I am reminded...

Shame on me for I have been a bad blogger. After my last post about my injury I started feeling a little overwhelmed. An injured knee, a busy work schedule and a lull in fundraising had me feeling ready to throw in the towel...which I don't even really care to admit. Then a little spark lit the fire again.

Unexpectedly, I was contacted by a friend whom I hadn't seen in a couple years. She told me that her family had very suddenly lost her grandfather to acute myelocytic lymphoma. It really hit home for me and reminded me again of why I even joined the Team in Training group to begin with.

Every single person going through cancer treatment or having lost their battle with cancer is somebody's "someone"--a grandfather, father, sister, mother or child. The list could go on. I know that every mile I run and every cent that gets donated is helping bring a little bit of peace to the families who have had cancer interfere with their happy lives. I hope that one day soon it will bring the peace of a cure.

Thank you to my friend for reminding me how important this is. I am grateful for your inspiration and proud to honor your grandfather.

Weekly update

Last Saturday was our first double-digit run, meaning 10 miles. It was horrible weather and I was extra tired, so I wasn't really feeling it anyway. In an effort to just get it over with, I skipped stretching and didn't adhere to the run/walk interval suggestion. Well, I ended up paying the price for my ignorance. With just under a mile left to go, I started to feel pressure in my knee and hip and ultimately injured my IT band. I was so mad that my long run was going so well then suddenly I had to finish my last mile by slowly limping to the finishing point.

For those who don't know, the IT band runs from the knee to the hip on the outside of your leg and can become a huge problem if it's not taken care of properly. I've spent the last few days icing, stretching and resting my knee and hoping to get back on track soon. I am not giving up on this race and will be taking the time to be well-stretched before any more running.

Shame on me for knowing better and still ignoring good advice. Always stretch. Always.

Get up and go-go..

Today was an 8 mile run. Our group is thinning out a little--partly from injuries and partly from people quitting because they're overwhelmed. I feel fortunate that I haven't had so much as a blister (knock on wood!). I would also be lying if I said that I wasn't, at times, slightly overwhelmed too. I will not give up on this though.

Although I had no intentions on doing so, I just went for it and straight out ran the entire mileage, stopping only for two 30-second water breaks. Needless to say, I am exhausted and not looking forward to a busy night of work. However, I got a little extra dose of positive energy today that will keep me going through the night--after I got home from my run I received a $50 donation from someone in my neighborhood that I had never before met. That is an awfully generous donation to give a stranger! I must say that it leaves me half tempted to knock on his door and give him a hug.

Since I suppose that could be borderline creepy, I'll just have to settle for sending him a very nice thank you card instead:)

Just like the USPS..

"We are mothers and fathers. And sons and daughters. Who every day go about our lives with duty, honor and pride. And neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds. Ever." I held fast to this motto on Saturday as I trekked through 7 glorious miles of puddles and this incessant cough. It may not have been swift, but it certainly was complete.

FYI...

Ok, it is freezing and extremely windy outside, but I am dedicated to this training and I'm lacing up my shoes for a run right this instant! It's part dedication and part stubbornness to do this right. Wish me warmth.

Team in Training running group

What a great group of supportive people! I think I'm the only person in this group that signed up alone, but everyone is so nice and so enthusiastic about what we're doing! I love the positive energy!

Happy thoughts...

A very nice thought occurred to me today...by the time all this marathon training is over, I might just wear a pair of shorts for the first time in 15 years! (not booty shorts, mind you, but maybe something a little above the knee..woot!)

4 miles down..

So today we had our group "long run"--4 miles in 30 degree weather. Brutal, but the excitement from the entire group keeps the momentum going. I'm certainly looking forward to some sunshine and slightly higher temps.

It's on!

I have to say that this is probably the most motivation I've ever had to work out! I know I still have a long road of training and fundraising ahead of me (no pun intended), but I am PUMPED! I have to admit that yoga has been tremendously helpful in keeping my mind calm and my body extra stretchy. Bring it on marathon, BRING...IT...ON!!!

Hi friend. Welcome.

Hi. I'm Kelli. Just a girl from Boise, Idaho. Maybe you know me, maybe you don't. Maybe we just met or maybe we we're childhood pals. Any which way, I whole-heartedly welcome you to my blog. This is my story.

I am not a celebrity, just a regular person of sound mind (although this quest may be cause for speculation) and decent physical condition. I am just me--a mom, wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, niece and friend. These traits that make me who I am are the things that I value most, simply because they all connect me to a life full of the people I care about.
Whether it be a neighbor, a friend, a loved one or even yourself, most of us have bared witness to the physical and emotional pain that cancer has forced into our lives. I have no courageous story of my own to tell; I have been fortunate to have had little more than the occasional cold to tackle. However, I too, have experienced the heartache of losing people I love to this horrible disease.

I hate watching good people suffer, especially children. It really, truly breaks my heart. I have always wanted to do something meaningful to help people that genuinely need it. As much as I would love to adopt 10+ children from Haiti or donate large sums of money to a myriad of charities; I just don't have the capacity (or money) to do either...which is why I decided to use my two good legs and my mega blogging skills to get out there and help the millions of people dealing with cancer in their lives.

Really, in all honesty, I would say my decision to join Team in Training was on a whim. Fundraising? Great! Helping people? Love it! Running a FULL MARATHON....um, no thanks. I've always thought that people who voluntarily choose to run 26.2 miles must be mentally unstable. So of course, you may ask yourself (as I have over and over and over), why then would I do such a ridiculous thing? Simply because I would do anything for the people I love. If a seven year old can battle multiple rounds of chemo with the will power of ten Hercules, I can certainly use my healthy body to help those who are not.

Now here's the skinny: the Team in Training group comes with a hefty fundraising price tag of $2900 for this particular race--the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego. I don't know about you, but I am not a rich American. In fact, as the Urban Dictionary states, that's a lot of "benjamins", people! I'm just a regular person, remember? A regular, stay-at-home-mom kind of person, actually. So this is what I propose--I would like to find 2,900 people who want to donate one dollar to this campaign. One dollar. That's it. If you can, and would like to offer a more generous donation I will not deny you that privilege! Heck, maybe President Obama will even send me a dollar! I think it's considered a charitable donation, isn't it?

So, I say thank you, in advance, for your contributions, your supportive words and/or both because every little bit truly helps. I know a dollar doesn't seem like much, but it adds up quickly and helps give hope to those--past, present and future--whose lives have been invaded by cancer. And for me personally, it helps me get through 26.2 miles of honoring my beloved Auntie Adrienne and my most amazing mother-in-law, Carol, who I know, were they still here, would be proud of what I'm doing.

Very best to you all,
Kelli