18 miles

I just emerged from my ice bath. I decided that 18 miles had wreaked havoc on my body, and I will do whatever it takes to deaden the pain. An ice bath was my only option. I poured a 5gallon jug of ice water into the tub and filled it with cold water. I put on a jacket and lied there for about ten minutes up to my waist. It wasn't too bad. Maybe it wasn't cold enough. I hope it helps.

Those 18 mies were quite a journey this morning! Crystal and I set out at 6am this morning for our adventure. For anyone in Tucson, here is some perspective: we ran along the river path starting at Children's Memorial Park (just west of Oracle), we headed west to start and went to "stone henge" (1.5miles out). Then we head back east for a looooooooooooong time. All the way to Craycroft! At Craycroft we turned around and headed back to the park. In all it too us a long time. I'll leave it at that. We had a couple of bathroom stops along the way, and we had to re-fill our water bottles a couple of times. Crystal also had some knee pain that kept us walking more than we would have liked there in the middle. She's a trooper though, and we both made it the whole way! :)

We had to do our run today because we participated in a Team yard sale yesterday morning. That was fun, and I got to get rid of some junk, and raise some money at the same time.
Anyone want to buy me this:


Because I really want it!!!!

slow and steady

That is my new theme :) I'm not going to bother sharing times as this point, because time doesn't matter! I'm focusing on the finish line, and I'd like to be be breathing when I get there. Those Saturday runs are LSD--Long Slow Distance. Key word: slooooow. The LSD runs, while slow, really help to build endurance. Our run last saturday was 16miles! We were in Lake Havasu for a very special little girl who turned 5! (That was Cailyn, my neice, for those of you who didn't guess!) Today is her actual birthday, so "Happy Birthday, Cailyn!"
Tyson, Crystal and I set out on our LSD adventure (I know there are other blogs that the phrase "LSD adventure" would lead to something else entirely different, but remember the aforementioned definition!). We started running at about 6:20am, and kept on truckin' for several hours. Tyson was steadily ahead of us the whole way, and finished significantly faster, and he covered more distance! That's my man :)

The weekend was a great one, but is was not without much soreness.

To catch you all up on my last few weeks, I have a photo for you:

[I'm having some trouble with the photo upload feature, I'll try again tomorrow...in the mean time, I'll tell you that you should see a pic of my right foot, with my big toe featuring a large wine-colored bruise]
Ingore the need for a pedicure. Focus more on the bruising. That photo was taken a day after the major bruising set in, and actually looks alot better than it did the day before.

That toe has caused me some anguish these past few weeks. I injured it playing co-ed recreational soccer back on March 30th. Ok, so soccer is not my strong point, that's obvious. I've been trying to take it easy during my games to make sure I don't get hurt, but sometimes collisions are inevitable. My toe hurt like the Dickens, but I iced and elevated and did all that I could that night. The next morning, I went out and did my 14 miles. Maybe that wasn't one of my finest decisions, but I'm dedicated! It actually didn't hurt much as I ran, but boy did it hurt after. I ended up getting an x-ray and was diagnosed with a fracture, but I decided to get a second opinion from an orthopedic surgeon, and he said "no break". So, I'm taking his diagnosis. I still took over a week off from running and took to the pool. I learned a technique called "deep water running". Basically I strapped a flotation device around my waist so that when I stood upright I was submurged up to my shoulders. Then I ran. I didn't go far, though. It takes alot of movement to move in that water! But I chugged along and did all of my weekly runs in the pool.

My toe was feeling better so I got back to pounding the pavement last Thursday. I went to an accupuncturist on Monday and he did some Chinese Medicine techniques, so hopefully that is helping in the healing process.

I think that is enough for now. Sorry for the lack of updates, I'll try to stay on top of it!

Sabino Canyon

For the most part, my training has been going well. Last Saturday we ran up Sabino Canyon. It was gorgeous! It was also very flooded, making for an adventure. It rained quite a bit on thursday and friday, and with the debris from the Aspen fire filling up the under part of the bridges, all the water flows right over the top. We didn't let that stop us. We went straight through the freezing cold water. So, after each bridge, I felt like I was running with ice blocks in my shoes. I definitely could not feel my feet, but my shoes were really heavy. Needless to say, I did alot of walking up the canyon. But, I made up for it on the way down and ran most of the way.

It took me about and hour and 45 minutes to go up and back. The trail is a little under 8 miles. I don't think that time is so bad (considering all the walking), but I know I will improve the the next time I run up there.

This Saturday we face 14 miles. It's funny. It doesn't seem quite as daunting as I would have tought. Granted, it's still a scary distance for me, but I know that I will complete it. I did 12 miles two weeks ago, and I survived :)

I have been focusing ALOT on stretching. Especially that IT band I talked about. It still bothers me, but it is getting under control. At the advice of an excellent DPT, I purchased a foam roller, and have been using it religiously. It can be pretty painful as it rolls along the IT band, but it's a "deep-tissue massage" sort of pain. It makes a big difference for me. I love it. I have been using it to aid in the stretching of most of my muscles.

