Halfway to Race Day!!

So we are about halfway to race day, and I am getting excited!!!! I am currently up to running about three miles three times during the week, and every Saturday we increase our mileage...today we were supposed to do 6 miles, but I started getting a blister on my foot, so I only went about three miles. I will try again tomorrow with better socks.... Last weekend we did a group yard sale to raise money, and I got about $120. Thank you to all those who donated items for me to sell!!!
I completed my first 10k three weeks ago. It is 6.2 miles and I completed it in an hour and 20 minutes. I never thought I would be able to complete six miles!!!! I want to thank all of you who have donated to my cause, and I hope that you will pass it on to any others that you think will donate. I still need to raise about $3700, so every dollar counts.
Also, I am planning on asking businesses to donate items for a raffle, so if any of you have anything that can be raffled off here in Florida, please let me know. Or, if any of you have any ideas for fundraisers, I could certainly use the help.

Four Mile Morning

Okay, so most of you have heard by now that I have decided to train for a half marathon in Seattle on June 27, 2009. When people ask me why, I say, I don't know. When I first moved here, I had too much free time on my hands and realized that I needed to change that. I signed up for a 5K that I ran last August. Well, I figured, task accomplished, what next??? The next step would be a 10K, but a coworker of mine runs at least two marathons a year, and talked me into doing a half marathon. So I joined Team in Training, to accomplish my goal, and also raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The picture above is from our group run on Valentine's day morning. I ran two miles that day and today I ran four miles. I have NEVER run that far in my life. Some people ask, "why would you run that far for any reason?" Well, I believe that this event will change my life in more ways than I can even possibly imagine. For starters, I am eating healthy, reading labels, not eating out as much, obviously exercising more, and I feel happier. Like Leane quoted to me when I was having a rough day, "exercising gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't kill their husbands." It's from a movie and it made me laugh so hard, and then I realized that is what I needed to do. Get my butt moving, and I have no excuse. I have all the time in the world... So, for the next four months, when people ask me if I have plans, my answer will be, "I have to run, but after that, I can do something..."

So today during my run, when I wanted to stop and walk, I thought, "You can't let negative thoughts in. Nobody is here to push you, so you have to push yourself." And now I realize that this applies to my life too; I have to push myself... Apparently running is very enlightening when you don't have your ipod going in your ears and you are left with your thoughts, lol. So, for the next four months of training, I will keep you all updated, stay tuned.

Motivational Thought:
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Donation link http://pages.teamintraining.org/cfl/rnrseatl09/tbaldwin