I don't even know where to start! This past weekend was so incredible on many different levels. It is difficult organizing my thoughts, memories and feelings. I guess I'll do this travel-log-style so I don't leave anything out...
The morning of December 4th came EARLY! Of course I'm a Procrastinating Packer, so I was up until 2AM getting everything done. I met up with some team members at 6:45AM and we set out for the airport! It was really fun to fly with other Team Challenge members, as we got to know each other more. I was still battling a cold and the flights did not really feel great in my ears & head, but we got to Vegas and successfully checked in. The hotel was all decorated for Christmas! I LOVED this. I'm sure everyone was tired of hearing me say, "Look at the decorations!" "Oh! The tree! Did you see the tree?!" "Check out that huge wreath!" I get so excited for Christmas stuff.
I rode the elevator up to my room and quickly dropped off my stuff before I met some team members down in the lobby to head over to the race expo. We knew it was at Mandalay Bay and there was a free tram we could catch to get over there, but when we left the lobby, we could clearly see Mandalay Bay and it didn't look very far away, so we decided to walk. Mistake. I should have remembered that a Vegas block = like 10 miles. It seemed like it took forever to get there and then even more forever to make our way through the 100 miles of hotel to get to the expo!! But we finally arrived, and WOW! There was so much stuff. We waited in line to get our bib number and timing tag to put on our shoe, then made our way over to get our tech tees and 'goodie bags' which had all sorts of stuff in it! I opened it up to find a ton of ads, coupons, samples of products, and info for more races around the nation. It was then that it finally hit me... I'm actually going to do this! Crazy.
We made our way quickly around the expo, but we were starving, so we didn't spend a ton of time there. We hurried back to our hotel (via tram this time) to drop off our new stuff and head down to partake in one of the things that makes Vegas so great: the buffet! :) By the time we ate and then checked out the "West Wing" in the hotel, I was completely wiped out. I needed a good dose of cold medicine and a warm bed, so I crapped out at around 10:30 local time, which would mean to my body that it was 1:30AM!! Not a good way to try to recover from a cold.
We had a group run scheduled for the next morning, so I set my alarm before closing my tired eyes. That night was awful. I couldn't breathe, my throat was sore, and my head hurt. I hardly slept at all. My alarm went off and I thought that there was no way that I would be able to make myself go running. So I turned off my alarm and tried to sleep. No luck. After lying in bed for half an hour, I got up and opened my curtains to look out my window. What do you know?! I saw all these people running across the walkway bridges and down the street back toward our hotel. It was fun to watch everyone come back from their runs from 23 stories up. I instantly felt a closeness to all those strangers. I knew that we were all here for the same reason, and I had to smile as I watched each runner return to the hotel.
I was able to shower and gulp down some more cold medicine before I headed down to the main floor for more buffet yumminess! We had this cool discount card for services since we were part of CCFA Team Challenge. Breakfast was only 10 bucks. When I tried to talk to one of the guys in our group, my voice was all squeaky and sick-sounding. I explained that I had a terrible night and really didn't feel all that well. Which also explained why I wasn't on the group run earlier. I felt a little sad about that.
After breakfast, a lot of us wanted to go back over to the expo to take a look around. As we made our way through the casino, I noticed some penny slot machines. GREAT! I had a ton of pennies in my wallet that I didn't want to carry around. So I poured them all out, gave half to another girl, and we sat down to play. Apparently I'm not schooled with how things work in Vegas. You can't just put pennies in the slot and play (there WAS a slot for pennies, by the way, but it was all sealed up) you have to put in a credit card or dollar bills. LAME! I just wanted to stick in 15 pennies! I jokingly got angry, then threw all my pennies in the coin catcher at the bottom. It made the "jackpot" sound I was looking for. :)
The expo was CRAZY! There were so many people there. We scrambled through the crowd and made our way over to different tents. I ended up buying a magnet and 2 shirts. There was a lot of fun stuff to see and a lot of funny shirts to browse through. We were probably there for almost 2 hours. By then I was feeling really worn out and needed to get back to take more cold medicine. I crashed on my bed for probably an hour or so and then I got a call from my mom saying she was there! YAY! I went down to the lobby to meet her, then we hung out for a while before we met up with the entire team to get our race tank tops, 2 more personalized Team DC shirts, and last-minute instruction on what to expect the next morning. There was also sticky foam letters we could use to decorate our race shirts with. I chose letters so I could spell "Matt" & "Tami".
A little bit later, it was time for our pasta party! We walked for miles through the hotel (exaggeration) to get to the conference center. I could hear some cheering going on and when we walked around the corner, we saw a huge line of CCFA people standing and cheering for us! It was certainly a surprise and so much fun! It was like we were celebrities or something. Because my physical reaction to any overwhelming feeling is to cry, I got a little choked up. ALL these people cheering for us! There were even cheerleaders from a local high school on the sides in formation. I high-fived my running coaches as my mom and I made our way through the line. FUN!
We sat down to a yummy meal and a great presentation. There were over 900 people from all over the nation that participated in this Team Challenge event. And altogether, we collectively raised almost $3.5 Million! That is so amazing! Each regional team was recognized as their name was called and they stood up to cheer for their team. Yay Team DC! :) The President of CCFA got up to speak and told us how just a few days earlier, he met with the researchers and scientists dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn's & Colitis and informed them that we had raised $3.5Million for this one event. The reaction from these amazing people was to give us a standing ovation. That was an awesome feeling to know that they appreciate the funding as much as we appreciate their smarts and dedication to finding a cure! There was some more honoring of highest fundraising individuals and a participant who shared her personal experience on why she joined the cause. All in all a fabulous night.
By the time we got back to our hotel room, I was a bit of a nervous wreck. Mom worked on personalizing some Team Challenge signs, and I finished decorating my race tank, attached the timing tag & emergency info to my shoes, laid out my clothes, shoes, socks, gloves, earwarmer, iPod, gear check bag, etc. Everything was ready. And it was a good thing that I was already exhausted so my nerves didn't keep me awake. I crashed, but then woke up at about 1AM with a sore throat and had to use the restroom. After that, my mind wouldn't quit thinking about everything, so I didn't sleep at all after that. I got up a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off: 4:15AM. We were to meet in the hotel lobby at 4:45AM so we could gather ourselves together and head over to the start line as a team. My mom was such a trooper. She got up with me and came down in to the lobby to see us off. She was a picture-taking fiend! I've never seen her so camera-happy before. It was fun. :) She gave me a hug and told me she was proud of me. That meant a lot, and of course I started getting teary-eyed again. I waved goodbye and we were out the door!
Oh BOY! It was C~O~L~D!!! Temps were in the low 30s and the wind was blowing. BRRRRRR! We all made our way over to The Mandalay Bay, checked our bags in to the gearcheck area, then stood around for a while chit-chatting with eachother. I was SO glad that I had packed my gloves and earwarmer at the last minute! I was wearing shorts and my body was so cold. When the time neared around 6AM, we went to find our corral. Since there were 28,000 runners, we had a "wave" start. I was in corral 21. We witnessed fireworks as the first elite runners took off. The local news station was broadcasting live, so we were able to watch the footage on the huge Mandalay Bay screen. When the camera did a pan of all the runners waiting to start, I got a little panicky. I said to my friend April, "What are we doing?!? We are sitting in the middle of all those people. I don't even like people that much!" I don't know why, but I started feeling like I had agroaphobia. It was probably just the fact I was so freezing cold; my muscles were spasming and my whole body was convulsing while we stood there waiting, and was nervous about the run ahead of me. There was one lady who was standing near me who said, "I'm from Minnesota, so this weather doesn't really affect me, but you look so cold!" Then she proceeded to rub my arms. Haha.
