Saturday, October 9, 2010 (8 DAYS TO GO!)

There was a small group at today's final group run before the marathon. Many regulars had opted to run in the Jared Coones Memorial 5k Pumpkin Run. I wanted to make sure I got my full 10-mile run in today, though, and doing the regular group run was the best way to make sure. The run went great. After we got spread out, I ran on my own the entire way and at a fairly good pace. I finished the run in an hour and 40 minutes (10 minutes per mile). That is my "crazy good" goal pace for the marathon, but I'm not expecting to keep that pace for the entire 26.2. My true goal is to finish the event. If I finish in less than 5 hours, I'll be happy. If I finish in 4:30, I'm going to be hard to live with. :-)

We have 8 days left until the event. All I have left to do is two easy runs this week, pack my bag, and show up in San Francisco. I want to express my appreciation again to all of you who have donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and to everyone who has given me encouragement and advice via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls, and even some face-to-face conversations. I've done my best to prepare myself and I'm very excited about being able to say I'm a marathoner. 8 days to go!!

Saturday, October 2, 2010 (2 weeks to go)

Because of other activities going on, my running buddy and I ran our 8 miles on a loop near her neighborhood this weekend. It felt like a pretty easy run, even though we had some decent hills and pretty strong winds. We averaged a 10.5 minute per mile pace, which is just about right for me. I'll be thrilled if I can average that for the marathon. Next week is our final group training run - 10 miles.

Saturday, September 25, 2010 (3 weeks until 26.2!)

We had a large group show up at Roe Park for our longest training run before the marathon. The training course took us on two 11-mile trips to make up our 22-mile run. Back in April when I started running, I remember that it was an accomplishment to run a half mile without stopping. On Saturday, I took my first walk break at mile 15. I was definitely tired by the end, but I was able to finish strong. I didn't have any major pains during the run, I was able to recover well, and I had a fairly active weekend, too. I can't wait to finish the marathon on October 17th!

Saturday, September 18, 2010 (4 weeks to go)

Saturday's run took us two laps around the lake at Shawnee Mission Park. Each lap was just short of 4.5 miles, so we ended up running 8.85 miles - all hills! It was a good run with no major pains and I still felt strong at the end. Coming up next Saturday... 22 miles!

Fundraising - We did it!!! We've exceeded my goal of $3,200, and I couldn't be more thankful to all of you who have donated. Because of all of you, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will be able to help more individuals and families who are working through their diagnoses and treatments. They will also be able to give more grants to doctors and scientists so that their work toward better treatments and cures can continue. As I wrote last week, I am so proud of all my family and friends who made the decision to donate. Thank you so much for being part of the team!

Saturday, September 11, 2010 (5 weeks!)

Today's 20-mile run went extremely well. All the targeted stretching and exercises seem to be working. At the 10-mile point, the stabbing pain in my knee was back, but with some stretching and a couple of ibuprofen, everything loosened up again and I was able to do the rest of the run relatively pain-free! My running buddy, Sara, and I finished the 20 miles in 3 hours and 47 minutes. I really appreciated her patience as I worked out my knee issues. I may not set a marathon record in the middle-aged, overweight male division, but I know now that I can finish - and to know that is a really big deal.

Fundraising - We're almost there, everyone! I'm very thankful to all of you who have donated money to LLS and/or sent encouragement my way. I'm most impressed that all but $100 of my total has been donated by individuals. $3200 was an intimidating goal when I started this, and now we're within a couple hundred dollars (some checks haven't posted yet) with five weeks to go! Thank you so much for your generosity!

Saturday, September 4, 2010 (6 weeks until the Marathon)

What a difference this week! During the week, I got some great advice from Coach Helen, our Team In Training running coach. I also visited Dr. Jesse Walden, a local chiropractor who supports the Team In Training program. Both gave me good information that I could understand and use to help me with my training. I went out for the 10-mile group run on Saturday. I ran by myself, but stayed within sight of the lead group for most of the run. The miles were consistently faster than a 10-minute pace. Total time for the 10 miles was 1:38:32. I was very happy with that! I'm going to get back into the normal routine this week and be as prepared as possible for the 20-mile run next Saturday.

Saturday, August 28, 2010 (7 weeks to go)

We were only at mile 8 of the 18 mile run before my knee hurt so bad that I about went to the ground. I walked the four miles back to my truck, and it seemed like that took forever! I know what the problem is - and I can treat it, recover, and still do just fine with the marathon. So, don't give up on me! Next weekend is an "easy" 10 miles, and I'm sure I'll be good for that, and will be even stronger for the 20 miles two weeks from now.

On the fundraising front, I want to thank all of you who have been so generous with your donations! Not all donations have posted to my total on this site yet, but we are within $426 of hitting my $3200 goal! With about five weeks to go before the fundraising deadline, I'm hopeful that we'll get there. If you have friends, family, or even strangers that might want to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's work, please send them my way!

