Goal is in Reach!!

So, I'm only $355 away from reaching my fundraising goal! I'm so glad to be part of this amazing team and organization. If you'd like to know that you are donating to a cause that actually is saving lives today, then this is it! Visit my Team In Training website and make a donation today. 

Every donation, no matter how small or large makes a huge difference!!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/nikewhlf13/SavingLives

Well, gotta go to a field trip now at the Solar Energy System. should be a good one. I haven't been to this one before, so Yeah! for something new. Have a great day. And Thank you for supporting my efforts to find a cure to cancer. Together we all make a difference.

Ba-Bling!

Sarasota First Watch Half Marathon was a great event! The location was beautiful, especially running across the bridge and the weather was perfect. Not too hot and sunny, but not too cold. Wonderful to get away for the weekend, even if the traffic on the way back was a bit heavy. People are maniacs on the road!

Here's me and my running mates - Tiff and Erin. Special ladies for sure! We had a great time talking and laughing along the course. Although having not trained the way I should, I was aching by the finish line, but the "ba-bling" was well worth the pain!

Below is my Team In Training friends at the Corporate 5K run on Last Thursday. Lots of fun - maybe not the greatest course - but seeing my friends makes this an event I'll definitely want to repeat next year. Also, got a cool Tee-shirt for St. Patty's day.

Gotta get more serious about my running though. I'm still so flipping slow and DC is going to be much hillier than Sarasota and I had to slow down quite a bit by the end of that run. Anyway, this week I'm taking a new attitude and I'm really going to buckle down. Let's see if I can beat 2:40 in Washington, which would be a new PR for me!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock . . .

Tick Tock, Tick Tock - time's running out to help me in my race for a cure! Donations need to be received by April 10th! Please, please, please help me make a difference in the world TODAY. Together with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we can help further research efforts and improve patient and family services. Please visit my website at:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/nikewhlf13/SavingLives

In addition, there are lots of great events coming up with Team In Training for the Fall! Disneyland, Nike San Fran, Dublin, Savannah Rock N Roll. If you want more information let me know.

Or, if you'd like to show your support for Team In Training and what we do for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, please visit my website and make a donation to continue funding research and patient services at:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/nikewhlf13/SavingLives

 Make a change in the world today!! 

I'm off to do my training now. Today's schedule calls for doing 4 mile repeats. That's a mile at tempo pace, then recovery jog for 3 minutes, then repeat. Hoping this is making me faster and stronger. I want to beat 2:40:00 for the Nike Women's event in April. I know that seems terribly slow for a majority of you, but I'm not racing against everyone else - I'm racing against myself and that's my best time yet. So, I'm hoping for 2:30:00. We'll see.

 

10 miles for Cure today!

Did my 10 miles today in my race to find a cure! What did you do today to help find a cure to cancer? Well, I know one thing you could do. You can visit my Team In Training website at:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/nikewhlf13/SavingLives

Make a donation and/or just find out more about joining Team In Training! It is an incredible organization, doing amazing, life changing things to make this world a better place.

So, back to my run. Beautiful day. It was a hard one though. I haven't run 10 miles in a while. I went ahead and did it at a run/walk pace. The weather was decent. I thought I might get some rain, but never did, so the cloud cover helped keep the run cooler. Since I started out later than I normally do, I was thankful the sun wasn't shining down hard even though it made it's appearance near the end of the course. I am very sore, but I'm getting ready to take some Advil and hopefully it won't last long. Doing another 3 miles would have been tough, but I know I could have done it. Next weekend is the Sarasota half. The only thing I'm really looking forward to on that run is the finish line where I get my very cool "bling"! I've never run there before, so that will be nice too since it will be something new to experience.

Now, I'm off for a chore I hate - grocery shopping. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. If you haven't figured it out yet, daylight savings time has taken effect, so be sure to set your clocks forward an hour. I don't like giving up that hour of sleep, but the kids love having it get dark later.

Another beautiful day in paradise!

What a wonderful day for a morning run! The air is cool and crisp and the sun is bright and the sky is clear blue. Running along the river is so beautiful and relaxing. The only wish I could afford one of the homes along the river. What a great way that would be to greet the morning - sitting on your front porch swing, sipping a cup of coffee after a relaxing - or hard - run along the river front. That is my kind of paradise.

If anyone is ever looking for a run to do in Florida, the Space Coast Marathon and Half Marathon are the way to go. The runs are along the river front and you have a gorgeous view the entire way! The event is always Thanksgiving weekend, so be sure to check it out. It's one of the most affordable marathons you'll ever enjoy too!

So, today was a 5 miler. I went alone, and of course, I forgot my running watch, my phone died so my Nike+ wasn't working right, but I know the road so well, it didn't really matter since I know where my turn around points needed to be. Felt good. I have the Sarasota half next weekend. I don't know if I'll be able to run the whole thing. Today's 5 was kind of tough, but good. I did run except for a couple of water breaks, but doing another 8, hmmm, well that's another thing. I'm going to try and do a ten miler this weekend and we'll just have to play with our speed to figure out what will work. Either that or plan on taking a walk break at every 2 miles or maybe every 1 mile point. We'll figure it out - looking forward to collecting that medal!! It's a beauty!

Have a great day. I'm off to the book fair at school - taking lunch to the workers today.

More soon . . .

Not so much - - -

Okay, so at first, I was so excited about doing my running clinic. Now, not so much. First, it's twice a week and a 40 min drive each way - to and from. Second, once I get there, I'm on my own. For the cost, I thought I would be getting more one on one advice, critiques, etc. Nope - I mean I did ask him to give me tips on form, so he said run up to a mark then turn around and come back. All he told me was I'm a shuffler, meaning I don't kick my feet up, I keep them low to the ground. That's it? Nothing on how to change my habit - which I learned from doing the run/walk method.

I mean he does provide a schedule of what you're supposed to do each week, and he's good about answering my emails, but when I signed up I was under the impression the clinic was more for adults. Nope - wrong again. I mean there's a lot of adults, but they all run like 7 to 8 min miles, so definitely not the group for me. Then, there's like 10 kids and that's who the coach spends all his time with. He hasn't run with me at all during the training. Just says this is what we're doing tonight. Then everybody sets off and does their own thing. So, I've decided I might as well, just follow the schedule near home on my own and save the gas money. Pretty disappointing actually as I really wanted to improve my running times and find some new running partners.

Although I do think I've improved some, a little encouragement would be nice as it gets hard doing it all on my own. I'd gotten so used to having my best friend run with me and lately, she's been so busy with family and other stuff, she doesn't have time to go with me. So, I'm alone in this - which I should be used to by now. Story of my life. And, I do have to run the Nike on my own as she won't be there with me and I don't know anyone else that's running in it that's my speed.

Oh well, sorry to be a downer today. And, besides, I'm supposed to meet Leisha later for a run and then head out for some lunch.

Have a great day everyone!

Please - make a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and help me in my race to find a cure to blood cancers. Visit my Team in Training. I'm still about $700 shy of my goal!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/nikewhlf13/SavingLives