68 days 'til the Rock 'n' Roll marathon!

Anyone want to join me? Hanako originally recruited me, and now I have Crystal, Tyson and David committed to 26.2 grueling miles! Misery loves company ;)

Here I am selecting the winning names for our Team in Training fundraising raffle! We raffled off a weekend stay at Best Western, a cancer awareness bracelet, a Jazzercise gift basket, a Sidewinders gift basket and a Lenox serving dish. It was a success!

In the background is our Team in Training marathon quilt. A friend of TNT quilted it to represent the two upcoming marathons, our Rock 'n' Roll marathon in San Diego and the Mayor's Midnight run in Alaska. It is a beautiful quilt, and it represents all of the hard work that goes into fundraising and training. Each week a member of the team is presented with the quilt to signify hard work and dedication to the cause. I earned it that week, and was proud to hang it!

Below is a photo from our day at Walmart. It was a tough crowd, but Walmart is matching all of the funds we raised that day! Special thanks to Kelley (on the right) and Scarlett (not pictured) for all of their help.

Two things I have learned...

First: I finally know that a "runners high" feels like. My 8mile run on Saturday was amazing. It started out rough, and I was dreading the rest of the run. About 3-4 miles into I decided to buck up and concentrate. I ate a Clif power shot to give me some energy, and worked on my form. Shortly thereafter, one of the TNT coaches joined me and ran the rest of the way with me. He was a life saver. Having someone to chat with makes the run go by so much quicker. I was running intervals of 5:1, and with someone there, you can't really make any excuses on why it takes so long to start running again. So, an hour and 45minutes later, I completed 8miles. Crystal had to miss our group run, so she did the run by herself later in the day. She also had a great run, and was pretty pumped by the end.

Second: I learned what an inflamed IT band feels like. I'm sure any runners out there know just what I'm talking about. I had the pain on the outside of my leg, just below my knee. I know my mileage increase is to blame, but it certainly didn't help that I played soccer the night before, and then rode up to Phoenix and back on Saturday. My legs were not happy with me. I ended up taking the day off on Monday, because rest is the best think for IT ban inflammation. Yesterday I did some strength training for my core and my legs, but not much. Today I plan to do a little bit of running, but I will take it slow and be sure to stretch the IT band area, at least as much as I can.

Congratulations to the raffle winners! You should all have been notified and most of you have your prizes, so enjoy! Thank you for participating.

This Saturday is the Climb to Conquer Cancer, so join us if you can. Check www.teamgiant.org for details. Since I will be walking the Climb on Saturday, I will do my 10 mile run on Sunday.

I'm a runner?

Well, I'm not quite sure that I'm comfortable saying that quite yet. But, I can definitely say that I have acted a bit out of the ordinary. Two things I did this week that I can honestly say I didn't think I'd ever do:
I ran while I was sick
I ran in the rain

Running in the rain was actually quite nice, running while sick, not so much.
I woke up Friday with a pretty nasty head cold. I tried to rest and fight it off, but it was in full force when I woke up at 6:30am Saturday morning. Thankfully Sudafed came to my resccue.
I went to the race walk clinic before our group run so that I could learn a bit about using my walking time to my advantage. The information was useful, and I intend to "walk athletically" during my walk intervals as much as possible.

Saturday morning continued on with me completing 4miles. I ran about 2.5 of those 4. I definitely wasn't feeling up to par, but I fought through it anyway.

The rest of the day was dedicated to fundraising! Crystal and I (with the help of a couple friends) set up shop outside of Walmart to basically ask for donations and offer raffle tickets, brownies and bracelets for sale. Let me tell you, that was a tough job and we earned every penny. In total we raised about $300 there, and we are hoping that Walmart will match those funds.

This coming Saturday, our mileage jumps a bit....6miles! I think that may be the furthest I have ever run or walked in one time frame. The Climb is 3 miles up and 3 miles back, and I always walk both ways (I do jog a bit on the way up, but that's just to socialize). So, from here on out I'm going to be breaking personal records every week! It gives me something to look forward to :)

Training

I hope you like the look of the new homepage. I figure I don't want everyone to have to be subjected to my training posts, but if you want to see them, you can find them here.

Training is coming along pretty well. We have had 2 Saturday long run trainings. As we are still early on, they were relatively short. The first was 1-2 miles and the second 2-3. I've decided to stay in the top range, so I never have to make a drastic mileage jump (thanks Hanako, for your reasoning). I also run 30minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 20 minutes on Friday (I've been counting soccer); Sunday is a rest day and Tuesday is a cross-train or rest day. I've already noticed a difference in how I feel during the 30min runs and during my soccer games. Its great to see such quick results.