Saturday, August 21, 2010 (8 weeks to go)

Again, we backed the mileage down to 8 miles this week in accordance with the TNT training schedule. For some reason, I felt winded almost the entire run, like I never got warmed up. After we finished the run (7.7 miles actually) in 82 minutes, I figured out that I was winded because our pace was faster than I've ever done at this distance! Two weeks ago, I ran the same distance at an 11:37 pace (admittedly with many more hills). This week, we averaged 10:39 per mile. The knee that has been bothering me the last couple of weeks was fine for the first 6 miles, but was pretty painful up and down the hills at the end. Coach Jen gave me some good advice about resistance training that should help, so I'll follow that advice and hopefully get past the knee pain. Next week: 18 MILES!

Saturday, August 14, 2010 (9 weeks to go)

The 16 mile run this week felt so much better than the 14 miler two weeks ago. By mile 14, my legs were definitely tired, but I was still able to run at a good pace between walk breaks. I tried my friend Sara's strategy of walking for 1 minute each mile, and I think that's something that could work for me in the marathon. My overall average was 11.5 minutes per mile, for a total time of 3 hours and 4 minutes. I am happy with that at this stage of the training. I still have a goal to run consistent 10 minute miles, but the ultimate goal is to finish a marathon, and after this week's run, I really believe that I can.

Saturday, August 7, 2010 (10 weeks to go)

The target distance was back down to 8 miles this week. I did a solo run at Lake Thunderhead near Unionville, Missouri. The first half of the run was all hills - steep hills. I made it through those pretty well, walking when I needed to but mostly running. The second half was a little easier with some steady inclines and declines. I finished the 8 miles in 93 minutes - 5 minutes longer than my goal, but I'll take it! I'll be running with the team again on August 14th with a 16-mile run on the agenda. I'll be happy to finish that in under 3 hours, but I'm shooting for 2:40.

Saturday, July 31, 2010 (11 weeks until the marathon!)

This week's group run was 14 miles - a new record distance for me. I was amazed at how well I felt over the first 8 miles. Then we hit mile 9 and I started feeling it in my legs but I still felt pretty good. When we reached mile 10, I was tired but I knew I could make it another 4. Then we stopped at the 12-mile water stop and my hamstrings and calves cramped up to the point that I could barely run. I tried to walk a little while to loosen up, but it just got worse. After a quick stretch, I was able to finish the last two miles by alternating running and walking. I finished the run in 2 hours and 43 minutes.

Saturday, July 24, 2010 (85 days)

Our mileage dropped back to 10 miles this week, although the route ended up falling a little short of that. What it lacked in distance, it made up for with hills! I definitely need to build up the endurance in my legs, as I've heard that San Francisco might have a hill or two as well.

Saturday, July 17, 2010 (92 days)

Today I did a 12-mile run with the group. It definitely felt like 12 miles! I probably need to stop complaining about the heat and humidity, because I don't think it's going away any time soon.

Sunday, July 11, 2010 (98 days)

The first long run after vacation was a new 8-mile route. The heat and humidity made me wish we had stayed in Montana! I ended up running on some uneven ground, which may be the cause of my new case of tendinitis in my right ankle. All my previous aches and injuries have gone away, so I figure this one will too. Next weekend I'll be running with the group again on a 12-mile run.

Saturday, July 3, 2010 (106 days)

I tried to keep my running on schedule while on vacation, although I did make some adjustments. On July 3, I ran 10 miles around the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. The weather was excellent (46 degrees) and it wasn't difficult to keep going. The altitude (6,700 feet) didn't seem to affect me. However, trying to explore some of the walking trails in Yellowstone isn't a lot of fun for a new runner who's just ran his furthest distance yet. My wife and kids were patient with me as I hobbled along with them. By the next day, I was feeling much better, and a day after that I was back to my version of 'normal'.

Saturday, June 26, 2010 (113 days)

Since we had other plans for Saturday, I adjusted my schedule this week to do my long run on Friday morning. I left the house at 5:10am and ran an 8-mile route from our house into Platte City and back. I had to run back past our house just before mile 7 and do a loop through the neighborhood to get to the 8-mile mark. I knew I was feeling okay when I didn't even think about stopping short at home. Okay, I thought about it a little, but not seriously. :)

Saturday, June 19, 2010 (120 days)

I did almost 100 miles this morning - 7 running and 90+ driving to and from the group run site. We had a 6-mile group run scheduled for today. The first half seemed like it was going on forever. Come to find out, we had hit 3.5 miles when we turned around so we ended up on a 7-mile run. The great thing is that I unintentionally ran further without a walk break than I have before, even though it was very warm and humid. No new pain today, which seems like progress to me. After the run, I picked up a new pair of running shoes and some other stuff from Garry Gribble's Running Sports. Garry is a big supporter of Team In Training, and the store was opened very early this morning just for us, which was nice. I do feel bad for all the sweat we probably left behind in their store.

