Today saw the third and final day of the garage sale held by my daughter-in-law, her neighbors and me. Prior to the garage sale, Carl and I had decided to donate whatever we earned to my Light the Night fundraising efforts. It was not a productive sale but we did earn $60.00 thanks to the generosity of the neighbors, Tom & Carol, who donated their earnings to ours for which I'm truly grateful.
Exhausted though I was after we got home, when my neighbor, Vicki, came by and asked me if I wanted to go for a walk, I donned my walking shoes, harnessed up Maddie and away we went. This walk was 5 and a half miles and could have competed with some of my runs. We maintained a strong, steady and fast pace for the entire walk - including hills and it felt really good - almost like a slow run.
Light the Night is in seven days. I'm still about $600 from my goal. I really thought it would be achievable and I still believe it can be done. I've sent out letters, emails and lined up some fundraisers for the team with Buffalo Wild Wings. It's hard to be so close and yet so far away.
Sometimes I wish I didn't care so much, didn't believe that somehow my efforts, combined with thousands of others could eradicate cancer of any and every kind, that I could walk away from the walk this year and say "this is my last year" and mean it. Yet, I do care that much, I do believe that much and I can't walk away.
I don't expect everyone to feel the same way I do about Light the Night - about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - we all have different passions, different causes we believe in. However, I have this crazy expectation that everyone does want to see a cure for cancer.
Even if you aren't able to support my efforts, I hope that you're able to find a cause that you do feel passionately about and that you get behind it - heart and soul.
Running because someone's life depends on it.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
I'd give my left leg for a donut
or a piece of turtle cake from Cafe Latte in St. Paul
or even a cold hard dried out gingersnap cookie
ah yes - it does show, doesn't it? I'm a gluttonous gluten junkie who's decided to break free and join the GF crowd.
Saturday, following my 7 mile run, the decision was made to cut the ties with my good friends (in order of importance) cakes, pasta, bread, cookies, donuts, pie & cereal with the hopes that by giving up these delightful, delicious, incredible edibles, I could be freed from the breath-stealing, heart aching, spasms of my throat and esophagus.
I did a little research and there does seem to be some possible connection between the two entities and I do recall that during the Month of Gladness*, I ate cleaner than I do now and basically ate GF the entire time as that's the way my one and only son-in-law, the Silly Yak, eats. So, with Carl's blessings (evident by his purchase of Udi's whole grain bread, two loaves, not the one I requested), I started to make the change.
Day 1 - easy.... I had toast, with my pb & honey combo, followed by a Udi sandwich with sliced turkey and veggies. Almost hit a bump when we stopped at the Ole Store in Northfield for dinner, but the waiter there was quite understanding and guided me towards a delish chicken sandwich sans bun and fries. As always, Carl was wishing he'd ordered the same, it was THAT good.
Day 2 - ehh, pretty much the same.... breakfast, same... almost blew it at church by snagging a mini cinnamon roll. Took one bite, remembered that I was making the change and gave the rest to Carl. (I love having my own walking leftover eater). Lunch was a salad, just veggies and more sliced turkey. But then... at our nephew's baptism... it started... the temptation!! My sister-in-law's pumpkin bars and her mother-in-law's Special K bars!! Heaven help me, and it surely must have, because I resisted and ate the carrots, celery, grapes and mixed nuts instead. Sheesh!!! And then, to make it even more discouraging - the spasms hit as I was eating a carrot. Double Sheesh!!
After we got home, I helped myself to the small cup of Edy's mint and chocolate chip ice cream I'd been saving for the oldest grandson. (Sorry B-man, but Grammy needed a sweet fix) I had convinced myself that the cold of the ice cream would calm the spasms. Sadly, it did not and they continued through the night.
Day 3 - breakfast, same. Snack - rice cakes, little bitty ones with a drizzle of chocolate. Lunch, what lunch? Everything in the house short of the rice cakes has gluten in it!! Oh yea, I can have another sandwich, but there's only Carl's meat... Ooh - I have another small container of Edy's vanilla bean ice cream and I have chocolate flavored rice cakes. Yum. Dinner? I'll probably make some eggs and bacon. That's pretty safe.
They say if you do anything for 30 days, it becomes a habit. I'm hoping that by day 5, it at least gets easier cause this would be an easy habit to break and I don't even need to get to that 30 day mark. That, however, is my goal and I've learned how to achieve goals in the last 3 years.
Step by step.
One day at a time.
Thanks Running - you've taught me that much!
Now, about the run on Saturday. It was another good run. I again implemented the run 2, walk a minute, run 1, walk a minute, routine and I think I like it. That one minute of walking seems so long, it makes me nervous, but I track it on my watch and yup, it's a minute. The weather was perfect - a little breezy, but the temperature could not have been any better. I was made to run in weather like that! Nothing about the run itself was out of the ordinary. Everything was functioning just as it should. No breathing issues, no spasms - just a nice easy run of 7 miles.
There was one brief episode where I thought I was going to be putting myself out of the race. I was running on Hwy 3 back into Rosemount, just north of Connemarra Road, when I looked down and away towards my right. As I did so, I apparently ran off the side of the road and almost turned my ankle on the 4-6 inch drop between the road and the gravel shoulder. The ankle felt a little tweakish for the rest of the day, but a brace and some ice work wonders. Maddie had a little more hitch in her giddy-up than I did, so she was treated to a similar ice routine and made to rest.
It's 13 days until Light the Night. I'm still behind on my fundraising goal. I'm not sure what to do to get there. I'll keep running and hoping the dollars come in to match the runs.
*The Month of Gladness - definition: The month starting April 29, 2012 when my sweet grandson affectionately known as Pip was born and the following 30 days when I was able to be with his mommy, Mouse and his daddy, the Fat Silly Yak in the beautiful TarHeel State.
or even a cold hard dried out gingersnap cookie
ah yes - it does show, doesn't it? I'm a gluttonous gluten junkie who's decided to break free and join the GF crowd.
Saturday, following my 7 mile run, the decision was made to cut the ties with my good friends (in order of importance) cakes, pasta, bread, cookies, donuts, pie & cereal with the hopes that by giving up these delightful, delicious, incredible edibles, I could be freed from the breath-stealing, heart aching, spasms of my throat and esophagus.
I did a little research and there does seem to be some possible connection between the two entities and I do recall that during the Month of Gladness*, I ate cleaner than I do now and basically ate GF the entire time as that's the way my one and only son-in-law, the Silly Yak, eats. So, with Carl's blessings (evident by his purchase of Udi's whole grain bread, two loaves, not the one I requested), I started to make the change.
Day 1 - easy.... I had toast, with my pb & honey combo, followed by a Udi sandwich with sliced turkey and veggies. Almost hit a bump when we stopped at the Ole Store in Northfield for dinner, but the waiter there was quite understanding and guided me towards a delish chicken sandwich sans bun and fries. As always, Carl was wishing he'd ordered the same, it was THAT good.
Day 2 - ehh, pretty much the same.... breakfast, same... almost blew it at church by snagging a mini cinnamon roll. Took one bite, remembered that I was making the change and gave the rest to Carl. (I love having my own walking leftover eater). Lunch was a salad, just veggies and more sliced turkey. But then... at our nephew's baptism... it started... the temptation!! My sister-in-law's pumpkin bars and her mother-in-law's Special K bars!! Heaven help me, and it surely must have, because I resisted and ate the carrots, celery, grapes and mixed nuts instead. Sheesh!!! And then, to make it even more discouraging - the spasms hit as I was eating a carrot. Double Sheesh!!
After we got home, I helped myself to the small cup of Edy's mint and chocolate chip ice cream I'd been saving for the oldest grandson. (Sorry B-man, but Grammy needed a sweet fix) I had convinced myself that the cold of the ice cream would calm the spasms. Sadly, it did not and they continued through the night.
Day 3 - breakfast, same. Snack - rice cakes, little bitty ones with a drizzle of chocolate. Lunch, what lunch? Everything in the house short of the rice cakes has gluten in it!! Oh yea, I can have another sandwich, but there's only Carl's meat... Ooh - I have another small container of Edy's vanilla bean ice cream and I have chocolate flavored rice cakes. Yum. Dinner? I'll probably make some eggs and bacon. That's pretty safe.
They say if you do anything for 30 days, it becomes a habit. I'm hoping that by day 5, it at least gets easier cause this would be an easy habit to break and I don't even need to get to that 30 day mark. That, however, is my goal and I've learned how to achieve goals in the last 3 years.
Step by step.
One day at a time.
Thanks Running - you've taught me that much!
Now, about the run on Saturday. It was another good run. I again implemented the run 2, walk a minute, run 1, walk a minute, routine and I think I like it. That one minute of walking seems so long, it makes me nervous, but I track it on my watch and yup, it's a minute. The weather was perfect - a little breezy, but the temperature could not have been any better. I was made to run in weather like that! Nothing about the run itself was out of the ordinary. Everything was functioning just as it should. No breathing issues, no spasms - just a nice easy run of 7 miles.
There was one brief episode where I thought I was going to be putting myself out of the race. I was running on Hwy 3 back into Rosemount, just north of Connemarra Road, when I looked down and away towards my right. As I did so, I apparently ran off the side of the road and almost turned my ankle on the 4-6 inch drop between the road and the gravel shoulder. The ankle felt a little tweakish for the rest of the day, but a brace and some ice work wonders. Maddie had a little more hitch in her giddy-up than I did, so she was treated to a similar ice routine and made to rest.
It's 13 days until Light the Night. I'm still behind on my fundraising goal. I'm not sure what to do to get there. I'll keep running and hoping the dollars come in to match the runs.
*The Month of Gladness - definition: The month starting April 29, 2012 when my sweet grandson affectionately known as Pip was born and the following 30 days when I was able to be with his mommy, Mouse and his daddy, the Fat Silly Yak in the beautiful TarHeel State.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
When it's good, it's really, really good!
The last two runs have been pretty darn good.
Friday was my first Friday and the start of the long weekend. After a teleconference with the Philippines, Maddie and I were out the door and running.
When we run by ourselves, we run a bit of a different route that allows Maddie to be off-leash for small stretches. This is good for both of us as it allows each of us to run at our own pace or, as in Maddie's case, chase that squirrel up the tree. We run past softball fields and ponds, through Carrolls Woods Park and experience a few hills.
