Happy Holidays!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We enjoyed our visit to Salem and spending time with my dad, brother, my brother's fiance and my two nephews.

I went to my dad's gym Wednesday morning before we left for home. I attempted a couple running intervals on the treadmill, but that didn't last long. I keep thinking I'm better because my knee doesn't bother me throughout the day, but, man, as soon as I try and run the pain comes right back. Thursday I spent an hour on my friend's elliptical machine - for some reason that machine didn't bother my knee at all, so I got in a really good work out!

Then this morning I had 10 miles scheduled. I went to the gym hoping to get in a few running intervals again. Well, I started out with a super easy 4 minutes walking, 2 minutes running and that lasted about an hour. It was so great to be RUNNING again and see the miles ticking off a little more quickly! Then sometime after that I hit my limit and didn't recognize it right away. My knee really started to hurt and I ended up knocking off at about 8.4 miles.

I'm pretty discouraged right now as I sit with an ice pack on my knee. I've got two weeks left to heal. I know I can't rush the process, but I also can't postpone the race! I also know that worst case scenario I can walk the whole marathon, but I really, really, really, really do NOT want to have to do that.

On a more positive note (pun intended), here is a note that our team received from Jill. Jill is one of our patient honorees - a local cancer patient in whose honor we are running and raising funds. She is currently undergoing treatment in Seattle.


Hey everybody!! I hope all is well with each of you this week. I wanted to say thanks. Sometimes I say thanks and maybe you all don’t know what I mean by it, so I will tell you, briefly.

Thank you for providing hope for my friends and family who worry a lot about me and whose hope plummets each time my cancer returns and builds each time doctors have ideas for new treatments.

Thank you for helping me have faith in mankind knowing that you are generous, caring people who will put yourselves out there for people in need, often for people that you don’t even know.

Thank you for helping with research that may someday save my cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, brother, niece, nephew or friends.

Thank you for inspiring me to walk more and hopefully get myself running one of these days.

Thank you on behalf of blood cancer survivors and other cancer survivors all over the world who don’t know you and may not even know what you are doing to try to save their lives.

Thank you for persisting when I’m not there watching or even thinking about the fact I am a survivor. And thank you for helping me to feel that I can take time not to always feel like a survivor.

When I say thank you, I do mean thank you. I hope that each of you will remember this always.

Love, Jill


This note is for everyone who has become part of my team over these last months. Whether you have helped financially by donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, taken time to run with me or keep me company at the gym, prayed for me, or been one of my wonderfully encouraging cheerleaders, thank you.

Made It!

Yeay! I have now completed my last long run - well, except my race of course. My next three weeks are less instense and my "long" runs are not nearly so long. It's just maintaining the work I have done so far and conserving strength for the big day!

I felt great today when I started out. I cycled a little, then did some brisk walking on the treadmill. Rex kept me company on the treadmill for an hour and a half, then I got on the cycle. Once my behind couldn't take the cycle anymore, I got on the elliptical. That didn't last long - I started to feel that familiar pain in my knee at that point. So I got back on the treadmill and that was much better. Julie spent the last hour and a half with me on the treadmill also. It was SO great to have company to pass the long day! Thanks, my friends!

So my knee was great pretty much the whole time today! I thought about trying to run a little, but decided against it. A long run day is NOT the time to push things. I am expecting I'll start adding some running in again by next weekend's 10 miler. Even now, in the evening, my knee feels just fine. My heel on the other hand . . . I wore my new shoes today. I had been breaking them in over the last couple weeks, but still I ended up with an ENORMOUS blister on my heel! I felt my foot slipping around at one point so I stopped to tie my shoe tighter - but I think the damage was already done at that point. My shins are a little sore now too, but overall I'm doing pretty well. Tomorrow I'll rest by sitting in the van all day driving to Salem!

Here's a picture of Hailey and I at her Christmas party at school on Friday.

I'm there!

I have officially met - and surpassed - my fundraising minimum! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has helped get me there! Every single contribution, no matter the size, has been a huge encouragement for me! All of us - everyone who has become part of me team - have become part of something great. May the efforts we have put in make a difference in many lives!

Update: My knee is still a little iffy. As suggested by my coach, I am planning on skipping the 20 mile run tomorrow. Instead I'm going to do the time (5 hours) at the gym on the cycle, elliptical and treadmill. It's going to be a looooooong lonely day. Friends, if you have some free time on Saturday, drop me an email and I'll let you know what gym I'll be at and what time. Stop by and take a stroll on the treadmill next to me or go for a leisurely bike ride on the cycle by me. And bring a cheeseburger. Kidding. Although Propel and Shot Blocks would be great!

We are leaving Sunday (my rest day) for Salem to spend Christmas with my dad and brother, but I'll try to post again before we leave and let you know how tomorrow goes.

Thanks again my friends for your financial support! It's a great relief to have that goal met - and surpassed! I'm still accepting donations at this point too! Anything I receive from here on out is 100% for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - all my expenses are paid!

Lame

I went to the gym this morning for my 9 miler. I managed to get in 3 miles on the treadmill before my knee really started to hurt. I got on the elliptical for a couple miles, but then had to get back on the treadmill because my feet were falling asleep. Does anyone else have this problem? My toes go all tingly on that thing. Weird.

Anyway, after that I bounced back and forth from the elliptical to the treadmill - whatever caused the least pain to my knee. You know, it was never so bad that I felt I couldn't go on, but I know I need to take it easy. I can't rush the healing process - even though it is making me NUTS that I can't run like I'm used to.

Now that I'm home, iced and showered, my knee is quite stiff. It actually feels worse now than when I first left the gym. This is maddening!

I have my final long run next Saturday, the 22nd. It's 20 miles. After that we have two shorter runs, then the race.

Every Day And In Every Way . . .

. . . I'm getting better and better.

I've been cycling some this week and have not felt too badly. Tomorrow is supposed to be a 9 mile run. I'll be going to the gym and seeing how far I can get on the treadmill. I may end up finishing up on the elliptical or cycle. We'll just see.

I am SO close to my fundraising minimum! Less than $200 to go now! Thank you SO much to all my team members who are making this possible!

Baby Steps

Yesterday was tough. My knee was really hurting. I iced it several times during the day and obviously didn’t run or anything. Today I’m still resting and it feels a little better. If I walk slowly enough, I almost appear to be walking normally. I’ve been stretching frequently and icing as much as possible. Just the little bit of improvement today has been encouraging though. Hopefully I will be well enough to at least start cycling or swimming soon.

