I skied my heart out!

Well this past weekend the team had a team practice in Bear Valley. I traveled up in my car with my friend Liz. We were caravanning up with the Mom-mobile (it is the mother of SUV's.....and my dear friend Caytie's mom so lovingly lends it to Caytie when we head to the mountains to ensure that we make it safely). We had over booked the car.....so I offered to drive my car. The drive to Bear Valley was uneventful, that is until my car slide down a portion of the mountain. It hadn't snowed and I truly believed I would be okay in my car without chains. That is until my 5th attempt to get to the cabin! I had prayed up the mountain that Caytie's car wouldn't slow down, b/c I knew that my car would loose its momentum and slide down....and we did pretty good, that is until we had to start reading street signs!
Anyway, that is neither here nor there....we made it, but I had to park my car down near the cross country ski area and they had to travel back down to get Liz, myself and all the gear that we had piled into my car b/c of over packing Caytie's car with people. Really fun to do when one (me) has to use the restroom very badly! We did finally make it to the cabin and find the place that we would all call our beds for the rest of the weekend. It is a great cabin in Bear Valley.
Ski day arrived and I was very excited, but nervous b/c of my knee. We all prepared breakfast and then off we went to head down to the ski area. Once my skis were waxed then I was ready to go. They broke us off into different groups. I joined the group that had skate skied before, but that weren't experts. And to my surprise I did very well. Being on my skis was like riding a bike...you never forget. We did great drills to get started and then off we went. I was so surprised with how well my knee held up.
I definitely noticed where my weak area is and I was being careful...but I was on my skis and I LOVED IT! That day we skied close to 15k. My coaches were surprised I stayed out on my skis as long as I did. I had started the season telling folks that I more than likely wouldn't be skiing with them in Alaksa and then my first day on skis I did great!
That night I iced my knee and kept it elevated. It was a bit tender, but I was determined...mind of matter my Pa would always say.
I woke up the next morning more than half expecting that I wouldn't get on my skis.....and what happened? I got on them and skied another 10-15k. I had skied about a 30k that weekend and my knee felt great......
You all know what that means don't you......???? I am SKIING IN ALASKA! Yeah baby!

Determined!

My rehab is continuing as usual. I thought I was supposed to be done in October, but with the latest development that was discovered I am still working hard to get back to my normal state of activity. They are still undetermined about ski season...which bums me out more and more with each passing day. Ski season has started and I get to sit and watch as the team goes on their hikes. I feel bad that the new folks on the team that I am a mentor too have to deal with a mentor that is injured. Oh well....right?

I have started working out with a trainer one day a week and will be adding a second day...this is added with the 2 days of physical therapy that I am doing. But none of this is enough. From the lack of cardio since my injury I feel out of shape and sort of like the BLOB! It might sound irrational to a lot of people...but I am used to getting 4-6 days of intense cardio and now what I do is highly limited because of my knee....so I feel like I have developed a bit of a negative self image. I recognize that I am being foolish...but I can't help it...so I continue to plug along, trying to get where I used to be. And for those of you that know me, know that when I set my mind to something I am going to do it....the BLOB stops here dang it!

The Update!

I have progressed so far my rehab of my knee that the doctors think that I might be able to start running short runs by the end of the month....maybe even by mid-month! AND......they think I will be able to participate in the TNT ski team again!
No one has any idea how happy I am to hear that! I was so fearful that I wouldn't be able to participate this coming season!
Please keep your fingers crossed that my recovery continues to be as fast as it has been so far!

The Aftermath

I got my first opinion....and like many doctors he said, "Hmm....you will be fine." This didn't make me feel better...though secretly I was hoping to hear that. It didn't make me feel better b/c I could barely walk without pain so how was I going to run a marathon and in all honest this was NOT fine!

The first opinion put me on crutches and ordered the MRI...which by the way was hard to read b/c of all the swelling in my knee. I ordered a second copy to take to my second opinion doctor that I had been referred too by one of my friends from ski team. I had to wait 2 weeks to get into her, but I just knew that it was going to be worth it.