Unbeknownst to me, part of our route was being used for a school race, so we were running into groups of young, energetic kids for about half a mile. They make it look so effortless. I hate them. Not really, I just felt my age - a lot.
We ran 5 miles with an average pace of 11:22 min/mile. Looking at my records from a year ago, that's almost the exact same pace. This was kind of discouraging, but I shouldn't let it be. At least I haven't slowed down!!
Today's run saw us out the door at 5 a.m. It's REALLY dark at 5 a.m. so I opted for the route we usually run with Sue & Josie as it's pretty well lit. I had a plan based on an idea my daughter gave me. I would run 10 minutes, walk 1. This went really well, but for a small change - I ran the first two miles without stopping then walked 1 minute. I worked this routine for the entire 5.75 mile route and averaged a 10:42 min/mile. Looking at my stats on mapmyrun.com, I really did keep it fairly tight for time.
I think I'm running very close to my donation miles but I've got about $750 dollars to make my goal. I'd sure appreciate the extra motivation and LLS would appreciate the donation.
In 2012, 300 LLS-supported research projects represented a total commitment of nearly $236 million around the world. Nearly $2.4 million is allocated right here in Minnesota! That's pretty impressive!
To make a donation - please go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCt1212/reneehedstrom
Oh and I'm still looking for some tune suggestions! Leave a note with a song suggestion and why you think it'd be a good tune for running.
Thanks a bunch!!
Friday was my first Friday and the start of the long weekend. After a teleconference with the Philippines, Maddie and I were out the door and running.
When we run by ourselves, we run a bit of a different route that allows Maddie to be off-leash for small stretches. This is good for both of us as it allows each of us to run at our own pace or, as in Maddie's case, chase that squirrel up the tree. We run past softball fields and ponds, through Carrolls Woods Park and experience a few hills.
Unbeknownst to me, part of our route was being used for a school race, so we were running into groups of young, energetic kids for about half a mile. They make it look so effortless. I hate them. Not really, I just felt my age - a lot.
We ran 5 miles with an average pace of 11:22 min/mile. Looking at my records from a year ago, that's almost the exact same pace. This was kind of discouraging, but I shouldn't let it be. At least I haven't slowed down!!
Today's run saw us out the door at 5 a.m. It's REALLY dark at 5 a.m. so I opted for the route we usually run with Sue & Josie as it's pretty well lit. I had a plan based on an idea my daughter gave me. I would run 10 minutes, walk 1. This went really well, but for a small change - I ran the first two miles without stopping then walked 1 minute. I worked this routine for the entire 5.75 mile route and averaged a 10:42 min/mile. Looking at my stats on mapmyrun.com, I really did keep it fairly tight for time.
I think I'm running very close to my donation miles but I've got about $750 dollars to make my goal. I'd sure appreciate the extra motivation and LLS would appreciate the donation.
In 2012, 300 LLS-supported research projects represented a total commitment of nearly $236 million around the world. Nearly $2.4 million is allocated right here in Minnesota! That's pretty impressive!
To make a donation - please go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCt1212/reneehedstrom
Oh and I'm still looking for some tune suggestions! Leave a note with a song suggestion and why you think it'd be a good tune for running.
Thanks a bunch!!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Slowly but surely!
While I'm still not sure what's going on with my throat and all, what I do not is that it's not GERD or stomach cancer. It might be esophogeal spasms, it might not. I'm kind of fed up with the medical system at this point in time as they've done a great job of telling me what my problem ISN'T, but not a whole lot about what it is.
So, while I wait, when whatever it is isn't flaring up, I'm running with my buddy, Sue and our dogs. We crawl out of our beds, get dressed and meet at the corner near our homes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
At 4:30.
A.M.
Yup, that's right, 4:30 a.m. It's the best time of day for us to run together and still have time to get showered, dressed and to work. Sadly, she has a bit of a commute, so she doesn't get to catnap like I do before I go in. But, we get our 5 miles in and we're good.
A couple of mornings have been cancelled because my throat starts to spasm and it's going to be a rough one. I can't hardly swallow when it hits, let alone breath, so I have to back out of the run. This screws up my training schedule royally but I have to keep plugging away. When it feels good, I have to run, even if I don't run with Sue.
Saturday, I woke up, no pain, everything felt good, so with Maddie by my side and Carl on his bike, we hit the road and I was able to get in 6.17 miles before the road hit back. Unfortunately, I forgot about all the hills in the route we took and by mile 3.5, I was sucking air so loudly, Carl could hear me without his hearing aids. A couple drags on the albuterol inhaler, with short walk breaks as needed and boom, we were done.
So, it's coming together. Slowly, but time is stealing away from me so quickly. It's 4 weeks until the Light the Night walk and I have many more miles to run, many more dollars to raise.
And it got a little personal last week. My dad's first cousin, my second cousin, Larry, just announced that he's receiving chemo for lymphoma on his Facebook page. I'm copying his status here:
Worked four days this week, hope to put in a full week next week. The week after Labor Day will be two days. I will work tuesday and wednesday and have my second Chemo. For those that don't know yet, trying to kill those bad cells in my lymphs. I was diagnosed with Lymphoma few weeks ago. No sympathy, no pity, maybe a prayer. There will be no changes on my part, still Larry. No time for anything else.
I remember Larry as this really "cool, older" cousin, who lived on the farm outside of Greenbush that our great-grandparents lived in until they moved to town. He graduated from the same high school that my dad and I did, served time in the military, came back, married Nola and took up residence in the same farmhouse he grew up in. I probably have more memories of that farm than I do of Larry because we were separated by a lot of years, but he and Jack, my dad's other first cousin, were still the "cool, older" cousins (until the Nelson cousins, Dale & Rick came to town. They were from the city, so they were much, much cooler). Dad had a lot of shared memories with Jack and Larry, sometimes he'd share them with us, sometimes they'd share memories of Dad. I vaguely remember a wedding dance or two at Leo (aka St. Aloyius Catholic Church); Larry and Uncle Aulie getting up to do chores before school; the excitement when they got indoor plumbing and I think I can still hear the sound of Larry laughing at me when that damn goose would chase me into the outhouse prior to that new addition!
This is someone with whom I have some shared memories and some of the same genetic makeup. It's not a child that I meet a few times a year or one of the many survivors I know or with whom I work. It's family and family is everything.
And so I run.
So, while I wait, when whatever it is isn't flaring up, I'm running with my buddy, Sue and our dogs. We crawl out of our beds, get dressed and meet at the corner near our homes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
At 4:30.
A.M.
Yup, that's right, 4:30 a.m. It's the best time of day for us to run together and still have time to get showered, dressed and to work. Sadly, she has a bit of a commute, so she doesn't get to catnap like I do before I go in. But, we get our 5 miles in and we're good.
A couple of mornings have been cancelled because my throat starts to spasm and it's going to be a rough one. I can't hardly swallow when it hits, let alone breath, so I have to back out of the run. This screws up my training schedule royally but I have to keep plugging away. When it feels good, I have to run, even if I don't run with Sue.
Saturday, I woke up, no pain, everything felt good, so with Maddie by my side and Carl on his bike, we hit the road and I was able to get in 6.17 miles before the road hit back. Unfortunately, I forgot about all the hills in the route we took and by mile 3.5, I was sucking air so loudly, Carl could hear me without his hearing aids. A couple drags on the albuterol inhaler, with short walk breaks as needed and boom, we were done.
So, it's coming together. Slowly, but time is stealing away from me so quickly. It's 4 weeks until the Light the Night walk and I have many more miles to run, many more dollars to raise.
And it got a little personal last week. My dad's first cousin, my second cousin, Larry, just announced that he's receiving chemo for lymphoma on his Facebook page. I'm copying his status here:
Worked four days this week, hope to put in a full week next week. The week after Labor Day will be two days. I will work tuesday and wednesday and have my second Chemo. For those that don't know yet, trying to kill those bad cells in my lymphs. I was diagnosed with Lymphoma few weeks ago. No sympathy, no pity, maybe a prayer. There will be no changes on my part, still Larry. No time for anything else.
I remember Larry as this really "cool, older" cousin, who lived on the farm outside of Greenbush that our great-grandparents lived in until they moved to town. He graduated from the same high school that my dad and I did, served time in the military, came back, married Nola and took up residence in the same farmhouse he grew up in. I probably have more memories of that farm than I do of Larry because we were separated by a lot of years, but he and Jack, my dad's other first cousin, were still the "cool, older" cousins (until the Nelson cousins, Dale & Rick came to town. They were from the city, so they were much, much cooler). Dad had a lot of shared memories with Jack and Larry, sometimes he'd share them with us, sometimes they'd share memories of Dad. I vaguely remember a wedding dance or two at Leo (aka St. Aloyius Catholic Church); Larry and Uncle Aulie getting up to do chores before school; the excitement when they got indoor plumbing and I think I can still hear the sound of Larry laughing at me when that damn goose would chase me into the outhouse prior to that new addition!
This is someone with whom I have some shared memories and some of the same genetic makeup. It's not a child that I meet a few times a year or one of the many survivors I know or with whom I work. It's family and family is everything.
And so I run.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Update
It's been so hard to run lately. I've been dealing with a very disconcerting health issue. It's a constant feeling of having something stuck in my throat and spasms in my chest.
The first time it struck, I thought I was having a heart attack. A quick trip to the urgent care ruled it out and started off the first diagnosis of acid reflux/GERD. Another episode led to a trip to the ER followed by a subsequent visit to my regular doctor before seeing the gastroenterologist who ruled out GERD. More tests have been scheduled to determine if it's esophogeal spasms. Until then, I'm stuck with this "issue" with no relief to be had.
The feeling can strike at any time. It's hit during my runs and while I sleep. The pain can be quite disconcerting and all I can do is wait it out. My running time has gone from 10:30 per mile to almost 13 minute miles.
I have to keep going, I'm only at 40% of my goal and I need your encouragement more than ever.
Would you consider leaving a note? The name of a song to add to my playlist? Of course, I'd love your donations but I'll take encouragement of any type.
