a shout out to my dear brother

big thanks to Brendan for his generous donation to TFK! I will run mile 25 for him, because he wants me to be "in pain when I'm thinking of him." too kind, really.

Read on for an excerpt from this week's Team for Kids newsletter--my very own pace group, team fireass, is featured!

No doubt you've heard of this notorious pace group in New York. Team Fireass (otherwise known as the 11:30 pace group) is a shining example of what Team for Kids is all about: working together, supporting one another, and having fun in the process.

But what's the secret to this group's success? We asked their fearless leader, Frank Brown, to describe why he thinks Team Fireass has become a positive force in the Team for Kids Community.

What's the story behind your group's name?
I wanted something that simultaneously would convey passion and silliness. If you can't say it with a straight face, you can't take yourself too seriously -- which means you can be passionate about the running part (which we are) and appropriately humble about the fact that there are Team For Kids runners who can cover two miles in the time it takes us to cover one.

"Fire" conveys the passion for running and excelling; it gives us a real sense of community and pride. We may not be speedy, but we're fiery; we care about each other, and we care about all the other pace groups. We want our Fire to spread to all the pace groups so that "Team For Kids" becomes an unstoppable force, an inferno.

The "Ass" part keeps it fun and light. Originally, I wanted it to convey that while we run like our pants are on fire (Coach Adam calls that Race Pace), there isn't a pace group that has more fun. In the heat, on the hills, in the later miles of long runs, if you aren't having fun, you shouldn't be out there. Everyone has days when they don't feel like running -- when they're sore and their bodies are tired and they don't want to do the push ups or the planks or the reverse crunches.

That's where Fireass pride comes in: There are no shortcuts on Team Fireass. I refuse to let down my pace group or my pace group's name. If you're on Team Fireass, you bring passion and excitement and FIRE to every Team For Kids training session or race. The more passion and excitement, the more fun. It creates itself and builds on itself.

I know "Ass" isn't exactly a word you want sewn into a pillow, particularly when we're running on behalf of children, but in today's world, it's a word with no worse than a 'PG' rating. When young people are around, I call our group "Firebutts" to keep things respectable.

Ours is a benevolent fire -- one that warms but doesn't destroy.

NYC half marathon (+2.9!)=16, a personal record!

Yesterday, I woke up at 4:30 am and headed to Central Park in the dark to run 2.9 miles with TFK prior to the start of the NYC Half Marathon. It was REALLY early and kind of freaky, and I was a little anxious because I'd had knee and ankle pain all week. Shockingly enough, though, I was on fire--I had perhaps my best run to date! We finished our 2.9 just in time for the start, and ran as a pack of 11:30 "fire asses" for the whole 13.1. It was crazy--there were 10,000 runners total (including, I learned today, Natalie Morales from the Today show and several Kenyan world champions). It poured for a few minutes, but misted for the rest of the race. I was grateful not to have a repeat of last weekend's 14- mile swim in Maine!

After an endless loop of Central Park (oh, I was SO ready to get out into the street after nearly 10 miles in the park!), we exited onto 7th avenue and ran through Times Square! It was the COOLEST--no cars, just a runners ahead! We passed stages through the whole race, include one that featured the cast of RENT singing "Take me or leave me." You all probaly know that's my favorite song from the musical--I sang along for a few lines and then decided it was taking too much energy, so I stopped. We ran down 42nd St to the West Side Highway, where we finished the race at Battery Park. All along, there were people cheering us on, which was totally motivating. I can only imagine what marathon day is like!

My time was 2:39:28, which is quite slow considering that the leaders were running a 4:50 per mile pace, but I felt great at the end. We alternated between 15 minutes of commute pace (11:30/mile) and 5 minute intervals of warm-up pace (about 30 seconds faster per mile) and supported each other. How cool that I was able to SPEED UP for the last mile after running for nearly 3 hours (including the 2.9 miles prior to the race)!!

