How to Join

1. Join "Angels without Wings" team at www.MasseyChallenge.kintera.org.

(Click on “Join the Challenge,” then “Join a Team,” then “Angels

Without Wings.”)

2. Register to participate in the 10K at www.sportsbackers.org. It costs $25 if you register before January 31st. Slots fill quickly so don't procrastinate.

3. Support our team by giving a donation at www.MasseyChallenge.kintera.org.

(Click …..) Every donation brings cancer research closer to a cure.

Jakes' message

I have a two month old son. When he wakes up in the morning, he is very happy. When it is his bed time, he gets very fussy. It is a natural thing for any baby to do. To calm him, we wrap him tightly in a blanket and rock him until he begins to fall asleep. I have wished sometimes, at my worst moments, someone could take away my problems by wrapping me snuggly and rocking me to sleep. But as an adult, that doesn’t happen. We are expected to cope with life’s challenges in a dignified manner.
When I received the news that I had cancer, there was nothing adult about my actions or emotions. There was nothing childish about them either. When news like this is given to someone, their whole world screams in emotional pain. That didn’t happen for me. There was pure silence. For months I could hear a pin drop, but one never did. In my world, no one talks about sensitive topics because it is difficult. More than that, no one knows what to say. Those that say things, make it awkward and sometimes inappropriate. Not inappropriate by what they say, but by simply saying something. As the receiver of condolences, when I didn’t accept my situation, I certainly didn’t want to be reminded that I was currently living it. So, for years I ignored it, made up stories about my scars, but overall avoided the topic.
I could only ignore it for so long. Each recurrence of the disease was a harsh reminder of my reality. I have tried to be upbeat about my situation and make the best of life no matter what has happened. I think to my benefit and for those around me, I began to cope by using humor. Laughing is the best way to change a mood. In college me and my roommates used my cancer to meet girls and as an inside joke. When we would get new roommates, they would feel terrible when I got teased for having cancer. However, they quickly realized I would join in the fun. Those stories I made up to explain my scars became a game to tease other people with. And of course I feel a sense of accomplishment when I get people to smile.
I have not made it through life invincible to emotional and physical troubles. I spent several years living unaware of my depression. I have more scars than I can see to count. Last year I lost the use of my left shoulder to a destructive tumor and spent an incredible amount of time overly tired and stressed. But I am working through my new challenges. I have life goals that I need to adapt to my changing situations. The more my cancer comes back, the more I have to alter my plans. But I will not give up. I have no reason to. In spite of all I have been through and how I have reacted; God still sees fit to bless me with amazing things. I have a chosen career path, the intent to do certain things in life, and a need to see my son grow up and achieve great things. Life is fun. I love it; all of it. I am just like my son when he wakes in the morning, very happy just to exist. Some things I could do without, but if I lost those things I wouldn’t have anything to joke about.

Walkers 10K Training Program

Walkers 10K Training Program

Adapted from Hal Higdon’s Web site: halhigdon.com

Wk	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat
1: 1/13	Rest	10 min walk	Rest or walk	10 min walk	Rest	1 mile walk	25-90 min walk
2: 1/20	Rest	15 min walk	Rest or walk	15 min walk	Rest	1.5 mile walk	30-90 min walk
3: 1/27	Rest	20 min walk	Rest or walk	20 min walk	Rest	2 mile walk	35-90 min walk
4: 2/3	Rest	25 min walk	Rest or walk	25 min walk	Rest	2.5 mile walk	40-90 min walk
5: 2/10	Rest	30 min walk	Rest or walk	30 min walk	Rest	3 mile walk	45-90 min walk
6: 2/17	Rest	35 min walk	Rest or walk	35 min walk	Rest	3.5 mile walk	55-90 min walk
7: 2/24	Rest	40 min walk	Rest or walk	40 min walk	Rest	4 mile walk	65-90 min walk
8: 3/2	Rest	45 min walk	Rest or walk	45 min walk	Rest	4.5 mile walk	75-90 min walk
9: 3/9	Rest	50 min walk	Rest or walk	50 min walk	Rest	5 mile walk	80-90 min walk
10: 3/16	Rest	55 min walk	Rest or walk	55 min walk	Rest	5.5 mile walk	85-90 min Walk
11: 3/23	Rest	60 min walk	Rest or walk	60 min walk	Rest	6 mile walk	90 min walk
12: 3/30	Rest	30 min walk	Rest or walk	30 min walk	Rest	Rest	10K walk!