Remember, I am still several hundred dollars from my minimum and my fundraising deadline is fast approaching! You can still come in under the wire for a 2007 tax deductible donation. Rather than a typical Christmas gift, consider a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of a friend or family member – particularly for someone on your list that has everything, or someone who has also dealt with the effects of cancer. An honorary gift eliminates a lot of shopping stress for the giver, saves the recipient the hassle of storing yet one more thing and can make a real difference in the fight against cancer.

Click on the link to the right or mail a check directly to me. Email me at jamn3kids@yahoo.com if you have questions.

And please forward the link to my blog on to others you know who might like to become a part of my team!

I will be wrapping gifts at Barnes & Noble in Boise on December 20th from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. Donations will be accepted and will go toward my fundraising efforts. Stop by and see me and help fill the donation jar!

@*%#@%&#!!!

Well, I did it again. Started out too fast and hurt myself. This time I was feeling it by mile 6. My right knee this time – last time it was my left.

Our route today took us from Municipal Park to Lucky Peak, nine miles out and nine miles back. I was barely moving by the time I reached Lucky Peak. Just walking was excruciating. After about a mile back, I gave up trying to run at all. Coach Mike gave me a knee brace, then I was able to get a decent walking pace going with a stiff as a board right leg. As long as I didn’t even slightly bend my knee, it was manageable. So it was a looooooong remaining 8 miles. I didn’t even bother to think about trying the 19th mile. Today was not the day.

What was so frustrating was that I never got fatigued. With the exception of my knee (and my right hip a little), my body was feeling great and I was anxious to run. But that one thing made running impossible. It was just maddening. I’ve never been so SICK and TIRED of walking!!

But I finished. I was offered a ride back a couple of times, but I couldn’t bear the thought of not completing the course. It was about all I could do to bend and sit down in my car once I got back. I made it home, iced my knee then took a wonderful hot shower to get the chill out of my bones.

So this week I will lay off quite a bit, let my knee heal and hope for a pain free 9 miles next Saturday.

Let It Snow . . .

. . . but not today.

I'm getting ready for my 19 mile run today and have awakened to a thin layer of snow on the ground. It snowed a little yesterday afternoon after raining all day. Today is supposed to be cloudy, but no more precipitation. I'm counting on that.

I'll let you all know how it goes today!

Hodge Podge

Hoo boy. Once again, lots to catch up on here.

Most importantly I’d like to ask you all for your prayers for my running buddy, Becky. She has started experiencing some serious pain with these longer runs. After visiting a chiropractor, she discovered she has some long time injuries that are just now being aggravated by the intensity of her training. She needs to decide if she can continue training now and complete this upcoming race or if she needs to bow out, recover and shoot for the next one. I certainly will miss her company and encouragement if she has to postpone, but the most important thing is for her to take care of herself. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers and she makes her decision.

The weather provided some small challenges this week, so I’ve spent more time on the treadmill than usual. That’s been good though as it gets me more accustomed to running in a warmer temperature. And I’m feeling pretty adept with the machine now. This Saturday is a long run – 18 miles. Anita-Nell suggested I try and put in 19 and then do 22 rather than 20 on my next and final long run. That will get me much closer to the actual 26.2 I’ll be doing in Phoenix. The thinking is this: If I run 22 miles before the marathon, when I get to the race itself and I hit that 22 mile mark, I will only have 4.2 miles left to go. Mentally, I can set myself up to thinking, “This is just a morning run now. I can do this, no problem.” So that’s my game plan and we’ll see how Saturday goes. It’s going to be cold, but not rainy or snowy. Yeay!

The P.F. Chang’s Rock N Roll Marathon sent me an email announcing the headliner band for the victory party after the race. It’s going to be Kool & the Gang! How kool is that! There will even be a costume contest, so I’m looking forward to dressing up, disco style and having a blast! I will have quite the cheering section there in Phoenix, so I’ll have lots of dance partners! My dad and brother are driving down together from Salem, my friends Julie and Rex will be coming from Boise and my friend Heidi is coming over from Texas. I’m overwhelmed! I didn’t even think in the beginning that people would actually go all the way to Phoenix just to see me run this race! That means so much to me! I love you guys!!

Only 5 1/2 weeks to go! (insert excited/terrified scream here)

As You Wish

As requested by my big brother, here is a picture of me in the sweatshirt he sent for my birthday. I LOVE IT! Thank you!!

And, just for fun, here are a couple pictures of my goofy kids.

Carson, age 8, and feeling MUCH better today, along with Hailey, age 6, who never misses an opportunity to tease her brother.


My now TEENAGE son, Gabe. Hugs, anyone?

Happy (Late) Thanksgiving

I have much to catch up on here! I had a few days break from my usual routine over the Thanksgiving holiday. My kids were on a trip with their dad, so I only had myself to worry about for a change. When I run during the week at 5:00 a.m. I can't see much of my neighborhood. Last week I actually got to run in the daylight! On Thanksgiving Day, I ran alongside my friend Julie while she rode her bike. I tried to keep to a slow and steady pace while holding her dog's leash - a bit challenging as Molly is an energetic, curious pooch!

I enjoyed a fabulous Thanksgiving meal at my friend Lisa's house. Her family was there as well as some close friends. It was a wonderfully relaxing afternoon of delicious food and fantastic company. I am so thankful for God's overwhelming provision for me and my kids. We have so much - both in tangible things and in lives filled to overflowing with the best kind of loved ones.

Saturday morning was the "highlight" of the break with my 16 mile run. It was not the nightmare of the 12, but definitely not so breezy as the 14. I have concluded that one must approach these long runs with awe and respect. You can't go into a long run terrified or thinking, "I can't do this." But you also can't treat them lightly. I don't believe I rested or ate the way I really should have in preparation for 16 miles. But I survived it. I did ok. Becky kept me going! After my ice bath and probably 45 minute shower, I finally felt refreshed enough to leave the house again. But I was walking like an old, old lady the rest of the day.

Sunday was better, but stairs were still an issue. And then - magically - Monday morning I hit the ground running . . . literally! It was WAY cold that morning when I met Alicia and Anita Nell. (Alicia's ankle is slowly improving and I'm so glad to have her back in the mornings! Whatta trooper!) But I had SO much energy and felt SO great! I was just amazed!

I had to take today off due to a sick little boy. Carson was up sick several times in the night and I just didn't feel right leaving the house this morning. This was only the second time I have missed a day on my training schedule. I think that's pretty OK.

