 5K and10K are wonderful entry-level distances for new runners. But, stepping up to the half marathon distance from the 5K or 10K distance will result in a veritable quantum leap in running fitness due to increases in mileage and the likely addition of one (or more) days of running.
   
   
10. You want to burn some extra  calories.
    A mile generally burns about 100 calories. If you're currently logging mileage consistent with running 5Ks and/or 10Ks, you're burning some decent calories. But, upping your mileage will not only take your running fitness to the next level, it will also boost your caloric burn.
    
    
11. You want new kicks.
    If you are stepping up from the 5K or 10K distance, logging a few extra miles each week will undoubtedly necessitate the purchasing of an additional pair or shoes or two. So, if you've been eyeing the hot new pair of Nikes at your local running specialty store, sign up for a half and pull the trigger as you'll likely need them soon.
    
    
12. Your wardrobe needs upgrading.
    If you're going to be logging more miles, that may very well mean you're running more days per week than you have previously.  These extra days of running will make it easy to rationalize upgrading your running wardrobe.
    
    
13. You like to travel.
    Given the range of half marathons out there, there are ample opportunities to parlay a half marathon into a running-infused vacation. Do you want to see what New Orleans has to offer? The New Orleans Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon in early March is only a flight away.  Want to explore a more tropical location? The ING Miami Half Marathon in late January might be right up your alley.
    
    
1. It's there.
   
   Runners are explorers at the end of the day. As soon as we conquer one running goal, it's almost inevitable that we'll look toward the next one. Once you've logged a 5K, a 10K, and/or a 12K, it's almost inevitable the half marathon will beckon you to the starting line. Then, it may very well be on to the marathon.

Heat + Mosquitos = Treadmill

If I don't wake up early enough I face heat...
If I don't wait long enough at night, I get mosquitos...

I guess I will resort to the gym treadmill on days like these...
I guess I can bare on short run days...

#can'twaitforfall

10.14 Miles!!!

So last Sunday I had my best, longest (time), and farthest run yet!!!
I completed all of the following last Sunday:

• Best 5K= 32:48
• Best 10K = 68:04
• Total Run Time = 1:55:23
• Total Run Distance = 10.14 miles
• First 15K (9.32 mi)
• Average Overall Pace = 11:22/mi

I seriously still can't believe I ran over 10 miles!  It was just the motivational boost I needed to get me through my "brick wall"!  I figure if I was able to run 10 miles last weekend, I should definitely be able to run 13.1 by October 9th!

I turned in my TNT recommitment papers today, so it's a done deal!  I am "officially" registered!  No turning back now!

Notes:

• Favorite pre-run nutrition = Clif Shot Blocks--Strawberry
• Favorite in-route nutrition = Clif Gel--Citrus
• Favorite Drink = Lemon Gatorade

While I have met my fundraising minimum of $1,700 and reached my first goal of raising $2,000, I still need $255 to reach my second goal of reaching $2,500 by race-day!  If you would like to make a donation to help me reach my goal, please visit my fundraising page:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/rm/denver11/ccotter

Thank you again to everyone who has supported me in donating to this wonderful organization!!

13 weeks and counting!!

Brick. Wall.

That's what I have hit!  A ginormous brick. wall.

I can barely force myself to run 3-4 times a week when I should be running 5!

I still don't "love" running.  That's what I was hoping--that during my training I would magically transform into one of those people who loves running; well, its been 12 weeks and I still don't love it.  Oh well, I'll get through it.  I will say that I do feel fabulous after a run...but during?  Negative.

I am running pretty consistently at around 11:30/mile--still using the Galloway method with a 3:1 run : walk ratio.

[Note:  I need to start getting my lazy butt out of bed earlier in the morning and get these runs in before it gets too hot and I have an "excuse" not to go.]

July Recap

Back on Track

Well these past two weeks have been fun...

Fourth of July weekend I went up to Steamboat, CO with some friends, which was awesome, but not so awesome for my workouts.  I did get in my Saturday long run in before we left (see last post), but the rest of the week was basically shot to shit, missing 3 of my 5 weekly runs (+ missing Body Pump--my favorite workout of the week)...I did however end on a good note with my SECOND 10K last weekend!  It was super-hot and my first experience running with my hydration belt--which was different.  My pace was a lot higher than I would have liked (12:35/mile), but I finished and that's all that matters!  My lack of running basically all week + running in the heat + running on the road (rather than trails, which are softer) all probably had some contribution to the higher pace...at least that's what I'm hoping...

