Somebody Up There Likes Me!

This weekend, we did a 5 mile training walk/run from Astoria Park to Roosevelt Island and back. In my case, there was no "and back", since I caught the subway back to Forest Hills for my Weight Watchers meeting, instead of walking back to Astoria Park.

Somebody up there really likes me, that's all I can say. The "Zombie Staircase" restroom was unlocked when we got there, which was perfect timing, since I was trying to figure out how I was going to make it halfway around the island to the tram restroom. We also had free pasta samples courtesy of one of the farmers market vendors, and my train was there within less than a minute of getting to the subway station. Somehow, by some miracle, I only gained .4 lbs over the holiday week. Like I said, somebody up there really likes me!

Please consider making a donation in support of my efforts on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/halfnyc14/crawlcarolcrawl 

Thank you.

A Little Bit(strip) of Half Marathon Training Humor

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in any amount in support of my efforts to fight cancer one mile at a time at:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/halfnyc14/crawlcarolcrawl

My First-Ever Tattoo: From Promise to Reality

Back in March, I had promised that if I made my Team in Training fundraising goal for the NJ Long Branch Half Marathon, I would get my first-ever tattoo - a smaller version of this taco tattoo - by the end of the year. Well, I was about a month behind schedule, but on Sunday, January 27, 2013, I made good on that promise. It's still healing, but this is what it looks like 2 1/2 weeks later. It doesn't hurt, it just eventually needs to peel on its own, kind of like a sunburn.

(Click the picture to enlarge.)

The idea for a taco tattoo as a symbol for me to remember why I do my marathons and half marathons and who I do them for came about largely in memory of my friend Patty who lost her battle with cancer almost two years ago, and her love of Taco Tuesdays. Those of you who are friends with me on facebook know that I was already posting a weekly "Happy Taco Tuesday" status message in memory of Patty. The tattoo idea came about a bit later, and I just knew that a taco tattoo above my left ankle was the way to go. Now, whenever I look at it, I remember my friends who have kicked cancer to the curb, those currently fighting their battles, and those who have lost theirs. I have a feeling that the resultant innuendos are their gift back to me.

As some of you know, this was not a decision I made lightly. I had been thinking of doing this for a while, and wanted to make sure it was done right. My worst fear was that my tattoo would come out looking nothing like what I had in mind, or worse yet, that it would come out looking awful. So, when my finances finally allowed, I took my time, read reviews of several tattoo shops here in Queens, NYC, and finally decided on True Blue Tattoo in Middle Village, Queens. Why did I go to a tattoo shop halfway across Queens, when there were several closer shops in my immediate area? I don't know. Something about it just felt right, and I've learned to trust that feeling. I'm very glad I did. My tattoo artist was Louis Andrew, and I could not possibly have asked for a better fit both in terms of what I wanted to have done, and personality. I could tell right away that Louis truly loves what he does, and his portfolio is really amazing. I can't say enough great things about both the shop and Louis. I don't think I could have possibly had a better first-time tattoo experience.

For those wondering about the pain. I don't know if it was the spot on my ankle that I chose for the tattoo, or Louis, but it wasn't bad. I watched the whole thing as he was doing it, and the hardest part was staying still. There were a few spots where I really felt it, but even that wasn't overly painful. I didn't scream, cry or curse - not even once.

Two Half Marathons in May - Over and DONE

I'm still not sure what possessed me to sign up for two half marathons within two weeks of each other, but I did it, I race walked them, finished them, and, most importantly, earned two new medals to add to my collection! The Long Branch Half Marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training on May 6th, followed by the Super Hero Half Marathon in Morris Township, NJ on May 20th.

Now I get to take it "easy". "Easy" as in no half marathons for at least another 4 months (the Hershey Half on 10/21 is looking very interesting) or major fundraising efforts for at least another 6 months. (I may reconsider that if Team in Training is doing the Disney Half in January 2013.)

Next up on my race schedule is The Color Run 5K with my niece, Erica. It will be her first race, and I signed us both up as soon as registration opened this past Wednesday. By the end of the race, we're both going to look like Walt Disney threw up all over us. VERY cool! :-)

Taco Tuesday Fundraising Challenge = My First-Ever Tattoo???

