Fantastic news!!

I REACHED MY FUNDRAISING GOAL!!!!!!!!!

I donated the final $3 tonight and am at $3,900!!  I didn't think in a million years that I could raise that much.  You all have blown me away with your amazing generosity!  I appreciate every dollar you have donated and every word of support you've given me!  What a great way to bring in my 2 week countdown!

THANK YOU!!  :D

20 MILES! Seattle, here I come!

The 20 miler was today!!  It has been absolutely the most mentally/physically taxing day of my life - and an amazing one, too!

I ran with my mentor, Peter, and another girl on our team, Lindsey, who usually run together.  They follow the Galloway Method, which is a run-walk strategy to avoid injury and to make running marathons less stressful on your body.  We run for 8 minutes and walk for 2.  Those 2 minutes are supposed to re-energize you so that during the 8 minutes you can run faster than you would be if you just ran it straight.  Considering that before today the longest I had run was 11ish miles (I was sick when they did the last big run), I thought this was a smart choice.

After about 3.5 miles we had to run up one of the steepest hills I've ever seen.  And it was at least 1/4 mile long!  I'm just glad that was at the beginning and not the end!

The run-walk was working really well for me.  At first I felt like I should keep running because I had so much energy, but I think it really saved me in the end.

At about mile 13 (half-marathon!!) I reached my first wall.  My whole body hurt, my leg muscles felt fatigued, and it was all I could do to just keep up with Peter and Lindsey.  I was absolutely miserable, but I kept at it.

At mile 15 I not only reached the wall, but ran right into it.  The SAG stops had been 4 miles apart, and by the time I got there I was light headed, dizzy, and all of my muscles felt tight and unhappy.  I couldn't sit still but I couldn't keep going.  My coach took my pulse, gave me gatorade, and ran/walked with me for the next 1/2 mile or so, when the gatorade kicked in and my head was clear again.  From then on out I was alone in my run.  My hips were hurting just from being on my feet for so long and my leg muscles weren't helping me out - I should've lifted weights earlier in the season!

Me.  Hitting the wall.  

Then I discovered something life-saving.  I started counting my steps.  It was originally a way to keep track of how long I should run and how long I should walk (I don't have a watch, still... oops!), but it ended up being something I could focus on.  The steps just kept on coming, even up hills that I thought I wouldn't be able to make.  It was insane how my feet just kept going even though I thought, "maybe I'll just take a little break..."

The last mile was uphill and my FABULOUS coaches Neal and Erin met me and ran the last leg with me, cheering me on.  At the end my team was stretching out and drinking water - and they were all so supportive!  They told me that they thought I was going to quit at some point and were so impressed that I toughed it out.  One of them, who has done 4 marathons, wrote on my facebook: "I've seen some gutsy performances turned in over the years.  Your 20 miles today will stick in my mind for a long time as one of the great efforts.  Nice job."

So I cried when I finished, I cried when telling my mom about it, but I'm so proud of myself!

The "tunnel of love" finish line!

And since apparently in those 5 hours I burned about 3,000 calories... I've got some eating to do!

June Update! 24 days and counting!

It has been far too long since I updated this!  So sorry!

Most importantly, my list of most favorite people/companies:

Albertson's

Giovanni's Pizza

Kaylan Basacker

Lee & Carol Kemper-Mccall

Molly Kious

Terryann Satterfield

Vons

I'm at $3,406!  88%!!  Thank you thank you thank you to those of you who have donated!  I cannot thank you enough!

In April Rachel and I held a fundraiser at Giovanni's Pizza called, "Take a Slice out of Cancer!"  They gave us 10% of profits we brought in.  Lots of our friends and members of our sorority came out to support, and we made about $32 between the two of us.  It was great for a fun evening of playing games and hanging out at a pizza parlor!

Eating pizza to find a cure!