The weeks creeped by....I wasn't able to be active so my once VERY active self was having to sit on the coach a lot...which is hard to do once you get used to being so busy. I counted down to the second opinion doctor appt. This doctor has competed in many triathlons in her time, so I knew that if there was any hope of me running in my race she was the person to give me that hope. My appt was set for the first week of Sept.

I got there very hopeful.....she spent well over an hour with me, evaluating my knee, my MRI and report. She caught things that impressed me. What it all came down too was that I had started to get an IT Band injury and me laying off the running a few days a week didn't help that much...not to mention I had genetic issues with the way that my knees and muscles were created (thanks Mom and Dad for that!). Basically I was told that I shouldn't run in the race...that my ligaments in my knee were coiled up and if I ran I could make it worse.

I didn't think I would get that emotional about things....but I did...and embarrassingly enough I cried off and on for a few days. After I cried I think I went into denial....that I think I finally came out of just last week. I have gone through 3 weeks of physical therapy, a surgical consult, and many doctor appts.....and at this point they don't think I need surgery, but I am wearing some pretty interesting looking tape on my knee. Apparently it is a homeopathic way of healing me my knee....it sort of tricks my brain to think there are ligaments where the tape is placed.

Life has been interested in the last month and a half...not to mention frustrating, painful, exciting (running across the street to avoid getting hit by a bus with NO pain..that was HUGE for me), etc. I know now that maybe this happened for a reason. The doctors and physical therapists have narrowed down what exactly is wrong and in all honesty it wouldn't have showed up without me having been ambitious enough to run this race. Unfortunately I can't run in the race, but we are now putting me back together the way I should have been.

Race day is coming up around the corner....and instead of struggling through the race I will be cheering my teammates on. I know that I will be sad on race day and in all honesty I am not sure how I am going to make it through that day without shedding a few tears. But I plan to be there to cheer on my teammates!

What I was dreading.....

Hi there....It has been awhile since I last updated in my training diary. Some of you that are close to me know why....


On August 18th the team was to run 16 miles. I had been having some IT Band issues as I am sure you all saw from my previous postings. I had gotten a deep tissue massage the Thursday before the BIG run. My leg felt great, I felt great...I was ready for this 16miles.



We started around 7:30am north of San Francisco, it was going to be a great day. The day was already starting to warm up and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! I was ready! Once Kael and I took off we looped up through the trail and ran on a dirt path (normally my body would be screaming, "Danger Elliott, Danger!"....but today I felt good) for about a mile and then we hit the road and off we went! Kael and I ran strong...that is until I started coughing really badly. I didn't want anyone to know this but, I had swallowed a bug! Just like that story when I was a kid..."Golly Gump!" I swallowed what I only hoped had been a fly! Anything else made me start to mentally freak out....I coughed for a long time and in all honesty didn't even admit having swallowed the bug to Kael until mile 5! I didn't want to tell him b/c I knew he was going to laugh at me and I didn't want to break out stride up the hill! Wasn't that nice of me???? I think so! Okay fine...I was really disgusted that I had eaten a bug! LOL



After climbing this long hill, and having gotten my morning protein with the bug incident, we got to flat land...and yes, Kael and I were still running strong! About mile 5.5 is when my leg from knee to butt started to hurt, but I thought to myself, "Self...you will be fine...just keep going." Maybe not the smartest thing, but I did....we rounded the corner to the water stop, grabbed some lovely beverages and then I couldn't put weight on my leg. Yes that is right...I think I had physically hit a wall at that point. But being as driven (nice wording right?) as I am or stubborn...whatever you want to call it, I kept going. I walked it off for awhile b/c the pain was so bad in my knee at this point that I could barely put weight on it. I remember crying and thinking that maybe I should stop....but the thought of why I was doing this race pushed me on.