I got a birthday package from my brother today. In it were two shirts for the marathon I'm running in January. One is a Team In Training shirt that says "If you think running a marathon is tough . . . try chemotherapy." The other is a super soft red hoodie sweatshirt with Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon on the front. The sleeve says "Rock On! Arizona" on it.

I do believe that my mom knows just what I'm up to and why, but I so wish she were here and that I could see her standing at that finish line when I cross it. She was such an encourager and loved rock and roll! That is why I have chosen this particular event to participate in. I know I'll be an emotional wreck the day of my race. I'll be thinking of her with each band along the route and at the victory concert afterward.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yesterday was my 36th birthday. What a great day! I received a number of serenades - most of which were the traditional lyrics. Only a couple opted for the "you look like a monkey and you smell like one too" version. I received lots of great cards and gifts and even Disney Princess cupcakes! Thanks to my friends and family who made my birthday a super fantastic day!

Here's Gabe and I at Flying Pie Pizza. No, Gabe is not trying to look like he just walked out of a Shakespeare play. That's actually a cheeseburger on his head. And that's Winky the Lobster on my head. I could have sworn it had two eyes when I put it on . . .

Feed Me Seymour

Yes, it is 2:00 in the morning. I'm no longer much of a night owl these days, so I was pretty much turning into a pumpkin by 10:00 tonight. But then I was awakened at 1:00 by (in the words of Pooh) a rumbly in my tumbly. I tried to just go back to sleep, but there was no way. I am amazed at how much I can eat these days. I've always been a lover of food, but all this running has taken that love to even greater heights.

The 7 miles on the treadmill was great today. All together I walked maybe 8 minutes out of the whole run!

I must back up though. Before this week I had never, NEVER been on a treadmill. I'd seen people jogging away on the machines and they made it look pretty simple. One foot in front of the other, right?

I believe it was Monday that I tried the treadmill at my gym for the first time. I felt pretty awkward, but managed to keep my feet under me as I jerked along. Well, I had my iPod on the little shelf directly in front of me and kept hitting the cord with my arm. That would pull the iPod right off the shelf and it would end up dangling in front of me. I'd pull it up by the cord, put it back on the shelf and try to keep my arms out of the way. Well, that cord kept swinging, so I kept hitting it. Finally, I hit the cord so hard that the iPod came disconnected from the headphones and fell down on the treadmill belt! Of course I looked down to see where it landed and make sure I didn't step on it or anything. That's when the stumbling and grabbing for the bars began before I developed the presence of mind to push the stop button! The iPod went shooting off the end of the treadmill and landed face down on the floor. Somehow, thankfully, I did not do the same, but it was pretty touch and go. And fortunately the gym doesn't start getting really crowded until closer to 6:00 when I'm leaving.

I know now to run the headphone cord under my shirt and tuck my iPod in the little pocket of my shorts. And to use the treadmill in the furthest corner of the room.

Well, I've finished my snack, so I think I'll try and get back to sleep. Good night!

The Words of My Father

How many times did I hear my dad make comments about stores that opened late? "What? They don't open until 9:00? The day's half over by then!" Until now, I never really shared that sentiment. I was a big fan of sleeping in and didn't really care what was open before about 10:00. But today, I heard my father's words coming out of my mouth.

It's been rainy here the last couple of days and since today is only a 7 mile run, I figured I'd just hit the treadmill rather than run at the park with my team. Anita-Nell suggested getting in some runs on the treadmill anyway to get used to running in warmer weather to prepare for Phoenix. So I was wide awake by 6:00 this morning. I put on my shorts, grabbed my iPod and headed to the gym.

No cars in the parking lot. Completely dark building. The sign says they don't open until 8:00!! Are you kidding me? I wanted to be DONE by 8:00! I'd like to actually have a DAY! Well, my gym is the smallest of all the gyms I have membership to, so I decided to try the newest one that is much bigger. It's not too far from my house, so I toodled over there, confident that it would at LEAST open at 7:00 for Pete's sake! Once again, empty parking lot. Dark building. Stinkin' 8:00 again! I couldn't believe it!

So, now that I've finished griping, it's finally almost 8:00. I'm off to the treadmill.

Running Buddy!

Thanks so much Anita-Nell for meeting me this morning for a great run! I enjoyed getting to know you and hope we can run together more! And thank you for the cold weather running gear - what a blessing!

I've been kind of hitting a wall this week. I felt like I was coming down with a cold or something, so I've been at the gym rather than running. Also, my faithful Alicia hurt her ankle and has not been able to run with me. If Anita Nell had not been coming to meet me today, I may not have made it out of bed . . . But, as usual, I'm SO glad I did get up! Great company and a great run! It was a cold clear morning and the stars were AMAZING!

I will post later about Anita-Nell's history. She is planning on running all the Rock N Roll Marathons and Half Marathons this year - a total of 7. For now let's just say, if you thought I'd never be a runner, wait until you hear her story . . .

Eye of the Tiger, Baby

Thanks, my friends, for your encouragement and prayers for this morning!

I was so scared about doing 14 miles today. After my discouraging 12 miles two weeks ago, I was really terrified about this run.

Well, for the first time, I must say . . .

I ROCK!

It was a FANTASTIC run! I was energized and excited at the half way point and had to be careful not to push myself too much. I still had 7 miles to go! As we neared the end, I started to get sore and tired, but never experienced the injury type pain I had before. When we headed into the last mile and a half, I was SO pumped! I couldn't believe how great I was feeling and that we had DONE it!! What an amazing experience!

And I'm not as sore after this run as I was last time. When I stopped at my usual Quick Stop to get ice, I actually bounced up onto the sidewalk to go into the store. Usually it's about all I can do to just lift my leg up onto that curb.

Thanks, Becky, for being my running buddy! It was great spending the nearly 3 hours with you this morning. Thanks to my coach and my mentor for keeping us encouraged as we ran. Thanks to all my fantastic friends who not so gently told me to knock off the negative attitude that said, "I can't do this! I'm so terrified!" Instead, they told me, "You can do this! You rock!"

And thank you, Lord, for the strength to finish strong and for holding off the rain. I asked my friend Lisa to pray for the rain to stay away until the afternoon. Well, it rained all over the valley this morning, but never a drop on us as we ran. Then on the way home at 12:04 it started raining on me!