We eased our way closer to the start line and finally, at 6:55AM, I crossed it! Oh, it felt SO GOOD to start running so I could warm my body up! The start line consisted of a Blues Brothers cover band, caged live tigers and some Vegas showgirls. I cheered as I crossed the start line. I was pumped! I decided that I would partake of the water and/or Cytomax at all the water stations, just to make sure I was well hydrated and could keep my energy up. Since I had only eaten a granola bar at about 5AM, I was already starving! I was counting on that Cytomax to give me the extra energy I needed to keep running. Things started off very well! The sun came up and I put on my sunglasses. I actually felt really great as I kept my body moving. We ran for about a mile or so past Mandalay Bay, then looped around and came back. I passed MB, the Luxor, Excalibur, and started nearing MGM Grand when I heard my name. I looked over and there was my mom! Yay! She was cheering for me and holding the signs, then got her camera out to try to take a picture. As I ran away from her, I heard her yell, "Go Emily!!" :D
There was a live band every mile or so and there were Team Challenge cheerers along the ENTIRE route! Every time an orange tank top was spotted, they would cheer for us. This was so cool! I've never felt so awesome. I cheered just as much for them as they did for us. It was great to have so much motivation. I also clapped and cheered for all the live bands. I was seriously on top of the world and felt so great. I had a smile on my face for most of the route, I would say. I was passing people left and right, which also made me feel good about myself. Haha. I was trying to keep pace with the 5:00 marathon pacers -- if I had them in my sight, I felt like I was doing ok. I had no idea what pace I was keeping, as all the official clocks along the way were on schedule from when the first people started at 6:15AM. So I just kept going.
I realized around mile 8 that I had not stopped once. WOW! I only had slowed down to grab a drink from the water stations, then I would take off again. Once this realization hit, I was amazed and I thought, "YES! I can actually do this! I will not stop the rest of the way." This was my goal from the beginning, and I was surprised that I still felt really good after all those miles and that I COULD actually do it. This made me that much more excited and determined to accomplish my goal. I had passed all the hotel/casinos along the way: Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Tropicana, Excalibur, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Harrahs, The Mirage, Treasure Island, The Venetian, The Palazzo, Encore, Trump Hotel, Wynn, Riviera, Circus Circus, Hilton, Sahara, and finally The Stratosphere where we turned around. This was the first year that they had closed down the entire strip for the Rock n Roll Marathon, and it was so cool!
Around mile 9.5-ish, I started to hurt. My hip-flexors were really sore. I felt like I needed something other than the Cytomax and cough drop I had sucked on the last couple of miles to give me an extra "oomph". I knew there was a GU station coming up at mile 10 and that would give me some much needed calories. However, just thinking about my experience from consuming the GU last time, made me a little sick to my stomach. I was scared to chance it, so I reached in to my running belt and fished out some Sportbeans. I chomped on those for a while and fought the sick feeling in my stomach. I powered through. I needed to keep going. I couldn't stop! My legs were REALLY hurting. I wanted to stop. But I kept thinking about Tami and Matt and how they couldn't just stop their pain. They didn't have any choice but to suffer and power through it. So that's what I was determined to do. "Only 3 more miles! That's it! I can do this!!" I could see Mandalay Bay in the distance, and I focused on that.
Oh, how my legs hurt! My mantra going through my head was, "Tami & Matt! I can finish! Tami & Matt!" Just about the time when I really started questioning whether I could finish strong, one of my running coaches spotted me and ran with me for a while. He told me that I was holding a good pace. I told him how badly my legs were hurting, and he encouraged me to keep going. He reminded me that I could see the finish line. Not long now! He gave me one last encouraging word before he left to go find others to cheer and run with. He made me feel good about my performance and his encouragement worked. About a mile later, there was my other running coach! He appeared out of nowhere, but he was suddenly by my side, and I was so grateful. I needed a big push at the end. He too told me how great I was (this is one thing I could never tire of :) ) and ran with me for a while. After he parted with a "You've got this!", I was pumped again. Around mile 13, I heard my name being shouted. I turned, and there was my mom cheering and yelling and holding up her signs. And there was my Fundraising Endurance Manager on the side, too, with pom poms and a loud cheering voice. AWESOME! I got such a huge boost of energy from them, and as I was running away, I heard my mom yell, "That's my daughter! That's my daughter!!" I also heard them cheering my name after I was down the road. It was then that I realized I was actually going to do this! I didn't stop. I was .1 miles from the finish! I started getting emotional, but then I couldn't breathe! I checked myself and told myself to just hold on. Don't lose it yet! I have to breathe to keep going. :)
When I saw the finish line in sight, I found a little burst of speed in me and picked up the pace. I was so happy to cross the finish! Oh, what a relief!! I immediately thought of Tami and Matt and silently thanked them for sticking with me through the last excruciating 3 miles. If they weren't such incredible people, I never would have been able to do this. This was all for them. I finally let myself break down after I crossed the finish line. It makes me emotional just thinking about it. I cannot even fully describe the rush of feelings that came over me. I was on such a high! I'm so grateful for my family.
Soon after, the physical pain made itself apparent again. :) I could barely walk! I was handed a medal and a mylar blanket, then made my way over to get a picture with a Vegas Showgirl. Sweet! After I got through the line, I retrieved my bag, put on my coat, then called my mom. She was waiting for me over by our Team Challenge tent. On my way over there, I grabbed a bagel, banana, orange, granola bar, bag of pretzels, etc. I was SO hungry! I hardly even remember eating the bagel, I consumed it that fast.
The day ended with a free massage, eating more PF Changs than I thought was humanly possible, a souvenir T-shirt and getting my medal engraved with my name and time. All in all, this was an experience I will NEVER forget. What a fantastic organization Team Challenge is! I would love to still work with them in some way. Maybe I'll volunteer to be a mentor. I really never thought I would be able to do all that I did. We had such great support from the very beginning and I am so grateful I could overcome all the personal hurdles that came along so I could honor and praise the lives of 2 of my wonderful siblings: Tami and Matthew.
Here's to finding a CURE!!!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Only 4 days left!
My, how that time has FLOWN! I can't believe that in less than 48 hours I will be on the plane to Vegas. YIKES! I am very nervous, anxious and excited! I know I can finish the 1/2 marathon, but it is just a matter of how fast I will finish. I would love to be able to run the entire way without stopping to walk. We shall see.
A couple of Saturdays ago, we had our longest run scheduled; 2 hours, 15 minutes. I wanted to make this day as much like race day as possible. Because of this, I became very nervous for the following reasons:
A couple of Saturdays ago, we had our longest run scheduled; 2 hours, 15 minutes. I wanted to make this day as much like race day as possible. Because of this, I became very nervous for the following reasons:
- The new shoes that I purchased toward the beginning of training started to give me blisters when I ran longer distances. My feet are wide and they ended up swelling larger than these shoes had room for. So I had started wearing my old shoes again. However, one of our running coaches suggested I try some synthetic socks to see if they helped. So my plan on this Saturday was to switch back to my newer shoes with these new socks -- see if that made a difference.
- I bought this little running belt so I could carry some shot blocks, sport beans, GU, etc with me. I've never run with anything around my waist before, so I wondered if it would be really annoying to me.