At one point....all the miles sort of blended into each other after that first water stop.....Kael got stung by a bee...so we laughed for at least a good mile off and on about how I ate a bug and how a bug had eaten Kael. Okay not so funny now, but let me tell you...when you are in pain and trying to get your mind off of it, ANYTHING is funny! :)



As we circled back to where we had started I really thought I was going to have to be sagged in. One of my coaches stopped to make sure I was okay, my mentor stopped and walked with me for awhile and of course Kael was with me. Then at one point I just mentally decided that I wasn't going to hurt anymore and I started running. The first few steps were painful and I felt as if my ligament was twisting (I know.....I should have stopped!)...but I continued on and then I wasn't in pain in anymore. We hit mile 10 pretty easy enough, excluding my pain of course. And we circled back out to do the other 6 miles. I should have stopped at mile 10...but like I mentioned previous. I am a DRIVEN person....so I continued on.



I walked a lot of the last part of that days training. And in all honesty I don't remember much, except for when the pain set in again. And trust me I have done enough sports that I know the difference from a good pain and a bad pain. This wasn't a good pain. But I had to get back to the finish line so I had to continue on.



After we finished, I felt great! My knee was sore and so was my leg...but I felt great. I stretched for a good 30 minutes, ate some and then Kael and I jumped in the car to get back to SF.



When I got out of the car I could barely walk with out saying "Ouchie" every time. We got sandwiches to eat and drank a beer to congratulate ourselves and even laughed about me having eaten the bug...all the while I was worried about my knee.



After getting home, I took an ice bath...yes you read the right....I sat in a bath tub with ice to help out my lower body! Heck people, I had just run 16 miles! I think that was the ONLY thing that saved my knee that night. I rested for a good portion of the day and then that evening my sister came to town. We were going to see Avenue Q, a musical...hilarious by the way...the next day. That night my knee was uncomfortable but bearable.



Sunday morning I woke up to not being able to bare weight on that leg and my knee was swollen. The swelling only got worse as the days went by. My worst nightmare had come true....I had messed up my knee.

Highway to Hell!

Well yesterday was the 12-14mile run for the full marathoners. It was hard. With having been sick last week I was rough around the edges....though there was a small part of me that felt stronger for having taken a week off. The course was to run around Lake Merced (4.5miles), then to loop up on to Sunset towards the park (Golden Gate Park)....Heading that direction on Sunset meant that we were running up hill, fun! Once we hit the park we were to go left and run through the park on Martin Luther King until we hit the beach, we were to turn left again, run along the path until we hit Sloat. Once on Sloat we needed to run past the Zoo and head back towards the lake. After we hit the last water stop at the lake we needed to keep running until we hit either the 12 mile marker turn around point or the 14 mile turn around point.
Once I hit the beach I started to struggle energy wise. My leg was bothering me but my energy was zapped. I stopped at all the water stops to get water and any snacks they had to offer. I tried to run strong after that water stop, but when we hit Sloat it was a gradual uphill for a while....in all honest THIS WAS FREAKING TORTURE! But I have no one to blame but myself. I am doing this for a good cause....but did it have to be so painful? :)
After circling back up towards the lake is when I one of our coaches ran up along side of us and asked us how we were and what distance we were doing. I told her I was the verge b/c after having ran up Sunset on uneven terrain my knee was bothering and my IT Band was starting to really hurt. She told me, "Then don't push it. 12 miles is still huge and it is too late in our training for you to injury yoursefl...however it is still early enough to back off the training if you feel like you might be on the verge of hurting yourself. Save yourself now, thank yourself on race day." I looked over at Kael and said, "Man, I think we have our answer." He nodded and really didn't seem to want to argue....which I was grateful for!
We ran strong past all the folks that had either finished the 9miles (we were broke up into groups of 9, 12 and 14 miles) and of course the fast ones that were just done with either the 12 or the 14 miles. I looked down at my watch and even with the walking that we had done that day...we were pretty strong pace wise. So we pushed on. We were running and then we hit the 12 mile turn around marker. I looked at Kael and said, "We are going for the 14 miles." He nodded and we continued on. Once I had gotten onto flat surface my knee and my IT Band had stopped hurting....so we pushed on! That is until I was close to 1/2 mile from the turn around location and then I just hit a freaking wall! My body wouldn't let me go anymore...even though my mind was still ready for this. So we walked and walked. Our run manager was training with us that day and ran past us and I said, "How much further until the marker to run around?" She said, "It isn't that much further but you can turn around at any point." I then retorted back, "Its a matter of principle. I can't turn around until I hit the marker....and people with cancer can't turn around...so I am not." Not sure if she heard all of that b/c she was running away from me...running towards the finish line. I think I just had to say it to talk myself into continuing to move. We hit the marker, turned around and walked a good portion of the distance back. We were encouraging folks that were running towards that marker...and by doing that it was helping me stay focused on anything other than feeling like I was going to throw up. After having been sick all week and stuffing my body full of power drinks and food not to mention pushing it beyond its limit running wise, my body was on the verge of protesting.
We rounded a corner and I saw the finish line...so we started running and we ran it in strong. Folks were cheering for us...which felt great. I had run 14.50 miles by the end of the day. I may have walked a small amount of that...but I completed 14.50 miles. That was hard....and the trainings will only get harder, but I can now say...I have ran over a 1/2 marathon! I rock!