Orientation at CUSSW started today, which means school is just around the corner. I really like my group of first-years so far, and I'm totally telling them that cheering me on at the marathon is a group event! Why not, right? ;)

(Photos courtesy of New York Road Runners)

another year older!

A friend asked me yesterday how it feels to be a member of the "quarter-century club." Before yesterday, I didn't know such a club existed, but now I guess I belong to it! Thanks to all who made my birthday so much fun--the emails, cards, phone calls, delicious lunch (T, who knew that sushi and ice cream from coldstone went well together?), candle-adorned cupcake (yum, thanks Johnny!) and little gathering last night will not be soon forgotten! Thanks especially to Colleen and Diego--my room smells like a garden because of the beautiful flowers you gave me! I even got some TFK donations as birthday gifts! Rock on, people! You're all great! It was a lovely day all around.

As far as training, I think I hit a bit of a wall on Tuesday night when I was doing hill intervals with the team in Central Park. I had just gotten back from Maine and I was dehydrated and my ankle hurt. I cut the workout short and headed home to rest. Wednesday I struggled to get through my cross training at the gym, and yesterday I had more ankle/knee pain at the end of my run in the park. I'm super-excited about the 1/2 marathon (+2.9) this weekend--picked up my number today at my first expo experience--but I hope I can get through it pain-free. I'll make myself ice my foot religiously tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me!

NYC half marathon this Sunday

...plus 2.9 additional miles BEFORE the race for TFKers! (That's right, I have to be there at 6am). The NYC Half Marathon will be televised on ABC 7 starting at 7am! For those of you in the NYC area, wake up early and watch me run! I'll be wearing neon green, with several hundred of my closest TFK friends!

Visit this link to check out the NYC half marathon commercial--

http://www.nyrr.org/nychalf/images/nychalf.mov

so far, the most memorable run of the season!

I went home to Maine this weekend for a quick visit before school starts the week after next. Mom and Dad and the rest of the extended family wanted to see me before my birthday on Thursday, too (and who am I to pass up celebrations in my honor?!) I arrived in Portland on Saturday evening, and Barbara Bush was at the airport picking up houseguests. How kind of her to meet me! She even dressed for the occasion, pearls and all!

I woke up Sunday to thunder and lightning and was immediately really aggravated because I've been psyching myself up to do a 14-mile run with hills without the help of my great pace group. For awhile it seemed like I wasn't going to go, but the rain stopped mid-morning and off I went. Mom thought it was hilarious, me with my belt, gels, plastic-wrapped cell phone and ipod, etc. I got going and felt good, only to be hit with a TORRENTIAL downpour 20 minutes into the run. (Remember a few Thursdays ago, when Adam and I nearly swam home after being caught in a monsoon? Yeah, it was like that). Pretty soon I was soaked, and I thought for a second about turning around, but I couldn't get any wetter, so I just kept going. It was quite funny, actually...rain, mist, rain, mist, spray from cars passing me on route 9...all I could do was laugh. Any right-minded person would've stayed home in her pajamas, but NO--all in the name of Team for Kids!

Big thanks to Aunt Ellie and Uncle Stu for finding me a route with LOTS of hills and to Mom and Dad for driving alongside me every few miles and holding gatorade out the car window! I wished my TFK teammates were there to share the experience with me, but oddly enough, I think they were! I finished, felt great, and was smiling at the end of 14 miles. Dad commented later, "You look to be in less pain than I would've thought!" and then later..."You know, if you'd asked me a year ago if I thought you could do this, I'd have said no. But you're doing it! I saw you today!" What a great sense of accomplishment I had, hearing my dad say that :)

Congratulations to the TFKers who ran Rockefeller this weekend! Wish I could've been there, but I don't think I'll forget my 14-miler anytime soon...

the cutest thing i have EVER seen

a fellow TFK teammate warming up with a member of the New York Road Runner's Foundation Rabbits team! many thanks to omar for sharing his photos!

pushing a personal record!

