Friday, May 29, 2009

Heavy Fundraising Week

You can tell it's really getting down to the wire, because Chris and I have been pulling out all the stops on fundraising lately! This week in particular, I've been super busy.

On Monday night, I baked cookies, decorated them Tuesday night, and brought them to work on Wednesday to sell for donations.

Last night was our Uno's Dough Raiser, and tonight is my purse party!

AND, Chris just started a Sox ticket 'promo' on his fundraising page. Check it out!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/rnrseatl09/ccappelbii

Things have been a little crazy, but it's all for a great cause. Together, we've raised about $6,000 so far, and we WILL reach our combined goal of $8,600 for the LLS!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Chris' Knee Update

Well, his knee is still hurting him. He had the MRI and it revealed a small tear in his meniscus tendon. Apparently that tendon won't heal on it's own, because it doesn't get enough blood flow to it for it to heal itself. So, surgery may be needed to repair it.

Chris asked his doctor if he should get surgery, and the doctor said he couldn't tell him yes or no. He might not need it, and it might not make his knee feel better. He told him that if he stops running, and the pain goes away, he might not want to have the surgery done. So, Chris is going to keep running for now, complete the marathon, and then... we'll see. In the meantime, he's been wearing a sleeve on it, icing it a lot, and taking lots of ibuprofen.

I'm really proud of him for not giving up. Obviously, I don't want him to over-do it and make his knee worse, but he's so determined to keep going!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Boston's Run to Remeber

This week, we didn't have a group run on Saturday. Instead, some of us got together on Saturday morning to have breakfast. We decided that since no one was running, we should still get together as a group, because this weekend is the San Diego Rock'N'Roll Marathon - Lorri's and Christine's event! GOOD LUCK, LADIES!

Chris and I were scheduled to run 13 miles this weekend, which worked out perfectly, since we singed up to run the Boston Run to Remember half-marathon on Sunday. We woke up at 5am, ate some breakfast, and headed out. As we left the apartment, it was pouring and pretty cold. We took the T to the Seaport World Trade Center, where the race started and ended, and luckily when we got there, the rain had stopped. We got there with time to spare, checked our backpack, and hung out inside for a while, because it was still chilly outside.

At race time, Chris and I headed to the very back of the crowd. We wanted to take it nice and slow, and we decided to stick together for this race. The National Anthem was sung, the airhorn sounded, then off we were! Just as we started to run, the sun came out, and it was suddenly a lot warmer.

We stayed at the back of the pack the entire time, so for a lot of the race, it didn't seem like we were part of a race at all; it was more like we were just out for a run! Only, we didn't have to worry about cars and there were water/aid stops along the way. It was kind of funny to run through the streets of Boston at 8:00am, when they were all blocked off. I work very close to the Seaport world Trade Center, and walk through these streets all the time, and it was weird to see them so empty.

We mosied along for a while, then somewhere around mile 3 or 4, we saw the police on motorcycles preceding the current leader on the opposite side of the road running toward us. We'd only been out for 45 minutes and this guy must have already been on mile 9 or 10! Insane.

I had tried my first GU Enery Gel ever on a 7-mile run a few days before, and decided I didn't HATE it (even thought they're totally weird and SO sweet), so I brought a few with me for the half-marathon. I'm glad I finally started using them... Rice Krispie treats are not exactly the easiest things to carry. A past TNT participant I've been talking to a bit advised me that I should be refueling every 45 minutes to an hour, whether I feel good or not, so I'm really taking that advice to heart. I think eating earlier and more often during my 18-miler might have helped, and having a GU instead of a R.K.T. probably would have helped even more. Anyway, I ended up using two of the GU gels during the half-marathon. I tried new flavors, which you're not really supposed to do during an event, but it worked out for me. I like the fruity ones! Strawberry-Banana and Orange Burst are A-OK in my book.

Poor Chris was doing great until about mile 9. His knee was holding up as well as he could have hoped. But then he ate a GU that just didn't agree with him. It was one that he picked up at the GU station at mile 8... and it was chocolate flavored. He said it made him feel very nauseated. UGH! The poor guy. His upbeat mood quickly went very sour. He stuck it out though! I'm so proud of him!

Towards the end of the race, it REALLY felt like there wasn't a race going on. Even though there still weren't any cars on the course, there were tons of people out walking around. When we got to Downtown Crossing, we had to look out for the police at the road blocks to tell us which way to go!