No Running Tonight

Well, the bug that was going around my office ran and caught me this week...so there was no running for me. I have been down and out for 2 days. I did however go and talk to our sports therapist that volunteers his time with us. My leg has been hurting me a lot lately (I think it is my IT Band....which scares the hell out of me). The only way to make that better is to rest...CRAP. I guess it is a good thing that I am sick this week....forced down time!

My talk with the sports therapist wasn't what I wanted to hear. He basically told me that the only thing that I can do is to stay off my leg......which means NO RUNNING. He said to focus on swimming and cycling (likely I like both) and to weight train...but no running.

Since I am under the weather this week...that shouldn't be a probably. What I am worried about is the long run on Saturday. 14 miles....that is starting to give me nightmares! Hopefully I will be feeling better and my leg will be better in order for me to run well....here's to hoping!

Keeping it UP!

Well I ran my almost 12 miles last Saturday and then trained through the week....and then yesterday I ran 5.50 miles with the team. This past week has been hard b/c my leg is starting to bother me a bit. It isn't my knee...let's set the record straight! It is my leg. I spoke to one of my coaches about it and he seems to think that it might be my IT Band....all I have to say to that is CRAP!
I am stretching every chance I get and rolling on my foam roller (sort of like a deep tissue massage but it HURTS..and makes you want to scream obscenities). It started to feel better and then we had our run yesterday. I ran well with the team. Ran a solid 4+ miles before I had to stop to shake it off.
My sister came into town and I dragged her along with me to the run yesterday. She hadn't run in awhile and was a bit nervous about it. I knew that she would do fine. While we were running she kept saying, "Don't worry about me..keep your pace. I'll be fine." She saw me continuing to look behind me to make sure she was okay! I worry....what can I say!?
We both made it in....and we finished strong!
Afterwards we were going to see Jersey Boys..that is a GREAT show....just one thing to keep in mind....DON'T RUN ALMOST 6 MILES BEFORE AND THINK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STAY AWAKE THROUGH THE WHOLE THING!!!!!

Holy Crap That Was Hard!