The first time it struck, I thought I was having a heart attack. A quick trip to the urgent care ruled it out and started off the first diagnosis of acid reflux/GERD. Another episode led to a trip to the ER followed by a subsequent visit to my regular doctor before seeing the gastroenterologist who ruled out GERD. More tests have been scheduled to determine if it's esophogeal spasms. Until then, I'm stuck with this "issue" with no relief to be had.
The feeling can strike at any time. It's hit during my runs and while I sleep. The pain can be quite disconcerting and all I can do is wait it out. My running time has gone from 10:30 per mile to almost 13 minute miles.
I have to keep going, I'm only at 40% of my goal and I need your encouragement more than ever.
Would you consider leaving a note? The name of a song to add to my playlist? Of course, I'd love your donations but I'll take encouragement of any type.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Okay, back to our regulary scheduled programming...
I'm back. It's that time again.
Time to put it out there for things I believe in ...
Causes worth fighting for ...
Fighting my lungs that don't want to pull in the air I need ...
Fighting sore muscles that don't want to push through ...
Fighting a new battle with GERD that wants to take away anything I have left after I've fought the other two ...
but it's nothing compared to those who are fighting to live ...
fighting to beat a blood cancer, lymphoma or prostate cancer ...
fighting to get their life back after cancer ...
This year, I'm asking folks to support either of these two causes
Light the Night - Minnesota, an evening walk to honor and celebrate leukemia and lymphoma patients and their families - my site is http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCt1212/reneehedstrom
or
Dash for Dad - The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge - a 5k to raise awareness of prostate cancer. My site for this event is https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/ReneeHedstrom
The challenge is the same - for every $10.00 donated to either cause, I'll run 1 mile, $50.00 gets 5 miles, $100, I'll run 10 and once I hit $1,500, I'll run that half-marathon again.
Once again, I'll use this site to update you on my training and fundraising progress and hopefully provide you with laughter, motivation and food for thought.
Get ready - 'cause
Here.
We.
Go.
Time to put it out there for things I believe in ...
Causes worth fighting for ...
Fighting my lungs that don't want to pull in the air I need ...
Fighting sore muscles that don't want to push through ...
Fighting a new battle with GERD that wants to take away anything I have left after I've fought the other two ...
but it's nothing compared to those who are fighting to live ...
fighting to beat a blood cancer, lymphoma or prostate cancer ...
fighting to get their life back after cancer ...
This year, I'm asking folks to support either of these two causes
Light the Night - Minnesota, an evening walk to honor and celebrate leukemia and lymphoma patients and their families - my site is http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCt1212/reneehedstrom
or
Dash for Dad - The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge - a 5k to raise awareness of prostate cancer. My site for this event is https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/ReneeHedstrom
The challenge is the same - for every $10.00 donated to either cause, I'll run 1 mile, $50.00 gets 5 miles, $100, I'll run 10 and once I hit $1,500, I'll run that half-marathon again.
Once again, I'll use this site to update you on my training and fundraising progress and hopefully provide you with laughter, motivation and food for thought.
Get ready - 'cause
Here.
We.
Go.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Time to start!
After a long hiatus, it's time to get the blogging going. It's going to be another training/educational/fundraising tracking blog but with a twist from last year. This year, I'm going to be participating in two fundraisers - the September Dash for Dad which benefits the prostate cancer research groups and the OBX - with my fundraising going towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - Minnesota's Light the Night walk.
I'll update with more after I've had a bit of sleep.
I'll update with more after I've had a bit of sleep.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Home again - Race Update
Back in the Land of 10,000 Lakes after a week in the Tarheel State. It was a wonderful time with our daughters, son-in-law and son enjoying the fall colors flagging brightly in the RDU area and the beauty of the Outer Banks.
The girls and I did a run together on Friday morning up and down part of Virginia Dare Trail. Just as we experienced last year, Friday was the windiest day on the Outer Banks. The sun was shining and if it weren't for that wind, it would have been a warm day. We ran about 45 minutes, the girls having no issues at all. I had no issues - with the wind at my back, but in my face, it's just a challenge to breathe! I like breathing - A LOT! All my tricks weren't very successful and I was truly grateful that we were only doing a short run.
Saturday morning dawned bright and brisk (that's a nice way of saying COLD), but no wind. We all headed up to run the OBX 8k. For Erika, this was to be her first official race and she was as nervous as a cat. Kristi & Andrew were going to run together and they were pretty mellow about the whole process. Carl and I were going to walk/run this race, saving ourselves for the half-marathon on Sunday. For some reason, my tummy thought this was a big deal, so my morning prep consisted of several visits to the necessary room. I did everything I could to work out the bubbles... jumping up and down, pacing... and by the time we hit the track, it was all good but I'm sure everyone was a little amused by my pre-race preps.
The race started and we quickly saw the back of all three kids not to see their faces again until the half way mark when they were coming back. It was an interesting race, starting at the high school track, running through some neighborhoods and then some trail running. Carl and I did pretty well on the track and neighorhood running but that trail stuff - definitely not something we were prepared for. Loose, sandy trails and hills... I probably could have handled the hills, but that loose, sandy stuff. Not a fan. We had fun with this race though... I would run ahead of Carl and take his picture at every mile marker. I also enjoyed visiting with others - a daughter runninng to support her mother's first race, a mother running to support her 8 year old daughter's race. There were folks from Team in Training there and another gal whose shirt read "Running My Mass Off". Carl thought she was a priest but he was wrong. She told me she started running to loose weight. I never got her name, but I can tell you she was serious - she was also doing the Pamlico Challenge! 8k Saturday, half-marathon on Sunday! I wish her great success in her efforts!
We finished the 8k (5 miles) in 1:12. Erika finished in it 50 minutes and the married kids were just behind her. It was fun time for all of us and I think it helped get the nervous bugs out - maybe.
We spent the rest of the day doing touristy things - the NC Aquarium, the Tanger Outlet and then an early pasta dinner back at the house. Son Timothy and Andrew's mother, Judy were also with us for the weekend. Judy was kind enough to make the pasta dinner and it was early to bed for me. I knew I'd struggle sleeping a full 8 hours and I was right, awake at 4 a.m. Awake and NO tummy issues! This had to be a sign of good things to come!
After getting dressed - changing back and forth between my shorts and capris, I settled on the capris. I didn't think anyone would appreciate being blinded by my lily white legs. My shirt wasn't in question - it was going to be the shirt that would let me and everyone know why I was running (at least everyone behind me).
The girls and I did a run together on Friday morning up and down part of Virginia Dare Trail. Just as we experienced last year, Friday was the windiest day on the Outer Banks. The sun was shining and if it weren't for that wind, it would have been a warm day. We ran about 45 minutes, the girls having no issues at all. I had no issues - with the wind at my back, but in my face, it's just a challenge to breathe! I like breathing - A LOT! All my tricks weren't very successful and I was truly grateful that we were only doing a short run.
Saturday morning dawned bright and brisk (that's a nice way of saying COLD), but no wind. We all headed up to run the OBX 8k. For Erika, this was to be her first official race and she was as nervous as a cat. Kristi & Andrew were going to run together and they were pretty mellow about the whole process. Carl and I were going to walk/run this race, saving ourselves for the half-marathon on Sunday. For some reason, my tummy thought this was a big deal, so my morning prep consisted of several visits to the necessary room. I did everything I could to work out the bubbles... jumping up and down, pacing... and by the time we hit the track, it was all good but I'm sure everyone was a little amused by my pre-race preps.
The race started and we quickly saw the back of all three kids not to see their faces again until the half way mark when they were coming back. It was an interesting race, starting at the high school track, running through some neighborhoods and then some trail running. Carl and I did pretty well on the track and neighorhood running but that trail stuff - definitely not something we were prepared for. Loose, sandy trails and hills... I probably could have handled the hills, but that loose, sandy stuff. Not a fan. We had fun with this race though... I would run ahead of Carl and take his picture at every mile marker. I also enjoyed visiting with others - a daughter runninng to support her mother's first race, a mother running to support her 8 year old daughter's race. There were folks from Team in Training there and another gal whose shirt read "Running My Mass Off". Carl thought she was a priest but he was wrong. She told me she started running to loose weight. I never got her name, but I can tell you she was serious - she was also doing the Pamlico Challenge! 8k Saturday, half-marathon on Sunday! I wish her great success in her efforts!
We finished the 8k (5 miles) in 1:12. Erika finished in it 50 minutes and the married kids were just behind her. It was fun time for all of us and I think it helped get the nervous bugs out - maybe.
We spent the rest of the day doing touristy things - the NC Aquarium, the Tanger Outlet and then an early pasta dinner back at the house. Son Timothy and Andrew's mother, Judy were also with us for the weekend. Judy was kind enough to make the pasta dinner and it was early to bed for me. I knew I'd struggle sleeping a full 8 hours and I was right, awake at 4 a.m. Awake and NO tummy issues! This had to be a sign of good things to come!
After getting dressed - changing back and forth between my shorts and capris, I settled on the capris. I didn't think anyone would appreciate being blinded by my lily white legs. My shirt wasn't in question - it was going to be the shirt that would let me and everyone know why I was running (at least everyone behind me).
I would spend a lot of time pushing myself to keep running, knowing that those names were on my back, wanting them to get the recognition that they and their families deserve.
The race route was familiar to me, having done this as my first half marathon last year. I was able to enjoy the scenery so much more... the beautiful dunes, the water of the sound on the right and the ocean on the left... the crowd support was amazing and I was fortunate to find a runner, Karen, who would pace with me from mile two or so all the way to the end. I probably could have done the race without her, but I have to say, it's so much nicer running with someone, encouraging each other to give it a bit more, to keep going. Thanks Karen!!
We ran pretty consistenly at a 10:48 minute mile for the first 6 or so miles, walking the water stops. The water wasn't very good tasting, so I was cautious in consumption. I also avoided the GU at the water stops, so no issues there at all. I didn't have the Honey Stingers with me though and I think I could have used that extra little energy. I had brought the cherry stingers with me, but the belt provided in the swag bag had irritated me during the 8k, so I declined to use it during the half. The capris - while a good choice - didn't have pockets, so the stingers stayed home. I don't know if it would have made a difference, but I do know I was running out of gas towards the end.
The bridge didn't intimidate me this year as last year - although it did require a few puffs of the albuterol. The wind which seemed to non-existent on the flatland was a bit more prevalent on the bridge. Thankful again for Karen for the mutual encouragements as we tackled the beast.