In keeping with the personal significance of Taco Tuesday, today starts my Taco Tuesday Fundraising Challenge. If I make my Team in Training fundraising minimum in time for my April 18th deadline, I PROMISE that I will get a smaller version of this tattoo emblazoned on my leg by year-end to honor those I race in honor/memory of. All donations welcome, no amount is too small! Every dollar helps save a life!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nj12/crawlcarolcrawl

Source: google.com via Carol on Pinterest

FREE BEER!!!

Beer Garden Fundraiser for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Astoria | Events | Yelp

When:

Saturday, February 18, 2012 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Where:

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

2919 24th Ave Astoria, NY 11102 (718) 274-4925

We're raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with the Team in Training Queens Team!

There will be lots of raffle prizes and a 50/50. Here's the best part: ALL GUESTS WILL GET A FREE BEER! So, come hang out with some of your favorite people and raise money for a great cause.

Donation at the door is $15.00. Please be sure to mention that Carol sent you, so I get credit for your donation and attendance!

If you can't make it, but would still like to make a donation, you may do so at http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nj12/crawlcarolcrawl

A Typical Marathon Training Walk to Roosevelt Island and Back - A Slideshow

You can hover your mouse over the slideshow and click to pause it and go from picture to picture manually.

If you want to see the full-size photos, you can view the online album at
https://picasaweb.google.com/MsCarolM/ATypicalMarathonTrainingWalkToRooseveltIslandAndBack?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Now is the Time on Sprockets When We Whine

I think we may all hit this point at some time during our fundraising and training efforts. I woke up yesterday having some serious doubts about this whole NJ Half Marathon thing. My fundraising's not going as well as planned, I'm worried about the finishing time limit for the race, and lately, I'm just not that into pushing it for some reason.

My final fundraising amount of $2,150.00 isn't due until mid-April. BUT... I need to commit to raising the full amount by mid-February. Once I re-commit, what a lot of people don't realize is that it's then on my head to either raise $2,150.00 in donations, or have any shortfall come out of my pocket. I think that's the part that I'm really not sure about at this point. I really can't take on another financial obligation, even a potential one.

According to the official info, there's also a strict 3:15 (that's 3 hours and 15 minutes for you non-runners) time limit on the half, otherwise you do not qualify as a finisher and do not get a medal. My current finishing time on a half is 3:31.

If I really run/walk the whole thing, the 3:15 shouldn't be a problem, but I'm just in a funky "I'm sick of asking people for money and getting up and out of the house before 7:30 on a Saturday morning in the cold" kind of a place.

Feelin' Groovy

I did manage to get off the pity pot long enough to get to Astoria Park for our 8 mile Queensboro Bridge Run/Walk/Whatever, which was followed by a group brunch at Sparrow Tavern. Walking across the bridge and back with my mentor, Susan, and team mate Nikki helped put things into a better perpective, but the jury's still out for me on this one.

Yesterday was definitely one of those "dark days of training". I'm seriously hoping it will pass. Now, if this had been Disney, it might've been a whole 'nother story.

It Was a Hot One - Like Seven Ninjas in the Midday Sun

RELAX! I know those aren't the lyrics!

All I can say is that I am amazed that we not only survived our originally-scheduled 5+ mile run/walk to the Roosevelt Island lighthouse and back in the oppressive NYC heatwave, but we upped the ante! When we got to the lighthouse someone who shall remain nameless, for reasons totally beyond comprehension (including her own) asked the rest of the run/walk group if they wanted to try doing the rest of the way around the island. For reasons equally beyond comprehension, they agreed. So, we did, for a total of somewhere between 7.2 and 8.2 miles, depending on which gadget was doing the tracking.