- I had a personal training session a few days before, and my muscles were REALLY sore and tight.
- What to wear... this is always a challenge. I don't want to pile on too many layers and be too hot with no where to discard my jacket, long-sleeve shirt, etc. Yet I don't want to be shivering and losing energy throughout my run doing so. I don't own any running pants, so I knew I would be wearing my running shorts regardless.
All of this on top of my personal pressure to perform well, left me feeling a bit uneasy. This is how it all played out.....
Immediately, my running belt was a bit annoying. I had it around the waistband of my shorts, but since my hips are so wide and my waist small, the belt naturally shifted up my torso. I had to tighten the belt so that it wouldn't bounce so much. But then it was under my shirts and that was bothersome. Had to maneuver it so it was on the outside of my clothes. After that, it was no big deal. I ended up wearing a long-sleeve bike base jersey over my tank top and gloves. After 3 miles, I got rid of my gloves. The long sleeve jersey turned out to be perfect throughout the entire 2+ hours.
At the first water station stop, I could tell my muscles were still really tight. I had to stretch a bit while I gulped down a shot of water and Cytomax (like Gatorade). After I got going again, I started feeling my feet rubbing against the sides of my shoes. Hmmmm. Not good. However, Sportbeans = Awesome. I really like these. I usually chew gum while I run to give me something to do (turns out I need as many things as possible to distract me from the actual running - I switched to listening to audiobooks for this reason. I needed to focus on a story rather than what I was doing physically), but the gum doesn't last very long. I liked popping these little beans to keep my mouth busy and also give me a yummy flavor. Nevermind the added bonus of extra energy! :) The shot blocks were equally as good, although a bit sticky. My tongue worked overtime to dig the chewy gel out of my teeth. But again, this kept my mouth busy.
At about the 1hr 45min mark, I decided to try the GU. I reached into my handy waist pouch and dug out the packet. I had to open it with my teeth since my hands were sweaty. I squeezed the thick stuff in to my mouth and was immediately sickened. EW! This stuff was gross! And thick. My mouth was coated in this disgustingness. Of course I had *just* passed the water station, so I had nothing to wash it down with. This tasted so gross to me that I really started to feel sick to my stomach. Ugh. BUT! Amazingness -- I realized after a bit, that I actually felt like I was more energized. So I think it really does work.
While I didn't perform physically as well as I wanted, I still felt like it was a successful experience. I know that I will be running in my old shoes with some new socks that my sister sent to me, wearing my running belt on the outside of my clothes around my waist, popping those beans whenever I feel, shot blocks every once in a while, GU only when I'm near a water station and desperate, forget the gloves, and DO NOT schedule a personal training session before-hand. As far as shirts, I'm still iffy on that one. We have our race tanktop that we will wear, and I'm wondering if I should wear my long-sleeve bike jersey under it, or just go with my sports bra. Undecided on that one. I imagine temps will be in the 40's at 6AM.
This past week was Thanksgiving and I traveled out of town. I wondered if I would be able to make myself get up out of my food coma to go running. Luckily my sister-in-law is a runner, so we went out together a few times. The first morning we ran for 5.5 miles in the most frigid weather! I couldn't feel my legs after about 5 minutes -- which wasn't necessarily a BAD thing. :) But we ran on the sidewalk and there was no flat. It was either up a big hill or down a big hill. My body is not used to that kind of route at all, so my right knee was sore and a bit swollen afterward. But I figured if I could run in that cold of weather with shorts, I would be alright in Vegas. No need to go out and buy running pants or capris.
Now it's just all the last-minute preparations. Laundry is done - now just need to refill my suitcase to hop on another plane. The only downer is that I acquired a sore throat this past Sunday so I am feeling really run-down. I hope I can shake it by Sunday! All I want to do is sleep right now.
FUNDRAISING
Yippee skippee HOORAY!!! I have met and even exceeded my $3800 goal for CCFA! I can't believe it. I still get emotional thinking about what generous and willing people have helped me out. I am indeed truly thankful for everyone's support through this sometimes very challenging, but always very rewarding endeavor! THANK YOU. These words don't seem enough.
Next update will be results of RACE DAY!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
In The Zone for Crohn's
Last night we had a FANTASTIC fundraising event! I was one of 6 team members that participated in running the event. This meant that we had to come up with at least 3 prizes to raffle off to people who attended. There turned out to be SO many items/prizes to give away! I won one of the prizes on behalf of my boss. This was an autographed Jacksonville Jaguars football by QB David Garrard. I thought that was a bit strange/random to have an autographed football from that team until I learned why.
David Garrard was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2004 and has since taken an active role in raising awareness for the disease as well as raising funds for CCFA. One of the awesome programs he is involved in is "In the Zone for Crohn's". Centocor Ortho Biotech makes a donation of $10,000 to the CCFA for each touchdown Garrard scores, passing or rushing, during the 2009 NFL season. This is a continuation of the program from last year, in which Garrard raised $170,000 for CCFA! I thought this was AWESOME and wanted to share it with you. So far, Garrard has raised $90,000 in the 2009 season.
Now this autographed football seems like a huge prize to have won. Read more about him and his efforts to battle, raise awareness and funds for Crohn's Disease: http://www.jnj.com/connect/news/all/20090909_120000
David Garrard was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2004 and has since taken an active role in raising awareness for the disease as well as raising funds for CCFA. One of the awesome programs he is involved in is "In the Zone for Crohn's". Centocor Ortho Biotech makes a donation of $10,000 to the CCFA for each touchdown Garrard scores, passing or rushing, during the 2009 NFL season. This is a continuation of the program from last year, in which Garrard raised $170,000 for CCFA! I thought this was AWESOME and wanted to share it with you. So far, Garrard has raised $90,000 in the 2009 season.
Now this autographed football seems like a huge prize to have won. Read more about him and his efforts to battle, raise awareness and funds for Crohn's Disease: http://www.jnj.com/connect/news/all/20090909_120000
Monday, November 2, 2009
Week 10 & 11
We sure are working our way up with the running! Week 10 had us running for an hour and 40 minutes. Unfortunately, that was probably my worst performance ever. The Friday evening before, I had a personal training session at the gym, but didn't eat any dinner. I went to sleep late, and then worried that I'd sleep through my alarm, so I kept waking up throughout the night. That 7:30AM run came EARLY. I was sluggish and definitely had no gas in my tank. Thus, I didn't think it merited its own blog update.
This past Saturday we met up at the Tidal Basin in DC and worked our way around the National Mall. Twice. And a run around the Tidal Basin to finish it off. My iPod was acting up, so the Nike+ didn't record my run. That was annoying. But when I mapped it out, it looked like I ran between 9 and 10 miles. CRAZY! I've never run that far in my life. Another teammate and I were reminiscing about our first running session (which was also at the Tidal Basin) and how hard it was to run for half an hour. We really HAVE come a long way. I've been discouraged at times along the way, but when I think back to that first day of running, I can definitely see improvement, and that is something that I can be proud of.
We were able to try on our official CCFA Team Challenge race singlets (tanktops) on Saturday. This gets me excited to keep going and training to hopefully finish the race in a decent time! The only thing I'm worried about is injury. My ankle seems to be holding up pretty well, but with these long runs, my feet get covered in blisters. Here's what my feet looked like after the run on Sat:
Pretty dang gross! And painful. Now, feet are generally ugly anyway. But add blisters to them and EW! I even had a pedicure last week! Amazing what running can do in just one week to ruin perfectly groomed feet.