At mile marker 11, to my great delight - there were the girls, Kristi & Erika! Seeing their faces was a great pick-me-up. At 12, there was my boy, Timothy who had finished his race with a PR of 1:51! Tim would continue to run out to find Carl and pace him in to the finish.
I had a secret goal of finishing in 2:30 but that last half to three-quarter mile was hard. Pretty sure I was on fumes and needed slow down breaks to get my breath and get something for my kick at the end. I was tickled pink to find out my actual finish time was 2:35:05 - only 5 minutes off my secret goal and 25 minutes faster than my run last year!!
Throughout my training, I worked out all the issues that have plagued all my earlier efforts. I felt great after the run, albeit a bit dehydrated. The water along the route was rather nasty tasting, so it was more of a swish and spit rather than an effort to hydrate. The shin splint that had been popping up off and on in my training runs never made an appearance nor did the IT band issues. I have to say it was a great run in every possible way!
After my finish, I waited for Carl at the finish. Short of the birth of my children, I don't think I've ever felt as much joy and pride as when I saw him cross that finish line. Actually, I didn't see him, I heard them announce his name and believe me - everyone around me knew that he was the one I for whom I had been waiting. It wasn't a rebel yell, but it was something.
I was once again moved by all the people who were running for causes at the OBX. There were folks for Team in Training for the Leukemia Society, for their moms or their dads, for heart disease, for diabetes and neuroblastoma, another type of cancer. Please take few moments to read about Ashley Burnette at Our Adventures with Ashley.
We all run for different reasons. Some people run for the joy/the love of running (you know I'm not in that crowd at all); some people run for their health or for stress relief; some of us run for charities like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or raise money for children like Ashley.
Is there a cause or a charity that you feel strongly about? You don't have to be a celebrity or an athlete to be a runner, just the desire to make a difference and a pair of shoes. You don't even have to run - you can walk in a 5K like the Dash for Dad or the Autism 5K. There's pretty much a race for almost every charitable cause under the sun. Find one and get training! If a couch potato like me can do it, believe me, you can too!
Thanks for following me through this adventure. Thank you for supporting my fundraising for Light the Night.
If you're wondering, yes, I'll keep running and I'll update the blog.
Merry Christmas!
Rae
I had a secret goal of finishing in 2:30 but that last half to three-quarter mile was hard. Pretty sure I was on fumes and needed slow down breaks to get my breath and get something for my kick at the end. I was tickled pink to find out my actual finish time was 2:35:05 - only 5 minutes off my secret goal and 25 minutes faster than my run last year!!
Throughout my training, I worked out all the issues that have plagued all my earlier efforts. I felt great after the run, albeit a bit dehydrated. The water along the route was rather nasty tasting, so it was more of a swish and spit rather than an effort to hydrate. The shin splint that had been popping up off and on in my training runs never made an appearance nor did the IT band issues. I have to say it was a great run in every possible way!
After my finish, I waited for Carl at the finish. Short of the birth of my children, I don't think I've ever felt as much joy and pride as when I saw him cross that finish line. Actually, I didn't see him, I heard them announce his name and believe me - everyone around me knew that he was the one I for whom I had been waiting. It wasn't a rebel yell, but it was something.
With all our bling
I was once again moved by all the people who were running for causes at the OBX. There were folks for Team in Training for the Leukemia Society, for their moms or their dads, for heart disease, for diabetes and neuroblastoma, another type of cancer. Please take few moments to read about Ashley Burnette at Our Adventures with Ashley.
We all run for different reasons. Some people run for the joy/the love of running (you know I'm not in that crowd at all); some people run for their health or for stress relief; some of us run for charities like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or raise money for children like Ashley.
Is there a cause or a charity that you feel strongly about? You don't have to be a celebrity or an athlete to be a runner, just the desire to make a difference and a pair of shoes. You don't even have to run - you can walk in a 5K like the Dash for Dad or the Autism 5K. There's pretty much a race for almost every charitable cause under the sun. Find one and get training! If a couch potato like me can do it, believe me, you can too!
Thanks for following me through this adventure. Thank you for supporting my fundraising for Light the Night.
If you're wondering, yes, I'll keep running and I'll update the blog.
Merry Christmas!
Rae
Friday, October 28, 2011
A Slacking Blogger
I'm so sorry! I've been such a slacker at updating the blog, letting you know what's going on with my running. Believe me, it's because all my free time is busy with either running or getting ready for the race.
I've been getting in some good runs, 8, 9 and 11 mile runs. Times are averaging anywhere between 11 & 12:30 a mile, which makes me happy. I've had some issues with the asthma, the lungs don't want to work quite as well as I'd like them to, but I won't complain. The runs have been challenging, each in their own way. The 8 mile run was an out and back done on a long, hilly road on a cloudy, grey, windy day. The 9 and the 11 were done with Running Buddy and were pretty good runs, all in all.
I'm happier than I can even express that that all my stomach issues seem to be a thing of the past. Going from GU to Stingers was such a good move! I introduced Running Buddy to them and we're both hooked. The cherry flavored gels are reminiscent of the Luden's Cherry Cough Drops from our childhood memories. Yummy Goodness! Seriously - I could eat these things like candy! We also tried the pomegranate flavor and those are almost as tasty! Maybe I prefer the cherry flavored just because of the good memories they stir, but I'll be packing both for the race.
I have had some issues with a shin splint in the right ankle. It's just a sharp pain in that area just above the ankle bone where my foot and shin come together. That coupled with the numb feeling in the bottom outer area of my left foot has caused me to become rather concerned about the shoes I've been wearing. Just before the Woodbury Country Mile, I bought a pair of Ascics Kayano shoes. Like my Sauconys, they are a stability shoe, but I think they are "softer". With all the asphalt/concrete running I do for training, I'm not sure they are the right shoe for me, so I've gone back to the Saucony ProGrid Guide 4. I'll get a few runs before the race in the new shoes, but I'm sure they'll be just fine.
Clothing is next on the concerns list. While the weather is getting colder here in Minnesota, I'm finding that it's the perfect weather for me. I am much happier running when it's cooler than when it's warmer if I'm wearing the right clothing for the temperature. However, the race is in North Carolina, which means I will probably need to wear my warm weather running clothes. Last year, I ran the race in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. I plan on something similar for this year, but I may change the shorts to a pair of capris. I'll pack for all weather and decide the night before. One thing that won't be up for debate is my shirt.
I've ordered a Wear Your Number shirt. It will be printed with the race bib design on the front, along with my name. On the back will be the logo of my $1,000 sponsor, my employer, Thomson Reuters. Under that will be the words "Light the Night 2011" and a special printing.
The special printing will read as follows:
Running in memory of Will, Toodie, Gordy and Ann
Running in honor of Heidi, Noah, Cole, Charlotte, Mike, Jenna, Samantha, Margie, Jon & Christopher.
Even now, as I tell all of you about this, I am remembering more people who deserve a spot on my back. Michelle, Greg, Pete, John, Viktor ... just to name a few. While it makes my heart heavy to know that so many people are continuing to be affected by cancers, of all kinds, knowing that every day we are making strides towards a cure will make every single mile of those 18.1 miles worth it.
Yup - 18.1. I've decided that I want to run the Pamlico Jack Challenge. The Challenge is to run the 8k (5 miles) on Saturday morning and the half-marathon on Sunday. I'm pretty determined that this will be my last long run, so I want to go out with a bang. Most everyone I know, particularly the runners, are insisting that this will not be my last half, but I'm fairly convinced in my own mind that it will be. I've already run 3 more than I ever thought I would and after the OBX, I will have run 4 half-marathons in a year's time. That might not seem like a lot to those who run races every weekend, but it's 4 more than I ever thought I'd be able to do.
Right now, I'm feeling very selfish, not as altruistic as I was when I first started this adventure. I will continue to run, but I'm going to stay under the 10 mile mark. I want to run for the heck of it and for my health. I want to be able to skip a day without feeling guilty because I've screwed up my training schedule. Even as I write this, I realize that I'm slipping back into that "about me" mode that I was determined to stay away from.
I can't forget the reasons why I started this adventure - Cole, Charlotte, Noah, Heidi, MikeToodie and Will, and their families, people I've met through the years whose lives have been affected by blood cancers and I can't forget the reasons why I stay committed - Jon, Christopher, lymphoma survivors, and Paul & Jane, who lost their teenage daughter Ann, in February, all my 2011 LTN team mates; Greg, the brother-in-law who is a prostate cancer survivor; Michelle, the breast cancer survivor, Viktor who lost his earthly battle but finished the race and won the crown of life.
I will run as if my life depends on it.
I will run because someone's does.
I will run.
I've been getting in some good runs, 8, 9 and 11 mile runs. Times are averaging anywhere between 11 & 12:30 a mile, which makes me happy. I've had some issues with the asthma, the lungs don't want to work quite as well as I'd like them to, but I won't complain. The runs have been challenging, each in their own way. The 8 mile run was an out and back done on a long, hilly road on a cloudy, grey, windy day. The 9 and the 11 were done with Running Buddy and were pretty good runs, all in all.
I'm happier than I can even express that that all my stomach issues seem to be a thing of the past. Going from GU to Stingers was such a good move! I introduced Running Buddy to them and we're both hooked. The cherry flavored gels are reminiscent of the Luden's Cherry Cough Drops from our childhood memories. Yummy Goodness! Seriously - I could eat these things like candy! We also tried the pomegranate flavor and those are almost as tasty! Maybe I prefer the cherry flavored just because of the good memories they stir, but I'll be packing both for the race.
I have had some issues with a shin splint in the right ankle. It's just a sharp pain in that area just above the ankle bone where my foot and shin come together. That coupled with the numb feeling in the bottom outer area of my left foot has caused me to become rather concerned about the shoes I've been wearing. Just before the Woodbury Country Mile, I bought a pair of Ascics Kayano shoes. Like my Sauconys, they are a stability shoe, but I think they are "softer". With all the asphalt/concrete running I do for training, I'm not sure they are the right shoe for me, so I've gone back to the Saucony ProGrid Guide 4. I'll get a few runs before the race in the new shoes, but I'm sure they'll be just fine.