Given both the record temperatures and the totally suckazoidal air quality, I opted to skip the "run" part of "run/walk" yesterday, and focus instead on race walking it. Very. Wise. Decision. It not only kept me from being totally miserable to be around in the heat, it also helped shift my mental focus. I've been struggling a bit with run/walking in the hot weather, not so much in terms of my legs or feet, but in terms of my breathing. It's also become a bit of a mental struggle, since I don't feel I'm doing as well as I "should" be doing. Focusing on race walking yesterday helped remind me that I'm a very good, strong, fast walker. It felt really good to be able to put in the extra mileage and still feel reasonably human while doing it. Yes, there were some torturously hot stretches (I've re-named Vernon Blvd to BURNIN' Blvd), but there were also several people out there with garden hoses who were very willing to hose us down upon request. The added bonus is that now we know where the sprinklers are on Roosevelt Island!

We also had a chance to see some interesting and cool stuff, like these three pieces:

Overall, it went much better than I had imagined it while I was getting ready the night before! I'm also really glad I brought some non-sweaty clothes to change into afterwards!

Things That Make it All Worthwhile

Today ended up being a non-running, bag-watching kind of a morning, as I am among the slightly-injured. Nothing major - I must've turned my foot wrong yesterday or something. One minute, I was in the pet store paying for my cat food, and then when I turned to walk away from the register, I felt a pain in my left foot when I put weight on it. This is probably at least partially shoe-related, because the minute I got home, I took off the shoes I was wearing (which were running shoes, not heels) and that seemed to improve matters. It wasn't swollen or anything, so I wasn't too concerned. This morning when I woke up, it was a little sensitive, but I could walk on it. I decided not to push it any further than showing up at practice this morning. Based on past experience, that's when I end up making it worse. So, I decided to swap bag-watching duties with my Mentor Buddy, Jenna.

While we were waiting to get started, we saw what can only be described as one great, big, giant "EWWWWWWWWW!!!" - the woman below giving her pocketbook dog a bath, IN THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN. Of course, within minutes of her departure, a runner came up to the fountain to get a drink. About a dozen of us watched in horror as she ignored our frantic shouts of "NOOOOOOO!!! DON'T DRINK THE WATER!!!" It reminded me of when people watching a horror movie yell "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!!!", and the person on-screen opens the door anyway.



One clean dog = one really gross drinking fountain

While I was bag-watching (which for you non-running folks means I sat on the bleachers and watched everyone else's stuff), I decided to play around with some of the camera apps on my phone and take a few pictures. Below is a shot of the Astoria Park track taken with my phone using the Toy Camera effect:





After practice, I met with two of my mentees, Yvonne and Andrea (who are both doing really awesome so far) to talk about fundraising, and go over a few things, since this is all new to them. The fundraising is possibly the most intimidating part of this whole journey, especially if you've never done it before (at least it was for me). A few other folks chimed in with ideas, suggestions, etc. which was very helpful! One of the things I'm finding so great about mentoring with the Team in Training group in Queens is that we have so many incredible people, and a really nice sense of camraderie fairly early on. When you consider that we officially started our training season two Saturdays ago, we're bonding really quickly.

On the way out of the park, I spotted this gentleman. I'm not quite sure why he was dressed this way, but from the front, it looked like he was carrying some sort of notebook or sketch pad.




While waiting for the train back, Jenna and I had this fantastic view:



The view from the Astoria Blvd subway platform this morning - how awesome is THIS???

No sooner had we put away the camera phones, than a female NYPD officer came up to thank us for all of the work and effort we put into what we do, as she put it, "in case nobody else has". Then she went back down the stairs to the station entrance. I'm guessing from the way she said, that she, or someone she knew had a connection to some form of leukemia, lymphoma or other cancer. It was a goosebump moment, and I'm glad Jenna was there with me to share in both the officer's thank you, AND witness the goosebumps that showed up on my arms within seconds.



The same view, using the Toy Camera effect

Happening NOW: Online Scentsy Party to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

https://carlamccrory.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=38625907

I'm hosting a FABULOUS online Scentsy party to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training from now until TUESDAY. This is an ONLINE party, and you do not have to BE anywhere. You can shop from the convenience of your computer.

Scentsy warmers use a low-watt bulb to slowly melt specially formulated wax. With no flame, smoke, or soot, the Scentsy wickless candle system is a safe way to enjoy Scentsy fragrances.