Anyway. I digress. This past weekend also meant the end of my personal fundraising deadline. I am SO proud of the progress made! THANK YOU to all that have helped me to reach my goal. I'm not quite there yet, but I think 92% to goal is still something to celebrate! We officially still have until November 18th to meet our goals before we get to make up the difference ourselves. I'm confident that this can be done! I'm planning on participating in a group fundraiser event that will hopefully help out. As a team, we have raised over $100,000!! This is AWESOME!
I will close out this post with the Saturday's Mission Moment:
This week’s Mission Moment was presented by fundraising mentor, Mandy Sturmfelz. Mandy was on the Kona team this past summer and raised over $5,500 for CCFA. She decided to come back to mentor this season to help however she could! She will be joining us in Vegas and will be on the course. Mandy has Crohn’s disease and is an extremely friendly and positive person. Here is an excerpt from her website… I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease during college and I’ve been riding the roller coaster of Crohn’s for the past 13+ years. Although I’ve been very fortunate to have good doctors, medical insurance and a great support network of friends and family, I nonetheless HATE Crohn’s Disease and hope that a cure will be found so others will not have to experience the same ordeals and complications I have experienced….
GO TEAM DC!
This past Saturday we met up at the Tidal Basin in DC and worked our way around the National Mall. Twice. And a run around the Tidal Basin to finish it off. My iPod was acting up, so the Nike+ didn't record my run. That was annoying. But when I mapped it out, it looked like I ran between 9 and 10 miles. CRAZY! I've never run that far in my life. Another teammate and I were reminiscing about our first running session (which was also at the Tidal Basin) and how hard it was to run for half an hour. We really HAVE come a long way. I've been discouraged at times along the way, but when I think back to that first day of running, I can definitely see improvement, and that is something that I can be proud of.
We were able to try on our official CCFA Team Challenge race singlets (tanktops) on Saturday. This gets me excited to keep going and training to hopefully finish the race in a decent time! The only thing I'm worried about is injury. My ankle seems to be holding up pretty well, but with these long runs, my feet get covered in blisters. Here's what my feet looked like after the run on Sat:
Pretty dang gross! And painful. Now, feet are generally ugly anyway. But add blisters to them and EW! I even had a pedicure last week! Amazing what running can do in just one week to ruin perfectly groomed feet.
Anyway. I digress. This past weekend also meant the end of my personal fundraising deadline. I am SO proud of the progress made! THANK YOU to all that have helped me to reach my goal. I'm not quite there yet, but I think 92% to goal is still something to celebrate! We officially still have until November 18th to meet our goals before we get to make up the difference ourselves. I'm confident that this can be done! I'm planning on participating in a group fundraiser event that will hopefully help out. As a team, we have raised over $100,000!! This is AWESOME!
I will close out this post with the Saturday's Mission Moment:
This week’s Mission Moment was presented by fundraising mentor, Mandy Sturmfelz. Mandy was on the Kona team this past summer and raised over $5,500 for CCFA. She decided to come back to mentor this season to help however she could! She will be joining us in Vegas and will be on the course. Mandy has Crohn’s disease and is an extremely friendly and positive person. Here is an excerpt from her website… I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease during college and I’ve been riding the roller coaster of Crohn’s for the past 13+ years. Although I’ve been very fortunate to have good doctors, medical insurance and a great support network of friends and family, I nonetheless HATE Crohn’s Disease and hope that a cure will be found so others will not have to experience the same ordeals and complications I have experienced….
GO TEAM DC!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Week 9
Week 9! Wow. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. This week I was able to get up early several of the days and pound some miles out on the treadmill at my gym before work, but I soon came to realize (again) that it's just NOT the same as running outside. Besides the fact that there isn't any changing scenery as I tack on the miles, no cold breeze in my face, no puddle to jump over, or dog to warily eye, the muscles I use are totally different. I find that my left calf (the same side as my weak ankle) gets a lot more sore when I run on the treadmill. I try to consciously run the way I would on pavement, but there's no way. I'm not propelling myself forward. The treadmill is. It's good in a way, because it helps me keep the same pace, but not so good when I set the pace too fast or too slow and it totally messes up my whole workout. Gotta figure that one out. It's just too dark to run outside before (and even after!) work now.
Our Saturday group run was definitely one to remember. It was cold and rainy when we all met up at the Tidal Basin in DC at 7:30AM. I had on my running shorts, tanktop, a long-sleeved bike jersey over my tanktop, and my fleece-lined rain jacket. Those of us who were there commented that we were either really dedicated or really crazy! I think it was a little of both. :) We headed out to run around the National Mall and by the time I crossed over by the Lincoln Memorial and got up to the WWII Memorial, I was too hot. I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist. The bulk of the jacket bouncing up and down around my waist was annoying. Past the Washington Memorial, Smithsonians, cross-over by the Capital, back past Smithsonians, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial... bounce-bounce-bounce bulky jacket. So when I got back to the Tidal Basin for a shot of Gatorade, I discarded it and headed out again. (BTW: Orange Gatorade is NOT for me! Blech) Of course now that I shucked my jacket, the rain and wind picked up and I was freezing! I was also soaked. A couple of times I didn't quite have the leg length to leap over some huge puddles, so my shoes and socks were soaked through. I could feel the back of my right heel getting rubbed raw, so I stopped to adjust my sock at some point and my fingers just wouldn't work. The great thing about being so cold is that it propelled me to keep moving! It was too cold to just walk. I HAD to run. 7.21 miles later, I was done with my run and happy to shrug back in to my rain jacket. But even that was a struggle, as my frozen body was rigor mortis! Haha. The end of the run and drive home had me looking like this:
You can't really tell how cold or rainy it is, but you can kind of see how intense the red on my face is. The pelting of the rain on my face and the constant blowing of the wind left me with a bit of a windburn. I was red and rashy-looking for the rest of the day. I also accumulated 4 blisters. What a day! It was an adventure for sure, but I'm not sorry that I decided to brave the weather and participate.. I need all the training I can get, and it's these group runs that really keep me motivated.
FUNDRAISING!
I officially have 11 days left before my personal deadline for fundraising! Since I have increased my fundraising goal, I need all the help I can get! I'm currently 70% to my new goal. I know we can do this! I must admit, I'm a bit nervous, but I'm staying positive. I've turned in my re-commitment paperwork with this new amount, so this is it! This is the amount that will be donated to CCFA whether it be from all you generous people or by me making up the difference. Either way, this experience has been totally worth it and I'm so pumped to hold up my end of the deal by completing the 1/2 marathon! I really am trying hard to keep up with the training and not to focus on my weak ankle/calf. I can do this. I'm excited to do this. I've been so impressed with everybody who has become involved in this great cause. Thank you for keeping me motivated and humbled by your support.
Just 6 weeks left until race day! YOO HOO!!!