Anyway, this past week was pretty fabulous!  I did four workouts with a weekly mileage of 18mi!  I experimented with a few different and new trails...James A. Bible park (which I have run a short loop on only once before), a bigger loop around my apartment, a portion of the Cherry Creek trail, and then the south portion of the Highland Canal trail (I love this trail).

I experienced running in a monsoon for the first time...and it was as you might expect...wet with squishy shoes.  We have been having unusual amounts of rain for Colorado the past couple of weeks (unusual so I am told).  On Wednesday at about 2:30, I decided I would go for a run and try out a new trail--Cherry Creek.  When I arrived at the trailhead it was bright and sunny outside...and it remained that way until about 1.5 miles into my run, at which point the sky decided to fall out and I was caught in a torrential downpour.  There was no shelter to take cover under. anywhere.  There was thunder, there was lightening, and there was RAIN...lots and lots and lots of rain.  I was soaking wet, my shoes were soaking wet, and I was not a happy camper.  By the time I got back to my car, I looked like a wet rat...so that was that...I guess I should check the rain before every run from now on...

Saturday I ran 8.04 miles!  The FARTHEST and LONGEST I have ever run in my life!  I felt pretty accomplished!  It took me 1:34hr with a pace of 11:49/mile...I was okay with that because I just ran 8 miles...and I remembered the following little ounce of inspiration:

This coming week will be a good one!  I have Body Pump in the AM with Lauren (an instructor I particularly like)...and then on Thursday AM I am going to try and go to our team Red Rocks workout with Coach Rick...it's @5:45am, which means I need to leave my casa at 5:10, which means I need to be up at 4:40 to eat some breakfast and get awake...it may be a stretch but I am going to try and make it!

Getting back on track this week with eating healthy + completing ALL 5 workouts!

I survived my first 10K today!

So getting up for team runs has been really hard for my lately...don't know why...I always really enjoy them once I'm there, and sometimes I even run my best pace of the week during our Saturday runs!  Well, I missed our team run for the second week in a row today :[ but it's definitely not because I'm a slacker!

I have come to find I CANNOT run during the heat of the day.  I will die [or at least it feels like it], so after it cooled off a bit, I decided to go run--around 6PM.  Saturday's are LONG RUN days, so I wanted to go somewhere with some nice scenery, not too hard of a surface (like concrete or asphalt), etc.  I decided to run the Highland canal trail.  To be honest I don't know how long the whole trail is...I know it's at least 10 miles because it has these cute little mile markers along the way and the 10 mile one is about half way through my run...anyway, it's a long trail, good for long runs!

I have been using the Galloway method for the most part.  Sometimes I run the first mile then start my 3:1 ratio, but Coach Mike says on long runs you need to start out slow so you can finish strong, so I started my 3:1 ratio from the beginning.  It was a pretty good run, but my pace was a little higher (11:09/mile) than I would like it to be, but that's okay because...I COMPLETED MY VERY FIRST 10K (like in my whole life)!  I did an "out-and-back" run, so when I was feeling a little tired toward the end, I realized there wasn't much I could do being 2 miles away from my car...I had to finish.

One thing I definitely should have done this week before today was get a hydration belt!  Coach Mike has told us that once our runs get longer (over an hour) we need to be using a hydration belt, and start experimenting with different nutrition supplements like gels so that we know what works for us by the big day!  I definitely could have used a little hydration along my run, so to say the least I will be getting my belt this week and be ready for next Saturday's long run!

My motivation for this run was this little picture that I found that has really stuck in my mind!

"Unless you Puke, Faint, or Die...Keep Going!"

Love It!

Training Tools
Anyone who knows me well, knows that EVERYTHING I do that can go into an excel spreadsheet, will!  So...since I started training in May, I have been tracking everything--workouts, miles, time, calories, strength training workouts, etc.  Well gotta love technology, but somehow my training file got corrupted! Nooooooo!  Well luckily I also track everything on Runner's World Training Log, and calorie count.  I decided that my excel spreadsheet, while I LOVED it, was redundant of my other tools, so I didn't attempt to rebuild it, I will just use these other tools.

Recap of May & June Runs/Workouts
(I know they are small, but still...)

