Run, Rina, Run!

Running is more than a pastime for me right now… it’s about more than getting fit or achieving a goal.  It’s about many things that I can’t put words to… among them, a spiritual battle on behalf of my Aunt, Lisa, who was diagnosed with cancer this year.  This journey started when, to overcome a personal slump in my weight loss journey, I signed up for a 10k (6.2 miles), having never run further than three miles before (and then, only a handful of times.)  When I ran my first 10k distance, something inside made me want to go further, to achieve more.  I knew it would be an incredible struggle, I knew it would be, in many ways, the fight of my life and would change me in ways I could never begin to guess.  And I knew that I wanted it to be about something more than just Rina, achieving a goal.

I have committed to using this run as a form of spiritual warfare. It’s going to be a long, hard road for me, with plenty of opportunities for solitary meditation and prayer, and I intend to use those moments to fight on behalf of my aunt.  When I cross that finish line it’s going to be something more than a victory for myself.  It will be, in some small way, a victory on behalf of all those who are fighting this disease.

In light of this, I will be raising money through this race for an organization that is very special to my aunt – the Celma Mastry Ovarian Cancer Foundation – and I have created this page as a way for those who want to support me, my aunt, and the thousands of others whose lives have been affected by this disease to track my progress (and hopefully it will nudge a few of you to pray for me, as well!)  The major milestones are written in bold, and if it’s a run I’ve written more about, I’ve included the link.

If you’re wondering about my training schedule (it sounds so strange to say that!!!), you can find it here: Hal Higdon’s Marathon Training Guide (Novice 1) It’s a training schedule for a full marathon, which means I’ll have another opportunity to run and raise money for my aunt in the very near future.    For now, my focus is on the 13 miles I’ll be running in November, in dedication of one of the strongest, most beautiful women that I know.

Thank you for your prayers and support, on behalf of us both.

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April 3 – Hiked a mile with friends… this was the first walk I ever did, after starting my weight loss journey, and it was a HUGE accomplishment because I knew I couldn’t have done it a few months prior.

April 28 – Ran what I thought was my first 5k, jogging to the beat of a Leslie Sansone walking video for about an hour and a half (I now know that jogging to the beat is NOT the same as running the distance.)  But it was the first time I tried to jog – EVER.  In my whole life.

May 1 – Ran for 50 minutes, outdoors, without stopping.  Not sure how far I got, as I got lost on the track.

May 4 – Ran my first measured 5k with Manuela.  I think it took about an hour and a half, if I remember correctly.

(long time between runs here… after I ran the 5k, I tried to run it again a few times with Manuela but never could go the distance.  Got a little frustrated, felt like I’d accomplished something by doing it once and decided not to try again for a while.  In the meantime, a friend bought me the P90x workout DVD’s and I started the p90x program.)

Sept 11 – Decided to sign up for a 10k, for no other reason other than the fact that I hadn’t been exercising consistently in a while and I needed something that would force me to work out.  That day, it took me a hour to run two miles.

Sept 14 – Another two miles, ran about 3/4th’s of it, walked the rest.

Sept 15 – Ran my first 10k distance – 6.2 miles in just under 2 hours (roughly 19 min/mile.)

(I can’t remember what I ran between this date an the next, but I know I did run a few times)

Sept 20 – Two miles outside, two miles on the treadmill, didn’t time them.

Sept 22 – Three miles in about two hours.  Legs were incredibly sore from doing a p90x strengthening workout the day before.

Sept 23 – Another three miles in about an hour and a half (pace of 30 min/mi)  Still having trouble with my legs (they didn’t want to MOVE!)

Sept 25 – New personal goal!  6.2 miles in an hour and thirty minutes (pace of 14:51) I’m now officially under the time required for the 10k race in October.

Sept 27 – 3 mile run… didn’t time it, but felt HORRIBLE at the end.  First time I’ve seriously had the thought “this isn’t worth it!”  I’m sure it didn’t help to be running in full sun, at around 1 in the afternoon.  It DID help when I thought to myself “I can’t do this!” and then thought, in response, “well, GOD thinks you can!” (I think of that a lot, due to the “coincidence” that my first half marathon day in training will fall on the day of the half marathon in November.)  I’m considering that an ordained event!

Sept 29 – 3 mile run in 45 minutes … pace of 15 min/mile my fastest time yet!

Sept 30 – 7 miles!!!  Furthest I’ve ever been… forgot to time it, but it felt really good.

October 2 – 3 miles in 34 minutes!!!  That’s an average of 11:33 minutes per mile!  That’s AMAZING to me!!!

Tuesday, Oct 4 – Late night run (3 miles) in Smiths Grove, I was pretty wasted from doing p90x the day before, but got through it.

Thursday, Oct 6 - 4 miles with Manuela, worked on my stride a little bit, as my hip has been hurting and Maneula thought it might be the way I’ve been running.  The way she suggested made a LOT more work for my calves then they were used to – I was pretty sluggish, not a great run.  Afterward, went to buy some new shoes and talk to some people about my stride.

Friday, Oct 7 - Another 3 miles, this time in 36 minutes - (pace of 12 min/mi) felt MUCH better.  Also had a visit with my chiropractor.

Sunday, Oct 9 – NINE MILES!!!
(took the week off to prepare for the 10k)

Saturday, October 15th – 10k!!!  Finished in 1:14 with an average pace of 11:59.

(Did my knees and hip no favors sprinting to the finish line on the 10k.  Another week off due to injury.)

Thursday, October 20 – Went biking (on a gravel trail) for the first time, 10 1/2 miles in 1:20.  Couldn’t believe how fun it was… wrote on facebook: that out of shape girl who hates to bike doesn’t exist anymore!!!

Friday, October 21 – Ran an incredibly hilly 10 miles (!!!) with Manuela, had to walk a couple of the hills (maybe 1/2 mile, total?.)  Time: 2:30, pace of 15 minutes.  First time running double digits!!!

Sunday, October 23 – Another bike ride, an hour 30… GPS lost me, so I don’t know how far I went.

Tuesday, October 25 – Five Miles

Thursday, October 27 – First run in weeks without being pumped full of Advil.  3 miles and really ENJOYED it!

Friday, October 28 – 7 Miles

Friday, November 4 – A truly horrible 12 miles

November 6-9 – short runs in preparation for the HALF MARATHON!!!

November 12 – The half!!!

November 20 – First run in Vibram Five Fingers.  I LOVE minimalist shoes!

November 24 – Turkey run 5k with Jon.  Ran at a park with pretty steep hills and PR’d!  34:39, with an average of 11:29 per mile and a max of 7:50 on a downhill stretch.

November 25 – Six miles with Manuela and Michelle.  Walked/Ran it in 1:20, 13:23 average and 8:25 max

November 29 – walk/run 3 miles, average pace 13:48

December 4 – 3.7 miles of trail running/walking.  1:07, average pace of 18:16, 8:08 max.

Dec 6 – 3.39 miles in 48:50, average pace 14:24, 9:03 max

Dec 8 – incredibly tough mental battle during a 6 mile run.  Wrote about it Here.  Not sure what my times were, but I managed to run almost the entire way, so I’m happy with that, regardless of my time.

Dec 11 – WONDERFUL run with Manuela… first run since finding out I was pregnant (I wondered what that might do to me, mentally) and my first time running an entire 3 mile distance at a good pace since the Turkey Run.  Average 12:25, 7:49 max

Dec 13 – 4 miles, another successful run without walking at a pace of 11:23, 8:40 max.