Our Saturday group run was definitely one to remember. It was cold and rainy when we all met up at the Tidal Basin in DC at 7:30AM. I had on my running shorts, tanktop, a long-sleeved bike jersey over my tanktop, and my fleece-lined rain jacket. Those of us who were there commented that we were either really dedicated or really crazy! I think it was a little of both. :) We headed out to run around the National Mall and by the time I crossed over by the Lincoln Memorial and got up to the WWII Memorial, I was too hot. I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist. The bulk of the jacket bouncing up and down around my waist was annoying. Past the Washington Memorial, Smithsonians, cross-over by the Capital, back past Smithsonians, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial... bounce-bounce-bounce bulky jacket. So when I got back to the Tidal Basin for a shot of Gatorade, I discarded it and headed out again. (BTW: Orange Gatorade is NOT for me! Blech) Of course now that I shucked my jacket, the rain and wind picked up and I was freezing! I was also soaked. A couple of times I didn't quite have the leg length to leap over some huge puddles, so my shoes and socks were soaked through. I could feel the back of my right heel getting rubbed raw, so I stopped to adjust my sock at some point and my fingers just wouldn't work. The great thing about being so cold is that it propelled me to keep moving! It was too cold to just walk. I HAD to run. 7.21 miles later, I was done with my run and happy to shrug back in to my rain jacket. But even that was a struggle, as my frozen body was rigor mortis! Haha. The end of the run and drive home had me looking like this:
You can't really tell how cold or rainy it is, but you can kind of see how intense the red on my face is. The pelting of the rain on my face and the constant blowing of the wind left me with a bit of a windburn. I was red and rashy-looking for the rest of the day. I also accumulated 4 blisters. What a day! It was an adventure for sure, but I'm not sorry that I decided to brave the weather and participate.. I need all the training I can get, and it's these group runs that really keep me motivated.
FUNDRAISING!
I officially have 11 days left before my personal deadline for fundraising! Since I have increased my fundraising goal, I need all the help I can get! I'm currently 70% to my new goal. I know we can do this! I must admit, I'm a bit nervous, but I'm staying positive. I've turned in my re-commitment paperwork with this new amount, so this is it! This is the amount that will be donated to CCFA whether it be from all you generous people or by me making up the difference. Either way, this experience has been totally worth it and I'm so pumped to hold up my end of the deal by completing the 1/2 marathon! I really am trying hard to keep up with the training and not to focus on my weak ankle/calf. I can do this. I'm excited to do this. I've been so impressed with everybody who has become involved in this great cause. Thank you for keeping me motivated and humbled by your support.
Just 6 weeks left until race day! YOO HOO!!!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Week 8
Week 8 ended with our Saturday group run for 60 minutes. It was a very warm and HUMID morning! Of course my body was not used to running for so long anymore and the air was thick, so there were several times when I had to stop and walk. But I still put in almost 5 miles, so I think that was good. I wore my ankle brace and popped 4 ibuprofens before-hand, so my ankle felt great! :) It was nice to be with the team again after missing a couple of weeks. I really stay motivated on the group runs!
We also had a guest speaker come to talk to us about nutrition. She had some very knowledgeable information to pass on about balancing your diet, how to replace nutrients and fluids lost on long runs/workouts, and tips on how to listen to what your body needs. I hope to soak all of this in!
I have a VERY exciting fundraising update! Friday morning I came in to work to find a notification stating that I received a large donation -- in fact, it was the EXACT amount I needed to reach my goal! I was SO excited, shocked, surprised, thankful, elated!!! When I looked to see who the generous donor was, I was even more shocked to see that I had no idea who this person was. I couldn't believe it. Did I just forget that I knew this person? I took a couple of days to try to figure out the acquaintance, but I came up blank. I emailed this person, and here is part of the response:
The result of this FABULOUS news is that I have increased my fundraising goal! I have now committed to raise $3800 for CCFA. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to do this. THANK YOU to all of you who have donated. I am equally grateful for everyone. Just knowing that you support me has fueled my motivation and I am continually impressed with the generosity and readiness of all to support this cause.
Our team is currently sitting in 4th place in fundraising out of all 27 chapters sending teams to Vegas. THANK YOU for helping us achieve our goals! As a reminder, my personal fundraising deadline is October 31st! Just a few weeks left. I know we can do this!!
We also had a guest speaker come to talk to us about nutrition. She had some very knowledgeable information to pass on about balancing your diet, how to replace nutrients and fluids lost on long runs/workouts, and tips on how to listen to what your body needs. I hope to soak all of this in!
FUNDRAISING
I have a VERY exciting fundraising update! Friday morning I came in to work to find a notification stating that I received a large donation -- in fact, it was the EXACT amount I needed to reach my goal! I was SO excited, shocked, surprised, thankful, elated!!! When I looked to see who the generous donor was, I was even more shocked to see that I had no idea who this person was. I couldn't believe it. Did I just forget that I knew this person? I took a couple of days to try to figure out the acquaintance, but I came up blank. I emailed this person, and here is part of the response:
We have not met. While searching the Internet [I found] a link to your donation site.Again, I was just floored by this person's kindness! And from somebody with no real connection to me, my family or to the disease!! Really, I am so grateful. It truly touches my heart. This seems like such a small effort on my part, and yet the rewards are SO GREAT! I am continually humbled; yet proud to be the vehicle in which funds are raised for CCFA.
I do not know anyone with Crohn's or Colitis disease. But I am really impressed with your devotion to your siblings and your independent initative to help them and others suffering with the disease. The fundraising, the marathon, the website - really, not that many people (even those who have a loved one with Crohn's or Colitis) would go to all the effort. There are not enough people who do such things and I want to show my appreciation for those that do.
The result of this FABULOUS news is that I have increased my fundraising goal! I have now committed to raise $3800 for CCFA. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to do this. THANK YOU to all of you who have donated. I am equally grateful for everyone. Just knowing that you support me has fueled my motivation and I am continually impressed with the generosity and readiness of all to support this cause.
Our team is currently sitting in 4th place in fundraising out of all 27 chapters sending teams to Vegas. THANK YOU for helping us achieve our goals! As a reminder, my personal fundraising deadline is October 31st! Just a few weeks left. I know we can do this!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Week 5, 6, 7
It's been a couple of weeks since my last update. Here's the news: I took a couple of weeks off of running, as my ankle seemed to be getting worse. I went to the doctor who was concerned that it might be a stress fracture. Luckily the xrays showed nothing, so it's just a major sprain. I've been prescribed physical therapy -- the doc said it could take up to 6 weeks for it to fully recover! Hopefully the couple of weeks I've taken off is good enough, as I'm ready to get back in to the training! I've gone for a couple of small runs (treadmill only), and so far so good. I can definitely FEEL my ankle, but I'm hoping the pain will stay away and I can move to the pavement soon. There is such a difference running on a treadmill VS propelling your own body forward on the pavement. It feels as if I am back to square one with the training, which is quite frustrating, but it is what it is. I've gotta really pick it up so I'm ready for the race -- less than 2 months away! Wow.
In more EXCITING news, we totally crushed our September goal of raising $30,000 as a team! The last week in September we were still about $1000 away from our goal, but we made it! In fact, we raised nearly $39,000 in September!
Thank you to all who have helped contribute! I am continually honored and thankful for such generous donators. Since we first started this challenge, our team has raised a total of over $71,000 for CCFA! Amazing. I really feel like we are making a difference! Which is what this is all about. We just received information on booking our trip out to Las Vegas and it's really starting to dawn on me how close we are! It's going to be such an amazing weekend. I can't wait!
If you are still planning on donating (THANK YOU!), my personal fundraising deadline is October 31st. We officially have until the second week in November to turn in our money to be counted for our trip (even though donations will still be accepted all the way in to January, 2010), but I want to be sure I have everything in place well before the November cut-off. Please leave a comment if you have any questions!