You know, some people run the distance we ran today and end up with a medal. We did a half marathon and then some. So, for you Becky, here's your medal:

Slugs and Chihuahuas

My dear friend, Code Name KW, said I needed to blog about this.

I understand it’s true among runners that some days you just can’t seem to get into your run. It happens. Wednesday was one of those days for me. I told Alicia I felt like a slug. It may have had something to do with the “migraine hangover” I was experiencing. I get migraines pretty regularly and I had had a particularly painful and tenacious one the night before. For whatever reason, I had the hardest time putting one foot in front of the other Wednesday morning.

But then there was yesterday.

My daughter, Hailey, is a big fan of the recent movie Hairspray. We have been listening to the soundtrack in our car almost daily, much to the chagrin of my two older boys. Hailey loves all kinds of musicals and, well, let’s face it, Zac Efron.


She’s 6 years old and already her room is covered with teen magazine posters from High School Musical 2. Anyway, I digress.

Fortunately I share Hailey’s love of musicals, so my iPod was armed with the more energetic selections from Hairspray when I hit the gym Thursday morning.

Rather than a slug day, I had what I like to call a Chihuahua day. When I’m running, a Chihuahua day finds me practically prancing next to Alicia or darting back and forth from one side of the street to the other trying to run farther or faster. At the gym, I’m going a super speed on the elliptical and smiling!

Ok, little Chester here is actually a terrier, but this was the image and attitude I was imagining.

By the time I reluctantly stopped myself it was ten minutes later than I should have stayed. I have a pretty tight schedule in the mornings in order to get out the door by 7:30 with all three kids. So ten minutes can just about break a morning for me. But we made it!

So now I can just say whether I had a Chihuahua day or a slug day, and y’all will know just what I mean.

Nothing Wasted

A dear friend of mine lost her mom very suddenly over the weekend. I was so surprised at the intense feelings it brought up in me. My heart just broke for her and for her children who have lost their grandma.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I wouldn't really understand what she is going through without having gone through it myself. So loss and tears do not have to be a waste.

Bless you, my friend. I love you and am praying for you.

Novembrrrrrrr

It's getting mighty chilly around here in the mornings. When you walk on the grass and it crunches, that treadmill starts looking more and more appealing.

Saturday I met Becky at the park to run 7 miles. Our regular team run was off, so we were on our own. We met at a different park than usual, so at least a good chunk of the run was a change of scenery. It was a beautiful morning with the sun just starting to come up when we arrived at the park. We ran along the river and admired the mist rising off the surface of the water.

The run went fine. It's weird to think of running that far and saying, "Oh, ONLY 7 miles." By the end my knees were pretty sore though, so I'm apprehensive about next weekend's 14 miles.

The Moment of Truth

This week is recommitment. It is the time when we team members evaluate our training and fundraising progress and decide if we will continue with Team in Training. At 5:00 am when I am heaving myself out of bed to go run in the cold and dark, bagging out can feel pretty tempting! After a particularly challenging experience, like the pain from last Saturday's run, it seems like kind of a nice idea to just quit! But it only takes half a second to remember why I’m doing this. It’s not to impress anyone with my amazing athletic ability. It’s not for the pride of saying, "I can do 26.2." It’s not to challenge myself with something I never imagined I could do. It’s not even to get myself in better physical health, although that is an important benefit I’m receiving. And it’s certainly not because I had time on my hands and needed something to do!

I remember my mom who underwent a stem cell transplant in March of this year. She chose that path, her only medical avenue to fight for life. Over the following five months, she endured a tremendous range of difficulties, side effects, sickness, discouragement, anxiety, fatigue and pain. But she had no choice once that wheel was set in motion. She had to endure. Every day.

I have the choice to opt out of all this. I could just throw in the towel. No more early mornings. No more time taken away from my kids. No more sore muscles, painful shin splints or throbbing knees. I could choose to make it all go away.

But really there is no choice. I must endure to honor my mom and the struggles she faced. I can endure my own five months of struggles just as she did. Because of who she was to me and her example of perseverance, I will endure.

The purple bracelets my teammates and I wear say Train Endure Achieve Matter. If you are reading this and have chosen to support me financially by donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, you are part of my TEAM and I so appreciate you.


If you have not yet given, please consider a donation. I still have about $1,200 that I am required to raise by January! You may use the link to the right and donate using a credit card. If you prefer to send a check directly to me, please contact me at jamn3kids@yahoo.com.

Twelve Miles!

Thank you so much to everyone who shared encouragement with me this last week. I know I’m not alone and I’m thankful for you all, my friends and family, who care about me and for me!

Saturday’s 12 miles was a little bit of a setback. None of my running buddies who share my pokey pace were there this time. I hooked up with some other women who are typically out in front of me, and I worked hard to keep up so I wouldn’t end up running alone. Well, the pace was just too fast for me. At around 10.6 miles my knee decided it had had enough running. It began hurting very suddenly and within just a couple minutes I couldn’t run anymore. After walking quite a bit it seemed to loosen up a little and I was able to run another short stretch. Then again, it ended up just being too painful and I hobbled most of the last mile.

I know I pushed myself too hard for such a long run. My total time for the 12 miles was only 8 minutes longer than the 10 miles I had done two weeks prior. Definitely too fast.

I went home and sat up to my hips in a bathtub of ice water. Sorry, no pictures. Nobody wants to see that.

On the upside, I did pretty ok on Sunday, I’m sure thanks to the ice bath. Only descending the stairs was a problem. Monday I was able to run more than I had expected and today it’s not feeling too bad. I can tell it’s still a little tender, so I’m not pushing myself. I don’t think I’ve done any major damage and I’d like to keep it that way!

Rebound

Last week was tough recovering from the 10 mile run, but I showed up Saturday for a 6 mile run feeling pretty self-assured. After all, I’d done 6 miles or more 4 times already! No problem! Cake!

Oof. It was harder than I had thought! I did increase my running time. And there was a big ol’ hill. And it was really humid . . . Ok, it was just a more difficult day than I had anticipated. One encouragement was that I was not the only one who felt that way. My running buddy, Becky, was tired as well. But we kept each other moving. I sure enjoyed her company and conversation!

My dad came to visit for the weekend so when I got home from running, he got the pleasure of observing my trash can of ice ritual. He played Wii tennis with me to pass the twenty minutes. It helped take my mind off the pain!

But the beautiful thing is, I hit the ground running (pun intended) on Monday! Finally, I was back to the energy level of the week before the 10 miles. Alicia and I braved the dark and cold and, once again, I ran the whole time. Alicia went inside after about 45 minutes, but I kept on going. I didn’t want to stop!