Saturday, June 12, 2010 (127 days)

It was fun to run with a lot of the people that have taken on the same challenge as I have. We did a 4-mile run today, and I did alright. I did have to take some walk breaks, probably because I ran too hard and was not used to hills. I got to talk with several people before, during, and after the run. I'm not the most outgoing person in the world, so it was nice to have other people come to me and strike up a conversation. I'm sure I'll get to know these folks better and better over the next 18 weeks.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 (131 days)

Did a 3-mile "short run" this morning. My friend, Chris, joined me to give me some extra motivation and it definitely helped. Apparently there was a 6am practice for a couple of high school sports teams (1 boys, 1 girls) at the stadium this morning, so we ended up with the largest audience I've seen so far. This training log seems like it'll get pretty long over the next 19 weeks, so I'll probably limit my updates to Saturdays only. In between, I'll continue to update Twitter and Facebook!

Saturday, June 5, 2010 (134 days)

Completed a 5-mile run this morning. I took some walking breaks because I've been told it's smart to do so for injury prevention... and because I got tired. I finished the 5 miles in 57:11, but I need to stop tracking my time so closely. I start getting discouraged when I'm not doing 10-minute miles. I have to remind myself that it's about distance, not speed.

It was 75 degrees and very muggy when I got to the track at 6 AM. After 3.5 miles, I finally took my shirt off which helped cool me down a bit but also exposed my pasty white belly and man boobs to the world. Wouldn't you know it - two ladies showed up on my next lap. They made it look like they were there to walk around the track, but I suspect word got out about my awesome physique and they came out to witness it in person. :-) OK, time to ice the ankle. The first group run is in 1 week!

Thursday, June 3, 2010 (136 days)

Today's run was 3 miles with no walking. I really want to get to a consistent 10 minute per mile pace, but it's more important to just keep running for now. The three miles took me 32.5 minutes, so I'm not far off. My plan for Saturday morning is a 5-mile run.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 (138 days)

Back to the stadium this morning at 5:30. Over the weekend I began to read a marathon book for beginners on loan from a family friend. It lays out a 16-week training program with an end goal of being able to complete a marathon. The preparation phase prior to starting the program has a goal of being able to run for 30 minutes continuously. So that was my goal for this morning and I made it! It wasn't too bad, and it was a good test to see whether I was ready to start doing the official Team In Training program next week. I made it around the track exactly 11 times in 30 minutes (2.75 miles). That's a decent pace and leaves room for improvement.

Saturday, May 29, 2010 (141 days)

I hit the track at Pirate Stadium again early this morning and got 4 miles in. I put several walk breaks in because of the sore Achilles. I'm hoping that the rest I'll be getting over Memorial Day weekend will help it recover. Speaking of Memorial Day, remember all the great individuals who have served our country and died to protect our freedom and individual liberty.

Thursday, May 27, 2010 (143 days until the marathon)

I'm about 2 weeks into preparing for training. Got up this morning with a sore back and my achilles tendon is still bothering me. I'll bet that getting up early to go running with some aches and pains is nothing compared to getting up early to go get a chemo treatment or spinal tap or bone marrow biopsy. So, I went to the high school track and I got a 2-mile run done. I actually felt better at the end than I did at the beginning. So there. I have no excuses for skipping a running day. :)

A Different Kind of Racing - Racing to Save Lives

I am training to run my first-ever marathon (26.2 miles) as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us running with Team In Training are training hard and raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I have committed to a 22-week training program and to raising $3200 to support the LLS in its efforts to develop better treatments for blood cancers, comfort affected families, and ultimately develop a cure.

I decided to train for a marathon with Team In Training because I believe in the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I have seen the results of new and improved treatments in my friends’ 5-year-old son, Ryan, who was diagnosed with leukemia just before his second birthday. It was a devastating diagnosis for his parents and older brothers. With the help of advanced treatments, though, Ryan is now a very active, healthy Kindergartner who has hit a grand slam in t-ball, scored a pin in wrestling, made a touchdown, and beaten cancer. Ryan is now cancer-free because people like you decided to make a difference and support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in their cause.

My other reasons for getting involved with LLS are a little more selfish. I wanted to improve my physical condition and I was looking for the extra motivation and support to do so. Team In Training provides the training and support I need, and the many families affected by blood cancers provide my motivation. My final reason, as many of you have learned by seeing me run race cars into concrete walls, is that I really enjoy a challenge - no matter how much it hurts. :)

On October 17, 2010, I will be completing the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. I plan to post training and fundraising updates to this page, and you can also follow along on my Twitter and Facebook pages. This won't be easy, but I know it will be a very rewarding experience.

Please consider making a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Contributing is secure, and your contributions are tax-deductible. You may donate by debit or credit card on this page, or if you prefer to donate by check, please make the check payable to the "Leukemia & Lymphoma Society", put my name in the memo, and send it to my mailing address:

Tracy Gullett

12895 Oakmont Drive

Platte City, MO 64079

I sincerely appreciate any support you are able to provide.

Tracy Gullett

Track my progress on Twitter - http://twitter.com/tracygullett

or Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tracygullett

Photo by Valerie Mosley

Here is a great article about Ryan and his family from the St. Joseph News-Press:

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/2010/sep/21/largest-battle-won/

If you'd like to help Ryan's family reach their fundraising goal for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night walk, please go to their web site at

http://pages.lightthenight.org/mid/StJoseph10/StalloFamily