The Mailbox

Saturday I was slated to travel to Boston with Owen and my parents for an 18 mile training run with the team. Believe it or not it was cancelled due to a snowstorm while Vermont remains snow free. Although I have been to a couple of team runs this year and have five more coming up I missed the team and Sandy's cookies immensely. There is something uniquely special about our team which includes veterans like myself and newbies. We are all lacing up for one cause and that's to kick cancer to the curb if not today then in the future. 

I decided Saturday morning to take advantage of my parents spending the morning with Owen so I could set out on the 18 mile journey on my own. Owen loves my training runs because they usually include time with my parents or a trip to Boston which is his second favorite place to be. It was a beautiful day with sun and clouds and 30 degree weather. Keep in mind the road I live on is absolutely beautiful. It is surrounded by (large) hills, mountain views, a farm named Happy Acres, wild animals, and several cows. 

I had the brilliant idea of really pushing myself this run and focusing on something so I didn't get lonely out there. I decided to run a mile at my marathon 9 minute mile pace and then run a mile at 8:20 pace alternating between the two times for the 18 miles. Things were going great and I thought to myself that it wasn't as hard as I thought until I returned for the second time up the hill at the end of my road (1,400 feet of total elevation this run) and realized the 8:20 miles caught up to my legs. I won't lie the run became challenging quickly. I knew at that point I had to dig deep and focus on the reasons why I run. It's amazing how that gets me out of my own head and can keep me going. By the way the alternating mile sprints ended here and I stuck with the 9 minute mile pace for the last four miles of my run. ;) 

You are probably wondering why I titled this post "The Mailbox." It is this simple...my friend Vicky lives three miles down the road so I was able to pass her mailbox four times during the run. She stashed water in her mailbox and even took my gloves, hat and a shirt as I was overheating. Whether she knows it or not her mailbox and support are a lifesaver especially on long runs. This allows me to not have to carry my own water. She not only lets me fill her mailbox but is a huge supporter of the fight against cancer after losing her own father to this disease. This week she made an incredibly generous donation to my fundraising page for which I am truly grateful. Friends like her mean more than they ever know. This explains the title and the photo in this post. Thanks Vicky!

Happy February and thank you for reading!

Cheers,
Lisa