In May we held another fundraiser, but this time we wanted to donate all of the profits, so we did it ourself.  Gamma Phi Beta hosted our Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser, and we invited friends, family and anyone who wanted to pay $5 to eat a big plate of spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread and a drink.  We raised a total of $422!!  And the people who helped out at this event deserve their own special recognition, because we could not have pulled it off without the people laboring over pounds and pounds (24 to be exact) of pasta, buying more sauce, serving up hot garlic bread, setting up tables/chairs, cleaning up the kitchen and manning the ticket table.

Alex Blacker

Alyssa Skipper

Barbara Roseland

Deb Watkins

Jackie Li

Karen Kious

Ken Kious

Meredith Meaux

Marissa Floro

They're basically my heroes :)

And I'm sure most of you heard about it, but the Santa Barbara hills caught on fire a couple of weeks ago, and the smoke and ash + my asthma + a chest cold = TERRIBLE.  I didn't run for an entire two weeks because I had a difficult time breathing and our coaches told us not to go outside unless we absolutely had to.  So getting back on the horse has been very difficult.  But I'm doing it!  With a countdown of less than a month, this is serious.  This upcoming Saturday is our longest run yet.... the 20 miler!!!  If I can make it to 20, I can make it to 26.2, so I'm hydrating, carbing up, and getting lots of sleep in preparation.  I'll be sure to update you all on how that goes!

On Sunday half of our team ran the San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon.  Their pictures are fantastic!  Everyone got medals for finishing, and limped to our track practice yesterday to wish us luck and share their stories.  Everyone finished.  I am impressed and proud of Team in Training for getting everyone to the point where they can finish!  Even one guy whose knee was killing him so badly that he had to walk the last six miles finished.  And he got a better time than I'll get running!

I wish all of you could meet my team members and coaches.  They are such amazing people, and I'm going to be sad when the season is over!

donations (:

And now!  It's time to announce the new names that have been added to the List of My Favorite People in the World!

Anna Grzechnik

Clare Smith

Jackie Li

James Zike

Jim & Cinda Spavins

Julie Persse

Katie Bullman

Lois Abbott

Madelyn Morgan

Mary & Ed Hall

Maureen Fornengo

Mercedes Breaux

Michael & Lorna Milani

Muniz family

Penny Brody

Peterson family

Rauber/Williams family

Shannon Wicks

Sheri Lund

Uncle Red

Vicki & John Anderle

Winslow family

(It's been a very generous last few weeks!)  So far I've raised $2,345!  I'm 60% of the way to my goal!  Thank you all so much for supporting me and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  You are all amazing!  And thanks for the notes that have been coming in with the checks - I save them all (:

Don't forget it's never too late to get your name added to the list of favorites!  Checks made payable to "LLS" and sent to me (890 Camino Pescadero #12, Goleta, CA 93117) or a quick and easy online donation is all it takes!

Santa Barbara Chardonnay 10 Miler!

Yesterday I ran in my very first race!  The Santa Barbara Chardonnay 10-miler started at Leadbetter Beach near downtown Santa Barbara, went five miles into Montecito, turned around and came back again.  I was number 627 and finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes.  (bout a 12:15 pace)

I've been very busy and have had a hard time working in training the last couple of weeks, so it was very rough.  But I made it!  And today I'm sore, but still moving!  It started at 8am, an hour later than we're used to, and that hour made a difference with the temperature!  By the end the sun was starting to get to me (thank goodness the marathon will be in Seattle).  Dirt and sand was sticking to the sweat on my face, and I was wishing I had had even more water and gatorade at the SAG stops.  But the one thing I can say that apparently no one else on the team can?  I haven't had a single blister.  (knock on wood)  My hips and knees feel very creaky when I finish, but my feet could go on for days.  And my moment of motivation: I was coming up one of the hills by a cemetery (nothing makes you more motivated than running right by a cemetery...) and I heard shuffling feet coming up behind me.  I maintained my pace, and the feet got closer and closer.  When the mystery individual was next to me I saw... a hunched over, well into his 80s man.  Passing me.  Something tells me I might need to train a little harder.

nearing the halfway point!

at our lovely team in training booth

(the woman with the purple wig is our

team captain, Erin)

all finished!