Clothing is next on the concerns list. While the weather is getting colder here in Minnesota, I'm finding that it's the perfect weather for me. I am much happier running when it's cooler than when it's warmer if I'm wearing the right clothing for the temperature. However, the race is in North Carolina, which means I will probably need to wear my warm weather running clothes. Last year, I ran the race in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. I plan on something similar for this year, but I may change the shorts to a pair of capris. I'll pack for all weather and decide the night before. One thing that won't be up for debate is my shirt.
I've ordered a Wear Your Number shirt. It will be printed with the race bib design on the front, along with my name. On the back will be the logo of my $1,000 sponsor, my employer, Thomson Reuters. Under that will be the words "Light the Night 2011" and a special printing.
The special printing will read as follows:
Running in memory of Will, Toodie, Gordy and Ann
Running in honor of Heidi, Noah, Cole, Charlotte, Mike, Jenna, Samantha, Margie, Jon & Christopher.
Even now, as I tell all of you about this, I am remembering more people who deserve a spot on my back. Michelle, Greg, Pete, John, Viktor ... just to name a few. While it makes my heart heavy to know that so many people are continuing to be affected by cancers, of all kinds, knowing that every day we are making strides towards a cure will make every single mile of those 18.1 miles worth it.
Yup - 18.1. I've decided that I want to run the Pamlico Jack Challenge. The Challenge is to run the 8k (5 miles) on Saturday morning and the half-marathon on Sunday. I'm pretty determined that this will be my last long run, so I want to go out with a bang. Most everyone I know, particularly the runners, are insisting that this will not be my last half, but I'm fairly convinced in my own mind that it will be. I've already run 3 more than I ever thought I would and after the OBX, I will have run 4 half-marathons in a year's time. That might not seem like a lot to those who run races every weekend, but it's 4 more than I ever thought I'd be able to do.
Right now, I'm feeling very selfish, not as altruistic as I was when I first started this adventure. I will continue to run, but I'm going to stay under the 10 mile mark. I want to run for the heck of it and for my health. I want to be able to skip a day without feeling guilty because I've screwed up my training schedule. Even as I write this, I realize that I'm slipping back into that "about me" mode that I was determined to stay away from.
I can't forget the reasons why I started this adventure - Cole, Charlotte, Noah, Heidi, MikeToodie and Will, and their families, people I've met through the years whose lives have been affected by blood cancers and I can't forget the reasons why I stay committed - Jon, Christopher, lymphoma survivors, and Paul & Jane, who lost their teenage daughter Ann, in February, all my 2011 LTN team mates; Greg, the brother-in-law who is a prostate cancer survivor; Michelle, the breast cancer survivor, Viktor who lost his earthly battle but finished the race and won the crown of life.
I will run as if my life depends on it.
I will run because someone's does.
I will run.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Can I get a drumroll, please?
I almost captioned this "Can I get a witness" because I just feel like shouting Hallelujah!! I have such amazingly wonderful things to share, but first....
I'm still here and I'm still running! Since my last post before the Light the Night event, I've still managed some pretty decent times during my training runs ------ OH WAIT------ you want to hear about the Light the Night event? You want to know how everything turned out?
Well, can I just say it rocked? That the last update from the local chapter indicated over $550,000 has been received and more money is coming in? Can I just say that the Thomson Reuters Light the Night team and its subteam, TRiumph exceeded our goals by $3,000? Again, I feel like shouting "hallelujah, can I get a witness??" Through so many individual efforts, a bowling/silent auction fundraiser, the company match and the corporate sponsorship, we were able to provide $16,550 towards the fight against blood cancers. Now, can I hear you say it too?
I am so proud of the team. They are such caring and invested individuals. Some of them are survivors, some of them are fresh from the loss of a loved one. All of them are truly amazing individuals and I am better for spending time with each of them.
I'm still here and I'm still running! Since my last post before the Light the Night event, I've still managed some pretty decent times during my training runs ------ OH WAIT------ you want to hear about the Light the Night event? You want to know how everything turned out?
Well, can I just say it rocked? That the last update from the local chapter indicated over $550,000 has been received and more money is coming in? Can I just say that the Thomson Reuters Light the Night team and its subteam, TRiumph exceeded our goals by $3,000? Again, I feel like shouting "hallelujah, can I get a witness??" Through so many individual efforts, a bowling/silent auction fundraiser, the company match and the corporate sponsorship, we were able to provide $16,550 towards the fight against blood cancers. Now, can I hear you say it too?
I am so proud of the team. They are such caring and invested individuals. Some of them are survivors, some of them are fresh from the loss of a loved one. All of them are truly amazing individuals and I am better for spending time with each of them.
Here's a picture of the team with Rod Carew
Note that this isn't all the team, just the ones that made it for the picture with Rod.
I have one thing left to do for this team and for all of you who have taken the time to read this journal and have possibly sponsored one of my training runs. I have to run a half-marathon and I have to keep my word. Remember that I said that if anyone gave me $1,000 I would put their name on my running shirt. Well, Thomson Reuters is matching my $1,000 so I'm going to proudly wear the company name and logo on my shirt. However, you see those amazing people in that picture above - well, they have stories too.
The man in yellow, well, that's Jon. He's a survivor. The redhead? That's Deb, she was walking in memory of her husband's cousin, Gordy. Somewhere in there is little Margie, another survivor. That white hat, that's Jon, again, a survivor. Paul and Jane, they walked in memory of their daughter Ann. Carla, her son Will. Amanda in honor of Samantha. Stories that I am priviledged to have heard and each of them has given me permission to add more to my shirt. When I run my half-marathon on November 13, it will be my honor to have the names of the loved ones on my back as well.
Now, about my training, it's been going well. I'm continuing to maintain a pace between 10-12 minutes per mile. I'm truly confident I've mastered the gut issues with the honey and honey based energy gels. There's some tweakiness in the right ankle, but it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. I don't feel as nervous about this race as I did last year at this time which makes my training kind of fun. Don't get the wrong idea, I said kind of fun. I'm still not in love with running, but it is starting to grow on me.
I'll try be more diligent in the coming days. I have some long runs ahead and I'm sure you'll want to know all about them. Ha!
Until next time...
Sunday, September 25, 2011
It's time to Light the Night!
It's here! The night I've been running towards for the past several months. Tonight at Target Field as the sky grows dark, the lights will go on in hundreds of balloons; white balloons carried by victorious warriors, gold balloons carried by loved ones of those who lost the battle and red ones for those folks like me who just want to show our support. I will probably start to cry just like every other year. I'm kind of soft that way.
I'll be looking for the faces of the children, Cole, Noah, Christine along with the adults I've met along the way. There's always just a wee bit of fear that someone will not be there and I have to steel my heart against it.
Have to keep this short, we're going to hit the light rail to get to Target Field and start blowing up all those balloons.
Oh - yesterday was the Dash for Dad, the prostate cancer run. Team Save the Walnut raised $525.00. Not too shabby for its first year. I'm happy to say that I ran my best 5k yet. 31 minutes! That's a 10 minute mile, folks, a whole lot faster than when I first started this craziness. Carl ran a slightly faster than 15 minute mile and finished at 45:00 minutes. Very proud of him!!
I'll be looking for the faces of the children, Cole, Noah, Christine along with the adults I've met along the way. There's always just a wee bit of fear that someone will not be there and I have to steel my heart against it.
Have to keep this short, we're going to hit the light rail to get to Target Field and start blowing up all those balloons.
Oh - yesterday was the Dash for Dad, the prostate cancer run. Team Save the Walnut raised $525.00. Not too shabby for its first year. I'm happy to say that I ran my best 5k yet. 31 minutes! That's a 10 minute mile, folks, a whole lot faster than when I first started this craziness. Carl ran a slightly faster than 15 minute mile and finished at 45:00 minutes. Very proud of him!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
And so I run...
First, thank you to everyone for being a part of this adventure with me. I appreciate all of you so very much, whether you're just a passer-by, someone who's sponsored a run and wants to make sure I get that run done or just a follower. Thank you so very much.
Today - I'm not going to tell you anything about my runs, I'd rather give up this space to Jon and Pat. The following is the presentation that they made at the recent Eagan Relay for Life.
Today - I'm not going to tell you anything about my runs, I'd rather give up this space to Jon and Pat. The following is the presentation that they made at the recent Eagan Relay for Life.
Relay for Life – August 5, 2011
Pat: I’m Pat Eveslage and this is my husband Jon. We live in Burnsville. I work at Lloyd’s Barbecue in Mendota Heights and Jon works at Thomson Reuters here in Eagan. Our son Paul is 23 and our daughter Elena is 19. With all the amazing survivors, caregivers, friends and volunteers here tonight, we are honored to be here to share our story with you.
Jon: Our story begins late in 2007. During my annual physical, I told my doctor about some unusual symptoms I was having. A lymph node in my neck was swollen and I was always warm and having night sweats. In January, 2008, I had a lymph node biopsy and a bone-marrow biopsy and found that I had stage 4, follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a slow-growing blood cancer. I was 48 years old.
We spent the rest of 2008 trying to get the cancer into remission. Four different types of chemo were tried – 16 rounds all together – until there were positive results late in the year.
Pat: What a long year it was! Jon was able to go by himself to the treatments and didn’t have many side effects or miss much work for most of the year. The last treatment, given at Christmas, was pretty hard on him. That’s when my sister-in-law, the pharmacist, said it was probably working.
Jon: While I was going through the chemo treatments, my doctor suggested that I look into having a stem cell transplant. It was the only hope to completely cure the cancer once it was in remission. I worked with the University of Minnesota Blood and Marrow transplant program. Because the cancer was already stage 4, my doctor didn’t think an autologous transplant, where you use your own stem cells, would be effective. I would have to find a donor. I didn’t find a donor match with any of my three brothers or anyone in the adult donor pool. The only option left was a dual-cord transplant, where they use the umbilical cord stem cells from two newborn babies. Fortunately, we found two babies that matched. (And we later learned that one was from Europe!)
In March 2009, I had one last round of chemo and radiation to destroy my bone marrow and immune system to allow the donor stem cells to grow. The transplant is painless and just like a blood transfusion. The stem cells find their way into your bone marrow and begin making new blood. After 100 days, one of the two types of stem cells becomes dominant and creates your new blood. It’s really quite an amazing process, and we are lucky to live so close to the U of M, one of the only hospitals in the country that does dual-cord stem cell transplants.
