Hey, I did run three miles on Friday, they were slow, but they were a run. Foot feels so much better, I look forward to more miles and a quicker pace this week.
My goal for race day to improve speed is also to cut weight. As you know, I've been carrying Big Jug all around town including the zoo. At the same time, I've decided to give up cream in my coffee. I'm switching to splenda and skim milk. I'm also giving up chips - UGH!!! No chips for 2 months. I'll live, it's only 2 months.
With both my online and offline donations, I'm at $285, very close to that $300, and with a more than 2 months, I've got plenty of time to hit my ultimate goal of $1500.
Remember, it's easy and safe to donate on line, every little bit helps! Help support my efforts and GOTR.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Katie's Visit
I'm taking a break from my solemate entries to share with you the last few days. First of all, I want to say, my brain is so full of stuff, I'm not even sure where to start or how this will go, so bear with me as I try to capture this moment, you know me, I'm a talker, chances are this is going to be really long. . .
Let me back up to last summer. David and I hit the 10 year mark with a bang, and not in a good way. David moved out for about a month which forced me to reevaluate my life and the direction I wanted to go.It was during that month that I first met Katie. She was this young, 23 year old, passionate kid who was running across the country to inspire people to live their passion. Hearing her message spoke deeply to me. My passion at that time came down to two things, my kids and my Girls on the Run. My GOTR included my board president, Emily who has been a big part of my life since the seed of GOTR was planted in Jackson County. She came over and helped me redecorate my house, ok, helped is not accurate, she redecorated for me. She and my vice president, Sarah, sat with me into the wee hours one night on Emily's roof top over looking the city while we talked about my future. My SoleMate coordinator, Aimee, came to my house and sat with me letting me vent, cry and whatever else needed to happen. Through that process, our friendships were strengthened and my commitment and passion for this program grew.
And then came Katie. She brought such joy with her and such determination, I took from that and realized I would be OK. I had great friends, a great organization and wonderful kids. And eventually, David came home. He saw the changes in me and realized that I too had changed. That I wanted more in life than just getting by.
The last year has been one of the toughest in my life, but it's also been one of the most rewarding. I've gotten to do some pretty cool things and meet some pretty fantastic people, and I've gotten to restore my marriage.
The last few days, Katie has been in town, staying at my house. Being around her reminds me of how much I love GOTR. Thursday she and I took a trip to Fairmount Elementary School, one of our sites. One of the most rewarding parts of GOTR are the stories. Seeing them unravel right in front of my eyes, watching and listening to the girls, seeing the difference GOTR is making. And so, Katie spoke to these girls. She asked them what their passions were. One girl said, "I want to be a model, but that won't happen." Katie took that opportunity to tell her that she could do anything she wanted. ANYTHING!!! Then it was time for the work out piece of the day, the girls clung to Katie, holding her hands, standing only a few feet away, just being near her. As I watched, I could only smile. I knew what they were feeling. Wow, here's this amazing person who has an incredible message, and she thinks I'm cool enough to hang with, AND she believes in me.
When we left, I asked Katie if that was pretty typical, "Do all the kids take to you like that?" I was not surprised when she said, "Yeah." Of course they do, adults do too, she's just that kind of gal.
Yesterday was a blast! It was beautiful outside, and we spent most of it outdoors, playing baseball, going to the park, riding bikes, hanging out. And then she cooked us dinner. AHHHHH!!!!!!
This morning we woke up with a blanket of snow. We all new it was coming, but we were hoping it would pass or the weather folks were wrong, they weren't. Oh well, off we went to Loose Park, where over 30 people showed up in the freezing cold snow coming down kind of day to meet Katie. Several of us had met her this summer, but for others, it was their first meeting. Nearly all the coaches showed up, including the Pave Your Lane coaches.
Wait, I guess I skipped that part of all of this. So, while Katie was running across America, she was raising money for GOTR. At the end of the run, she sent us a check which allowed us to open a site at Imagine Renaissance Academy (located at 17th and Hardesty). Because of her efforts, 15 more girls this season are touched here in Jackson County. This legacy will continue as we add more Pave Your Lane sites in the fall and spring!
And now, she's gone. Off to Trenton, MO and eventually back to Chicago on April 1. I miss her already, and I will cherish our time together. She reminds me of the importance of what I'm doing and of why I'm doing it. And she reminds me of the passion my board has, how amazing they are and how blessed Jackson County is to have such fantastic women passionate about this organization.
Let me back up to last summer. David and I hit the 10 year mark with a bang, and not in a good way. David moved out for about a month which forced me to reevaluate my life and the direction I wanted to go.It was during that month that I first met Katie. She was this young, 23 year old, passionate kid who was running across the country to inspire people to live their passion. Hearing her message spoke deeply to me. My passion at that time came down to two things, my kids and my Girls on the Run. My GOTR included my board president, Emily who has been a big part of my life since the seed of GOTR was planted in Jackson County. She came over and helped me redecorate my house, ok, helped is not accurate, she redecorated for me. She and my vice president, Sarah, sat with me into the wee hours one night on Emily's roof top over looking the city while we talked about my future. My SoleMate coordinator, Aimee, came to my house and sat with me letting me vent, cry and whatever else needed to happen. Through that process, our friendships were strengthened and my commitment and passion for this program grew.