If your only interest is to stroll 10-K at a comfortable pace, you probably don't need any particular training program. Just make sure you have a comfortable pair of walking shoes and do enough walks of at least 45-90 minutes in the last month or two before the 10-K to make sure you won't have any trouble finishing the 6.2-mile distance.

But if you would like more guidance, here is a training program you can use. The following information relates to the 10-K training program for walkers above:

Sunday: Rest or walk lightly. If you walked a long distance over the weekend, use this day to rest if you experienced any fatigue, or if your leg muscles are sore.

Monday:

Many of my training programs utilize a 48-hour break between bouts of hard exercise, so it's time to train again. In this program, begin by walking for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace. Every week, add another 5 minutes to the length of your walk. By going at it gradually, you should be able to improve your walking ability without discomfort or risk of injury.

Tuesday:

Rest or walk. Hard/easy is a common pattern among runners. You train hard to exercise your muscles, then rest to give them time to recover. You might want to take today off, but if yesterday's walk went good, feel free to walk again, regardless of distance. If you're really feeling strong--and have the time--repeat the Friday or Saturday pattern for your Wednesday walks.

Wednesday:

This is a repeat of Monday’s workout pattern. Begin with 10 minutes and add five more minutes to your walk every week.

Thursday:

Another rest day. You need to make sure your muscles are well rested so you can train hard on the weekends. Depending on your own particular schedule, you may want to juggle workouts, substituting one day's workout for another. It doesn't matter that much on which day you do specific workouts as long as you are consistent with your training.

Friday:

The Friday workouts are stated in miles rather than minutes. This is to give you an idea of how much distance you are able to cover over a specific period of time as well as to give you confidence in your ability to walk 10 kilometers. The 10-K is actually 6.2 miles long, so by the time you get to the 6-miler on the seventh Saturday, you will be only a short distance from achieving your goal. If you can't find a measured course with mile markers, use your car to measure distance. Car speedometers are not precise measuring tools, but they come close. Another option: Walk on a measured track.

Saturday:

At least one day a week, it's a good idea to go for a long walk without worrying about exactly how much distance you cover or exactly how long it takes to cover it. For instance, walk in the woods over unmeasured trails. Most people should be able to walk continuously for an hour or more at least once a week, even if it means walking very slowly or pausing to rest. If walking an hour seems too difficult the first week, start with 45 minutes and by adding 5-10 minutes each week, build up to the point where you can walk continuously for 90 minutes. The schedule offers a broad range for the time covered, beginning with 45-90 minutes. Each week the first number changes, but not the last, gradually pushing you up to an ultimate hour-and-a-half of walking the weekend before the 10-K. If you are fit enough to start at 90 minutes and continue at that level, be my guest!

Beginners 10K Training Program

Beginning Runner 10K Training Program

Adapted from Hal Higdon’s Web site: halhigdon.com

Wk	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat
1: 1/13	Rest & stretch	1.5 mile run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 mile run	Rest & stretch	1.5 mile run	30-60 minute walk
2: 1/20	Rest & stretch	1.75 mile run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 mile run	Rest & stretch	1.75 mile run	35-60 minute walk
3: 1/27	Rest & stretch	2 mile run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 mile run	Rest & stretch	2 mile run	40-60 minute walk
4: 2/3	Rest & stretch	2.25 mile run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 mile run	Rest & stretch	2.25 mile run	45-60 minute walk
5: 2/10	Rest & stretch	2.5 mile run & strength	30 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	40 min cross	3 mile run
6: 2/17	Rest & stretch	2.5 mile run & strength	30 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	40 min cross	3.5 mile run
7: 2/24	Rest & stretch	2.5 mile run & strength	35 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	50 min cross	4 mile run
8: 3/2	Rest & stretch	3 mile run & strength	35 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	50 min cross	4 mile run
9: 3/9	Rest & stretch	3 mile run & strength	40 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	60 min cross	4.5 mile run
10: 3/16	Rest & stretch	3 mile run & strength	40 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	60 min cross	5 mile run
11: 3/23	Rest & stretch	3 mile run & strength	45 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	60 min cross	5.5 mile run
12: 3/30	Rest & stretch	3 mile run & strength	30 minute cross	2 mile run & strength	Rest & stretch	Rest	10K race

To participate in this 10-K program, you should have no major health problems, should be in reasonably good shape, and should have done at least some jogging or walking. If running 1.5 miles for your first workout of the first week seems too difficult, you might want to begin by walking, rather than running.