Chalk it up to another week on the trails!

Oh....What a Week!

So this week was crazyyyyy!  And unfortunately, not so good for my training...

Last Saturday after our team run I packed up my things and my two pups and headed up to Brighton, CO to house-sit for my friend, Ken.  Ken and his late wife, Dawn, owned the rescue where I got Reg, my goof-ball of a Great Pyrenees.  If you received my fundraising letter, you know that part of the reason that I am training is because of Dawn.  She is the one who made me realize life isn't about material things, it's about making a difference in someone's life--so that's what I am trying to do as I train and fundraise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Anyway...long story, short...from last Saturday until this past Thursday I was watching nine dogs and two cats.  Yes, that's right, I said nine dogs--for six days!  It really wasn't as bad as you may think, everyone was very well-behaved and got along, but my schedule was COMPLETELY different than normal, which threw my training off a bit!

I was able to get in a couple of good runs around the neighborhood...well, I say neighborhood, but its not really a neighborhood...it's a bunch of farms/land with houses.  I really loved running out there--such different scenery than my normal runs and really peaceful.  But that said, I was only able to run three times this week, which Coach Mike would NOT be too happy about since we were suppose to up our running to 5 days/week starting this past week!  Oh well, such is life...

I didn't go to the team workout this morning, but I did complete my long run.  This was the first time I have run around my apartment complex--a little more hilly than I realized...and it was HOT, like really hot!  I won't be running during the heat of the day anymore.  Period.  I was pouring sweat when I got back to my apartment.  I was literally soaking wet!  Which made for a good excuse to go jump in the pool!

In other news...I have reached my fundraising goal of $2,000!!  This means after race day I will be chopping my hair off for Locks of Love!  I am a little nervous because today I measured 10 inches on my hair...let's just say I hope it grows quickly over the next couple of months, otherwise I may have some VERY short hair!

I just want to give a BIG thank you to everyone who has helped me reach my goal so far--we are $2,000 closer to finding a cure for blood cancers!

• Matthew Cotter [brother]
• Debbie Verderaime [moma]
• Lonnie Strickland [former professor & mentor]
• Diane & Dayn Beam [aunt & uncle]
• Steva Gay [pet-sitter]
• Michelle Parvinrouh [friend]
• Loys Nunez [cousin]
• Allison & Rance Block [cousins]
• Claylia (Teets) LeBlanc [cousin]
• Donation in honor of Sam LeBlanc
• Rich & Clay Heilman [cousins]
• Laurie LeBlanc [cousin]
• John & Missy Gartner [AL neighbors]
• Donna & Andy Rucks [aunt & uncle]
• Clement & Colleen Cotter [dad & step-mom]
• Nadene & Sid Hilton [beloved family friend]
• Valerie & Shawn Hunton [aunt & uncle]
• Mary David [family friend]

...But I am not done fundraising!!  I am setting a new goal to see if I can reach $2,500!  If you haven't yet, please consider donating to this wonderful organization, who has helped so many people and relentlessly searches for a cure for blood cancers!


Here's to another, better week of training!

Loving the Galloway Method!

Well as you know I missed our team run last week, which also included a clinic on the Galloway Method...but not to worry because Coach Mike sent us a copy of the clinic info.  If you aren't familiar with the Galloway method it is basically a run/walk method that thousands of people use (especially first timers) for marathons...clearly not the best clinic for me to miss!

Anyway...last night I read the clinic info Coach Mike sent as well as some info on the web, and decided I needed a watch that had an interval timer on it!  Sooo... I did a little research, found the cheapest one at Target (not Wal-mart surprisingly), and off I went to get my new watch!  I got home, figured out all the settings, and this morning I was ready to run!

[Side Note:] I am just not quite in shape enough to run for my entire workout, whatever time that may be, (unless it is just a single mile), which means I have already been doing some type of run/walk combination--just not the "official" Galloway method.

My current pace is about 11min/mile (give or take).  According to Galloway, this means I should be doing a run/walk combination of 3:1.  So today I gave the official Galloway Method my first shot!  I normally run the entire first mile, which I also did today, but then I switched my nifty new watch into interval mode!  I ran 5.56 miles in 62 minutes with an average pace of 11:10/mile!!!  The best part? I didn't feel like I was dying at the end!  I have a feeling me and Galloway are going to be pretty close here for the next 16 weeks! :]

$90 away from my GOAL of $2,000

I am SO EXCITED to report that I am only $90 away from reaching my goal of raising $2,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!!