So yesterday was a group run in Marin. It was a gorgeous day north of SF and it promised to be a great run....then we started running and realized, "Holy crap it is hot out here!" We all were hydrating as much as possible. There were several water stops along the way. Kael and I were running strong and keeping focused. We were mentally trying to decide if were were going to do 9.75 miles or 11.75 miles. There was a loop once we got to Tiburon that we needed to do to add mileage to get to the 9.75 distance. If we wanted to get closer to the 12 miles that we had anticipated doing then we needed to do that loop 2 times. April, our head run coach, had mentioned that the loop had a short but steep hill on it. So of course that was in the back of my thoughts the whole distance!
We ran through downtown Tiburon...wow the views were awesome! Once we got to either the turn around point or the point where the hill was we obviously decided to add to the mileage and climb the hill. After running what seemed a long time uphill I huffed and puffed and then finally blew out, "this is not a SHORT hill!" Kael laughed it off and of course we kept going...and going...and so did the hill! Once we got back down the hill I was ready to call it quits and run back to the car and I was honestly going to be happy with having ran 9.75 miles. But then Kael and I stood there just sort of thinking about it and wondering if we should go for it....and of course we did! We ran up the flipping hill again and it did seem to go a bit faster the second time then the first.
Though after running up that hill and back down it and then knowing that I had at least 2 miles back to the car I really did want to cry! My legs were starting to turn to jello. This was the furthest I have ever ran before and my body was starting to get angry with me. We stopped at the water stop to chug-a-lug water and then we took off again. Off and on on the way back to the car I had to walk b/c my legs just didn't feel like they could continue running. But of course they did.....
Kael and I ran 11.75 miles that day...it was hard and we were tired, but we have almost officially hit the 1/2 marathon distance and we still have 3 months to train.....so we are thinking of pushing to train seriously for the full....
I am open to the idea of doing it, however I will listen to my body and if it just can't handle it, then I'll be happy with the 1/2. Hell it only took me 2.5 hours to run 11.75 miles....that is faster then I even imagined!
All I have to say is that WE ROCK!
I do want to put in a special thank you for one of our honorees. She was in the school yard with her family and when Kael and I rounded the corner she was there with her 2 kids and her husband cheering us on to the finish line. I didn't have my glasses and so I didn't know who it was cheering us on. So as we started to run past her I said thank you to her and her family....her response, "No thank you for doing this." Then I realized it was Gretchen there to cheer us on.
The running has been difficult, but the one of our honorees will come out to a practice and talk to us and cheer us on and say such heartfelt thank yous that in all honesty I can't imagine not doing this event.....
So to our honorees....thank you for keeping me going!

A little encouragement from Kael!

Today Kael sent me an email to help boost my self confidence about tomorrow mornings run (we will be running between 10-12 miles....yikes!). Can you tell that we are seriously thinking about running the full.....can I again say that I think we are on drugs????
Anyway...his email was so encouraging that I wanted to share it with everyone. I know that I moan and groan about my training, but I do have a great support group to help me through it.....
Kael's email is below:

I feel the need to send a note of encouragement about tomorrow's run, just in case you might still be feeling uneasy. You kicked the hills' ass the other night when you weren't feeling up it. So, flat ground will be much easier. You weren't sick this week, so you'll have much more energy than the last time. Plus, I'll be there. So, you're not alone. The first few miles will go by quickly because we're used to 5 miles now. I KNOW you can do it. Does any of this help at all? Should I just be quiet? Cya tomorrow, Elliott !

Isn't that great.....and apparently he knows me well enough to know that there are times when I just need quiet (unfortunately he has come across those times in many of our runs!).

So to that I say....I will run tomorrow as strong as I can....Thanks Kael for all the encouragement!

I have a medical condition AND it is called being STUPID!