Scentsy also has room sprays, antibacterial fragrance foam, travel tins, and scent circles to hang in cars, lockers, and closets.

So far, my favorite summery scents are Cranberry Mango and Coconut Lemongrass, but there are TONS more, including MANLY scents for the guys out there.

If you wish to make a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on my behalf, without making a purchase, you may do so at
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/hampton11/cmartzinek

Thanks!

For Those of You Just Tuning in

Since many of my Team in Training friends and future mentees do not know "the old me", I figured I'd post a bit of back-story.  If this doesn't prove that yes, you can finish a full or half marathon, I'm not sure what will.

Seriously, I am not the poster child for endurance athlete. On 9/11/2001, I weighed in at roughly 305 lbs. As you can see from the picture below, hill repeats and strength training weren't even part of my vocabulary, much less a part of my life.

Fast-forward to late November, 2007 when, after having quit smoking just a few weeks before, I decided to further tort... improve my health and physical well-being, by joining Weight Watchers. Less than 2 years and over 70 lbs lost later, I received a mailing from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training about their upcoming Winter Season events, which included the Walt Disney World Marathon. What better way to celebrate "the new me" than by challenging myself even further by attempting to train and race walk a full 26.2 mile marathon in my happiest place on earth?

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time... Actually, it was not only a good idea, it turned out to be a great idea. I had all sorts of fun - training sessions in sub-freezing temperatures, long distance walks in torrential rain, developing an acquired taste for GU Espresso Love - the list goes on and on. I learned about proper endurance sport nutrition (which I still suck at), boot camp workouts (which I suck at even worse) and all sorts of cool running gear and gadgets. I've become really good at finding stuff for dirt cheap, too! Most importantly, I've come to know an absolutely fantastic and wonderful group of people, dedicated to a great cause. Many of them have become friends for life and like it or not, they're stuck with me.

And yes, I finished my first marathon, at the ripe old age of 46, and somehow managed to raise over $3,700.00 for cancer research and patient support programs. I managed to get through 23.5 miles of this past year's Walt Disney World Marathon, and all 13.1 miles of the MORE/Fitness Magazine Women's Half Marathon a few weeks ago.

I look pretty good, considering it's 5:30am.

 
In another few weeks, I'll begin training for the Hamptons Half Marathon as a mentor with Team in Training. In another few months, I'll be 48 years old. If I can do this, anyone can. Really! Plus, you get a medal when you finish - what's cooler than that?

If you're thinking about joining the NYC Chapter of Team in Training as a run/walker or walker, feel free to request me as a mentor if you'd like!

Ice Baths: A New Form of Torture

Picture yourself running, run-walking or walking for two and a half hours in the freezing cold. Then picture immersing the lower half of yourself in a tub full of ice cubes and cold water for 10-15 minutes (or just plain ice cold tap water, if you're a weenie like me), while wearing a sweatshirt on your upper half to keep warm. Doesn't sound very fun, does it? Supposedly, it helps with your recovery after a long run.

The last time I attempted anything remotely like this was after I finished my first marathon, at Walt Disney World in January 2010, and that was only lukewarm water. I just attempted it a few minutes ago with ice cold tap water. Interestingly (and fortunately), I didn't freeze my ass off. However, my upper leg muscles would not stop shivering and quivering like a bowl of flesh-colored Jell-O. It also helps if you set the timer on your watch for 10 minutes instead of 10 hours. Fortunately, I checked the clock on my bathroom wall before I got in!

Whether it helps with my recovery remains to be seen. I'll have to see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow morning. Right now, though,I think I'll go and sit on my radiator for a while.



(I can't believe they actually sell a greeting card featuring an ice bath on Amazon!)