Then finally we made it over the bridge and there was a crowd of people cheering us on, so it felt like a race again. By then it was pretty hot, and we were thrilled to see the finish line. Like a couple of big nerds, we held hands to cross the finish line together, and our time was exactly the same: 2:50:35. We were happy to finish in under 3 hours!

And Chris' knee wasn't too bad afterwards. He's going to talk to his doctor today about his knee, so I'll try to update tonight about that.

All in all, the half-marathon was a good time, and I'm really glad I got to run an entire race with my husband! (We decided that for the marathon next month, we may split up eventually, or it could end in divorce. ha!)

If there are any good photos from the race, I'll post them when they're up. We also got some sweet medals, so I'll post a picture of those too!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Two Thirds There!

Thanks to all of the generous donations I've received, Acoustic for a Cure, and a cookie sale, I'm over 2/3s of the way to my fundraising goal!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/rnrseatl09/jcappella

That's not good enough though. I need $4,300 by June 15... and so does Chris!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/rnrseatl09/ccappelbii

I really, REALLY want to see $3,000 in my account, like, now. I've been obnoxiously posting my link on Facebook today, because I want to get there by the end of tomorrow! I now only need $80 to do just that! I can TASTE it!

Some wonderful people answered my call and donated today, and more have posted my link on their Facebook accounts, and have spread the word about the purse sale, Uno's, and Margaritas!

PLEASE... donate, and help me spread the word! I need YOUR HELP to do this! (And again, so does Chris!)

We'll be running 7 miles tonight in 90-degree heat tonight, so I promise you, we'll earn all of those donations! We're so grateful to everyone who's already supported us and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We couldn't do this without you!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Purse Fundraiser!

Wow, it's starting to get so close to the fundraising deadline! Chris and I still have some events to help us out, but I figured I'd add one more. And you can participate in this one online!

I'm having a purse party. I'm psyched about it because it's being given by a talented local handbag designer. She sells her own designs and has purses in boutiques, and her stuff has been featured all over the place!



I am definitely buying myself one of these:

SO CUTE!


Tamara, the designer, is donating 25% of the sales to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!! How awesome is that!?!


The great thing about this sale is that you can email your orders in. Take a look at the website. If you like what you see, send an email to sales@tamarahandbags.com. Just mention that it's for the Leukemia & Lymphoma party, or the Jeannie Cappella party, so that the 25% donation will apply. Depending on the bag you purchase, you may also receive a 10-15% discount!


Here's the site:

http://www.tamarahandbags.com/

Happy Shopping! And please... send a link to this post to anyone who loves cute bags! :-D

*P.S. My party is happening on May 29, so you have until then to order!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Thirteenth Group Run

Let me just say this right up front:  Running 18 miles was HARD.

Chris was in NYC this weekend for a bachelor party, so instead of running with the group this weekend, he ran as much as he could stand to on a treadmill at his hotel (vomit)!  That meant that I was the only one on the team running 18 miles.  That was fine, but coach Kristen had to leave early, so I ended up running most of the 18 miles alone.  That was also fine, but it got a little boring.  I should have brought my iPod!  

We ran the first 3 miles together, then had a water stop where Kristen said to run ahead, as she was going to stick with the half-marathoners for a while.  So I ran, and I think I was running pretty fast.  Maybe too fast.  But I felt good, and when I had another water stop at mile 8, I still felt good.  I had one Starburst and kept going.

Then it was on to mile 9, the turn-around point.  As I was running to it, I noticed it felt like a heck of a lot more than 1 mile to me.  When I got to mile 9, I stretched and headed back.  It was then that I noticed I was really dragging.  By about mile 11, I knew I needed a boost, so I ate one of my Rice Krispie treats.  I immediately felt better, and was able to pick up my pace a little, but it didn't last too long.  I wasn't feeling super thirsty, but I was on the look-put for the bag of water and Powerade that Kate & Erika had left out, because I just wanted a good to excuse to stop for a minute!  Then lo and behold, I spotted the bag, had some water, and kept going. 

Erika caught up with me again somewhere around 13.5.  I took some more Powerade and water, and decided to walk as I ate my other RK Treat.  I was feeling really fatigued by then, and the second treat didn't give me quite the same boost. 

When I was done eating, I ran most of the way to mile 15, with one or two 30-second walk breaks .  I found that they really helped me.   After those short breaks, I felt better for a while.  