The rest of this week has been emotionally difficult for me with a lot of personal struggles. Not the least of which is the reality of missing my mom. With me having lived so far away from her for so many years, the loss hasn’t hit home every single day. But this week has been hard. Sometimes, even when she’s all grown up, a girl just needs to talk to her mom. I do believe she knows what I’m doing and is pulling for me.

I’m not having any trouble with overconfidence about this Saturday’s run. Twelve miles is intimidating. We shall see . . .

Timely Encouragement

Saturday’s 10 mile run was challenging. The first 8 miles were fine considering I’d done it before. Even mile 9 was reasonably manageable. But that 10th mile . . . ugh. There was no feeling of “I could have just kept on going!” after this run. Then I had the joy of icing my legs for 20 minutes at home afterward. The entire rest of the day I was sore and exhausted. Sunday morning I was still walking stiffly and struggling to go up or down stairs.

I started to get pretty concerned. Maybe I didn’t train well enough or correctly the previous week. If I can barely squeak through 10 miles and then pay dearly with soreness, will I ever really be able to survive this 26.2 thing? Did I hit a wall that I won't ever be able to get past?

Sunday afternoon we took an easy relaxing bike ride around the neighborhood which felt good, but still the soreness lingered afterward. Monday morning I was nowhere near the energy and excitement level I’d had the last time I ran with Alicia. I slogged through the abbreviated morning run and hobbled up the stairs to the shower afterward.

Then today, our team’s running coach, Mike, sent out an email that was just what I needed to hear. Here are some tidbits:

"Wow! We're very proud of all y'all for how well you are doing in the training. More importantly, you should be very proud of yourselves.

As we get into longer times on the road, many of us have concerns and questions about our progress. One of the concerns is "How in the world am I going to be able to be out there for 4 to 6 hours, or more, when I'm barely able to make it 2 hours?

This question enters everyone's mind at some point of the training. No worries, mate. I've been watching all of you, and believe me, "you look maahvelous!"

Approximately every other week, we're increasing the time we spend on the road by 30 to 60 minutes. Should your muscles be sore? Of course. Expect them to be sore, plan for them to be sore, look forward to them being sore. This kind of pain is weakness leaving the body. Muscle soreness is a result of working the muscles more than they're used to. The muscles rebuild, stronger, over the next day or two of rest and recovery. Active rest the next day helps prevent you from stiffening up and keeps blood flowing to the muscles so they get the nutrients they need. The harder you work now, the more fun you'll have during your event. 4-5 hrs of fun vs. 6-8 hrs of misery; you choose (that's for runners, walkers extrapolate).

I have no doubt that each of you is capable of accomplishing your goal and completing your event. You're reaching levels of fitness that you may not have ever had before in your life. You are becoming stronger, in body and mind. Believe it."

I’ll tell ya, there would be no making it through this without my mentors, coaches and teammates. This program has benefited me both physically and emotionally. Right now I AM at a level of fitness and achievement that I never would have even dreamed I could reach. And I’ve been able to cope with losing my mom by turning that loss into something positive for others. What a blessing this whole experience has been so far with all its ups and downs, exhilarations and pains, victories and struggles.

I Run! I'm A Runner! I Run!

Wednesday. Five a.m. An unseasonably warm morning. Yet a morning like any other. A morning that finds me hating to drag my carcass out of my cozy bed. I still don't really believe I can actually DO all this.

But today was different. Today, I became a runner.

I headed out with my fearless friend Alicia and a new friend Sarah. I didn't bother setting up intervals on my watch and we just took off running. With the exception of about two short pauses to walk just a little and one stretching break, I ran the WHOLE 50 minutes. Yes, it was my shorter stride with more steps per minute as dictated by the physical therapist. It was no speedy pace, but it was steady! I couldn't tell you how far we went since we zig zagged all over our neighborhood, but I was BLOWN AWAY by the fact that I could run the WHOLE time!! And TALK at the same time!!

I just let the legs do the work. That's my secret.

Zip This!

My ziplining weekend at Tamarack was a BLAST! I had not yet been up to see this new resort near Donnelly, Idaho. The time of year was perfect for enjoying the fall colors. The bright, vivid golds of the aspens and the fiery reds contrasted with the green pines were absolutely breathtaking! There was just a touch of snow on the top of the mountains and Saturday was sunny, brisk and perfect for our trek!


First we enjoyed a peaceful, long ski lift ride to the top of the mountain.


From there we spent the next four hours hiking down the mountain, zipping, hiking down, zipping, then hiking some more. Altogether we rode 8 different ziplines ranging up to 950 feet long and over 200 feet above the ground! One zip landed us in a treehouse built around the trunk of an enormous pine, 105 feet up! The last zip required us to traverse two rope bridges and sent us through a beautiful glen that reminded us of Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. When they sent us off that one, we couldn't even see through the trees to where the end was! Each one was unique and fantastic!


My girlfriends and I (and Hoyt, the only guy - what a good sport HE was!) had a blast being wacky, teasing the guides and shrieking war cries as we sailed across the cables. I am sure I heard Godzilla somewhere on the mountain . . . and maybe even Sasquatch!


Tamarack is a beautiful community and I so appreciate our friends Hoyt and Teresa allowing us to stay with them at their home nestled among the trees. It was a tremendous treat for me and the timing was perfect. We all spent a lot of time relaxing before and after the ziplining tour, including stargazing from the warmth of the hot tub. Lupe treated us to taco chipotle soup and chorizo con papas (Que delicioso!) for our dinners, and Julie prepared homemade muffins and scones for our breakfasts! Let me say, our little group knows how to eat and eat well!


Overall, it was a much needed get away for me. After the last month of stress, I was ready to disappear in the mountain for a couple of days and not have to worry about an agenda. We went to bed early both nights, so I got well caught up on my sleep and came home Sunday refreshed and feeling ready to tackle the next several weeks!

My Friend The Hobbit

I don't often think about just how freakishly tall I am . . . I mean, LOOK at me! Take a look at where my friend Lisa's elbow hits me!! I look like Gigantor!

Well, I guess that would be true if Lisa were actually of normal height . . .

I love you, Lisa!

Light The Night

The kids and some of my dear friends and I participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk last night. The kids and I did this event last year.