I have two days left at my internship, and then I'll be heading up to Maine for the weekend to hang out with the fam before school starts. Sadly, I'll miss my teammates and the Rockefeller run (the "blair witch" run through the woods!) on Sunday. However, I will be running 14 miles (just .2 miles shy of my personal record!) at Goose Rocks on my own. I'm kind of nervous about it, but I know I can do it. I think I'm going to run to the Bush estate and back (thinking about maybe asking them if I can use their bathroom?! In which case I probably shouldn't bring my eggs to throw at the house). The route has lots of hills, so my teammates need not worry that I'm skimping on the strength training!

Oh, and as many of you may know, my birthday is one week from tomorrow. In lieu of gifts, I will be accepting donations to my TFK fund (and you thought it was too late to donate!) Visit the link at the right, click on Contribute and make me a happy girl on my birthday!

Last name: Flavin
Bib number: 2451

tools of the trade

whoever said that all one needs to run are sneakers and some road was wrong. despite my quest to achieve a newfound zen through training for the marathon (well, maybe not, but that's the way some of the coaches talk!) i seem to have accumulated more stuff in the process! new sneakers, a fuel belt, gels (they come in handy for anything longer than 10 miles, but note to self: i do not like the raspberry and cream flavor!), gatorade, wicking socks, etc. who knew there was so much gear involved in this sport??

the 11:30 pace group did really well in our 12-mile long run this morning, despite the fact that we were missing nancy and emily due to injury! heal up soon, ladies! it was another perfect day (almost chilly when i left my building at 6am to head to the park), and a welcome change from Thursday, when Adam and I were caught in a monsoon and had to swim home!

we headed down the west side today, past chelsea piers (and Law & Order way!) and turned around at houston to come back up the park. all the way, we did a "west side story" theme complete with jets and sharks squaring off with squirt guns. dave got me, and i think he might've been the only one. i guess i'm just too fast ;). I can't believe how smoothly the 11 miles went--we're all getting so much stronger! the last mile wasn't too fun, thanks to a blister on my foot, but i made it through and was rewarded with nancy's great banana bread at the end of the run. popsicles, too!

hill intervals

i've graduated from base training! that means i'm in the strength building part of my marathon training, which has me running hill intervals during the week. last night, i did 40 minutes of intervals up and down hills at warm-up pace (which is supposedly a minute faster than commute pace, but it's hard to go faster up a freaking hill!)

needless to say, my legs hurt a little this morning!

saturday morning, TFK will be taking on the west side for a 12- mile strength- building run. that means hills. woohoo. oh well, whatever i do now will prepare me for those bridges on race day!

A beautiful day for a run!

This morning, at the crack of dawn, I went to Central Park--in a cab again because it was too early for the buses (seriously, can't look at cabs the same way after a summer at the TLC!)--for the weekly long run with TFK. As I stumbled around my room half asleep, I kept thinking "I must REALLY like this" and "I must be having a REALLY good time to get up this early!" We slapped on some green paint (I sported a TFK logo on my arm) and did 11 miles at commute pace in conjunction with the ING Marathon Long Training Run #1. I was a little stiff at the beginning, but the first two miles up a hill were a pretty big wake-up call! It was a good run, and I love being with a group of people who:

1) are at my pace
2) love to chat (especially Nancy, who tells GREAT stories about last year's training season and race, which get me ALL SORTS of excited to run the big one on 11/5)
3) feel no shame about stopping for water or pee breaks despite the fact that the hardcore folks are lapping us all over the place. Whatever. We'll be the ones smiling when finishing the marathon.

The 11:30s (aka Team Fireass--ask Frank where we got that name, because I'm not entirely sure, but it seems to energize us) all run for fun and today was a beautiful day with a breeze--a huge change from the past few days in NYC, where the heat index was over 100. bleh. days like this are why i run. go TFK!