Training Update and Uno's!

Hi everyone- I’m back to report on another week or so of running. My training this past week began a bit slowly as I came down with a bad cold/ flu (whatever is going around now!) last Sunday and had to take 3 days off in a row. I really hate taking days off from running, especially unplanned ones, but perhaps I needed a little break anyway. I’ve been running a consistent 6 days a week and sometimes I find I need extra time off now and then when building up the miles. I felt better for the latter half of the week and was able to fit it a great 15-mile run on Saturday. It was a sunny and warm day, a bit windy on the river, but not too bad. I have to say that spending 2+ hours out there by yourself running can be very peaceful, but also tough at times. When I run outside, I never take an iPod because I am content thinking or observing my surroundings and I find music a little distracting. After a while, on the long runs, not having any distraction can be a big challenge. I think 15-16 miles is the maximum distance I can do alone. Running with friends or a group, even for part of the distance, makes a huge difference. Others’ energy is contagious and so helpful when you find yourself in a rut.

The last time I trained for a marathon, I found that incorporating longer races as some of my long runs worked really well and was a lot of fun. I just found out about this 20 mile race http://www.easternstates20mile.com/ that crosses three state borders (Maine, NH, and then MA). I’m definitely going to register for it! The timing is great—placed about 3 full weeks before the marathon, it will be a great last long run before I start to cut back on the running during the ‘taper’ period.

Also, I hope you will all join us at Uno’s Pizzeria this Friday, February 27^th. Come to Uno’s for lunch, dinner, or drinks and present a special voucher to your waitperson. Uno’s will then donate 15-20% of total sales to our Boston Marathon fundraiser. Please email me directly at cgodbout@hosp.org and I will send you the voucher.

Another busy week!

It’s been another dynamic week of running. I must say that the weather has been all over the place, but to my relief, not as bitterly cold as the past weeks. I went from running in capri tights on Sunday to full pants on Tuesday to shorts on Wednesday and then a jacket and long pants yesterday and today. The one consistent factor has been the wind; just walking home from the T last night I was nearly knocked off my feet and blown backwards and this morning there were points in my run where I could hardly move forward at all. These weather extremes are challenging, but I have to remember they are very helpful because April weather in Boston is totally unpredictable, fluctuating between windy or calm, rainy or sunny, 40 degrees or 80!

I’m really excited about several of the activities we’re working on here in the office. Last Sunday, Hospitality Homes participated in the Teen Life Community Service Fair in the Chestnut Hill Mall. Caryl Goodman, our executive director, and Claire Campbell, our outreach assistant, teamed up with Ruth Rosenberg, one of our wonderful hosts, to tell hundreds of high-schoolers and their families about Hospitality. Another host came up with the clever idea of creating some golden sneakers to generate interest around the marathon and it worked. Fairgoers flocked to the table to check them out and inquire where they could get a pair. Throughout these months we’re not only hoping to reach our $10,000 fundraising goal, but also working to spread the word about Hospitality Homes to families who need us and the fair was a great opportunity for this.

Also, I hope everyone will save the date of Friday, February 27^th. We’re going to hold a fundraiser at an Uno’s Pizzeria in Boston. This is an easy and fun way to support my marathon fundraiser because all you have to do is eat there. Stay tuned for more details in the coming week!

On Course

Well, another week is coming to an end and I am gearing up for a long run tomorrow. Last Saturday I ran 12 miles on the marathon course and I think it went well. I was nervous because I hadn’t run over 10 miles in a few months. Also, about a week earlier I clumsily injured my toe by running into a chair leg before I put my contacts in one morning. It turned black and blue and was swollen for days. I was so scared I had broken it. Fortunately, my toe was feeling better and the day was sunny, though only 25 degrees, with a wind chill of 11! After a week of walking on icy, snowy sidewalks I was worried about the state of Comm. Ave but it turned out to be nearly 100% cleared and easy to run on. It was fun to see other runners, some solo, some in groups, out for their long run. We exchange smiles and a few words when stopped at traffic lights or when slowing down near an icy patch on the road. There is definitely a sense of runner camaraderie when training on the course!

As I ran up and down the rolling Newton hills and then Heartbreak hill I thought about the marathon and how excited I am to finally be running Boston. I think I’ve watched it from the Boston College main gate, about 4-5 times, sometimes as a BC student, others when my parents were running it. As I watched runners after they had just climbed Heartbreak hill, I always pictured myself out there. The chance to run this year holds so much meaning for me and I am really happy to be running it for Hospitality Homes.