The walk started at Ann Morrison Park, went down to the capitol building, then came back to the park. It got dark shortly after we started, so the blinking lights inside our red balloons were quite a site to see throughout the crowds of participants. I'll have to get back to you on exactly how much was raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Last year, I believe it was well over $100,000 and the turn out this year was MUCH greater.

It was my mom’s goal to do the Light the Night Walk with us this year. We miss you, Mom and Grandma.

Do I HAVE to?

I met with a physical therapist on Thursday to see about these horrible shin splints. First, he confirmed that I do indeed have actual shin splints. He said that at least half of the time people assume they have shin splints when really they have simply fatigue of the muscles running along the sides of their shins. I am not one of THAT half. The pain I experience is right along the center ridge of my shin bone. I’ve EARNED ACTUAL shin splints!!

The solution? Well, he gave me some very good information and things to do to both treat and prevent. First, he helped me increase the effectiveness of my calf stretches – tight calf muscles are related to shin splints. Then he told me to increase my cadence, which is basically how many steps I take when I run. Here I’d thought a longer stride would help when really I need to take more steps. Being tall, it’s easy to tend toward too long of a stride. I’m also only supposed to run 3 days a week and I should try to stay to softer surfaces – avoid the asphalt greenbelt and sidewalks. So I’ll run on my own two days a week, hit the elliptical or cycle two or three days a week, then do my long team runs on Saturdays. All this sounds very well and good. No problem.

BUT he also said I need to ice my legs after my long runs. And I don’t mean little Ziploc baggies of ice sitting on my shins. He suggested actually sticking my legs in the RIVER – that would be ideal! If that’s not possible, he said to sit in a tub of ICE water covering my legs for 20 minutes. YIKES!

Today I did my 6 miles with Julie on her bike and Terry running with me (actually I'm pretty sure we did more than 6 miles - again, we had trouble measuring).

Near the end of the run I had to decide what would be worse – to continue running or to quit but have to go home to the tub of ice. I figured the ice was inevitable either way. On the way home, Terry got me thinking and I decided to fill up my kitchen trash can with 4 bags of ice and water and just stick my legs in that! I just couldn’t bear the thought of a numb bum, so this was a GREAT alternative. My daughter brought me a stool, so I spent most of the twenty minutes sitting in front of the fireplace with my legs in bitterly cold ice water watching PBS. My sweet boy, Carson, rubbed my back the whole time, but OH the PAIN!! At least for the first 10 minutes. After that it was a dull ache as the numbness had taken hold. Ugh.



Right now, I’m thawed, showered and dressed in a warm sweater and wooly socks. I’m leaving this evening for a weekend with some girlfriends at Tamarack Resort. We are going to enjoy some relaxing, eating and hot tubbing and, most importantly, the four hour hike and ziplining tour! I’ll blog and post pictures of THAT for sure! Here’s the link if you want to see what I’m getting myself into: http://www.tamarackidaho.com/summer_adventure/zipline.php

I don’t know who all reads this, but thanks so much to my cheerleaders and financial supporters. I couldn’t do this without you! And I wouldn’t soak my legs in ice water for just ANYBODY! : )

Party Time!

Here's me with my dad, Terry, and Terry's brother and sister-in-law at the after movie party. We had such a great time! I had to ask my dad when the last time was he went to a bar on a Saturday night! He had no response . . .

The Purple Carpet . . . Well, Balloons Actually

Here are a couple photos of last weekend's run in Salem. My friend Terry and fellow overachiever made the run so much more fun with his company - he's one of my best cheerleaders!



And I swear I'm NOT stealing those balloons from this cute little girl. Really.

Pictures!

As promised, here are some pictures from the after movie party last weekend. Ron Livingston and Michael Sheen are the two main actors from Music Within. HAD to get my picture with them! I'm not savvy enough with this blog to get multiple pictures on a post with corresponding captions, so for now I will have to create a separate post to go with each picture. Sorry about that. If anyone knows the secret (like my friend Hillary . . .) please feel free to share your knowledge with me. : )

Hobnobbing & Hurting

Well, after my accidental 7.52 run I felt pretty good. We had a great time the remainder of our trip visiting with my dad and brother and some of Terry’s family. We got to attend an invitation-only movie screening in Portland Saturday night and a party afterward. We spent some time visiting with some of the actors and filmmakers in attendance since Terry’s brother-in-law is the author (and subject) of the book on which the film is based. (I’ll try and post pictures later.) The movie, Music Within, is being released by MGM this fall in a number of large cities, so if it comes to your town I highly recommend you see it. It was enlightening and touching and boasts a fantastic cast. Click on the link to the right to visit the site and view the trailer.

We came home Sunday and I was back in the saddle running on Monday with Gabe and his cross country team. Then by the time I finished my run on Tuesday I was in some pretty serious pain from shin splints. Apart from one blister, this was my first brush with a training setback. I did a lot of reading about treatment and prevention of shin splints, so decided not to run the rest of the week. I did some strength training on Wednesday with my faithful friend and neighbor, Alicia, then worked out on the elliptical on Thursday -- I love that machine! I could have worked out on that thing all day! -- Friday was my rest day, so by Saturday’s team training session I was feeling much better.

Saturday morning I arrived at the park just before 8:00 am to meet the team and do our 8 miles. It was the absolute COLDEST day in months! I’m talking see-your-breath cold! We had a short clinic about nutrition, then prepared to head out. I stopped off in the bathroom and when I came out, everyone was GONE. I ended up having to run like a mad woman to catch up with a group of four women who were running similar intervals and at a pace I could live with.

We jumped into a 5 minute running 2 minute walking cycle which was more running than I have been accustomed to. That combined with the speedy running I put in trying to catch these gals in the first place made for a tiring first half. Right around the half way point, as I was struggling up a loooooong steady slope with Francine, we dropped our intervals back to 4 minutes and 2 minutes. Then once we turned around, headed back down the slope and began the second half of the run, everything got SO much easier! It’s a freakish phenomenon that the last 4 miles of an 8 mile run are easier than the first 4. But I finished strong and my shins are doing fairly well. And thank you to Francine for being my running buddy this time. It was so great talking with her - our conversation made all the difference. She was so encouraging, being someone who has been through training and done a marathon with Team in Training once before. And still she came back for more!

OVER ACHIEVERS

Last Saturday, Sept. 22nd, I was in Salem again visiting my family and friends, so I had to make up my long run. It was to be 7 miles. Each week since I started training, we have added one mile to our distance on Saturdays when we run as a team. This was to be, once again, the longest distance I had ever run.

