StatsDays to go: 311 (85%) Miles completed today: 5 Total miles completed overall: 149 (15%) Miles to go: 852 (85%) Total time run today: 37 minutes, 45 seconds Total time run overall: 17 hours, 54 minutes, 50 seconds Average time/mile today: 7 minutes, 33 seconds Average time/mile overall: 7 minutes, 13 seconds Total Pledges to date: $6,535.63 Pledges/mile to date: $6.53/mile Money raised to date: $972.97 Day Fifty-Four NotesSlowly, very slowly, my lungs seem to be clearing. For the first night since Friday night, I did not wake coughing last night, and for most of the day I was taking near full breaths. I waited until the evening to lace them up and get out there, wanting to see how my day went, and when I finally did get out there, my hope was to be able to finish the first mile without the struggles of yesterday and to maybe add a mile or two after that. The first mile was just as much of a struggle as yesterday, but not wanting to fall further behind my pace, I decided to keep going after dropping Obi off just to see what would happen. It took another half mile before I found a comfortable breathing rhythm, and I decided to keep going and try for the whole five. I do not know if it was the result of four days of constant coughing but my muscles were fatigued from head to toe. That coupled with my reluctance to push my breathing kept my pace slow, but even at that slower pace, I still felt as though I was pushing things a little. My hope is to do a single mile with Obi in the morning just to see if my lungs continue to clear. |
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StatsDays to go: 312 (85%) Miles completed today: 1 Total miles completed overall: 144 (14%) Miles to go: 857 (86%) Total time run today: 7 minutes, 48 seconds Total time run overall: 17 hours, 17 minutes, 5 seconds Average time/mile today: 7 minutes, 48 seconds Average time/mile overall: 7 minutes, 12 seconds Total Pledges to date: $6,535.63 Pledges/mile to date: $6.53/mile Money raised to date: $940.32 Day Fifty-Three NotesI have to confess that when I see people smoking, the judgmental, self righteous side of me, the side I am not proud of and am trying to change, the side I keep hidden to avoid judgment myself, that side of me looks at smokers with contempt. "Have fun with the lung cancer," I want to say to them. "Have fun with the ephysema." During these compassionless moments, I allow myself to ignore what I know to be true from my own experience, that smoking is an insidious and powerful addiction and is one of the toughest spells to break. The karmic irony is that I, the distance runner whose body fat is akin to what it was when I was in high school, the recovering nicotene addict who has not lit up in 16 years is the same sorry soul who for the past five days has been struggling with my asthma, who has been unable to take more than 3/4 of a breath during the best moments and more than 1/4 of a breath during the worst moments. I have been struggling to breathe, and this scares me. |
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StatsDays to go: 316 (87%) Miles completed today: 5 Total miles completed overall: 143 (14%) Miles to go: 858 (86%) Total time run today: 36 minutes, 10 seconds Total time run overall: 17 hours, 9 minutes, 17 seconds Average time/mile today: 7 minutes, 14 seconds Average time/mile overall: 7 minutes, 12 seconds Total Pledges to date: $6,385.48 Pledges/mile to date: $6.38/mile Money raised to date: $912.34 Day Forty-Nine NotesIt was raining hard when my alarm went off, so I volunteered to drive my 5 year old to kindergarten, hoping to outlast the weather. I love the way the school kids greet each other in morning, scanning the parking lot for their classmates, hollering hello at them when they spot someone they know. They are so happy to see one another, so proud to make a connection. If there is an undercurrent of social politics, it is not evident to me, at least not in these kindergartners. They are just happy to be there, happy to see and be seen. By the time I started the run there rain had turned to a light drizzle, and the temperature was quite mild, making for easy going. Even though I stepped in a puddle with my right foot while disposing of Obi's waste, my first mile came in at 7 minutes (a good mile for me), 12 seconds under my overall average. By mile three the mist had given way to the driving rain again and by the time I made the turn for home at the 1 mile to go mark at 32nd and Siskiyou, I had rainwater in places that my soap doesn't go. Needless to say, my mittens got soggy and heavy, my eyes blurred, my shorts stuck to my thighs and my shirt tripled in weight. These things, combined with a dry cough left me focussing on every step, constantly wanting to be a block farther along than I was. My post run hot shower was so enjoyable, I nearly fell asleep standing up. |
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