Hi there.....so tonight I ran hills. And many of them. I wasn't have a great training week to this point and so I had a mental mind set that I was going to run with the level 2's.....level 1= beginners to slightly intermediate runners, level 2= intermediate runners and level 3= advanced runners (AKA....people that are NUTS!). I was perfectly happy to run with the level 2's....that is until Kael, my running partner said, "Oh we can totally run with the 3's. We can do this. We have been training so hard. It will be a good workout." Even though I was slightly apprehensive, I agreed to run with the 3's.
The course was to run up a HUGE hill that seriously felt like it NEVER would end....then just when you thought you were going to pass out you started to run down this trail towards a set of steep stairs to take you back down to the bottom. That was known as the BIG HILL. Then we had the small hill to climb....which was most of the big hill and then we would cut into the woodsy area to cut out part of the big hill and it would get us to the stairs and then we would head down them to the bottom. The Level 3's were to run the following: 1 Big Hill, 1 small hill = that equaled one set......we had to do that 3 times....and for all those folks out there that aren't following me....that means I had to run those hills 6 flipping times! Yes you read that right.....6 times!
There were times that I went silent and poor Kael would continue talking to get my mind off the mental edge that I had put myself on....and then there were times that curse words would come out of my mouth like I had tourettes. On the 5th loop I told Kael, "I don't think that I have one more loop in me....seriously." And his response...."Yes you do Elliott....you can do this. We can take it slow and you can do this." So instead of looking like a complete baby, I said okay and up we started to run again. Halfway up I once again yelled out a few choice words and stopped running. Kael asked if I was okay and the determined person in my said, "I am going to make it up this freaking hill if it kills me....just give me a second to regroup." After a few seconds we started running again...and by golly we ran up the rest of the hill and the back to the car (with 1 other stop involved).
At the end of the practice we had run over 5 miles and the majority of that was hill work. I am definitely getting stronger, but I have our Saturday run looming over me and it is starting to stress me out. As we start to increase in numbers I start to freak out internally. I was never a runner before this and in all honesty I truly don't like running. And so many people have asked me and will continue to ask me, "Why then am I training to run a 1/2 marathon?" And the answer is that I am STUPID! Just kidding! Though a part of me does believe that.....I am training b/c if there was ever any year that I could physically do it, it would be this year.....and I am raising money and awareness for a disease that is continuing to attack people and take their lives.
I do this for Brenda, my honorees (both from run and ski team), my cousin, and for everyone that either has a blood cancer or who will be diagnosed with one. And so I continue on with my training, even though I don't like to run....and in all honesty there is a part of me that is so excited at the idea of crossing the finish line and never having to run again if I don't want too! I have my good run days and my bad...and in all honesty my good do out way the bad....but dang is running hard!

You Can Do EEEEETTTTTTTT!

Well yesterday was a coach led practice...and the distance was to be 9 miles (for the individuals that were going to be participating in the full marathon and then 5-6 for the individuals participating in the 1/2 marathon). Since Kael and I had done so well the week before, we decided to run the 9miles.

We took off and stayed with a pack that had a good speed for both of us. We got a mile in and then the coaches had pulled us off the path to stretch out a bit. Then we were off again. We were going to run 2.5miles down the road, turn around and backtrack to where we started and then we were to head into the park and do another 4 miles in the park. It is funny how your forget about the hills that seem to strangly appear when you are starting to struggle a bit! The 5 miles went by with no problems. Then we turned into the park...then the wall that I had so effortless avoided last week, what we like to call BONKING, was so close...it was chasing me down!

I had to stop several times to walk...though when I walk I walk for less than a minute and then we take off again. I can't walk for to long for fear that I won't start running again. As we were running towards the last water stop I knew that I was so close to running out of energy! And then the self doubt started to set in..."What was I doing? I hate to run! Do I really think this is feasible?" AAHHHH, yes....this is what I like to call the edge! This is what I had to talk myself off of when I was in Alaska the last 2 seasons.....

This Edge is like that devil sitting on on your shoulder telling you that you can't do this. Then I remembered the time when I was on a hill up in Tahoe and I had completely freaked me out that I couldn't do it...I was able to talk myself down the hill and I made it down without falling....so that is what I did this time! I said to myself, "You can Do EEEETTTTT! You totally can!"

And you know what? I totally did! I came into the finish and we were at mile 8.75....so what did Kael and I do? We kept running until we hit 9 miles!

So now the next thought in my head is that....my 1/2 marathon is on October 21st. I am already running close to the 1/2 marathon distance in a lot faster time then I thought I could....so Could I? Would I? Should I train for the full?..............

Time will tell.,....but the thought is there!

Holy Cow I ran 6.5 Miles!

Last weekend, June 30th, I ran 6.5 miles! I kid you not...that is the furthest I have run EVER! Last weekend was a Mentor led practice and they had a route mapped out. A few miles into the route there was a hill...not to steep...but it was a hill none the less. We ran up the hill to Fort Mason and then down towards Aquatic Park...and then we had to turn around and head back up the steeper part of the hill and head towards the Golden Gate Bridge! I am proud to say that Kael and I ran pretty much the whole 6.5 miles....and I have to attribute that to a little movie game that we played in order to keep our minds off what we were doing! Now I won't go into details on this blog about the movie game, but if you are interested and I find it appropriate to tell you then I will! :)

Needless to say my legs were mush when I was done and my training on Monday was hard. I ended up only running a mile of our 4 mile outing. Tuesday we did run 5.15miles. And then I took the rest of the week off.