On Saturday was had a ChiRunning clinic (www.chirunning.com), where we learned about controlling your movements so that you are not exerting excess energy. I found it very helpful, and I'm glad to have an ideal running form in my head, so that I can concentrate on that during my runs.

Tonight was an injury prevention clinic. A PT talked to us about body movements and preventing injuries. He recommended we do some strength training for our running muscles, while doing a type of motion used in running. So, I hope to try to incorporate some of those exercises into my weekly training.

The $40,000 challenge

Are you up to the challenge?

A very generous donor has offered to match all of the funds that we, as Team Giant, raise to fight cancer up to $20,000. Maybe you need to count those zeros again. Yep. That's right. $20,000. What that means is that we ALL need to step up and raise some funds! This challenge includes both of our current endeavors: Climb to Conquer cancer, and the Marathon Challenge. Either way you look at it, that is a lot of money to fight cancer and help those affected by the disease. If we can raise $20,000 we will be matched, bringing our total earnings to $40,000!! Can you even imagine it? Well, start to, because we are on our way!

Do you think we can do it? We won't know unless we try! Let's get to it!

"How can I help?" you ask. There are several ways.

1. Join Team Giant as we Climb to Conquer Cancer with the American Cancer Society or make a donation to help the team. Click here to join or to make a donation. (You have until February 5th to sign up and get a Team Giant shirt).

2. Donate to our Marathon Challenge and help Crystal and me to raise $7,200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Click here to help us end the suffering from blood cancers. You may also mail a check to Marisa Allen at 193 W. Greer Ln. Tucson, AZ 85704

3. Pass this message along. Let your friends and family know how they can help Team Giant meet the $20,000 challenge.

4. Send me your ideas. Maybe you can't help financially, but you know another way to reach our goal. Do you have an item to donate that we can raffle off? Do you or someone you know own a restaurant that will let us have a fundraising party?

I hope that you all are half as excited as I am to do our part in fighting cancer. Did you know that cancer deaths are on the decline? The only way to keep that number down is to continue to offer our support.

Kick-Off TNT

Yesterday was the kick-off for Team in Training (TNT). I won a trisports.com t-shirt, which I gave to Tyson (because he has actually completed a triathlon!). I figured it served him better. At the kick off I met Gabbi. Gabbi is one of our honored teammates for TNT she is ten years old and is a 6 year leukemia survivor. It was very nice to meet her. Daniela is our other honored teammate, but she is only 3 years old (she's in remission as of this past month). Two other teammates we race in memory of: A little girl named Alex and a boy named Carlos (Carlos Valencia is a local celebrity for his work in encouraging Hispanics to donate bone marrow). I wish I could have had the opportunity to meet both of those special people. That is why I continue to stay involved in the fight against cancer. We should be running in their honor and not there memory.

Tomorrow starts a series of clinics to prepare us for the marathon. We are going to Fleet Feet Sports to have our gait and feet tested so that we can be properly fitted for new running shoes. I'm looking forward to this because I know how important it is to keep my feet healthy (plus, what girl doesn't love an excuse for a new pair of shoes?) :)

Wednesday is the fundraising clinic. I'm looking forward to this because I'm interested in learning new ways to get the cause out there and start earning money for the run!

Our first official group training session is on Saturday, where we will start from the beginning (1-2 miles). I have been working on the pre-training of 30mins most days of the week. At this point for me that equals about 2 miles (intervals of running and walking). I imagine that I'm going to need to improve dramatically in order to complete the marathon.

New adventures

I have decided to revive the giantallen.com website! I think that Josh would be proud to know that even in his absence, we are all continuing the battle against cancer in his memory, and in memory/honor of so many others.

I will now use this page to update you all on the many steps that we take in the battle to find a cure for cancer.

We currently have two upcoming events:

The first you are all familiar with, Climb to Conquer Cancer with Team Giant!
If you would like to join our team, or make a donation, please visit our team page here.
Team Giant has raised over $23,000 to fight cancer through research, education, advocacy, and support.

The second is a big endeavor that Crystal (my sister) and I are taking on together are representatives of Team Giant: RUNNING A MARATHON!
On June 3^rd we are going to run (or maybe walk or crawl) 26.2 miles as a member of Team in Training (TNT)! The event is the Rock n’ Roll Marathon and takes place in beautiful San Diego, California. I ask for your support in this colossal undertaking.
We have each committed to raising $3,600 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I figure we can tackle cancer from a different angle :)

Please help us in our efforts! Any amount counts, and we appreciate it. Making a donation is easy, you can hand deliver or mail me a check written to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or donate online:
Click here to go to our donation page


We know that this is a lot to ask all of our friends and family at one time, but the cause is a worthy one. We are very excited about these upcoming adventures and thank you for your support.

Please check in often for updates on our progress.