Then at mile 15, Erika was there with more water and Powerade.  I complained about how tired I was, and she made sure I wasn't going to pass out, and told me to take the last 3 miles easy.  So, I did.  I took a few more 30-second walk breaks here and there.  For some of that last part, it was so tempting to just stop and walk.  I was not happy to be running, and had to remind myself of why I WAS doing it:  for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!  As I got closer to Derby St., I told myself that I could walk in between the last two traffic lights...They're only 1 block apart, but having that small reward in mind worked... I was able to keep going until the first light, took my traffic-light walk break, then ran the rest of the way back.  It ended up taking me about 3 and a half hours all together.

What was weird about this run was the fatigue.  I haven't felt so drained before during a run.  16 was tough, of course, but that was mostly because of the pain in the backs of me knees.   Thankfully, that didn't come back this week;  I just had the usual front-of-the-knee pain, which went away as soon as I stopped running.  I wouldn't have expected such a difference between 16 and 18 miles.  The weather was better for a long run this time, still cool and cloudy for most of it, but without the mugginess.  And this time I'd had a great night's sleep, and had a decent dinner the night before and breakfast the morning of.  So, that's why I think I must have been running too fast for the first part of my run.  I can't think of any other reason why I'd have been so drained by mile 9.

Oh well... As Erika the Wise told me, that's why we practice, to figure out the right pace!  I'll need to keep that in mind.  




Thursday, May 14, 2009

I'm Gonna TRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY Yeah!!

During Saturday's run, Christine asked me and Chris what we listened to while we run to get us going.  I don't really have any specific artists I listen to during my runs; I just listen to whatever I'm in the mood for.  But sometimes a song comes on that really gets me pumped!  For instance, last night I had my iPod on shuffle because I wasn't in the mood for anything in particular, and Janis Joplin's "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" came on, just as I was approaching a big hill, and it really helped me.... try just a little bit harder!  HA!  How dorky is that?  But whatever works, right?  I think it helps listening to high-energy songs like that, because you just sort of imagine singing and dancing and you forget what you're REALLY doing.  And let's face it, running is sometimes boring, or worse, painful.

Oh, then later on, at the end of the run, "Fat Bottomed Girls" played, and you know that got my motor running!  I sort of joke that that song is a personal anthem anyway (I got booty), plus it's so fun that even though I had just run almost 6 miles-as fast as I could- I was pretty much singing along as I was running.  I don't really recommend this... Not only do you look kind of nuts, but it makes breathing a lot harder! 

Too bad I run and don't cycle!  GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Pizza for a Cure!

You may have noticed that picture of a deep-dish pizza on the sidebar to the right. Click on it. Go ahead, do it! Now, see those tickets? Print them! Use them on May 28! Uno's is giving 20% of the sales for anyone who hands in one of those tickets on that date. That's one fifth! Not bad.... in fact, that's pretty awesome!

If you live anywhere near Braintree, or work near there, please eat there on May 28! Or if you know someone who does live or work there, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE forward the link to them! We need tons of people to eat there that day... or to order take-out!

All you have to do is eat delicious pizza to be a big help. and ss that a sacrifice? Ummm, NO.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Twelfth Group Run

Let me start by saying that I didn’t run during the week last week. At all. Every night, I was either too busy or too tired, so it just didn’t happen. I think I probably could have squeezed in at least one run, but I was so sure that I’d be just fine to run 16 miles on Saturday, week-night runs or not. Dumb mistake!

So, Saturday morning rolled around, and we got up early to run. Christine and Lorri had their 20-mile run and decided to start at 6:30 am to mimic their marathon start time. Chris and I wanted to get a head start because we had stuff to do that afternoon. So, bright and early, the four of us met in Hingham.

It was cool and overcast but muggy. Chrisine, Chris and I started out together, with Lorri following. Soon we felt just how muggy it was, and I felt sticky and gross. But eventually we got a few sprinkles of rain, and that actually helped to cool me down and it got rid of some of the mugginess. There were TONS of lilac bushes along the route, which I loved, because I adore that scent! I love running in the springtime…

Lorri had woken up early and set out bags of water, Powerade, Skittles, and Gu’s along our route to Hull. She even put notes on them asking passers-by not to remove them, because they were for marathon training! She was so organized and I’m still in awe. We really appreciated those bags, because Kristen and Kate weren’t showing up until 8:00, our usually start time. This time, I also remembered to bring my own snacks. I put some Rice Krispy treats and some Starbursts in a plastic baggie and carried it with me. The thought of eating all that sugar and candy so early in the morning is pretty gross, but at the time, it was just what I needed. By the way, I still haven’t tried a GU. They never seem appetizing to me. I want to get into them though!

