COUNTDOWN!

Dear Family and Friends,

One month from today, 14 people will unite as Team LaurynxAddiction and run in the Madison, Wisconsin Marathon in memory and honor of my sister, Lauryn Kay Mustain. Our countdown has begun! We are strengthened by your encouragement and advice, your kind words and warmth. Your donations have allowed us to establish The Lauryn Kay Mustain Memorial Scholarship, which will be presented to a member of East Troy High School's Class of 2010.

Training for our race has provided me an outlet for the overwhelming loss of my young, vibrant sister. I listen to songs she loved during pre-dawn hours along Chicago's Lakefront Trail. Sometimes I cry. Others I run longer than I ever conceived.

Brewer game + Bar food + Run= yucky

Went on a staff outing yesterday to Brewers game... had a couple beers and ruben rolls (will never eat them again). What was I thinking??!
Met my running date planning on going 6-7 miles.....yeah, not so much, sorry Russ. Made it 5 miles then felt sick for the rest of the night.
Next long run planned for Saturday morning.

Yeah im ready Sis! In it to win it!

After a 2 day break, I'm back and, ahem, in it to win it. Went to the gym this early morn and ran 5.10 miles, saw Florence + The Machine and all of "My Chick Bad" without interruption. The clock is tickin' y'all.

[Cue jock jams]

Y'all ready for this?

t.

The pettit

Went Saturday morning to run on the track due to the icky weather.

Did 20 laps = 6.125 miles, in aprox. 1 hour. Not too shabby for this non-runner.

Also got more confirmations for donations! I have awesomly wonderful friends!

My chick bad?

Running along on the treadmill this morning until a man interrupts to tell me my 45 allotted minutes are over. The kicker: He does this during "My Chick Bad" which, I think we can all agree, is a fine piece of art from Mr. Ludacris.

Shot BLOKS

When your husband comes home from a banquet at 3:30 in the wee hours of the morn, there is little to do other than watch this infomercial. And think of running. Consider running. At 4:03 ("cuz then I'll just have it over with!"). In Chicago. Because you are an idiot.

I actually went back to sleep until 5:40 before hitting the Lakefront Trail for a long 7 miles: "Beautiful Girls" and "Carryout"; that "Break break your break break your hearheart" song and "Bad Romance" to boot. I ate a Clif Shot Bloks chew at mile 4. Delish. Now, I'm spent and about to eat McDonald's breakfast.

Treadmill vs. Tracy

I ran at the gym because I wanted to watch MTV. No joke. I think treadmill running is hard though--I get super sweatygrossyucky. But the videos! So I'm trudging through a 5 mile run and this comes on. Totally not cute. I started to listen to the lyrics:

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your loving, your loving behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

I miss Lauryn so much every day and running allows me to focus on this loss, this missing. I will run fast for my sister. In 45 days, I will run fast for my sister. 

t.

READ ME!

CNN article ABOUT RACE TRAINING!

I checked the weather before deciding my plan of attack on Saturday, deciding to stay indoors and run on the treadmill. Did 5.5 miles before a "prom emergency" occured that required my immediate attention. My friend Kim's daughter hated her hair and I had to come to the rescue. Crisis averted... she looked beautiful!
Starting to feel a bit more confident that I will actually be able to do this marathon thing.

Logged 3.5 miles on Saturday morning (opted to run in shorts and a t-shirt because I didn't realize how much the temperature had dropped in the night; bad choice) and 5 miles this morning while watching a new Snoop and Kid Cudi video and aaah Rhianna's "Rude Boy." Fan.Tas.Tic.

t.

Your body's like a carryout

A sweaty 6 miles that I almost quit on; paused at mile 4, took off my jacket and tied it around my waist and continued on at a slow pace. Asian tourists asked me how to get to the Lakefront Trail. I saw a male cardinal and a pile of vomit. I heard "Say Ahhhh" and "Carryout" (a new favorite).

5.5 while listening to B96 ("Oh girl, it's your birthday. I know you're thirsty. Open wide and say 'Ahhhhhh'. Lemme hear ya say 'Ahhhhh'." Barf!). Newspaper man told me I keep "gettin' earlier and earlier every day." No Gloria Estefan on B96.

Recovery

It took me all weekend to fully recovery from the 10 mile run I accomplished Friday morning. My left knee hurt and my stomach was doing flips. Yesterday I went to the gym and did the elliptical for 45 minutes and then concentrated on weight machines. This morning I turned the alarm off at 5:31, but when I woke up at 7:00, the babes were still sleeping and I didn't have an excuse not to run. I did a quick 5K around Hyde Park, towards the beach Hen and I walked to last summer at 57th street, and then back up towards home. Gloria Estefan again.

10!

Went running this morning while the moon was still high in the sky and completed the 10 miles I set out to run. Highlights included the newspaper salesman yelling "EYE OF THE TIGER!" at me and listening to "Ghetto Superstar." Towards the end of the run, on my trip back towards home, I was circling a path in a park nearby and actually ran across two park bench seats because I was feeling, um, boastful. And strong. And like a ghetto superstar.

t.

Back on track

after my brief week off from running due to strep thoat i am back in training mode. Did 6 miles on the treadmill last night in 73 min. not bad. waiting for the weather to turn back to spring (as it snows outside my window right now) so i can get back outside.

i am hoping to go into the club tonight to get everything set up so i can start training there... life please slow down.

i have a sad day today... my dear friend from my old church has passed away unexpectedly due to a blood clot that traveled to the base of her scull. her funeral is today, can i say i hate those things??!! she would have been 50 years old this month, leaving 3 children and a husband.

i am running for you lauryn, i love you.

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Nuts. In my shoe.

5.25 on treadmill culminating in finding a small nut in my right shoe after run was over. Should I blame Henry?

3, 5, 3, 10

My goals for the week are to run 3, 5, 3, 10. I haven't run 10 before, but I know I have it in me and have been referring to this for some tips on nutrition, stretching, and mindful running. Today's early treadmill run felt okay, despite some lower back pain I've been having (I attribute this to a 31 pound kid who keeps saying "Want mommy to pick you up"), although I ran slowwwww. I finished with weight machines and looked, predictably, like a sweat monster. Seriously, I would get off of a machine and there would be a sweat mark as though Slimer from Ghostbusters had been on the leg press with me. TMI? Never.

Go East Troy Trojans! Fight for Victory!

Today I ran here. In these. For real.

Pros: East Troy High School is very close to a milkshop shop.

Cons: Track running sucks. Like really, really sucks. It is totally boring and I hated it.

6.1 miles but, man, I feel like garbage now.