In more EXCITING news, we totally crushed our September goal of raising $30,000 as a team! The last week in September we were still about $1000 away from our goal, but we made it! In fact, we raised nearly $39,000 in September!
THIS. IS. AWESOME!!
Thank you to all who have helped contribute! I am continually honored and thankful for such generous donators. Since we first started this challenge, our team has raised a total of over $71,000 for CCFA! Amazing. I really feel like we are making a difference! Which is what this is all about. We just received information on booking our trip out to Las Vegas and it's really starting to dawn on me how close we are! It's going to be such an amazing weekend. I can't wait!
If you are still planning on donating (THANK YOU!), my personal fundraising deadline is October 31st. We officially have until the second week in November to turn in our money to be counted for our trip (even though donations will still be accepted all the way in to January, 2010), but I want to be sure I have everything in place well before the November cut-off. Please leave a comment if you have any questions!
GO TEAM CHALLENGE!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Week 4
I've had a very busy week, so this update is a little late....
Week 4 certainly continued with some of the same challenges of Week 3. My ankle is still not better, and the pain has traveled up my calf. I've decided that I really need to get to the doctor to have it checked out. This is just too long to be injured, and it's very frustrating. I'm trying to keep my spirits up and think positive! I'm really at a loss as to what's wrong, as there hasn't been really any swelling or bruising. Just pain. Maybe I pulled a tendon or a muscle or something? I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make it better!
Labor Day Monday, I went out to complete my scheduled 4 mile run. I mapped out my course online, wrote it on a sticky note, and carried that with me. I didn't want to get lost, you see! I set my Nike+ iPod for 4 miles, headed out the door, wound my way through neighborhoods, and connected with a nice running trail. Things were going well, and I kept my eye out for my exit. But time went on, my iPod kept updating me on my status, and I couldn't figure out how I had gone that far without reaching my exit. Finally, I was congratulated on meeting my 4 mile goal. Humh. At this point, I'm supposed to be at my front door, but I'm still on this trail. Long story short, I ended up walking an additional 6 miles to find my way back home -- all in all, over 10 miles on an empty stomach, sore ankle & calf, and newly blistered heel. I've decided that I need a GPS every time I leave my house - whether it be in car, on foot, or on bicycle. Man! I'm a mess! Hahahaha.
The week went on and I was able to log a few more miles before our group run on Saturday. We had a 60 minute run scheduled, and I was able to shuffle my way through it all, only stopping to walk once for 2-3 minutes. My ankle was hurting, but these group runs really keep me motivated, so I just kept going! I iced my ankle for 3 hours afterward. :)
We also had a couple of special guests join us this week. The MTV show The Real World is currently filming in DC. Each cast member is required to do some public service and one of the cast members, Ashley has decided to volunteer with CCFA Team Challenge. Ashely provided our mission moment on Saturday. She was diagnosed with Crohn's when she was 15 and has gone through many ups and downs since. Her mother also has Crohn's and has had it even worse than Ashley herself at times. Just as they are coming to terms with having 2 people in their family with IBD, Ashley's brother is starting to show the all-too-familiar symptoms. Ashley wants to help in any way she can in bringing increased awareness to CCFA and IBD. Hopefully The Real World can show some great positive footage and bring awareness to a whole new level!
We also had Ryan Goodale come and visit. He is an 8 year old little boy who was just recently diagnosed with Crohn's and was our guest of honor. Ryan and his family have already been active members of the CCFA community, participating in Take Steps for Crohn's & Colitis - DC this past June. Ryan was also able to attend Camp Oasis in WV this summer and his Mom raved about it. :) This is so awesome to see people taking advantage of the services that CCFA offers, and hearing about how valuable they are!! These are the kinds of things that your donations are going toward.
I have truly enjoyed this whole experience so far. I just hope my ankle/calf can heal up so I can keep on going full force!! Thanks for everyone's support. If you would like to donate but haven't yet, September is the month to do it!!
Week 4 certainly continued with some of the same challenges of Week 3. My ankle is still not better, and the pain has traveled up my calf. I've decided that I really need to get to the doctor to have it checked out. This is just too long to be injured, and it's very frustrating. I'm trying to keep my spirits up and think positive! I'm really at a loss as to what's wrong, as there hasn't been really any swelling or bruising. Just pain. Maybe I pulled a tendon or a muscle or something? I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make it better!
Labor Day Monday, I went out to complete my scheduled 4 mile run. I mapped out my course online, wrote it on a sticky note, and carried that with me. I didn't want to get lost, you see! I set my Nike+ iPod for 4 miles, headed out the door, wound my way through neighborhoods, and connected with a nice running trail. Things were going well, and I kept my eye out for my exit. But time went on, my iPod kept updating me on my status, and I couldn't figure out how I had gone that far without reaching my exit. Finally, I was congratulated on meeting my 4 mile goal. Humh. At this point, I'm supposed to be at my front door, but I'm still on this trail. Long story short, I ended up walking an additional 6 miles to find my way back home -- all in all, over 10 miles on an empty stomach, sore ankle & calf, and newly blistered heel. I've decided that I need a GPS every time I leave my house - whether it be in car, on foot, or on bicycle. Man! I'm a mess! Hahahaha.
The week went on and I was able to log a few more miles before our group run on Saturday. We had a 60 minute run scheduled, and I was able to shuffle my way through it all, only stopping to walk once for 2-3 minutes. My ankle was hurting, but these group runs really keep me motivated, so I just kept going! I iced my ankle for 3 hours afterward. :)
We also had a couple of special guests join us this week. The MTV show The Real World is currently filming in DC. Each cast member is required to do some public service and one of the cast members, Ashley has decided to volunteer with CCFA Team Challenge. Ashely provided our mission moment on Saturday. She was diagnosed with Crohn's when she was 15 and has gone through many ups and downs since. Her mother also has Crohn's and has had it even worse than Ashley herself at times. Just as they are coming to terms with having 2 people in their family with IBD, Ashley's brother is starting to show the all-too-familiar symptoms. Ashley wants to help in any way she can in bringing increased awareness to CCFA and IBD. Hopefully The Real World can show some great positive footage and bring awareness to a whole new level!
We also had Ryan Goodale come and visit. He is an 8 year old little boy who was just recently diagnosed with Crohn's and was our guest of honor. Ryan and his family have already been active members of the CCFA community, participating in Take Steps for Crohn's & Colitis - DC this past June. Ryan was also able to attend Camp Oasis in WV this summer and his Mom raved about it. :) This is so awesome to see people taking advantage of the services that CCFA offers, and hearing about how valuable they are!! These are the kinds of things that your donations are going toward.
I have truly enjoyed this whole experience so far. I just hope my ankle/calf can heal up so I can keep on going full force!! Thanks for everyone's support. If you would like to donate but haven't yet, September is the month to do it!!
**Special Announcement**
An anonymous donor is willing to support our team and has provided us with a fundraising challenge. This donor has challenged our team to raise $30,000 in the month of September. If we accomplish this goal, they will donate $6,000 towards our overall team fundraising goal!!!
THANK YOU!!!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Week 3
This week was particularly challenging! Last Saturday after my group run, I helped a friend move and somehow managed to twist my ankle. I didn't realize I had actually done this, however, until I went for my scheduled run on Monday. By mile 2, my ankle was really aching and when I was finished with my run, it HURT. Tuesday morning I got up to strap on my shoes and I could hardly put any weight on my left foot. DANGIT! I took a couple of days off of running, bought myself an ankle brace, spent several hours icing it, and managed to go for a slow 3-mile run on Thursday. Friday it hurt again, so I took that day off of running as well, so that I could hopefully perform somewhat on the group run on Saturday.
