As of the date of publishing this Hub, we are approximatly one month away from the Portland Marathon! My sister and I are out to accomplish 26.2 miles for the first time in the Rose City - Oregon. The Portland Marathon has close to 10,000 entrants each year, and is a great course for first-timers like ourselves. Plus, it is a headphone-friendly event! This means that people wearing iPods and other mP3 players will not be discouraged from running to music. As an aside, some events have considered banning the wearing of headphones during marathons and half-marathons, for safety and other reasons.

Because we are about to start our tenth week of training, I decided to combine weeks 8 and 9 in this Hub - I've been spending more time running than writing! Given the fact that the marathon is iPod friendly (and I just got a new iPod Shuffle 3 weeks ago, I've decided to share part of my training playlist. Time to get inspired! For more ideas on exercise music, check out the Amazon.com products at the end of this Hub - in addition to oldies (which today includes 80s music), there are a few gems on the CDs offered - and you can also download the mP3 playlists from the site.

Over the past two weeks, Jeanette and I have continued diligently in our training. Both of us completed long runs - over 17 miles! And, perhaps most importantly, we made hotel reservations in Portland for the weekend of the marathon! As Jeanette noted in her training log, there is really no backing out now! We are 100% committed with both the marathon fee and our accommodations. So... stay with us for the next month. Its coming up fast!

If you think that you are too far out of shape to run a marathon, or otherwise have excuses, guess what? I would say that it is completely within your abilities - particularly if you set a goal and strongly go after it. No, this is not something that you can do overnight, or even in a month or two. You have to dedicate at least 3-4 months of training (if you are in good shape) and probably up to a year if you're a couch potato. But don't say never!!

Take a look at how far Jeanette and I have come since the beginning of July 2008:

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week One

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week Two

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week Three

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week Four

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week Five

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week Six

Training for the Portland Marathon - Week Seven

Now, its time to take a closer look at Weeks Eight and Nine of the sisters' marathon training!

Sunday 8/17 - Birthday party day at the Petersens' house!!! The fun started at 10:00 a.m. - again, too early for me to run and deal with getting four kids ready for the event. Plus, Jeanette and I were hoping to get a long run in after the party. We slept at my parents' house and got up and headed over around 9:30 a.m. Ponies, chips, pin the badge on the sheriff and more... Finally, Jeanette and I were ready to run around 2:00. Unfortunately for us, the day actually cleared up and heated up. There had been thundershowers the night before and we were hopeful that things would cool down enough for a nice, long 16-18 mile run. We settled for a 10.33 mile run around most of Mercer Island, and did quite well considering the heat, humidity and the fact that we were chatting so much! Several times along the course we both had to say... hey! Let's slow down!! Even though the "official" pace shows differently because of our walk up Gallagher Hill, I would say that we were running around 9:10-9:20.

Monday 8/18 - Well, it was time to head home today. Jeanette and I both planned on taking the day off (regardless). I met a friend downtown Seattle for about 2 hours (counting time in and out of the City) and then all of us had a big lunch together at Red Robin before I loaded up the kids in the car for the 6-hour drive home and Leslie took her two back to Peoria, IL. The next few weeks will be very busy as we get ready for school, and also a trip to Hawaii for my friend Dianne's wedding. I'm with Jeanette in her thoughts about getting back into the swing of things. No running today. Tomorrow will be very busy at work, but I plan on running at least 4 miles one way or another!

Tuesday 8/19 - Today, I got back to the routine... sort of. I brought my gear to the office because I just couldn't wake up early enough to get out in the morning for a run. After a 9:00 meeting and a noon office meeting, I finally got out around 3:45. I hoped to run for a full hour, but I forgot to use my inhaler before running so I was wheezing a lot after only 2 miles. I ended up stopping after 4.75 miles, which was only 40 minutes. Plodding along today. The cooler weather and overcast felt nice, even if I was struggling to breathe a bit. I have a hearing tonight, so it will be a late working day. Probably will bring my stuff in again tomorrow rather than try to wake up early for a run before work.

Wednesday 8/20 - Whew! What a run in the crazy weather! I went out for an afternoon run (I'm liking those best) around 3:45 again today. The weather is warm (75 degrees), spotty/sunny and also breezy with some light showers that blow in and out. I thought I caught a calm period, but no.... I ran straight up the hill towards my house from our office into the wind! After about 3 miles, I turned around (1.5 miles short of our home). I ran back towards the river and through a few parks. Caught up with a girls' high school cross country team that was training and passed most of them (LOL). Then through the Old Mill District and under the bridge near our office. Grand total: 6.5 miles (I shaved off .4 from my wristband because I need to re-calibrate it). I like that run! I will either do it again soon, or add 3 miles onto the total by running all the way to our home and back.

Thursday 8/21 - I ended up taking another day off today. I am having the roughest time getting up early and running before work! It was a relatively short day at the office, so I couldn't run over the lunch hour. The twins had a make-up swim lesson at 3:30 (1/2 hour away) and by the time I got home it was almost 4:45. Time to run to the field for Joe's soccer practice and then get to a cub scout organizational meeting at 6:00. That went until 8:30!! The weather is improving again, so I hope it doesn't get too hot. It would have been a perfect day for running.