Another fun tidbit: while I was on the second half of the race I passed a couple of women who were some sort of pilates or yoga instructors.  Their client was leaving and I heard them shout, "Bye Billy!"  I looked over and saw...

  Billy Baldwin!  Random.

Spring Break didn't kill me!

Well!  As I'm sure some of you have heard, I went on a cruise for Spring Break to Catalina Island and Ensanada, Mexico.  It was definitely an experience, to say the least.  I tried to stay active so that this weekend's run wouldn't destroy me.  That meant snorkeling and biking around Catalina Island and running laps (only once, don't get too excited) on the top deck of the ship.  We even got to see dolphins off the side!  Not too shabby, even though the waves made every other step feel either incredibly light or incredibly heavy.

And the verdict today....  9.67 miles and a grand total time of 2 hours!  (That's about a 12:24 mile time)  I think it helped that I had a running buddy for the whole time.  That probably prevented me from walking more than a few times.  (He also confirmed my belief that eating Freebirds (delicious Mexican food) right before a run was a bad choice - apparently I'm not the only one who's tried it unsuccessfully)

We ran out for 1 hour, then back again for 1 hour.  Along the way they have things called SAG stops (SAG = Sport And Gear).  It's just one of the coaches who has gatorade, water and power bars in the back of their car to give us.  We get to stretch and reenergize at SAG stops, and they usually are playing music to pump us up.  Well at the last SAG stop today (I usually don't make it to all of them - I was very proud!) the guy in charge of it was taking pictures.  If I ever get my hands on it, expect a glamorous photo of my red, sweaty face squinting into direct sunlight.  It'll be a fridge photo, for sure!

And boy are my hips unhappy with me!  (Don't worry, Mom, nothing damaging :P)  Coming down the last stretch of road took a lot to keep me moving.  Once the end was near my legs seemed to have their own minds.  Even now it's difficult to find the motivation to get up and shower (especially when I know that what awaits me is a cold bath to soothe my inflamed joints).  But, for the sake of my dignity and my roommates, I'll do it.

2 hours!  I'm exhausted but impressed.  (:

Running along the coast.  Hard to complain!

One of the lovely SAG stops.  Those orange coolers are

the most beautiful sight when you're thirsty!

a Spring update (:

Happy Spring everybody! I celebrated last Saturday by doing my longest run yet... 100 minutes! That includes getting lost on a side street and in a nature preserve by the Santa Barbara coast - I love to keep things exciting!

It was a super tough run. During finals week I was too busy frantically studying to train very much, so my body was not too happy with me when I started moving. But I survived! Even when the first long leg of it was up a hill. After the run was over a few of us decided to go ice our muscles the old fashion way - by running into the ocean at 8:45 in the morning! We stood in there with the water up to our waists for about 8 minutes until our legs were numb. Silly us we didn't think about how the numbness might affect us getting out of the water... Even though Rachel and I were holding on to each other we were slipping all over the rocks and she managed to fall in. We were wet messes when we got out - completely drenched, and for some reason I had sand all over me. Top that off with my first ever breakfast burrito (brilliant! and delicious!) and you have quite an eventful Saturday morning. (:

Proof that we're crazy!