I figured this would be the perfect time to get new running shoes. My old shoes are about a year and a half old and probably weren't doing much for me anymore besides keeping my socks from coming in contact with the pavement. So I made my way to a running shop where the Team Challenge running coaches work. As with everything Team Challenge, they were extremely helpful and supportive and I even got 10% off for being part of it all!
Saturday came around and I was asked to give the Mission Moment. I was a little nervous, just because this process has already been pretty emotional for me, but I was happy to do so anyway. I mostly held it together [ :) ] and was able to share with everyone why I have decided to commit to this fundraiser, running challenge and important cause. I was able to tell everyone about Tami & Matt, how 10 years ago they were both in the hospital for 3 months at the same time, and how it had affected me. I let everyone know that the reason why I'm doing this is because it is my way of saying "I love you". It's my way of actually being able to help them in some way and to challenge myself physically. Tami & Matt have gone through so much physical pain and challenges over the years and I haven't been able to help ease their burden. Whenever I'm running and feel like I can't go any further or feel like I need to stop, I think of them and will myself to keep going. I have been blessed to have a healthy body. I am not afflicted with chronic pain. My running 'pain' is nothing compared to what they have gone through. They keep me motivated and I'm so grateful that I have this excuse to keep them in my thoughts every day. I am SO happy that I have a means of raising money to help find a cure for Crohn's Disease!
As was expected, everybody in the group was gracious and encouraging after my Mission Moment. This really has been such a great experience so far. I love meeting new people in our group and hearing their personal stories. I love these group runs! I was able to run a little over 4 miles on Saturday without stopping. !!!! This is HUGE for me! I may have run at a slower pace than a lot of people, but I was so proud of myself. And even though both my feet were completely numb afterward (weird! Maybe I laced my shoes too tight?), my new shoes felt great and my weak ankle didn't feel nearly as painful as it did on my Thursday run! Shoes really do make a huge difference. Last week I was scheduled to run at least 17 miles and I was only able to run 11. Hopefully this week I can stay on schedule and complete all my 21 miles.
On a fundraising note, WOW! I am so impressed by all the generous people who have donated! I am more than half-way to my target amount, and hope that I can greatly exceed it! I may even adjust it to reflect an even higher amount. This will be awesome if I can commit to raise even MORE to help find a cure! Thanks to all those who have donated this week to help me with my personal goal and also help our team achieve our group goal! I am optimistic that we can do this! I will continue to post this announcement throughout the month.
THANK YOU!!!
I figured this would be the perfect time to get new running shoes. My old shoes are about a year and a half old and probably weren't doing much for me anymore besides keeping my socks from coming in contact with the pavement. So I made my way to a running shop where the Team Challenge running coaches work. As with everything Team Challenge, they were extremely helpful and supportive and I even got 10% off for being part of it all!
Saturday came around and I was asked to give the Mission Moment. I was a little nervous, just because this process has already been pretty emotional for me, but I was happy to do so anyway. I mostly held it together [ :) ] and was able to share with everyone why I have decided to commit to this fundraiser, running challenge and important cause. I was able to tell everyone about Tami & Matt, how 10 years ago they were both in the hospital for 3 months at the same time, and how it had affected me. I let everyone know that the reason why I'm doing this is because it is my way of saying "I love you". It's my way of actually being able to help them in some way and to challenge myself physically. Tami & Matt have gone through so much physical pain and challenges over the years and I haven't been able to help ease their burden. Whenever I'm running and feel like I can't go any further or feel like I need to stop, I think of them and will myself to keep going. I have been blessed to have a healthy body. I am not afflicted with chronic pain. My running 'pain' is nothing compared to what they have gone through. They keep me motivated and I'm so grateful that I have this excuse to keep them in my thoughts every day. I am SO happy that I have a means of raising money to help find a cure for Crohn's Disease!
As was expected, everybody in the group was gracious and encouraging after my Mission Moment. This really has been such a great experience so far. I love meeting new people in our group and hearing their personal stories. I love these group runs! I was able to run a little over 4 miles on Saturday without stopping. !!!! This is HUGE for me! I may have run at a slower pace than a lot of people, but I was so proud of myself. And even though both my feet were completely numb afterward (weird! Maybe I laced my shoes too tight?), my new shoes felt great and my weak ankle didn't feel nearly as painful as it did on my Thursday run! Shoes really do make a huge difference. Last week I was scheduled to run at least 17 miles and I was only able to run 11. Hopefully this week I can stay on schedule and complete all my 21 miles.
On a fundraising note, WOW! I am so impressed by all the generous people who have donated! I am more than half-way to my target amount, and hope that I can greatly exceed it! I may even adjust it to reflect an even higher amount. This will be awesome if I can commit to raise even MORE to help find a cure! Thanks to all those who have donated this week to help me with my personal goal and also help our team achieve our group goal! I am optimistic that we can do this! I will continue to post this announcement throughout the month.
**Special Announcement**
An anonymous donor is willing to support our team and has provided us with a fundraising challenge. This donor has challenged our team to raise $30,000 in the month of September. If we accomplish this goal, they will donate $6,000 towards our overall team fundraising goal!!!
THANK YOU!!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Week 2
Whew! What a week! I can't believe how quickly it has gone by. It seems as if the days have been non-stop and I haven't had time to take a breath.
This week I decided to start waking up extra early so I can get my runs in before I get ready for work. Wow! It was harder than I thought! But each morning got easier. I'm hoping my body will stop revolting and get used to what I'm making it do. "Yes, Body, I am making you get up early. Yes, you need to eat something so you have energy. Yes, I'm expecting you to move faster than a slow, unconscious shuffle. No, don't throw up!" It's been a struggle, but I feel so good about myself afterward. AND, I've even improved my average mile-time each day! So that's awesome. :)
Last week I worked on getting my email sent out asking for people to donate to my fundraiser. I got so many responses! I was SO excited each time I received a notification of a donation. I am so grateful for such generous people! I had to hold back tears each time an email came through telling me of yet another kind person who donated. They (you!) have helped me reach a place of #5 in our weekly High Roller Contest! Awesome! It just means so much to me that people would care enough to help this wonderful cause. Because it's really not about me. It's about helping those who are suffering with these incurable diseases. I'm so happy that I have a means of actually contributing. And of course my mind is constantly thinking of Tami and Matthew, who I am dedicating my training, energy, fundraising and half marathon to. My nearly 16 miles last week was all for them!
Saturday we got together as a team again for a group run. We heard from a fellow team member Patty, who has had Crohn's for 30 years. She said she has had lots of surgeries and doesn't have a lot of her insides left. She said she was doing this race to beat the clock - not that she thinks she is going to die soon, but that when she was in 8th grade, she participated in the Presidential Fitness Challenge at school and despite being sick at the time, she was determined to run that mile without stopping. She worked hard, huffed through it, and didn't stop!! She was so proud of her accomplishment and went over to her teacher to get her time. The teacher laughed and said, "Oh, I stopped the clock long ago". (What a horrible teacher!) So this time, Patty is determined to finish her race before they stop the clock on her. Just a truly inspiring story. I'm so proud to be able to run alongside her and many others in December.