Pat: Jon spent 10 days in isolation before the transplant and 17 more in the hospital after the transplant. Once home, he had to return to the BMT clinic at the U every day for the first week. He couldn’t drive at first, but fortunately our son was home to drive him for some of the trips. It wasn’t until August – almost 5 months later – that Jon’s immune system had recovered enough for him to return to work.
Care giving for a stem cell transplant patient involves a lot of things. Jon’s immune system was knocked out, so mold, dust, etc. can cause infections. He was pretty weak at first, and later when he went out he had to wear a mask. He wasn’t allowed to mow the lawn or work in the yard. It was a long summer for both of us.
Jon: By the end of July I was feeling better. Just before I went back to work, we decided to take a family vacation to Copper Mountain in Colorado. We enjoyed the scenery and some short hikes. The kids went horseback riding and we relaxed. Near the end of the trip, Pat wasn’t feeling well and we made a trip to the local hospital. We found that she had mountain sickness, not uncommon for flat-landers like us from Minnesota. She was given oxygen at the hospital and by the time we were back to Denver, she was feeling better. Little did I know that it was soon going to be my turn to be the caregiver.
Pat: I still didn’t feel very well after we returned to Minnesota. I was run down and tired all the time. My friend, Marilyn, advised me to see my PA, so just before Labor Day I saw her and she immediately asked if I had had a colonoscopy. All I could say was, “No, when I turned 50, Jon got sick and I couldn’t think about myself, let alone schedule a procedure like that.” So, she said, “You’re having one now!” And, two days later I did. Well, the news was not good. I’ll never forget the doc’s face as he said there was a mass and he thought it was probably colon cancer. All this the day before my birthday! So, you do what you have to do. They assigned me to a surgeon who was wonderful. The surgery was successful but, unfortunately, they found cancer in five of the 27 lymph nodes that they had removed. This meant that chemo was necessary to make sure it was gone. So, at the end of October (after a wonderful weekend with four close friends on the North Shore) I began six months of treatments. My chemos were more debilitating than Jon’s had been. But, I looked on it as prevention, I was certain the cancer was gone. I also knew I would not be able to make it through those months without the help of my friends and family. Every two weeks I made the drive to St. Louis Park with a friend in tow. It helped me to not dread the day and to know that I had 3 hours with that special friend. One time I even was next door to a dear friend, who has since passed, and we spent the time together. What a blessing! In fourteen trips, I went with 11 different people. I will never forget those afternoons or the wonderful nurses who cared for me. My mother cared for me after the surgery and on the weekends after chemo. I was able to make it to my job until the last few treatments, when I needed almost a week to recover. My Bible Study friends, my Bunco neighbors, old friends from high school, work colleagues, and family were instrumental in helping our family through those months of both our journeys with cancer. Meals were brought, prayers were said, fleece chemo blankets were made for us and we received wonderful e-mails. Even our daughter was cared for by her youth group at church. All these things happened because we were not afraid to share what was happening.
Jon: We live in a time where it is OK to tell people you have cancer, and that is a blessing. Everyone must handle their situation in the way they’re most comfortable, and we learned from those before us that you cannot walk it alone. No one can help you if you don’t tell them what you need. No one can pray for you if they don’t know you need the prayers. Many amazing things happened to us. We know God was involved and continues to be here. It’s now over two years since my transplant and the cancer is still in remission. This past winter I was once again refereeing high school basketball games. Pat has had good CT scans and labs for a year, and her latest colonoscopy (done by her wonderful surgeon) showed no cancer. She doesn’t even have to have another one for three years. Thank you.
Notes: Autologous (own) vs. Allogenic (others) stem cells
4 chemos: 1. R-CVP 2. R-CHOP 3. R-ICE 4. R-DHAP
And so I run...
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Feeling Stronger every day....
I've had to do my last few runs alone with Maddie. Running buddy is dealing with some severe plantars and is off until it's under control.
Of the past few runs, all between 4 & 6 miles, only one was a fail. I was going for six miles and it wasn't going to happen. I can't tell you why it didn't work, it just didn't. Was it too warm? Did I not prepare properly? I don't know. Some days are like that I guess.
The weather is cooler now and I'm loving it. The timing is perfect too, as I'm having to add on miles now to prepare for my next half-marathon. My asthma and allergies seem to be under control moreso now than in warmer weather. I'm able to run longer and farther without stopping for walk breaks.
I've worked out the stomach issues - I think. I hope. I really really hope. I still have some episodes of sprinting to and through the front door to the bathroom, but they are becoming fewer and father between. Diet is a huge factor and allowing myself enough preparation time prior to the start of a run is key.
I've added ice baths back into my recovery routine. It's excrutiating, but I think my legs feel so much better. I'm loving my compression leg sleeves too. They are the best!
Next weekend will be busy. Saturday is the 5k Dash for Dads. Carl and I are running as part of Team Save the Walnut in honor of our brother-in-law, Greg, a prostate cancer survivor. Sunday is the big day/night - the goal I've been running towards for three months now. Light the Night at Target Field. The Leukemia and Lymphoma's walk to honor survivors, victims and their families.
As encouraged as I feel about my running and as grateful as I am for all the support I've received thus far, I'm stressing out about the team's goal. My $1,000 goal is very close and with the company match, I'll make the $2,000. The team's goal is farther off. Fortunately, we have a team fundraiser for October that should help us accomplish our goal.
If you have time - please jump over to Jenna's blog, The RedHead Report. Jenna is now past 100 days from her bone marrow transplant. Her blog postings are much more real and interesting than mine. She writes about her experiences with her cancer and its treatment, not pulling any punches or looking for pity. She's pretty darn amazing.
I just run.
Of the past few runs, all between 4 & 6 miles, only one was a fail. I was going for six miles and it wasn't going to happen. I can't tell you why it didn't work, it just didn't. Was it too warm? Did I not prepare properly? I don't know. Some days are like that I guess.
The weather is cooler now and I'm loving it. The timing is perfect too, as I'm having to add on miles now to prepare for my next half-marathon. My asthma and allergies seem to be under control moreso now than in warmer weather. I'm able to run longer and farther without stopping for walk breaks.
I've worked out the stomach issues - I think. I hope. I really really hope. I still have some episodes of sprinting to and through the front door to the bathroom, but they are becoming fewer and father between. Diet is a huge factor and allowing myself enough preparation time prior to the start of a run is key.
I've added ice baths back into my recovery routine. It's excrutiating, but I think my legs feel so much better. I'm loving my compression leg sleeves too. They are the best!
Next weekend will be busy. Saturday is the 5k Dash for Dads. Carl and I are running as part of Team Save the Walnut in honor of our brother-in-law, Greg, a prostate cancer survivor. Sunday is the big day/night - the goal I've been running towards for three months now. Light the Night at Target Field. The Leukemia and Lymphoma's walk to honor survivors, victims and their families.
As encouraged as I feel about my running and as grateful as I am for all the support I've received thus far, I'm stressing out about the team's goal. My $1,000 goal is very close and with the company match, I'll make the $2,000. The team's goal is farther off. Fortunately, we have a team fundraiser for October that should help us accomplish our goal.
If you have time - please jump over to Jenna's blog, The RedHead Report. Jenna is now past 100 days from her bone marrow transplant. Her blog postings are much more real and interesting than mine. She writes about her experiences with her cancer and its treatment, not pulling any punches or looking for pity. She's pretty darn amazing.
I just run.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Sorrowful - Yet always rejoicing. Victor-ious!
This morning's run started off with tears - tears of sadness and yet of joy. I cannot add to the story of Victor Watters. My nephew Eric says it so well on his Facebook:
You can read about Victor and his family on their CaringBridge site
and in Ruben Rosario's column today
Childhood cancer - ewings sarcoma - not a leukemia or a lymphoma - won the battle, but Victor, through his Savior, claims the victory. He fought the good fight, he finished the race strongly and I know he has heard the words - "Well done! Welcome home."
Cancer is cancer, it doesn't matter the cause.
And so I run.
You can read about Victor and his family on their CaringBridge site
and in Ruben Rosario's column today
Childhood cancer - ewings sarcoma - not a leukemia or a lymphoma - won the battle, but Victor, through his Savior, claims the victory. He fought the good fight, he finished the race strongly and I know he has heard the words - "Well done! Welcome home."
Cancer is cancer, it doesn't matter the cause.
And so I run.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Meet one of the reasons why I run...
Meet Heidi Gusenius, Senior Campaign Manager with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Minnesota. Heidi is my go-to gal for the Light the Night Walk - and unlike me, she has a VERY personal reason for being involved with LTN.
In her own words...
In her own words...
There is a statistic out there that every 4 minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer... well, I contributed to that statistic on July 6th, 2005 when I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. As a "never-been-sick-a-day-in-my-life" strong, healthy young woman in my mid-20's, I had never even thought of the word CANCER for myself. After finally going in to see the doctor for all the bizarre symptoms I had been having (including nausea, vomiting, broken capillaries, severe headaches, strep throat, and fatigue) I started to worry when he told me my white blood cell count was so high, their lab machine could not even read the number. He then told me I needed to go to Fairview Southdale and have a bone marrow biopsy done - IMMEDIATELY! I had no idea what that procedure entailed (had I known, I probably would not have gone!). They didn't even wait for the results of the biopsy to send in the oncologist... they already knew.
After a month-long stay at Fairview Southdale where I received a groshong catheter, a couple PICC lines, leukopheresis, two types of chemotherapy, numerous blood and platelet transfusions, and 4 more bone marrow biopsies, I was declared in remission! I finally got to go home - just to come back for 4 additional rounds of chemo for the next 6 months.
I was one of the lucky ones that beat the odds and am thankful every day that I survived that horrible disease.
Now, I’m even more grateful to be expecting my first baby this fall! The doctors never knew for sure whether or not carrying my own child would be a possibility, but I feel so blessed and am anxiously awaiting it’s arrival.
What Heidi didn't share is that she's a runner. She's participated in the San Diego Marathon to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. In the three years I've known her, she's run it twice. She gets a bye for this year as she and her husband Mick are happily anticipating the arrival of their first child which is due right about the time of our LTN walk!