As I mentioned before, Chris, Christine and I stuck together at first. We ran out to Hull, 8 miles away from the Derby Street Shoppes, and turned around. We took a couple of short walk breaks, and stopped for a bit when Kate and Kristen found us, and met Kristen’s new adorable puppy. Christine decided to stay with me and Chris instead of continuing on to the 10-mile mark, and after turning around there, she and I stuck together, with Chris following. He still has knee problems, the poor guy! Christine did another 4 miles at the end by herself. I was so glad to be done; I’m not sure how she did it! Props to her and Lorri for getting their 20-miler done! Their next longest run will be their marathon!

Anyway, backing up a bit here, it was a little before the half-way mark when I started to notice that my legs were in pretty bad shape. I was especially nervous about this because I was experiencing a new kind of pain. The backs of my knees were really hurting, and felt incredibly tight. I’d never had that happen before. I stretched them a bit at each water stop, but I think the lack of running during the previous week really took its toll. My legs were TOO well-rested!

However, I made it to the end and luckily I don’t think I did any permanent damage. I ran 4 miles last night, and while I did feel some of that same tightness, it was not half as bad as it was on Saturday, so I’m not really worried about it. I’m just not going to ignore my training schedule again!

Chris went to see a doctor about his knee yesterday, and is getting an MRI tomorrow. That should let him know whether he’s torn something or not. Let’s hope NOT! He also ran last night and did great!

Another thing I wanted to mention is that Margaritas on Saturday night was a blast! Thanks to everyone who came out for it! I have to admit… I had way too many margaritas. Uhh…. I probably should have known that running 16 miles, not drinking any water all day, not eating enough, and then drinking lots of tequila would be a BAD IDEA.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

I Heart Coffee

This article sorta, kinda has to do with running/exercising... but mostly I just love coffee and anything that makes me feel good about being a junkie, so I'm sharing it:

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/10497/9-reasons-to-drink-more-coffee/

I have a feeling today is going to be at least a 3-coffee day. Maybe it'll help me wake up, so that I can actually go for a run tonight after I attend the Team In Training info session tonight in Hingham! If you're curious, feel free to stop by:

6:30 PM
Hingham Public Library
66 Leavitt Street
Hingham, MA

Now go have some more coffee.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I made some special cookies for Chris to sell at work today (for donations to the LLS, of course)!

In case you're wondering, the cookies are just sugar cookie-flavored, not lemon-lime/tequila/salt flavored.

!Feliz Cinco de Mayo! (Is that right? I don't speak Spanish)

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Eleventh Group Run

It was back to Hingham this week for our 11th group run. Chris and I were scheduled to run 15 miles, and I was a bit nervous. Every week now, I have to run further than I've ever run before! On top of that, we didn't finish our our 14-mile run last week. On top of THAT, I hadn't slept well the night before, because I stupidly had an iced coffee late at night. Plus, there was a bird chirping outside the window ALL NIGHT LONG. Aren't non-owl birds supposed to be asleep at night?

Anyway, I woke up at 7:oo am yesterday and had a yogurt and a piece of toast with butter and headed out the door. Forgot to bring anything to eat on the run. It was cool and cloudy, so a few of us wore jackets, but ditched them at the first water stop because we were all plenty warm by then. Just about as soon as we started, I realized that although it was cool, it was a little on the humid side. Still, not bad running weather.

We took a different route this time, down Rte. 53 to Weymouth and onto Broad and then Commercial St., and back. The run was pretty uneventful for me, which I find somewhat amazing. I mean, hello? 15 miles! I'm pretty proud of myself.

The only problems I faced were aching knees by the 12th or 13th mile, and of course CRAZY HUNGER. Somewhere around the half-way mark, I noticed I was starving. I tried to ignore it at first, but at the end, my stomach was actually hurting from being empty, and I was starting to feel a teensy bit woozy! As soon as I stopped running, though, the pain in my stomach went away and I didn't feel like I had to eat immediately. I waited for Chris to catch up and we went to a Dunks drive-thru for brunch (it was 12:30 or so by then). Kristen estimated that we burned some crazy amount of calories during the run (1,700? I forget, and I'm too lazy to try to figure it out myself), so I didn't feel at all guilty about ordering myself a bagel AND a donut.