Working hard....

 This is me pushing myself across the finish line for the Keep LA Running 10k...I look like I could take someone out! Good news is that I got my Personal Record (PR) for a 10k!

Last weekend was tough! Here's how it all went:

Saturday morning we had an 8-mile run in Griffith. Silly me loses track of time on Friday night and goes to bed late. So I start the day with 2 hours of sleep. I then mess things up by eating 4 eggs with rice & veggies 30 minutes before practice...BAD IDEA! It was my first time running 8 miles and it wasn't a very friendly course. It was sprinkled with lovely hills and switchbacks that I was not accustomed to! OI! So there I am with an upset stomach & not enough sleep running 8 miles for the very first time! This practice was also different from others because we met up with the other greater LA TNT teams, so there were many new faces to see. I managed to pull through the run, but it was the worst I had ever felt running! Even worse than the week before when I had ZERO hours of quality sleep! We had a BBQ afterward and got to hang out with other TNTees. I was so tired that I only had fruit & couldnt stomach a full meal; my stomach still hated me.

Sunday morning Betty, Oliver & I competed in the Keep LA Running 10k in Dockweiler Beach. So we had no recovery time and just ran 14 miles in one weekend! The race was fun & the weather was so forgiving! It was very overcast with a nice sprinkle. So one of my water belt bottles drops into the sand....with some getting stuck in the cap, so I figure that I don't need it...BAD IDEA! Mile 3 comes up and I slow down at the water stop & realize that I have to come to a complete stop to be able to drink the whole cup of water! I was thinking that I could have saved more time taking drinks here & there from my belt as well as some much needed bursts of energy from a gel or block. I actually was hoping to finish under an hour, but was still pleased that I did better than last time!

Here's a shot with Oliver & I around mile 2ish....

"Scary Spice" Mel B. was there too...Reality TV show cameras and all! So I decided to keep up with the camera crew & use them as my pacer...and right after mile 2 is done they pretty much come to a halt and have to wait for her & her daughter to walk. :) I finished before Scary Spice...hehe!

I think I was more scared about this past Saturday than any other practice we've had! We ran in Porter Ranch in almost 100 degree weather. And because of the bad practice I had at Griffith I was kind of terrified of another bad 8 miles. But I made it through! We ran our 6/1 intervals (6 minutes running/1 minute walking) all the way up a very gradual hill with the sun in our faces...we then switched it down to 2/1 because the heat gradually increased as we got higher & higher in elevation. I actually was feeling pretty good despite the heat & realized that my hydration belt was almost empty which was also good because I didn't want to pass out from dehydration! We made it to the designated water stop around mile 6 and I refueled with a "GU" a magical gelatinous substance filled with stuff your body needs to re-energize....it was gross. I'll stick to my shot blox and jelly beans thank you! The last two miles were glorious (going downhill is my favorite part, its like i can put my body on cruise control)
a good downhill followed by flat terrain. All in all I could have probably ran another two miles with the full marathon group, but I was so happy that I didn't pass out that I just wanted to enjoy that accomplishment!

Next week I'll push myself to run double-digits :)

This year has definitely been a challenge...

For the last major holidays...Christmas, New Year's, Memorial and now Independence Day I have had a loved one in the hospital and for this coming holiday I will have the two loved ones in the hospital. Geez, I'm starting to NOT look forward to them! These past few months have not been easy on me.

My heart goes out to anyone right now that feels helpless knowing that a loved one is in pain and not being able to ease it.  

This is why I run.
I run because I hate when I get this feeling and I don't wish it upon anyone else. If me fundraising and training will prevent this feeling for even a moment then I have accomplished what I have set out to do.

Last week I was feeling down because of a lot of things and because I hadn't seen any progress on my fundraising. I had been telling people around me that I was training, but didn't put as much stress on the donation part. So I decided to do something about it-I bought a box of See's Lollypops to sell at my desk for a suggested donation of $2. My desk at a prime location with a lot of foot traffic. A co-worker eyes the box of golden lollypops and immediately goes back to her desk for her money. With the lollypop mission accomplished she asks what I'm raising money for and I say the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She asks if she can give me a hug and explains that her cousin had passed away from Leukemia a few years back.   
This is why I run.

I have two sisters that have been diagnosed with Lupus before the age of 40.
This is why I run. 
I want to run countless marathons before the age of 40. Maybe even learn how to ride a bike & swim then compete in a triathlon.

I don't want Leukemia to cause the most deaths than any other cancer to children under the age of 20.
This is why I run.

I run because I appreciate life and what it has to offer.
I fundraise because I believe in something greater than myself.