Friday 8/22 - This morning, I had an 8:00 Chamber of Commerce meeting, way out by the hospital. With insomnia the night before, I thought that perhaps I would be able to get up early (6:00) for a quick run. Nope. Woke up at 7:10 and had to hustle to get ready and out the door! A few client meetings later, it was 2:00 and time to go running! I did the same route as Wednesday, which I am counting as 6.5 miles (even though my wristband says 6.8 and I walk about 1/4 mile up the hill back to my office). My stats show that I ran it a bit slower than on Wednesday (8:57 pace today, whereas on Wednesday, I had an 8:43 pace). My shins are hurting and it was definitely warmer today. In fact, when I changed my clothes, I noticed tan lines from my running tank in just about an hour outside. Got to research shin splints and what to do about them. I'm deciding whether I take tomorrow off, or do a short run before my attempt at 18 miles on Sunday!!

Saturday 8/23 -So, I headed out to Shevlin Park this morning (where I ran my 1/2 marathon) for bike riding with the cub scouts. I didn't bring my own bike, as I intended to either watch or walk during their ride. My next-door neighbor, Meg, was there and we walked the bike riding route - far behind the scouts - into and out of the park. 4 miles round trip. We were walking so fast and chatting so much that I was actually out of breath a few times. Going to do my big 18 mile run tomorrow, so no running for me. Still, I'll count the 4 miles walking today.

Stephanie's Week Eight Grand Total: 32.03 miles (yes, every hundredth of a mile counts!)

Sunday 8/17 - So, today was Hailey's big third birthday party. We had about 20 kids over to our house for a "pony" party....real ponies for the kids to ride!! It was a ball, and ALL the cousins were able to be here, which made it particularly special. But, it made for a crazy end to a crazy weekend. The party took up the entire morning, so once everyone cleared out Stephanie and I set off to get in a long run. My schedule called for a 16-18 mile run. But given the weather (it was still in the mid-80s and very humid) and all that was going on, we decided we'd be thrilled with a 10 mile run. We did the same course I ran last weekend -- 10.33 miles. In general, it was a great run. We were clipping along at a pace of between 9:10-9:30, but it was super hot and we stopped to hydrate and fuel up with GU a few times. Plus, we walked up a couple big hills. Our overall pace ended up being about 9:50/mile, which was terrific for running in the heat of the day. I'm preparing myself mentally for the 18 mile run next weekend!

Monday 8/18 - Today is an off day for me. Stephanie and her kids and my younger sister, Leslie, and her kids all left town today around noon. Their departure, along with the rainy weather outside, signals to me that summer is just about over. While everyone is sad to see them go, I do welcome getting back into the groove of my routine -- such that it is. It's been tough to stay focused on running and getting all my work done when there is always something fun to run off to do with the sisters and cousins.

Tuesday 8/19 - To use a little running pun, I'm officially back on track today. After I dropped off Hailey and Brandon at Vacation Bible School, I zipped out for a 5 mile run. I ran my "regular" route from my house to the south end of MI and back. It was a nice, cool day and I ran the route in just over 45 minutes (9:20/mile). The kids have bible camp all week, so I should be able to consistently run every day this week.

Wednesday 8/20 - Today was a crazy, busy day. After I dropped off the kids at bible camp, I zipped home to get ready for court up in Everett. I had a quick hearing and then headed down to Kirkland for another meeting. I finally got home around 3:00, and then the kids and I ran a few errands. After we got home, I had a few hours of work to finish. Finally, around 8:00 I was able to set out for my run. I can definitely tell that the seasons are starting to change here -- most noticeable is the fact that it's getting darker earlier. So, I donned my super-cute orange reflective vest and set out for my regular 5-mile route. It was a great run -- stormy, windy, and rainy! The cooler weather helped with my pace -- I averaged 8:57/mile!

Thursday 8/21- So, this is turning out to be a very busy week. I was stuck in another all-day CLE today, which was actually much more interesting than the one last week. At my lunch break, I had to zip over to the law firm I'm now doing more contract work for. They had conducted a site visit and now had 4 huge boxes of documents for me to review. Of course, this whole project will be exploding right around the time I'll be running the marathon. After the CLE, I had to zip over to Kirkland again and then home. Kurt and I decided to take the kids out for a long, hilly walk. We walked 4 miles, with most of the return trip being uphill. Even though I didn't get a run in, I'll count this as cross training. The hills are great for my glutes!

Friday 8/22 - Today was the last day of Bible Camp for the kids. While they had their morning session, I zipped out to finish up their back to school shopping. At noon I had to be back to church to watch them "perform." Pretty darn cute to see all these little kids up there singing!! After camp, we came home to put away our new stuff and clean out closets. It's just amazing how fast kids grow over the summer! Must be all the sun and water. By the time I was done, I was tired, frazzled, and starving (oh, and so were the kids!). I decided to skip my evening run and instead ate a big dinner and drank some wine. I'm feeling better already!!