Explanation of the terms used in the training schedule:

Stretch & Strength:

Do some easy stretching of your running muscles. This is good advice for any day, particularly after you finish your run, but spend a bit more time stretching on Sundays. Strength training could consist of push-ups, pull-ups, use of free weights or working out with various machines at a health club. Runners generally benefit if they combine light weights with a high number of repetitions, rather than pumping very heavy iron. I also suggest that you do some strength training following your Wednesday workouts, however you can schedule strength training on any two days convenient for your business and personal schedule – just be sure that they occur at least one full day apart from one another.

Run/Walk:

This is a combination of running and walking, suggested for those early in-between days when you want to do some running, but only some. There's nothing in the rules that suggests you have to run continuously, either in training or in the race itself. Use your own judgment. Run until you begin to feel fatigued, then walk until recovered. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. Another option for in-between days is to do some cross-training: biking, swimming or just plain walking. You get a little exercise, but not so much that you are fatigued for the next day's running workout.

Running workouts:

Put one foot in front of the other and run. It sounds pretty simple, and it is. Don't worry about how fast you run; just cover the distance--or approximately the distance suggested. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to converse comfortably while you do so. This isn't always easy for beginners, so don't push too hard or too fast.

Cross-Training:

On the schedule, this is identified simply as "cross." What form of cross-training works best for runners preparing for a 10-K race? It could be swimming, or cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, climbing stairs or other forms of aerobic training, or even some combination that could include strength training if you choose to do it on Wednesdays and Saturdays instead of as indicated on the schedule. And feel free to throw in some jogging as well if you're feeling good. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Cross-training days should be considered easy days that allow you to recover from the running you do the rest of the week.

Rest:

The most important day in any running program is rest. Rest days are as important as training days. They give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Actually, your muscles will build in strength as you rest. Without recovery days, you will not improve.

Long Runs:

The longest runs of the 8-week schedule are planned for Saturdays, since you probably have more time to do them on the weekends. If Saturday isn't a convenient day for your long runs, feel free to do them on any other day of the week. What pace should you run? Go slow. There is no advantage to going fast during your long runs, even for experienced runners.

Walking:

Walking is an excellent exercise that a lot of runners overlook in their training. Feel free to walk during your running workouts any time you feel tired or need a break. Nobody cares whether you run the full 10-K, they're more concerned that you finish. If this means walking every step in practice and in the race, do it!

Intermediate 10K Training Program

Intermediate 10K Training Program

Adapted from Hal Higdon’s web site: halhigdon.com

Wk	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
1: 1/13	Rest	3 mile run & strength	2 mile run	30 min tempo run	3 mile run & strength	50 min cross	2.5 mile run
2: 1/20	Rest	3 mile run & strength	2 mile run	6 x 400 5-K pace	4 mile run & strength	50 min cross	2.5 mile run
3: 1/27	Rest	3 mile run & strength	2.5 mile run	30 minute tempo run	3 mile run & strength	55 min cross	3 mile run
4: 2/3	Rest	3 mile run & strength	2.5 mile run	7 x 400 5-K pace	4 mile run & strength	55 min cross	3 mile run
5: 2/10	Rest	3 mile run & strength	3 mile run	35 minute tempo run	3 mile run & strength	60 min cross	4 mile run
6: 2/17	Rest	3 mile run & strength	3.5 mile run	8 x 400 5-K pace	4 mile run & strength	60 min cross	5 mile run
7: 2/24	Rest	3 mile run & strength	4 mile run	40 minute tempo run	3 mile run & strength	60 min cross	6 mile run
8: 3/2	Rest	3 mile run & strength	4.5 mile run	9 x 400 5-K pace	4 mile run & strength	2 mile run	5-K race
9: 3/9	Rest	3 mile run & strength	5 mile run	45 minute tempo run	3 mile run & strength	60 min cross	6 mile run
10: 3/16	Rest	3 mile run & strength	5.5 mile run	10 x 400 5-K pace	4 mile run & strength	60 min cross	7 mile run
11: 3/23	Rest	3 mile run & strength	6 mile run	50 minute tempo run	4 mile run & strength	60 min cross	8 mile run
12: 3/30	Rest	3 mile run & strength	3 mile run	5 x 400 5-K pace	1-3 mile run	Rest	10K Race!