My friend, Terry, had joined me this trip and we planned to run together at Minto Brown Island Park – the same park I ran in the last time I was in Salem. See my entry on September 17th to read about this fantastic park.

We arrived at the park just after 7:00 am and were greeted with bunches of purple balloons, banners, snacks and marked routes. I was wondering who had put out the welcome mat JUST for me! : )

Well, it turns out there was a Domestic Violence Awareness 5K/10K Run/Walk happening that morning at 8:30. Since a 10K is 6.2 miles, we planned to run the course they had laid out, plus a little more to make our 7 miles. Reader’s Digest version, we misunderstood the directions and took a bigger loop than we were supposed to. After adding up all our stretches on the map, we discovered we had done 7.52!

So I showed up this last Saturday, Sept. 29th, not quite so scared of the 8 mile run! More about that to come soon . . .

Half Way There!

Wow! As of today, I have received just over 50% of the minimum amount of funds I need to participate in my race in January!

To go to Phoenix, I need to raise at least $3650. Of that amount, 25% goes toward my travel, lodging and registration and the remaining 75% goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fund research and patient services. Anything that comes in beyond that minimum goes 100% to the Society! I have chosen a goal of $5000, above and beyond my required minimum. That would mean a total of $4087.50 going toward the goal of finding a cure for thousands of current and countless future cancer patients. I hope to reach that goal and even to surpass it!

A great big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated and become part of my team! You all ROCK!



If you are interested in joining my team by helping me raise the remainder of my goal, please check out the link to the right that says Contribute On Line. Or contact me at jamn3kids@yahoo.com.

"Cheek" This Out

Last spring I organized a drive through my kids’ school to encourage parents, teachers and friends to join the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. This event was a success resulting in a number of people joining and awareness of the program itself being raised among countless others.

Each year, more than 30,000 patients are diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or another life-threatening disease treatable by a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Of those patients, seventy percent are unable to find a matching donor within their family and must turn to the National Marrow Donor Program to find a suitable donor. The process for joining the registry is quick and painless and the potential risks for being a donor are minimal.

My mom was a recipient of a stem cell transplant in March 2007 which did cure the leukemia. Unfortunately because of the advanced stage of her disease, it was the recovery from the procedure, the repeated infections and complications that were too much for her to overcome. When faced with the decision to go ahead with the risky transplant, my mom said, “I have to fight for life!” I don’t even know his name, but I thank God for the man who was willing to take the time to give of himself in order to give my mom a chance at life.

I joined the National Marrow Donor Program through our local hospital, St. Luke’s, completed the entire process through the mail and it cost me nothing but a few minutes of my time. Reader’s Digest version - I filled out a questionnaire, swabbed the inside of my cheeks with a big Q-Tip and POOF! That was it!

I highly recommend checking out the NMDP and considering becoming a potential donor. You could be the one, a hero to save a life!

Complete information is available at www.marrow.org or you can call 1-800-MARROW-2.

New Plan of Attack

One of my biggest obstacles to overcome in this adventure with Team in Training has been and continues to be balancing all the training time with my role as a mother.

I am a single mom with three kids attending two different private school campuses, both of which are nowhere near where I live or work. Just the challenge of getting them all to and from school, working a job, preparing decent meals and keeping up with a home is enough to keep me up to my eyeballs. Add to that the fact that each of my children are involved in extracurricular activities – Gabe is currently in cross country, Math Counts, youth group and running for student government, Carson is in karate and Hailey is taking tap/jazz dance class. There is the ongoing battle of keeping up with the mountains of homework as well – a real sore spot for a former homeschooling family. We attend church regularly and are involved with our “family” there. And somewhere in there we do try to spend time with friends and with each other as a family. Needless to say the recent events with my mom and all the traveling and stress involved have not helped matters.

Now add to that a rigorous training schedule with TNT.

After yet another somewhat grueling and discouraging time running and doing drills and sprints with Gabe's cross country team yesterday afternoon, I finally came to a conclusion. I need to be a morning runner. I’ve adamantly avoided early morning ANYTHING in the past, not being a morning person (note serious understatement here). Of course, I never wanted to be a runner person either (once again, major understatement). Now I’m finding those two things go over much better when they go together. By the afternoon, having had a full day of kid shuttling and work, it’s hard to get into a good run. Also, up until now it has been hot in the afternoons – anywhere from the upper 80s to nearly 100. The last few runs I’ve done in the morning, however, have been satisfying and even exhilarating.

So today, I was up at 5:00 am and outside my house stretching with my dear friend and neighbor, Alicia, at 5:15 am. She volunteered to run with me today even though she is neither a morning person nor a runner person. That girl was a serious trooper on this quite chilly morning in the dark! We ran 4 and 2 minute intervals for 35 minutes or so then cooled down a little with a walk around the block. My energy level, attitude and endurance ability were tremendously better than any afternoon run of comparable time or distance. What a difference!

And now I’m done for the day. I’m looking forward to picking my kids up from school then taking Carson to karate and actually sticking around to watch him rather than running off (literally). The afternoon and evening are our own. (Insert contented sigh here.)

Now Here's A First!

I actually was excited BEFORE running yesterday. Usually I’m pretty pumped up when I’m done, but apprehensive before. I still have my doubts about if I can even DO this!

So Sunday morning we all planned to head home again after spending the weekend with family for my mom’s service. I had taken Saturday off from running and needed to get in a good run in the morning before we left.

Just down the hill from my brother’s house is a nearly 900 acre preserve called Minto Brown Island Park. In 1990 I taught Outdoor School at this same park. I got to take 3rd and 4th grade kids on long walks and teach them about the environment, habitats, wildlife and conservation. It was such a fun job!

So I arrived with the kids before 7:00 am at the park entrance. Literally everywhere in this park are mountains of blackberry bushes! We pulled over and the kids and I enjoyed an early first breakfast of blackberries before we headed into the park! Julie and Keisha met us there and Keisha tackled the job of wrangling Carson and Hailey at the playground. Julie strapped on her roller blades and pads and came along with Gabe and me.

I can’t even begin to tell you how absolutely beautiful this park is. It has about 7 miles of paved trails and even more soft trails winding in and out of lush undergrowth and numerous types of trees. Some trails run alongside the Willamette River and others follow open fields. I did 3 miles running my new intervals of 4 minutes with 2 minutes walking. The watch I had was not great, so I think I did a couple 5 minute running stretches in there. It was a perfectly temperate, overcast morning and the scenery was gorgeous! What a great run!