A Lovely Stroll Along the West Side Highway

If you would like to make a donation to support my Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training fund raising efforts, please go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wdw11/cmartzinek

Today, our training session consisted of a lovely stroll along the West Side Highway. For those of you who do not live in the New York City area, the West Side Highway runs along the Hudson River, and there's a very nice, scenic and most importantly, FLAT running and biking path that extends pretty much along the entire west side of Manhattan. It's a really great place to get out and go for a walk, run or run-walk. It is also right on the water, making it really cold out there on days like today, when the high temperature is 40 degrees or below. (NOT to be confused with 40 below - I think I'd kind of have to draw the line and say "NO WAY, José!" if that was the case!)

I went through this particular form of torture last winter season during training, so I had a pretty good idea of what I had to look forward to today. I started trying to get myself psyched into it around 7:00 PM last night. I made myself get my clothes, sports drinks, a change of warm clothes for afterwards, etc. ready, so that all I would need to do when the alarm went off at 5:30 AM would be to get dressed, wash my face, brush my teeth, throw some make up on my face (yes, I try to spare my team mates from seeing me without makeup), have some coffee and spend some quality time on facebook before I have to leave the house to catch the 7:20 AM bus to the Main Street Flushing subway station (more on that later). So, everything was all ready to rock-'n'-roll before "Judge Judy" time.

Fast-forward to when my alarm went off this morning. Now, any other morning, when I don't have to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn, I am up, semi-alert and half-caffeinated usually before 6:00 AM. For some reason, whenever I have to be up at that hour, I need to set both alarms on my dual-alarm clock, and hit the snooze button several times before I actually get out of bed. This morning was no exception. The only difference this morning was that I allowed myself to chant "I hate this part, I HATE this part!" about twenty times OUT LOUD before getting out of bed. I scared the crap out of my cats, Tigger and Gateway! They just looked at me and ran out of the bedroom at about 90 mph. For some reason, it worked. I got out of bed, put the coffee on, fed Tigger and Gateway (not necessarily in that order), and turned on my computer and my cell phone. Sometime after I shut my phone off for the night, I had received a message from one of my coaches in response to something else and part of it said:

"...for what it's worth, you are earning a hell of a lot of respect this season. Well deserved, too, I might add. Keep up the good work."

I quote that text message not to pat myself on the back, but to illustrate the difference between how I see my training efforts vs. how others see them. That, and to show how, whenever I need an extra shot in the arm to keep going, one magically seems to appear at just the right time. How could I possibly not show up for this morning's tort... I mean trainining session after that???

The NYC Mass-Transit Gods were with me again this morning. Not that he reads this or anything, but I have to give a huge shout-out to the driver of the 7:20 AM Q65 bus on Saturday mornings. The man is always on time. He's like clockwork (and yes, I've thanked him for it!) Ditto for the MTA #7 train crews for keeping those running amazingly well on Saturday mornings. I can honestly say that mass-transit issues are not a regular part of my Saturday mornings. Everything runs like clockwork on Saturdays.

So, I made it to Central Park on time, and with a bit of trepidation, took off the fleece vest I had been wearing under my jacket and left it with the rest of my warm clothes at bag watch. Did I mention it was COLD outside??? At any rate, it all worked out amazingly well. I had basically decided that my goal this morning was to show up, and that anything else was a bonus. I had planned on walking this morning instead of run-walking, so I had two walking buddies, one of which was my fellow blog-buddy, Joanne. Having walking buddies really helped all of us keep our minds off of how cold it was and how much further we had to go. Surprisingly, it wasn't as cold as I thought it would be, and didn't get that cold until we were on the way back and got near Chelsea Piers. I also surprised myself by run-walking a good portion of it, although my "run" was more like a slow jog today. I started run-walking it when I started feeling my hamstrings getting a bit tight, and it really helped. I'm still not sure what my goal is going to be in terms of run-walking for the Walt Disney World Marathon. Am I going to try to run-walk the entire thing, or just use it as a tool when I need it to keep me going? I may not know until that morning, and that's okay. I'll pack my Gymboss either way.

The end result was that we did it. Two and a half hours and 8.75 miles later, we were DONE!!! Now, I just have to decide if I want to attempt a 10K race tomorrow morning in Central Park, or be a total slug. Stay tuned...

Have I Mentioned That I HATE Blisters?