And a HUGE thank you to the wonderful folks who I received donations from this week!
Gramma and Grandpa
Maggie and Bruce Nemirow
Deborah Walker
Jeremy Barcan
Robin and James Rashford
Aunt Jane
Kristie Summers
Danielle Stead

You ROCK! You inspire me to keep myself accountable and get up off my butt to train while also helping out people like Alyssa:

This is Alyssa.  She is 4 years old and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in August of 2007.  She loves fiery cheetos, Tinkerbell, all princesses, Dora the Explorer, pink and purple.  She also loves to sing and dance. In August of 2008, she suffered from a severe case of encephalitis and as a result lost her ability to see and also lost most of her ability to move the right side of her body. (Encephalitis is caused by either bacteria or viruses that get in your body and localize in the brain.  The inflammation that causes along with the flooding of white blood cells trying to get at the bacteria/viruses leads to brain tissue swelling against a hard skull.  It's very rare - only about 1500 people in the US are affected every year.)  Despite all of this though, Alyssa still loves to play with dolls, sing along to music, and smile and giggle like any young little girl. She has a long recovery road ahead of her but her family is very optimistic that she will conquer ALL.
Her grandma, Cindy, is very involved with Team In Training and keeps the team updated about Alyssa’s status on a regular basis.

She's another inspiration for me.

DONATIONS!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THOSE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONATED!!

Kelly Shanley, Nayely Castrellon, Andrea Holland and Caitlin Evans - you made my day when I saw you had donated. (:

You're all heroes!

And if you would like such glowing praise and love, remember it's never too late to donate!

some lessons learned

As my training continues I am always learning new things.

1. Lemon gatorade and my stomach DO NOT get along very well - even diluted!
2. Eating Freebirds nachos the night before a long run is not a good idea.
3. The hardest part about working out is putting on your clothes.
4. A simple, "doing good!" can make me run an extra mile.

I'm sure the list will keep on growing!

Longest training yet!

Today we ran for an hour! Yes, thirty minutes out and thirty minutes back (or, if you're like me and run slower as time goes on, 34 minutes back). We got to run along the ocean for a bit of it and then headed inland into Montecito neighborhoods - and hills. Especially one in particular. It was great running down, but when I had to head back up it took every ounce of my being to keep running at the top.

I am one of the slowest runners in our group, which I don't mind very much; as long as I run the whole time and feel like I'm working hard, I feel good. But I ended up running alone for almost the whole time because no one was quite at my pace. So when a woman passed me and said, "Are you with TNT? Keep it up! You're in the home stretch!" I was so filled with excitement and my morale shot through the roof! I never realized how much easier exercising is when you're with another person!

Isa Mireles - Honored Teammate

In June of 2007, Isabella Mireles was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). Her parents were perplexed as to why she was experiencing so many recurring fevers, why she was sleeping all the time, and had no energy. Her pediatrician finally suggested checking her blood and the results were that she was severely anemic . A bone marrow aspiration confirmed that she did indeed have leukemia. After spending two weeks at Cottage Hospital receiving intense chemotherapy, Isa was able to come home again. Because she responded so well to the chemo, her prognosis is excellent: she is considered ultra low risk and her cure rate is as high as 90%. Isa had to put up with so much during her treatment: nausea from the chemo, gaining weight from the steroids (and getting grumpy!) and losing all of her hair. Her sweet personality made all of the hospital staff fall in love with her, and she rarely complained about any of her treatment! Isa will continue treatment until the end of 2009 and this includes taking daily oral chemo meds, going into the clinic once a month for intravenous chemo and every three months going into the hospital for an infusion of chemo into her spinal fluid. All of this treatment is to make sure that there are no more leukemia cells lurking in her little body! Isa’s family is so proud of her and how she has handled this experience. Her dad, Rene even signed up with TNT to train for a marathon. He ran the San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon and managed to raise over 11,000 dollars for LLS. Isa’s family is so thankful for LLS, and feels that Isa is still here with us because of all of the amazing research that has been done to cure blood cancers, much of it funded by LLS.

First Group Run!

Today was our first group run!  We met at 7:00am at East Beast in Santa Barbara.  Sounds ideal, doesn't it?  Waking up before anybody else, running as the sun gets up... IN THE POURING RAIN!  I've never run in rain before, and it was quite an experience.  It was only a thirty minute run, so it wasn't too bad, but by the time we finished we were all dripping and cold!