Precious Memories

Last week I received a box of flowers from my teammates at Team in Training. It had been a hard day and it was a very timely encouragement. I’m so grateful for my team and I know I couldn’t do this without them. So if any of my teammates are reading this – THANK YOU!!

My mom’s memorial service on Saturday was a beautiful time. The church was packed and so many people shared the ways my mom had touched their lives over the years. Many of the guests I had never even met.

Most of all, my mom was remembered for being willing to help and encourage anyone in need regardless of their circumstances. She was full of grace and acceptance. Particularly during her illness, she could always build up those around her and quell their fears and worries. Much was shared about her love of music and how that was passed on to her kids. Her faith was the single most important thing to her and it made her the woman that she was – a fiercely dedicated, precious wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. After the service, someone told me I was strong like my mother. I think that is the highest compliment anyone has ever paid me. I can only hope to be half the woman my mom was.

Still Going . . .

Here’s my Friday Teammates, Keisha, Julie, Jill and me, in front of Jill’s ‘65 Pontiac.

This has been a different kind of week with my training. Monday I ran with my oldest son, Gabe. He is in Cross Country at school, so I go hook up with him on Monday afternoons and run with his small team. Gabe is not quite 13 and actually likes that I come and run with him. I’ll hang on to that as long as I can!

So in Cross Country we did some sprints which I have not done before. I had some pretty good muscle soreness going on after that.

Then Tuesday I ran while my middle son, Carson, was at karate. Typically I take my daughter Hailey with me and she rides her little bike. This week it was nearly 90, so I thought I’d let her try out riding in a stroller. She has been such a trooper riding her bike with me on other hot days, I figured it was time to let her have a break. Well, I didn’t count the cost ahead of time! Pushing a six year old girl in a heavy stroller that really is for strolling, definitely not for running – no wonder I was feeling it within a couple blocks! Yikes. But I still did my typical 2.5 miles or so in the half hour window during Carson’s karate class. So then I was REALLY sore.

Wednesday I took a cycling class at the gym. That was a fun change of scenery and a serious workout. It was also air conditioned as I’d had enough of the running in the heat. But I feel like my buns are bruised now!

Thursday I spent all day on my hiney at work, then all afternoon and evening on my hiney driving to Bend, Oregon. My mom’s memorial service is this Saturday, so we all piled in the van with my two friends, Julie and Keisha, caravaning behind us. We stopped at my friend Jill’s house in Bend and spent the night.

Friday morning was my day for the distance run. Normally I would have run Saturday with the team, but knowing I was going to miss that, I planned to make it up Friday morning while I was in Bend. Jill and Julie rode Pee-Wee Herman-like cruiser bicycles alongside me as I did my 6 miles. It was a beautiful, sunny, chilly morning. Up until now I have been running 3 minutes, then walking 2 minutes for my distance runs. This time I did 4 minutes and 2 minutes, plus did the longest distance yet AND it was hilly! Needless to say, the soreness is still around, but MAN it was a great run!

Runner Girl

This is me after my very first run with my team. We started off "slow" with a three mile run. But I was still smiling when it was over!

The best runs I have are those I run with my team Saturday mornings. I typically run with two ladies, Summer and Shelli. We three have comparable paces and enjoy talking and encouraging one another to pass the miles.

My neighbor was stunned to hear me use the words "great" and "run" in the same sentence after completing 5 miles with my team yesterday.

Going Home

No chilly wind, no poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore

Where sickness, sorrow, pain and death
Are felt and feared no more

Monday evening, September 3rd, my mom went home to be with the Lord. Thanks to the tremendous help of numerous friends, I was able to be on a plane to Portland within about three hours of receiving the call from my dad. My dad, brother and I all were there with my mom when she passed away. I am so thankful I was able to be there and am overwhelmed by the generosity of such fantastic friends.

I spent two days in Portland and Salem with my dad and brother getting some arrangements made and details taken care of. Tying things back into my training schedule, I got to go for a run/walk Tuesday morning in Salem while my dad rode his bike alongside me. He was even able to keep his bike upright with the tremendously slow pace at which I run! It was nice to have his company and I think he enjoyed that bit of involvement with what I’m doing.

I would so appreciate your prayers and thoughts for our family. My parents were married for 44 years and I know it will be a huge adjustment for my dad.

My New Adventure

Today marks one week since I began with Team in Training. For anyone who knows me very well, this is truly a remarkable event that I would participate in anything involving running. And after today’s run, I would even use the words awesome and run in the same sentence.

Let me back up a little. I am one of those people some love to hate. I have been able to maintain a reasonably slim figure without ever being one of “those” people who work out. In fact, I am embarrassed now to recall some of my comments regarding hapless victims I’ve seen running on the road or plodding away on treadmills.

Now I’ve chosen to dive in with both feet and join Team in Training, the largest endurance training program in the world. In addition to endurance training, Team in Training is primarily a fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Over the next 4 ½ months I will be physically training for a marathon in January while raising money to fund research in the hopes of there being a cure one day for blood cancers.

My motivation for beginning with Team in Training has been my fantastic mom. She was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in June of 2004. She underwent numerous types of chemotherapy and then a stem cell transplant in March. Because of the advanced stage and aggressive form of her disease and her age and physical condition at the time of the transplant, she has not recovered as we had hoped. She is currently in intensive care at OHSU in Portland. Her prognosis is not good. With me being over 400 miles away, I have felt so helpless in this out of control situation. Although I do know that ultimately God is in control and my mom is in His hands, I am the type of personality that feels better having something tangible to do to help in difficult circumstances. Through Team in Training I have found a way to grab ahold of this situation and feel like I’m doing something that matters. I may not be able to directly help my mom, but I pray that the work I’m doing here, the money that is raised through my team and teams like mine, will be the key to help someone else’s mom, sister, cousin, child or friend.

Having never run a step, this is all just a little terrifying. However, I cannot say enough about the Team in Training program and my fellow teammates. In one short week, I’ve gone from a dread of running and gasping like Jack Bauer on 24 to feeling tired after a 4 mile run/walk, but feeling so positive that I think I might actually be able to do this!

Please take the time to visit my fundraising site and consider making a donation. By financially supporting my efforts and benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, you will become an irreplaceable part of the team.

www.active.com/donate/tntidmo/jam

I would also very much appreciate your prayers and thoughts as I’m out running and most importantly for my mom as she continues to fight for her life.