Heidi, Carl and me as I received the LLS 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award
Heidi is one of the many reasons. I can't image a world without a smile like hers.
This weekend I ran the Woodbury Country Mile Half-Marathon with my young friend Cara. It was her first half-marathon and she rocked it! Her goal was 3.5 hours, her dream goal was 3 hours and she nailed a 2:47:16! That's an awesome time for a walk/run first time effort! It was really sweet to see her husband and daughters waiting for her at the finish with flowers!
My race was almost as good, 2:47:42! and with no stomach issues! I stuck with the Aspen Ridge Honey Farm stix, my own water and but for tired legs and some soreness in my back, I felt great! I felt great until Monday when all the things I did prior to the race, coupled with the race and sitting at my desk for hours caught up with me. A visit to the chiropractor, some time with the heat wrap and I'm good to go again.
It's 4 weeks until the Light the Night event. I'm still short of my goal, but I'm trusting that things will soon start picking up.
Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sunday's coming!
And with it, the Woodbury Country Mile Half-Marathon! Thanks to all of you who have given so generously to my fundraising efforts! Your kindness and generosity are appreciated much more than words can express. With every step I run, I am reminded of all of you and all of the reasons I'm doing this - each of us are making a difference in the lives of blood cancer patients!
The training runs haven't been as long as I would like them to be prior to a half. I'm not too bothered by that as I'm actually doing this one to support one of my Titus2 girls who is going to be running her first half this weekend. Setting a personal record is not a goal for this race. Encouraging Cara and ensuring that she finishes with the best possible experience possible is the goal.
I keep coming back to the importance of having a support system, don't I? I'm supporting Cara in her efforts to run a good race while you support me in my efforts to race money for cancer research. Somewhere out there, there are doctors, nurses, oncologists, whole teams of people working to support blood cancer patients and their families. It becomes a circle of sorts.
And so I run.
The training runs haven't been as long as I would like them to be prior to a half. I'm not too bothered by that as I'm actually doing this one to support one of my Titus2 girls who is going to be running her first half this weekend. Setting a personal record is not a goal for this race. Encouraging Cara and ensuring that she finishes with the best possible experience possible is the goal.
I keep coming back to the importance of having a support system, don't I? I'm supporting Cara in her efforts to run a good race while you support me in my efforts to race money for cancer research. Somewhere out there, there are doctors, nurses, oncologists, whole teams of people working to support blood cancer patients and their families. It becomes a circle of sorts.
And so I run.
It's personal
I can no longer lay claim to not having a personal experience with blood cancers. It's starting to get personal now. My son-in-law's father Mike was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia and I've learned that my cousin PJ was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma seven years ago.
Hairy cell leukemia is one of the rarer leukemias and is curable in most patients. It's a form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is a slow growing blood cancer, starting in the bone marrow. There are between 500-800 cases of hairy cell leukemia a year. Mike is one of those statistics this year. I'm sure he'd much rather be counted as a retiree with a hot sports car, if he had to be counted and knowing Mike, he'd rather not be counted at all.
On the other hand, PJ is in a much bigger group of folks. In 2010 alone, there were over 600,00 people living with lymphoma or in remission and almost 475,000 of those folks with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
PJ has benefitted greatly from Bexxar, a lab produced protein that targets antigens in the cancer cell's surface to interfere with and destroy the cells. It's kind of like the Search and Destroy treatment. (Cue the Metallica).
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, together with other agencies, funds research that can help change the lives of people like Mike & PJ.
They also provide:
co-pay assistance http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/financialmatters/copayassistance/,
education
http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/patienteducation/
and support for patients and their families http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/supportgroups/
And so I run.
Hairy cell leukemia is one of the rarer leukemias and is curable in most patients. It's a form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is a slow growing blood cancer, starting in the bone marrow. There are between 500-800 cases of hairy cell leukemia a year. Mike is one of those statistics this year. I'm sure he'd much rather be counted as a retiree with a hot sports car, if he had to be counted and knowing Mike, he'd rather not be counted at all.
On the other hand, PJ is in a much bigger group of folks. In 2010 alone, there were over 600,00 people living with lymphoma or in remission and almost 475,000 of those folks with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
PJ has benefitted greatly from Bexxar, a lab produced protein that targets antigens in the cancer cell's surface to interfere with and destroy the cells. It's kind of like the Search and Destroy treatment. (Cue the Metallica).
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, together with other agencies, funds research that can help change the lives of people like Mike & PJ.
They also provide:
co-pay assistance http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/financialmatters/copayassistance/,
education
http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/patienteducation/
and support for patients and their families http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/supportgroups/
And so I run.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Can't slow down
Life has a way of moving into fast forward and time slips by so quickly. Seconds to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days - well, you get the idea. Somehow I got caught up in the whirlwind that is my life and when I stopped moving for just a moment, I discovered that it's 6 weeks until Light the Night! SIX WEEKS!
When I set my goal, I determined that I would have run 400 miles to make my goal of $2,000. It didn't seem that outrageous a feat at the time. Thus far, I've run 45 sponsored miles and 67 unsponsored miles. I've now got six weeks to run 288 miles! That's 57 more 5 mile runs - 57 more $50.00 sponsors needed or
ONE REALLY BIG SPONSOR!
You can't blame me for putting it out there! I do have a half-marathon coming up on August 28. There's still time to get a name printed on my running shirt!
The past few runs have been fun even if challenging. Running Buddy and I tried running back to back days this past week and let me tell you, that just didn't go well. Our legs were tired from our efforts the day before and someone forgot to bring her rescue inhaler along. Ok, I didn't really forget. I've gotten kind of cocky lately with my inhaler and I left it at home. A few months ago, I would need to use it somewhere around mile 3, but it'd been getting to be less and less of an issue, so I stopped bringing it along.
Monday was a warmer day, humid and we ran later in the day. I think the combination of the tired legs, the humidity and the allergens in the air made it harder for me overall. I'm embarrassed to share that our time was close to 13 min/miles. My chest hurt and I couldn't do my deep calming breathing. I hate that feeling.
Whine, whine, whine.
I have to come back to the reason why I'm doing this.
I'm running for my teammate who lost his daughter to leukemia in February and another who lost her son 3 years ago this month.
I'm running for Kent who lost his mother two years ago to lymphoma.
I'm running for Mike, recently diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia.
I'm running for Cole, Charlotte, Noah, Heidi and Jon, who have all fought the battle and WON!
I'm a strong, healthy woman, blessed with a wonderful husband, great kids and even more amazing grandkids.
I want it to stay that way
and so I run.
When I set my goal, I determined that I would have run 400 miles to make my goal of $2,000. It didn't seem that outrageous a feat at the time. Thus far, I've run 45 sponsored miles and 67 unsponsored miles. I've now got six weeks to run 288 miles! That's 57 more 5 mile runs - 57 more $50.00 sponsors needed or
ONE REALLY BIG SPONSOR!
You can't blame me for putting it out there! I do have a half-marathon coming up on August 28. There's still time to get a name printed on my running shirt!
The past few runs have been fun even if challenging. Running Buddy and I tried running back to back days this past week and let me tell you, that just didn't go well. Our legs were tired from our efforts the day before and someone forgot to bring her rescue inhaler along. Ok, I didn't really forget. I've gotten kind of cocky lately with my inhaler and I left it at home. A few months ago, I would need to use it somewhere around mile 3, but it'd been getting to be less and less of an issue, so I stopped bringing it along.
Monday was a warmer day, humid and we ran later in the day. I think the combination of the tired legs, the humidity and the allergens in the air made it harder for me overall. I'm embarrassed to share that our time was close to 13 min/miles. My chest hurt and I couldn't do my deep calming breathing. I hate that feeling.
Whine, whine, whine.
I have to come back to the reason why I'm doing this.
I'm running for my teammate who lost his daughter to leukemia in February and another who lost her son 3 years ago this month.
I'm running for Kent who lost his mother two years ago to lymphoma.
I'm running for Mike, recently diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia.
I'm running for Cole, Charlotte, Noah, Heidi and Jon, who have all fought the battle and WON!
I'm a strong, healthy woman, blessed with a wonderful husband, great kids and even more amazing grandkids.
I want it to stay that way
and so I run.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Aspen Ridge Honey Farm Honey Stix and a Run with my Honey!
Today started off a little challenging.
Some background: My dear husband is also in training for the Outer Banks Half-Marathon. Hubbster started running after the kids and I ran it last year and thought it sounded like fun. (We're still trying to figure out how he got that impression - eh, oh well.) He's done a couple of 5ks since January, the Resolution Run on January 1 and the Get in Gear 5k in April. He trains at the fitness center on the DT and has been primarily doing 3 miles at a time a few times a week. Last night, I convinced him that he needed to start doing long runs on the weekends and that we should start that this weekend.
The growling and grumbling was minimal. I think he thought I'd drop it or that we would wake up and it would be raining. He knows me well enough to know that I will give up under both conditions. Ha! I fooled him.
The alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. today. I was up after one snooze, into my clothes and laced on my shoes and down the stairs to take care of the dogs so he could have just a few more minutes. I was hoping the sounds I was making in the kitchen would drown out the growling and grumbling which it did until he came downstairs.
After all the fussiness in the kitchen, we were out the door by 7:30, off to do 5-6 miles. The first mile and a half was more of the same. How could I expect him to run twice as far as he's run so far? Grouse, grouse, grumble, grouse. At this point, I'm praying for patience and a sweet spirit until finally I give into my baser self and tell him to lose the bad attitude or else. He must have seen something dangerous in my eyes, because he did stop with the trash talking and focused on his running.
I decided to try for 5 miles, rather than 6. It seemed like the right thing to do. We would run until he felt the need to walk and then we'd walk, probably farther than he really needed to, but I was trying to be nice.
At 2.5 miles, I think I found my running fuel! Something natural, something tasty and easy! Aspen Ridge Honey Farms Honey Stix! I had stuck two in my new Camelback handheld water bottle, one for each of us. I popped the cherry one, sucked half of it down and gave the other half to my better half.
I also had Lemon Tea flavored Nuun in the water bottle, after having been persuaded by my daughter to give it a try. I'm not a fan of the flavor, but again, here is something that doesn't seem to cause any issues! So very excited!