Saturday 8/23 - Even though I've got my big, 18-mile run tomorrow, I had to get in one more quick run this week. So, I headed to the track first thing in the morning. I did an easy 4-mile run, averaging about 9:40 (which is slow for me on a flat, boring surface like the track). The rest of our day turned out to be crazy, so it was wise to get out and run first thing.

Jeanette's Week Eight Grand Total: 28.33

Sunday 8/24 -Today is the day I scheduled my big run (just like Jeanette). So, I tried to be careful last night with eating and drinking while over at a friend's house for a BBQ last night. Unfortunately, I gave myself too much insulin with dessert (her cheesecake was made with Splenda, because she has a diabetic son), and I ended up with a really bad insulin reaction. Sweating, shaking, disoriented. One of my worst ones in a while! I was down to 31 (anything less than 70 is considered low). I went straight to bed when we got home and realized that my run would either have to be scaled back or delayed. In the morning, my blood sugar was too high - the result of overtreating the issue the night before. Finally, I got things under control and headed out at 10:00 a.m. for a long run. The first 9 miles were GREAT - probably too fast - and I felt terrific! When I turned around, I started running straight into a head wind. By 12.5 miles, I was using my last Gu and downing the last of my water. The next 5 miles were a gradual uphill, which was tough!! I reached the Country Store right by Highway 97 and went in to refill my water bottle. After I drank that, I made it abound .5 more and then my knees were done. The total running distance was 17.2 miles, which I completed in 2:41 (a 9:20 pace overall - pretty good considering I walked .25 miles up a big hill). Then I walked 1.1 miles home. Grand total of 18.3 miles!! WHOOOOO!! I'm tired now and my feet hurt. I've literally been brushing off white flaky stuff - dried salt - from my skin. Luckily, the temp is now just reaching 80 degrees, so it was not too hot for the long run.

Monday 8/25 -Today, I brought my running stuff to the office - I'm not sure why, other than the fact that I felt really good and thought I should or could run a short distance. I wasn't stiff or sore and was very surprised. The only thing that tipped me off to the big run yesterday is that I was exhausted (sleepy) in the morning. It was a busy day at the office with a noon meeting, at which I had to give a presentation, and leaving early to get the twins to swim lessons. Then, when I got back, I was accosted by a neighbor who was holding a pre-neighborhood association meeting at his house to review our CCRs and plat map, etc. Since I am the local attorney (and it could be good marketing), I sat there for almost 2 hours..... *sigh* So, in the end - it was good that I didn't run at all. Tomorrow!

Tuesday 8/26 - Back to running again. I was worried about getting a run in, between a bar association meeting and an HOA meeting this evening. I just got back from a nice new loop that I tried, clocking in at 7.8 miles! :-) Pace of 9:09, which I thought was pretty good considering the gradual hills for the first 3 miles and again between miles 5-6. Tomorrow, I will definitely scale back to about 5 miles so I don't hurt myself by overtraining. It was a great afternoon - sunny, not too hot and a light breeze. I am actually thinking that maybe I can do this marathon thing....

Wednesday 8/27 - I was speedy Gonzales today! I didn't have time for a long run (nor did I think it was wise considering the mileage this week), so I went and did a quick 3.7 mile loop down along the river and over and back a few times. A little under 32 minutes to complete and a fast 8:34 pace! It was warmer than I thought. This morning was breezy and its been unseasonably cool. But once you get out in the sun and start running, you heat up quickly. I'm off now for an open house at the twins' elementary school to promote our cub scout pack - from 4-6 p.m. this evening. Just call me Volunteer Queen.

Thursday 8/28 - I took the day off today, as it was filled with obligations, including a meeting from 12-1 and another one from 5-6. I obviously need to start running again before work, but the days are getting shorter and colder (particularly in the morning). I bought some new fall/winter running stuff, realizing that I won't be out in tanks and shorts for a lot longer.

Friday 8/29 - Brought my running stuff into the office with full intentions to do my 7.8 mile loop from the other day. Hot temps were predicted (89 degrees). First, I had to deal with a frustrating client from France who is moving to Bend with his mother. Then, I got an unexpected long conference call. Finally - ready to go. But wait... a call comes into our front desk from Mr. Janik (of Ball Janik, my law firm). He's dropping by the office from Portland. Not going to be able to go out now.... So I wait until 4:45 and finally call it a day. No Janik. No run. Guess I'll do my 9 mile loop tomorrow instead.

Saturday 8/30 -Whooo hooo!! I just finished my 9 mile loop, 5 minutes faster than the last time I ran it! My pace was 8:34, so I was speeding along too. In fact, just before I crossed Highway 97 on my way back (and just before a .3 mile hill), my pace was 8:18. The hill and the last 2 miles home slowed me down. It was a great morning for a run. Mid 50s, slightly overcast. I considered a sweatshirt, but I'm glad I didn't wear one. I've got to get some good miles in early next week because a week from now... we'll be in Hawaii for my friend's wedding!!!

Stephanie's Week Nine Grand Total: 38.8 miles. Wow.