Training is still going well, I am up to roughly 15 miles per week!  I was thinking about upping my runs to 5x/wk this week, but I decided to stick with 4; however, next week the schedule calls for 5 so Wednesdays I am going to start running the Wash Park Pub Run!  This is a 5K from Pub on Pearl around Wash Park and back!  Afterwards you get FREE dinner from Whole Foods and your first beer is free!  Beer and I haven't been too good of friends since I started training, but I think I might have just ONE this Wednesday! :]  So far I have lost 4.52% of my starting weight! So excited, and I really do feel so much better!  Love the endorphins!

Only $540 away from donating my hair to LOCKS of LOVE!!

So tomorrow wraps up the end of Week 5 and I am only $540 away from my goal of $2,000, which means I will be donating my hair to Locks of Love after my race (if I get this last $540 before raceday)!

Well, this week was full of firsts...Yoga...Body Pump...a new best pace...and a new longest distance!

My week looked a little something like this:

• Monday = 30 min run + 60 min Yoga
• Tuesday = 40 min run
• Wednesday = 60 min Body Pump
• Thursday = 30 min run
• Friday = REST
• Saturday = 50 min run
• Sunday = hopefully 30 min elliptical

Let me just say...I had NO idea I would sweat that much during Yoga...seriously...it was intense!  But I liked it and I believe I will be returning again this week!  Wednesdays are reserved for cross-training so I decided I would try Body Pump, which if you don't know what this is go ahead and check out their website!  It was fun, but I also felt like I was going to die, well, my legs did after about a billion lungs with a barbell!

I didn't sleep well last night, so I didn't make it to training this morning, but I did run my 50 minutes.  I ended up running 4.26 miles, which is about a quarter of a mile farther than last Saturday's 50 minute run!

Total milage for this week = 13.1 miles

...funny to think in 18 weeks I will be running all of that in one day instead of four!

Best Pace = 11:09/mile

% weight loss = 3.17% of starting weight

Ready to take on another week!

4 weeks and $1,350 completed!!

So today marks my completion of 4 weeks of training!  I have raised $1,350 so far through the support of my wonderful friends and family (if you have sent me a donation and you're name isn't showing up on my fundraising page yet it's because they haven't processed your check yet, but it will show up soon)!!

Yesterday I ran for the longest distance and farthest time yet!  Coach Mike made us run for 50 minutes around Wash Park (we were only scheduled for 40)!  I ended up running 4.00 miles with an average pace of 12:35/mile.  My pace increased a little, but I think it is mostly due to the fact that I have been running inside on a treadmill instead of outside.  I need to start running outside more to get acclimated to the weather and terrain.

Since I have started running/training I have really tried to sustain an all around healthier lifestyle.  I have given up Starbucks and Fastfood until my training is over, and I am eating almost every meal at home...chicken, fresh fruit and veggies, salads, and lots and lots of water!  I have lost 2.49% of my starting body weight...an added bonus of healthy diet and exercise!!

18 more weeks and $650 to go!! :]

it's getting easier, finally!!

I think I'm going to up my running to 5 days a week instead of 4.  Our training schedule has 4 mandatory days (including our Saturday team runs) and then an optional 5th run day--so I think I am going to try and get that 5th run in each week.


My pace group, which is named "Durango", is still at 30 minute runs each week (except Saturday's which are 40 minutes), but next week Tuesday runs will increase to 40 minutes and our Saturday runs increase to 50 minutes!


I am so excited to report that I, again today, beat my best pace!  My current best pace is 11:13/mile!  Yay!! It's finally getting easier! :]


RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Treadmill

Distance:  2.68 miles

Time:  30:03 minutes

Pace:  11:13/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  5.2 miles

Time:  1:00:09 minutes

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  2.68 miles

Time:  30:03 minutes

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!...to all my Sponsors/Donors!!

I have been truly overwhelmed by the support of my family and friends in helping me raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!!