Okay - back to the run. We ended up doing 4.5 miles, short of my goal for the run, but I was letting Hubster decide when to quit. Now that he's done 4.5 with no adverse problems, I think getting him to do a longer run will be easier.
I'm ahead of my donations now in miles. I still have a ways to go to hit my goal at which point, I can turn my focus on helping my team meet its goals. If you're reading this, would you please consider a small donation. The company I work for matches dollar for dollar, so your donation is doubled! How cool is that!? I hope you'll consider.
I hope to tell you about my friend Heidi in my next post. I think you'll enjoy getting to know her as much as I do.
Until then, I'll be running along.
Some background: My dear husband is also in training for the Outer Banks Half-Marathon. Hubbster started running after the kids and I ran it last year and thought it sounded like fun. (We're still trying to figure out how he got that impression - eh, oh well.) He's done a couple of 5ks since January, the Resolution Run on January 1 and the Get in Gear 5k in April. He trains at the fitness center on the DT and has been primarily doing 3 miles at a time a few times a week. Last night, I convinced him that he needed to start doing long runs on the weekends and that we should start that this weekend.
The growling and grumbling was minimal. I think he thought I'd drop it or that we would wake up and it would be raining. He knows me well enough to know that I will give up under both conditions. Ha! I fooled him.
The alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. today. I was up after one snooze, into my clothes and laced on my shoes and down the stairs to take care of the dogs so he could have just a few more minutes. I was hoping the sounds I was making in the kitchen would drown out the growling and grumbling which it did until he came downstairs.
After all the fussiness in the kitchen, we were out the door by 7:30, off to do 5-6 miles. The first mile and a half was more of the same. How could I expect him to run twice as far as he's run so far? Grouse, grouse, grumble, grouse. At this point, I'm praying for patience and a sweet spirit until finally I give into my baser self and tell him to lose the bad attitude or else. He must have seen something dangerous in my eyes, because he did stop with the trash talking and focused on his running.
I decided to try for 5 miles, rather than 6. It seemed like the right thing to do. We would run until he felt the need to walk and then we'd walk, probably farther than he really needed to, but I was trying to be nice.
At 2.5 miles, I think I found my running fuel! Something natural, something tasty and easy! Aspen Ridge Honey Farms Honey Stix! I had stuck two in my new Camelback handheld water bottle, one for each of us. I popped the cherry one, sucked half of it down and gave the other half to my better half.
I also had Lemon Tea flavored Nuun in the water bottle, after having been persuaded by my daughter to give it a try. I'm not a fan of the flavor, but again, here is something that doesn't seem to cause any issues! So very excited!
Okay - back to the run. We ended up doing 4.5 miles, short of my goal for the run, but I was letting Hubster decide when to quit. Now that he's done 4.5 with no adverse problems, I think getting him to do a longer run will be easier.
I'm ahead of my donations now in miles. I still have a ways to go to hit my goal at which point, I can turn my focus on helping my team meet its goals. If you're reading this, would you please consider a small donation. The company I work for matches dollar for dollar, so your donation is doubled! How cool is that!? I hope you'll consider.
I hope to tell you about my friend Heidi in my next post. I think you'll enjoy getting to know her as much as I do.
Until then, I'll be running along.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
I'm still here~
But barely!
It's been a rough few weeks since I last posted. The sweltering humidity and heat or is it the sweltering heat and humidity has been the cause of much consternation.
I don't do heat and humidity well. Just thinking about the combination seems to cause my pores to open and gallons of sweat to exude from my body at an unbelievable rate. Imagine if you can what running 5 or 6 miles in weather with a 115 degree heat index can do. I know I wrote about this before but I can't emphasize enought that it was ugly, people, just ugly. Carl looked at me when I came in and wondered if I'd run through the neighborhood water sprinkers. (I had but only to cool my legs and our Maddie dog off.) I couldn't have been wetter standing in the shower. The best part of it is that this run was a 5 mile run on a Sunday morning that started at 6:00 a.m. 6:00 A.M.!!
Am I the only one who thinks that is insane??
Oh - wait, you probably think I was insane for even attempting to run 5 miles in that kind of weather.
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results* - then you'd right because I not only did that run, but I did another 5 mile run under the same conditions two days later, another after that again and a six mile run after that!
I am a sweat bucket. I can easily lose 3-4 pounds after a run in these conditions. Not really the way I want to be losing weight. I end up feeling weak and tired - generally, just miserable all over. Being a woman of a certain age, I think my personal summers contribute something to my ability to sweat. The only time I don't really feel them is when I'm running. Hey! I just found a real positive to running!!
I went back to the fitness center in our neighborhood and used the DT (dreaded treadmill) and found that even being in an air conditioned room doesn't do a thing to inhibit the sweat glands in their performance. It does, as I've mentioned before, inhibit my spitting, but only so far as I spit into a rag rather than on the floor. I only did 2.5 miles before calling it quits there due to time constraints not physical conditions.
With the 6 mile run, I was running with my tunes and my fuel belt with a mixture of Gatorade's new G2 series Perform and water. I was hoping this watered down drink wouldn't have the same effect on my stomach as GU, but hope wasn't enough. I think my neighbors are really impressed by my sprinting home. If only they knew. Not so impressive. Sharts... definitely not a girl's best friend.
This morning, Running Buddy and I hit it again. She's back from vacation and the weather was a gift from God! 64 degrees, 59 degree dew point. Yes, yes, yes! And a nice breeze. Even more Yes! Yes! Yes! It was wonderful for our 4.5 mile run.
Thanks to all my fabulous donors: Kate, Erin, Cha, Helga, Sue, Arlene & Larry. Kate actually pushed me to run 10 miles! Yay!
Today was the Light the Night Ice Cream Social sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to provide information and recruit walkers for the Walk, September 25. I'm very excited to say that we were able to get 24 people signed up to be part of the Thomson Reuters team.
One of our new team members is a father who just lost his daughter in February to leukemia. Those are the hard moments. I watched as he strongly put his name down on the sign up sheet and admired him as he encouraged his friends to do the same. I wondered if I would have the ability to be so controlled were it my daughter. Teammate Cindy is the stepmother of Jenna, the author behind The Redhead Report, who is currently fighting the good fight. Another team member lost his mother two years ago this month and yet another is a survivor. These people have a personal interest. They know the "story of leukemia" even better than I do.
It's humbling.
And so I run.
Runs since last blog post:
07/23 - 5.07 miles 12:27 min/mile
7/24 - 2.61 miles 11:05 min/mile (run with my Carolina boy Tim)
07/29 - 6.02 miles 11:17 min/mile - followed by a 4.5 mile bike ride.
08/01 - 2.65 miles 12:04 min/mile (Dreaded Treadmill)
08/03 - 4.59 miles 11:51 min/mile (Running Buddy)
*attributed to Albert Einstein
It's been a rough few weeks since I last posted. The sweltering humidity and heat or is it the sweltering heat and humidity has been the cause of much consternation.
I don't do heat and humidity well. Just thinking about the combination seems to cause my pores to open and gallons of sweat to exude from my body at an unbelievable rate. Imagine if you can what running 5 or 6 miles in weather with a 115 degree heat index can do. I know I wrote about this before but I can't emphasize enought that it was ugly, people, just ugly. Carl looked at me when I came in and wondered if I'd run through the neighborhood water sprinkers. (I had but only to cool my legs and our Maddie dog off.) I couldn't have been wetter standing in the shower. The best part of it is that this run was a 5 mile run on a Sunday morning that started at 6:00 a.m. 6:00 A.M.!!
Am I the only one who thinks that is insane??
Oh - wait, you probably think I was insane for even attempting to run 5 miles in that kind of weather.
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results* - then you'd right because I not only did that run, but I did another 5 mile run under the same conditions two days later, another after that again and a six mile run after that!
I am a sweat bucket. I can easily lose 3-4 pounds after a run in these conditions. Not really the way I want to be losing weight. I end up feeling weak and tired - generally, just miserable all over. Being a woman of a certain age, I think my personal summers contribute something to my ability to sweat. The only time I don't really feel them is when I'm running. Hey! I just found a real positive to running!!
I went back to the fitness center in our neighborhood and used the DT (dreaded treadmill) and found that even being in an air conditioned room doesn't do a thing to inhibit the sweat glands in their performance. It does, as I've mentioned before, inhibit my spitting, but only so far as I spit into a rag rather than on the floor. I only did 2.5 miles before calling it quits there due to time constraints not physical conditions.
With the 6 mile run, I was running with my tunes and my fuel belt with a mixture of Gatorade's new G2 series Perform and water. I was hoping this watered down drink wouldn't have the same effect on my stomach as GU, but hope wasn't enough. I think my neighbors are really impressed by my sprinting home. If only they knew. Not so impressive. Sharts... definitely not a girl's best friend.
This morning, Running Buddy and I hit it again. She's back from vacation and the weather was a gift from God! 64 degrees, 59 degree dew point. Yes, yes, yes! And a nice breeze. Even more Yes! Yes! Yes! It was wonderful for our 4.5 mile run.
Thanks to all my fabulous donors: Kate, Erin, Cha, Helga, Sue, Arlene & Larry. Kate actually pushed me to run 10 miles! Yay!
Today was the Light the Night Ice Cream Social sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to provide information and recruit walkers for the Walk, September 25. I'm very excited to say that we were able to get 24 people signed up to be part of the Thomson Reuters team.
One of our new team members is a father who just lost his daughter in February to leukemia. Those are the hard moments. I watched as he strongly put his name down on the sign up sheet and admired him as he encouraged his friends to do the same. I wondered if I would have the ability to be so controlled were it my daughter. Teammate Cindy is the stepmother of Jenna, the author behind The Redhead Report, who is currently fighting the good fight. Another team member lost his mother two years ago this month and yet another is a survivor. These people have a personal interest. They know the "story of leukemia" even better than I do.
It's humbling.
And so I run.
Runs since last blog post:
07/23 - 5.07 miles 12:27 min/mile
7/24 - 2.61 miles 11:05 min/mile (run with my Carolina boy Tim)
07/29 - 6.02 miles 11:17 min/mile - followed by a 4.5 mile bike ride.
08/01 - 2.65 miles 12:04 min/mile (Dreaded Treadmill)
08/03 - 4.59 miles 11:51 min/mile (Running Buddy)
*attributed to Albert Einstein
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