So, last Wednesday I attempted run/walking for the first time. Not bad! I not only survived it, I felt GREAT the next day. Saturday, I did it again for a total of an hour and forty minutes - one minute of running for every two minutes of walking. Somewhere during my 6.42 miles, I developed a blister. By the time I got home, I had not only logged 11.25 miles, I had rubbed the skin on my one toe raw. Seems the band aid I had put on my other toe rubbed the one next to it in a very wrong way. Lovely! Note to self: Don't use non-latex fabric band aids on your feet - EVER!

So, here I sit on a #7 train on my way home instead of training for my marathon. It's frustrating. I'm crabby and cranky, and writing this blog on my new DROID X using Blogger-droid. If there are no typos, I'll be amazed.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Poland Springs 5-miler, New Shoes and O.M.G. I Actually RAN!

If you would like to make a donation to support my Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training fund raising efforts, please go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wdw11/cmartzinek

Yup, you read that right, I actually RAN last night! We had a speed training workout in Central Park, consisting of three sets of a hard speed workout half mile, followed by a "recovery" half mile. My coach Dari has been encouraging me to try run/walking, and last night, coach Bethany succeeded in getting me to actually do it. For my hard speed workout half miles, I did intervals of one minute of running and two minutes of walking.

Also this week, we did the Poland Springs NYC Marathon Kickoff 5 mile race in Central Park on Sunday. Fortunately, my friend Liz was walking with me, or I would've slacked off a bit. It was a pretty intense workout, but the weather was gorgeous and most of my team mates were there at the finish line (which is the SAME finish line that will be crossed by those running the NYC Marathon on Sunday) to cheer for us. I had this GREAT finish line "TA-DA!" pose, but for some reason, it never made it to the race photo site. I wasn't the only one minus a finish line photo, so I guess it's nothing personal. I finished in 1:17:48, with an average pace of 15:33 according to the NYRR official results. Not too shabby!

The race was an excellent opportunity to put my new asics 2150s to the test. These were suggested to me by the staff at Urban Athletics, as a lighter version of the asics Gel Kahana 3s that got me through last year's marathon. They are PERFECT! Even more perfect, is that they were on sale for 50% off for Team in Training members!

I Think I May Be the Oldest Person on Our Team

For real. Seriously. Unless there's someone else on the Team in Training NYC Chapter Winter Season team who's over 47, I may very well be the oldest person on our team. I could possibly be old enough to be the mother of pretty much most members of our team. Actually, far from the age thing bothering me, I think it's pretty cool. I guess it kind of makes me a mascot of sorts.

The thing that I have to remember is that, especially after being 100+ lbs heavier for almost 20 years of my life, I am not 27 years old anymore. My body is not in the same shape as it was, and it will probably never be in the same shape as my much younger team mates. I sort of forget that occasionally, and have a habit of beating myself up over it. For example, as part of my Team in Training Fast Track mentor duties, I took a spin class back in the spring. I had to bail after about 40 minutes. I beat myself up over not finishing for a while. Then I realized something. Let's face it - taking your first spin class at the ripe old age of 46, after weighing over 300 lbs for a good part of your adult life is a lot different than taking your first spin class at 27, when you're in reasonably good shape. The fact that I survived 40 minutes of it is quite an achievement in itself! Three years ago, when I weighed in at somewhere around 275 lbs I don't think I would've lasted 5 minutes, let alone 40!

My recent training sessions have also proven that I'm in better shape this year than I was last year. I've had this feeling for the past few weeks that I'm nowhere near where I should be at this point in my training. Two weekends or so ago, I took Harlem Hill in Central Park uphill at under 14:45/mile, mostly around 14:30/mile. Last year when I did Harlem Hill for the first time, I was somewhere around 16:30/mile. I'm also not wimping out on hill repeats. This past week, thanks to some great motivation from a couple of mentees, I pushed it for an extra repeat up the hill, and it felt great!

I just have to watch that I don't start getting too cocky about my ability to finish the marathon because I've done it already. I think that's going to be the biggest mental challenge. Last year it was the fear and panic that I wouldn't finish. But I've been there, done that and know that I can do it now - even at the ripe old age of 47!