A special thanks to the following people who have already donated:

• Matthew Cotter [brother]
• Debbie Verderaime [moma]
• Lonnie Strickland [former professor & mentor]
• Diane & Dayn Beam [aunt & uncle]
• Steva Gay [pet-sitter]
• Michelle Parvinrouh [friend & workout buddy]
• Clement & Colleen Cotter [dad & step-mom]
• Loys Nunez [cousin]
• Allison & Rance Block [cousins]
• Claylia (Teets) LeBlanc [cousin]
• Rich & Clay Heilman [cousins]

I still have a ways to go!  If you would like to support me you can donate online at my TNT fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/rm/denver11/ccotter or if you would like to send a check or cash donation email me at christie.cotter7@gmail.com and I will send you my street address!

Thank you all SOOO much!! :]

back on the wagon after the holiday...

I missed my first scheduled run yesterday [even though I completed a SUPER short run on my "rest day," Sunday]...yikes!  That aside, I had a great run today at the gym!  I performed at a new best pace of 11:49/mile, beating my previous best pace of 12:04/mile--so I'm improving, which I am really excited about! I think I could have done even better, but I left my good earphones at home, and had to use another pair I had in my car--they kept falling out of my ears, and I kept having to put them in, which was a bit of a distraction....grrr, but I won't complain about my improving time! :]


RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Treadmill

Distance:  2.55 miles

Time:  30:06 minutes

Pace:  11:49/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  2.6 miles

Time:  30:06 minutes

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  34.8 miles

Time:  7:20:34

guilt got the best of me

So my guilt of not running with the team this morning got the best of me...like bad.  I have been thinking about joining a gym to be able to cross-train--our coaches recommend cross-training 2-3x per week, and my apartment gym isn't really sufficient for what I want to do.  I also want to be able to take classes like Body Pump and Zumba!  


So...tonight I joined 24Fitness!  It's only $30/month (no contract) and I figured the money I previously would have spent on Starbucks and fastfood per month is now going to my gym expense!  Pretty good trade off, I think.


Anyway...I was planning on doing my run Sunday morning, but I was just sitting on the couch tonight and I figured why not do it now!  So I went to my new gym got on the treadmill and ran a 5K!  I should retract my previous statement about hating treadmills because tonight was literally my BEST RUN EVER!!  It was my best time for a 5K, best all around pace (12:04/mile), and I didn't have shinsplints, which is such a wonderful thing!


So today ended up being a good day! :]


RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Treadmill

Distance:  3.12 miles (5K)

Time:  37:38 minutes

Pace:  12:04/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  10.6 miles

Time:  2:13:18

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  31.2 miles

Time:  6:38:44

missed my team run! :[

So I missed our team run today, and I honestly couldn't feel more guilty!  Reg, one of my pups, got sick last night when I got home around 10PM.  I thought he was feeling better, but this morning around 4:30AM he started pawing at the door to go out, which he doesn't do unless he really needs to go.  I was super tired and not planning on getting up until 6AM, but I took him out.  We came in, I got in bed, and he started pawing at the door again, so I took him out again, and again, and then again.  Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep.  Our run starts at 7AM, and I honestly could not get out of bed. We were suppose to run 40 minutes, which is a little longer than it takes me to do a 5K, so tomorrow morning (which is usually a rest day) I will be running a 5K before I go volunteer at 10AM.


I spent all day feeling really guilty about not going to my team run because I really enjoy them, but mostly because I felt like I was letting everyone down.  I WILL NOT be missing another one!

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

I ran at Wash Park for the first time today.  My knees/legs/shins really loved the cinder path!!  Turns out Wash Park is where everyone runs, walks, bikes, rollerblades, etc. - no matter what day of the week or what time of day, there are always a ton of people!  It's fun for people watching, but most of all I have found that when there are other people running it makes my run more bearable.  If I'm walking and someone passes me, it encourages me to start running again, which is good! :]


I only did one lap, but 1 lap = 2.58 miles, so that was good for me!


RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Washington Park

Distance:  2.58 miles

Time:  33:11 minutes

Pace:  12:52/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  7.5 miles

Time:  1:35:40

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  28.1 miles

Time:  6:01:06

rainy days are for treadmills

The weatherman last night said it wasn't suppose to rain until around noon today, so I planned on waking up early to get my run out of the way.  Well, clearly he's no James Spann (for those of you from Alabama), because it was pouring when I woke up at 8:00am - like really pouring.  I haven't run in the rain yet, and I wasn't about to start today.  I contemplated trading tomorrow's "rest day" for today...and that was the plan until this afternoon when I started feeling guilty.  I have done so well following my schedule exactly, so I didn't want to screw things up now!  Around 6:00pm I decided to get on the treadmill at my apartment gym.  I didn't realize how much I hated treadmills until today.  I mean, they are great for walking I guess, or for those people that can run for long distances at the same pace, but for me who is experimenting with the walk/run method - not so fun!  Lots of adjusting speed...ugh!  I have decided I like running outside better, I just need to find more cinder trails.  My shinsplints were hurting pretty bad today during the run, so I walked most of it, so I guess it was more of a walk....whatever it was, there were 30 solid minutes of it! :]


RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Treadmill

Distance:  2.37 miles

Time:  30:51 minutes

Pace:  12:59/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  4.9 miles

Time:  1:02:09

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  25.5 miles

Time:  5:27:55

Mondays are not my friend...

For some reason, Monday runs are always hard for me, but today was particularly hard... I couldn't get out of bed today, which meant that I did my run around 11:30am...not a smart idea.  It was SO HOT outside!  I did more of a walk/run today, which didn't hurt my pace as much as I thought!  I am thinking about maybe doing the walk/run program.  Coach Mike says that it is a really good route to go for beginner runners and some people that utilize the Galloway method finish in faster times than some who try and run the whole time; so, I am definitely considering this!

RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Highland Canal Trail

Distance:  2.51 miles

Time:  31:38 minutes

Pace:  12:37/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  2.51 miles

Time:  31:38 minutes

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  23.1 miles

Time:  4:57:04

My body hates me...

End of Week 2:
We had our second group run + clinic this morning!  We met at the Platte River trail @REI bright and early at 7AM!  We ran down the Platte River trail headed toward Invesco Field, made a lap around Invesco, then headed back to REI.  I started out well, surprising myself by being able to run a full mile without stopping.  I know this doesn't seem like much to most people, but this is HUGE to me! :]  I slowed down around Invesco and only ran a bit on the return due to terrible shinsplints!  I went to Runner's Roost earlier this week and bought compression socks which help with recovery, but haven't worn them during the run yet.  The person I spoke with at RR told me that the pain is probably impacted related and due to the fact that I just started running [in other words, my body hates me and is revolting against me.....ugh!].

We had a stretching and injury prevention clinic for about 30 minutes after our run.  I talked with Coach Mike afterwards about my shinsplints and he is going to email me some information and exercises.

When I got home I did a bit of strength training, then took a long nap! :]

RUN DETAILS:

Route:  Platte River Trail

Distance:  2.75 miles

Time:  36:22 minutes

Pace:  13:14/mile

WEEKLY TOTALS:

Distance:  10.7 miles

Time:  2:17:54

MONTHLY TOTALS:
Distance:  20.6 miles

Time:  4:25:26

First Group Training Day...

End of Week 1:
So we had our first group training/run Saturday (5/14) morning at 8:00 AM!  I don’t know who ordered the cold weather, but it was definitely 37 degrees and overcast (gross)--which doesn’t do much for one’s motivation to get out of bed and run!  Nonetheless, I showed up!  I didn’t really know what to expect, but when I got to our meeting spot, there was a tent set up with bagels, fruit, gatorade, etc. and Coach Mike + TNT Staff + our Team Captain + our Mentors were there!!

This was my first group event because I missed Kickoff due to the Furry Scurry, so this was my first time meeting everyone!  So many inspirational people!  I am the youngest in our group and one of the few who has never “run” before.  

We started out with announcements and a mission moment where a team member shared their connection to someone suffering from Lymphoma :[ , then we jumped straight into the timed 5K (to determine what endurance group we will be training with).  I can honestly say I don’t think I have ever run more than 1 mile at a time, so yeah I wasn’t excited about 3.1 miles (and being timed at that)!

I surprised myself by being able to run the majority of the time.  I finished in 37:31, with an average  pace of 12:05 min/mile.

[5/9 - 5/15] Total Weekly Miles:  9.9 miles

Beginning of Week 2:

This morning I ran the same trail we did our 5K on - the Highland Canal Trail.  I ran for 30 minutes, having to walk some of it due to shin splints!  OUCH!  Never experienced a pain like this!  I ended up running 2.52 miles, with an average pace of 12:26 min/mile.

It’s almost 10PM and the shin splints are still hurting...tomorrow should be interesting...ugh!