I am definitely doing much better then I thought I would be doing by now!

MY FAT HURTS! It's MELTING!

I am sure that you all are wondering what the heck is up with that title....well let me share with you the orgin of that statement!


When I decided that I was going to train for this 1/2 marathon, I called my cousin Randin.....the ones of you that know me might know that she is the reason that I got involved with TNT to begin with a few years ago. I called her excited because just that morning I had participated in a TNT Winter Alum 5K run....and had signed up for the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon to participate on Team Brenda. Randin could hear the excitment in my voice and knew that I was truly excited, b/c I had ran almost the full 3K...and I knew with training that I could participate in the 1/2 marathon. After letting me babble for awhile, which all of you know I do so well....she said, "I am glad that you are the one doing this b/c when I run my saddlebags hurt!" At first I just paused, then I started to laugh. I had no idea that saddlebags could hurt!

Well I learned soon enough that fat can hurt! After about 3+ weeks of training about 3 days a week with running...I started to know what Randin meant! One morning I had picked up the crew and we were getting ready to start running to Crissy Field, I took maybe 3 steps then I stopped and said, "My fat hurts!" And the sad part was that I wasn't kidding! And while Kat and Esther laughed at me, Kael said "Is it saying, I'm MELTING???" Then of course that set us off into a laughing fit!

That day I could only hope that some day, very soon I hope, my fat wouldn't hurt anymore!!!!

And I was RUNNING!

As I am typing this I am STILL wondering, What the HECK am I doing now? As many of you know....I don't run unless I am chased...and seeing how that doesn't happen often I think it is safe to say I DON'T run EVER! However, right after ski season, learning that Brenda (one my ski team honorees) had taken a turn for the worse, several folks decided that they were going to create a Team Brenda for the Nike Women's 1/2 and full marathon. I thought it was a fabulous idea and thought JUST maybe I might join. Though I had thoughts of this past ski season enter my thoughts and I wasn't so sure.

As I am sure many of you noticed I didn't blog much through ski season...mainly because I was struggling so much this past season with my ankles bothering me and getting pesky blisters that I didn't want to talk about it....let along entertain the idea that I couldn't complete my event. And as many of you know, I did finish, but barely. I was on that mental ledge and almost gave up several times....so as I sat there at our team potluck entertaining thoughts of running in a 1/2 marathon I truly thought I had lost it!

But as the days progressed and then word of Brenda's passing swept through the TNT world, let alone Brenda's world...the idea was no longer a entertaining thought, but it was slowly but every so surely becoming reality.
I started training, in secret, several months ago. I figured that if I was going to be able to keep up with folks that ran on a more regular basis that I would have to have a huge running, no pun intended, start! So I started training with with some folks...who you all will get to know pretty well through this blog.

Esther, is an Executive sales person in my office. She is a person that has one of the best hearts out there...and her motto is "I can smoke and run...and if you can't...then you just aren't trying hard enough!" She is kidding when she says that, but no joke...she kicks my booty most of the time out there.

And then we have Kat. Kat is also my coworker and neighbor. She quit smoking several months ago and started training to participate in the Avon Breast Cancer walk....she is currently almost done with her second day - GO KAT! She has done so well with her training and super motivated to continue training once her walk is over!

And then that leds me to Kael. I met Kael through one of my ski friends, Whui. She too was going to join the run team, but decided that she just hated running! LOL. Luckily Kael decided to stick with it...he is the one that keeps me laughing - and you think I am kidding, we are seriously laughing so hard at times that I have to stop running to catch my breath. He and I motivate each other and have decided that we are crossing that finish line together.

Now, you all know that I am crazy to get up in the morning to train before God is up....and now I have 3 more folks to join me! And as I continue to blog through the season...I hope you get to know them, myself and why I am doing this better! We all have our different reasons to be running and training...but it is no joke when I tell you that we all crack each other up while we are training...and in all honesty, that is only way I would have it!