THE ABOVE SCHEDULE IS FOR INTERMEDIATE RUNNERS: individuals who want to improve their performances. What defines an Intermediate runner? You should be running five to six times a week, averaging 15-25 miles weekly training. You probably also should have run a half dozen or more races at distances between the 5-K and the Half-Marathon. With that as background, you now need a somewhat more sophisticated schedule to improve.

Following are explanations of the terms used in the training chart:

Runs:

The runs of 2-6 miles on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are designed to be done at a comfortable pace. If you can't carry on a conversation with your training partner, you're running too fast. For those who use heart monitors to measure their level of exertion, you would be running between 65 to 75 percent of maximum. In other words, run easy. If you want to run with others, be cautious that they don't push you to run faster than planned.

Rest:

Rest is an important part of your training. Be realistic about your fatigue level and don't feel guilty if you decide to take an additional day off. (Best bet is Monday.) Specifically consider scheduling at least one extra rest day during the stepback weeks. (See below.)

Tempo Runs:

A tempo run is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near race pace. (Notice I said "near" race pace. You don't want to go faster than your 10-K race pace.) In this program, tempo runs are scheduled for every other Wednesday, alternating with interval training on the track. A tempo run of 30 to 40 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes easy running, build to 10-20 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout and only for a few minutes. You can do tempo runs almost anywhere: on the road, on trails or even on a track.

Speedwork:

If you want to race at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace. Interval training where you alternate fast running with jogging or walking is a very effective form of speedwork. The training schedule includes interval training featuring 400-meter reps (repeats) every other week, alternating with the tempo runs discussed above. Run the 400s at about the pace you would run in a 5-K race. Walk or jog between each repeat. Although the best venue for speedwork of this sort is on a 400-meter track, these workouts can be done on the road or on trails, either by using measured courses or by running hard approximately the length of time you would run a 400 on the track. For instance, if you normally run 400 reps in 90 seconds, do fast reps for that length of time and don't worry about distance.

Warm-up:

Warming up is important, not only before the race itself, but before your speed workouts above and pace workouts below. Most Novice runners do not warm up, except in the race itself. This is okay, because they're more interested in finishing rather than finishing fast. As an Intermediate runner, you have a slightly different goal, otherwise you wouldn't be using this program, so warm up before you run fast. My usual warm-up is to jog a mile or two, sit down and stretch for 5-10 minutes, then run some easy strides (100 meters at near race pace). And I usually cool down afterwards by doing half of the warm-up.

Stretch & Strengthen:

Also important as part of the warm-up is stretching. Don't overlook it--particularly on days when you plan to run fast. Strength training is important too: push-ups, pull-ups, use of free weights or working out with various machines at a fitness club. Runners generally benefit if they combine light weights with a high number of repetitions, rather than pumping very heavy iron. Mondays and Thursdays would be good days to combine stretching and strengthening with your easy run, however, you can schedule Stretch & Strengthen on any day that is convenient for your business and personal schedule.

Cross-Training:

On the schedule, this is identified simply as "cross." What form of cross-training works best for runners preparing for a 10-K race? It could be swimming, or cycling, walking, other forms of aerobic training or some combination that could include strength training. And feel free to throw in some jogging as well if you're feeling good. What cross-training you select depends on your personal preference. But don't make the mistake of cross-training too vigorously. Cross-training days should be considered easy days that allow you to recover from the running you do the rest of the week.

Long Runs:

As an experienced runner, you probably already do a long run on the weekends anyway. This schedule suggests a slight increase in distance as you get closer to race date: from 4 to 8 miles. Don't get hung up on running these workouts too fast. Run at a comfortable, conversational pace.