Crawl, Carol, CRAWL!!! - The Sequel: I'm Doing it AGAIN!!!

Forget “Run, Forrest, RUN!” I’m doing it AGAIN!!!

LAST YEAR: I DID IT!!! I walked all 26.2 miles in the Walt Disney World Marathon on 1/10/2010. It only took me 7:23:03 (that's 7 hours, 23 minutes and 3 seconds) to do it, too!

YOU DID IT!!! You helped me cross that finish line! Your generous donations and moral support were what kept me going after around mile 18, when things got a bit tough. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

THIS YEAR: Not only am I doing it again, I've also signed up as a Team Disney Mentor! I’ll be training to race walk the full marathon in Walt Disney World to support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, AND helping new team members get the most out of their Team in Training experience. I'm committing to walking 26.2 miles in this event, and beating last year's time. I may even attempt the “Goofy Challenge” – a 13.1 mile half marathon on Saturday, followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon on Sunday.

In doing so, my goal is to raise $3,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by November 15th to help bring hope and at least some ease of mind to people facing blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma.
 
Your donation can make such a huge difference. It funds research, assists patients with small reimbursements for treatment expenses, provides training for peer support programs, and most important- it brings hope to so many. Please donate what you can. I know the economy is tough on us all, but please think as big and dig as deep as you're able. Every dollar counts, and at least 75% of your donation goes directly into cancer research and patient support programs. Also, your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Every single dollar makes a difference!

Please visit my website to donate:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wdw11/cmartzinek

If you're not able to donate, there are loads of other ways you can help me make this happen. I've listed them below. They're equally important and greatly appreciated.

Some other ways you can help me Crawl, Carol, CRAWL!!!:

• If you have a blog or website, if you could post a link to my Team in Training website with a small blurb like the one below, it will help tremendously:

Crawl, Carol, CRAWL!!! - Please support Carol as she trains to walk in her first marathon to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.  http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/wdw11/cmartzinek

• Visit the Crawl, Carol, CRAWL!!! Shop at http://www.cafepress.com/crawlcarolcrawl - all profits benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Thanks for taking the time to read and for anything you can do to help me
Crawl, Carol, CRAWL!!!

Over 7 Miles Before Noon Today

Today, we had our training session up at the Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park. It was nice seeing it in daylight. I was really focused on my race walking, so I didn't stop to take any pictures, unfortunately. It was a great day for it, too! The sun was shining and the temps were in the 60s.

Since I was running early this morning, I got off the subway at my usual 59th and Fifth Avenue station, and walked up to East 91st and Madison to meet up with my team, did my training session, and then walked back down to 59th and Fifth Avenue. By the time noon rolled around, I had put 7.28 miles on my pedometer. Right now, at the end of the day, I'm up to 8 miles. Show you how lazy I was after I got home, doesn't it? :-)

On another note, in less than 3 weeks, I will be walking in Walk MS New York to raise funds for The National MS Society. I'm planning to walk the full 6 mile route, weather permitting. The following weekend, I'll be race walking in the More/Fitness Magazine Half Marathon. These will be followed by AIDS Walk in May, and Walk Now for Autism in June. Then, a much-needed rest until I start gearing up for Walt Disney World 2011!

I Got My Butt Kicked at Bootcamp!

I'm now mentoring a group of participants in the New York City chapter of Team in Training's Fast Track program, which culminates in a 4 mile "Run for the Parks" race in April.

As part of my mentoring, I get to endure the same tortu... I mean enjoy the same workouts and training sessions as my mentees! Sunday's was a bootcamp workout with Jasmine Graham of Pace4Success.com Jasmine does a GREAT workout with fantastic music. She really gets you working hard (and you really find out "how LOW can you GO?") I wimped out after about 36 minutes, but I managed to survive and felt all the muscles I had worked when I woke up Monday morning. However, I realized that I was probably the oldest person in the room, so I didn't beat myself up too badly for wimping out.

This week, I get to enjoy a fun spin class. I've never been to one, and I haven't been on an exercise bike in years, so this should be quite an experience!