While this has been an exhausting week, I have not lost my motivation. I am not discouraged. I am doing my best and not beating myself up for my inabilities. I just really give it my all and I know I can be proud of my efforts. I'm excited to see my progress and continue on my fundraising! We're now starting on week 3. 13 more to go!!
**Special Announcement**
An anonymous donor is willing to support our team and has provided us with a fundraising challenge. This donor has challenged our team to raise $30,000 in the month of September. If we accomplish this goal, they will donate $6,000 towards our overall team fundraising goal!!!
This is so exciting!! If you are willing to help us reach this awesome goal, please visit my donation website below:
http://www.active.com/donate/lv09dcvirginia/eblakemore
YOO HOO!!
This week I decided to start waking up extra early so I can get my runs in before I get ready for work. Wow! It was harder than I thought! But each morning got easier. I'm hoping my body will stop revolting and get used to what I'm making it do. "Yes, Body, I am making you get up early. Yes, you need to eat something so you have energy. Yes, I'm expecting you to move faster than a slow, unconscious shuffle. No, don't throw up!" It's been a struggle, but I feel so good about myself afterward. AND, I've even improved my average mile-time each day! So that's awesome. :)
Last week I worked on getting my email sent out asking for people to donate to my fundraiser. I got so many responses! I was SO excited each time I received a notification of a donation. I am so grateful for such generous people! I had to hold back tears each time an email came through telling me of yet another kind person who donated. They (you!) have helped me reach a place of #5 in our weekly High Roller Contest! Awesome! It just means so much to me that people would care enough to help this wonderful cause. Because it's really not about me. It's about helping those who are suffering with these incurable diseases. I'm so happy that I have a means of actually contributing. And of course my mind is constantly thinking of Tami and Matthew, who I am dedicating my training, energy, fundraising and half marathon to. My nearly 16 miles last week was all for them!
Saturday we got together as a team again for a group run. We heard from a fellow team member Patty, who has had Crohn's for 30 years. She said she has had lots of surgeries and doesn't have a lot of her insides left. She said she was doing this race to beat the clock - not that she thinks she is going to die soon, but that when she was in 8th grade, she participated in the Presidential Fitness Challenge at school and despite being sick at the time, she was determined to run that mile without stopping. She worked hard, huffed through it, and didn't stop!! She was so proud of her accomplishment and went over to her teacher to get her time. The teacher laughed and said, "Oh, I stopped the clock long ago". (What a horrible teacher!) So this time, Patty is determined to finish her race before they stop the clock on her. Just a truly inspiring story. I'm so proud to be able to run alongside her and many others in December.
While this has been an exhausting week, I have not lost my motivation. I am not discouraged. I am doing my best and not beating myself up for my inabilities. I just really give it my all and I know I can be proud of my efforts. I'm excited to see my progress and continue on my fundraising! We're now starting on week 3. 13 more to go!!
**Special Announcement**
An anonymous donor is willing to support our team and has provided us with a fundraising challenge. This donor has challenged our team to raise $30,000 in the month of September. If we accomplish this goal, they will donate $6,000 towards our overall team fundraising goal!!!
This is so exciting!! If you are willing to help us reach this awesome goal, please visit my donation website below:
http://www.active.com/donate/lv09dcvirginia/eblakemore
YOO HOO!!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Week 1
I had been waiting for weeks to attend an informational meeting about the CCFA Team Challenge Half Marathon Fundraising and Half Marathon Training Program. I was so excited to learn more about this event! Throughout the meeting, we heard what Team Challenge is all about, how they support and help raise money for Crohn's and Colitis research, and what it means to be part of Team Challenge. We heard from several different people: Our fundraising and Team Challenge Manager, one of our Running Coaches, a Team Challenge Mentor, and our Honored Teammate who has been living with Crohn's Disease for 20 years.
I was equally inspired and excited to take on this challenge! That night I signed up for the race to run in honor of my sister Tami and brother Matthew, and committed to raise $2300 on behalf of Crohn's & Colitis research before the Team Challenge Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on December 6th. I left with a lot of information and got started on setting up my fundraising website the very next day. I posted the link on my Facebook page and as of today I already have 2 donations! Wow. I am truly grateful. I plan on ramping up my fundraising efforts this week by sending out letters and emails, creating a Facebook page, and visiting different businesses to ask for donations. I've never done ANY fundraising before (not even selling chocolate bars in elementary school), so I feel very nervous. In fact, the day after the informational meeting, I was sick to my stomach all day long thinking about what lay in front of me. But I am willing and committed to do all it takes!
The other half of my challenge involves training for the half-marathon. I have NEVER been a runner. In fact, I've always hated to run. I've never signed up for a 5K or any other organized running event. So to jump from only being able to run a mile or 2 without stopping to running an entire half-marathon is almost as intimidating as raising the money for the event! We had our first training session yesterday morning at 8AM. Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a morning person. So getting up early each Saturday morning over the next 15 weeks and trying to make my body actually do something, is going to be a great accomplishment in and of itself! I am an evening work-out person. I've tried several times to get up early and work out before I start my day, but it has never really been successful. I get sick to my stomach and am very lethargic when I try to do physical activity early in the morning. BUT! I guess I will train my body to deal with it! :) It helps to have a group of people that are relying on me showing up and running with them. This is exactly the program that works for me. I need a goal in mind and somebody to answer to.
This Saturday we started out a little easy -- we ran at our own pace for 30 minutes. Everybody there was encouraging and positive. I loved it! Afterward, we separated in to groups and was assigned a Mentor. This person will help us stay motivated and support us in our fundraising efforts. I'm really excited to get to know them better and become friends.
I will update my blog each week with my progress and efforts! Check back often!!
I was equally inspired and excited to take on this challenge! That night I signed up for the race to run in honor of my sister Tami and brother Matthew, and committed to raise $2300 on behalf of Crohn's & Colitis research before the Team Challenge Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on December 6th. I left with a lot of information and got started on setting up my fundraising website the very next day. I posted the link on my Facebook page and as of today I already have 2 donations! Wow. I am truly grateful. I plan on ramping up my fundraising efforts this week by sending out letters and emails, creating a Facebook page, and visiting different businesses to ask for donations. I've never done ANY fundraising before (not even selling chocolate bars in elementary school), so I feel very nervous. In fact, the day after the informational meeting, I was sick to my stomach all day long thinking about what lay in front of me. But I am willing and committed to do all it takes!
The other half of my challenge involves training for the half-marathon. I have NEVER been a runner. In fact, I've always hated to run. I've never signed up for a 5K or any other organized running event. So to jump from only being able to run a mile or 2 without stopping to running an entire half-marathon is almost as intimidating as raising the money for the event! We had our first training session yesterday morning at 8AM. Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a morning person. So getting up early each Saturday morning over the next 15 weeks and trying to make my body actually do something, is going to be a great accomplishment in and of itself! I am an evening work-out person. I've tried several times to get up early and work out before I start my day, but it has never really been successful. I get sick to my stomach and am very lethargic when I try to do physical activity early in the morning. BUT! I guess I will train my body to deal with it! :) It helps to have a group of people that are relying on me showing up and running with them. This is exactly the program that works for me. I need a goal in mind and somebody to answer to.
This Saturday we started out a little easy -- we ran at our own pace for 30 minutes. Everybody there was encouraging and positive. I loved it! Afterward, we separated in to groups and was assigned a Mentor. This person will help us stay motivated and support us in our fundraising efforts. I'm really excited to get to know them better and become friends.
I will update my blog each week with my progress and efforts! Check back often!!
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