We have a big group of people, and of all different abilities.  We ran one way for 15 minutes, then turned around and came back for 15, and I was near the back pretty much the whole time.  But it didn't matter too much - there was a time when 30 minutes was my maximum!  So hopefully next week will be a bit dryer and warmer (:

training on my own

This Saturday will be the official kick-off gathering for the Team in Training season.  Since Molly will be down here for her birthday, she's going to come to the meeting with me!

I've been going to the gym on my own to get my heart used to the idea of actually having to do some work, and it's been really fun.  And thank goodness for Jason who goes with me and is uber supportive about it.

But I thought I might share this website with anybody who runs:  www.mapmyrun.com

Rachel showed it to me and you can use an interactive map to map out your runs, walks, hikes or whatever.  It shows you the distance and lets you keep track of all the different routes you take.  It's fun to see exactly how far you're actually going, and other people can post routes in your area so you can borrow ideas.  If you use it, enjoy!

Fundraising

Part of Team in Training is just training yourself to be able to run a marathon, but the main part is the fundraising. In order to maintain their financial integrity of 3/4 of their earnings going straight to research, that means that whatever Team in Training spends on sending me to the marathon and signing me up for it has to be 1/4 of how much money I contribute to them. Which means I have to raise a lot of money.

I am signed up for the Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon (for its very first year!), which means I am raising $3,900 by May 27.  A staggering number at first, but I have so much faith and confidence in this organization that I know it is worth it.

I am going to set up fundraisers at home and at school to raise the money (bake sale anybody?), but I also have a website for online donations! If you or anybody you know has been affected by blood cancers I would appreciate it if you could pass on my site.  One of the beautiful things about Team in Training is that it gives lots of people chances to help in any way they can or want to.  I know I am not doing this alone, and could not.  I feel confident that I'll be able to raise enough money, but I'd also love to hear any stories that will help to motivate me. I know how many people are affected by cancer, and I think that the more people I can run for the better.  Thanks to Mom and Grandma who have already told me about members of my family who were diagnosed with blood cancers - your support means a lot to me!

Your soon-to-be favorite website:  Sarah's Fundraising Site!

Team in Training

I went to the Santa Barbara chapter of Team in Training's informational meeting tonight with my friend, Rachel. We watched a video with testimonials, listened to experiences of people who have run/walked marathons and half marathons, and got to hear a guest speaker. An adorable pregnant woman came to talk and told us that the medication that has put her into remission was a product of a lab funded by Team in Training money. Pretty intense.

If I had any doubt that this is for a good cause, I now know it's worth it.

Team in Training is a part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization that is working towards amazing things in blood cancer treatment. In its 20 years it has donated over $600 million toward research. It is an incredible nonprofit in that it gives nearly 75% of all the money it raises to its cause. (The 27.1% of the money that does not get donated is broken down to 17.6% fundraising and 9.5% general management) Pretty impressive. Which means that every dollar I earn, 73 cents is going directly toward saving someone's life!

Some quick facts:
- There is no cure.
- Leukemia and lymphoma are the leading fatal cancers in young men under 35.
- Leukemia is a leading cause of cancer related death in children.
- Every five minutes, someone is newly diagnosed with a blood cancer.
- Every ten minutes, another child or adult is expected to die from a blood-related cancer.
- 823,000 Americans are presently living with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease or myeloma

- The five-year survival rate for children with the most common form of leukemia was 4% in 1960... now it is 85%
- Gleevec (the drug responsible for saving the life of our guest speaker) has made the relative five-year survival rate for chronic myelogenous leukemia patients 74.8%


The goal: By 2015, all blood cancers will be curable.

Where the money has gone: over 350 grantees and 124 institutions of research. The donations have also been the catalyst for treatments of Hodgkin's disease, lymphomas and other common kinds of cancer, including stomach, breast and lung cancer.


I am sooo excited to be a part of this organization. I started looking into it for the training for the marathon, but now I think I'll be inspired by the cause behind it.