And then came Katie. She brought such joy with her and such determination, I took from that and realized I would be OK. I had great friends, a great organization and wonderful kids. And eventually, David came home. He saw the changes in me and realized that I too had changed. That I wanted more in life than just getting by.
The last year has been one of the toughest in my life, but it's also been one of the most rewarding. I've gotten to do some pretty cool things and meet some pretty fantastic people, and I've gotten to restore my marriage.
The last few days, Katie has been in town, staying at my house. Being around her reminds me of how much I love GOTR. Thursday she and I took a trip to Fairmount Elementary School, one of our sites. One of the most rewarding parts of GOTR are the stories. Seeing them unravel right in front of my eyes, watching and listening to the girls, seeing the difference GOTR is making. And so, Katie spoke to these girls. She asked them what their passions were. One girl said, "I want to be a model, but that won't happen." Katie took that opportunity to tell her that she could do anything she wanted. ANYTHING!!! Then it was time for the work out piece of the day, the girls clung to Katie, holding her hands, standing only a few feet away, just being near her. As I watched, I could only smile. I knew what they were feeling. Wow, here's this amazing person who has an incredible message, and she thinks I'm cool enough to hang with, AND she believes in me.When we left, I asked Katie if that was pretty typical, "Do all the kids take to you like that?" I was not surprised when she said, "Yeah." Of course they do, adults do too, she's just that kind of gal.
Yesterday was a blast! It was beautiful outside, and we spent most of it outdoors, playing baseball, going to the park, riding bikes, hanging out. And then she cooked us dinner. AHHHHH!!!!!!
This morning we woke up with a blanket of snow. We all new it was coming, but we were hoping it would pass or the weather folks were wrong, they weren't. Oh well, off we went to Loose Park, where over 30 people showed up in the freezing cold snow coming down kind of day to meet Katie. Several of us had met her this summer, but for others, it was their first meeting. Nearly all the coaches showed up, including the Pave Your Lane coaches.
Wait, I guess I skipped that part of all of this. So, while Katie was running across America, she was raising money for GOTR. At the end of the run, she sent us a check which allowed us to open a site at Imagine Renaissance Academy (located at 17th and Hardesty). Because of her efforts, 15 more girls this season are touched here in Jackson County. This legacy will continue as we add more Pave Your Lane sites in the fall and spring!
And now, she's gone. Off to Trenton, MO and eventually back to Chicago on April 1. I miss her already, and I will cherish our time together. She reminds me of the importance of what I'm doing and of why I'm doing it. And she reminds me of the passion my board has, how amazing they are and how blessed Jackson County is to have such fantastic women passionate about this organization.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Running today
went pretty well, .25 warm up, then 5.5-6.0 run for 2.5 miles (average 5.7 according to Treadmill, so 10:34) then .25 cool down. Total of 3.0 miles done. Foot is not grand, but not bad. Waiting to see how much I raise for SoleMates between now and 10 pm before I decide what tomorrow will bring. For every $10, I'm running a mile.
Want to up my mileage for tomorrow? http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/slea1 .
Also, learned that guys get a really cool shirt if they do solemates, not girly pretty like mine! If you're a guy and you're interested, you should totally do Solemates, the fundraising goal is only $262 (unless you're a maniac like me - $1500)
Want to up my mileage for tomorrow? http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/slea1 .
Also, learned that guys get a really cool shirt if they do solemates, not girly pretty like mine! If you're a guy and you're interested, you should totally do Solemates, the fundraising goal is only $262 (unless you're a maniac like me - $1500)
Monday, March 15, 2010
WATER LOGGED
Week 2, Day 1: Yesterday I said I'd start hydrating. Today you could see me around town with monster water jug. Look at this thing, it's huge!!!!
. Celebrating that I got one of these big jugs down. All I can say is thank goodness for lemons!!!!
I'm thinking of doing a flat stanly with the water jug, where will it turn up next??? Keep hydrating while having fun, I always say, not always, but will start now!
Thinking I will make this one profile pic on FB, why not?? It's my new best friend.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Week One - complete
Fundraising: Over the past week, I've used my facebook account to begin encouraging people to donate to GOTR. In one week, I've raised $210, enough to convince me to up my goal from $1000 to $1500. That money will be enough to fund 2 inner city sites for one season or one site for an entire year. http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/SLea1 takes you right to my fundraising page. I'm encouraging everyone to give at least $10. Every dollar counts in an organization like GOTR of Jackson County!
Perks: Yesterday I received my welcome box to SoleMates. My $26 registration fee got me a lot of goodies!!! First, notice how cute welcome box is, tennis shoe box with footprints on it - ahhhhh.
In the box was a bunch of really fun loot, my favorite being the singlet. There's also a training manual for half and full marathon. . .gets me thinking maybe October will hold the KC half marathon for me. We shall see.
Besides my foot, the biggest struggle I'm facing right now is the weather, the long winter, and the extra pounds I've picked up to drag me down. So, starting this week, my first priority will be to hydrate with water. If you know me at all, you know I do not like water. However, yesterday I picked up some lemons at the grocery store, got my HUGE cup out of storage and will start downing at least one big cup of lemon water a day.
My SoleMate's Journey
One week ago, I signed up for Solemates, the charity running piece of Girls on the Run. The event I chose is Hospital Hill 10K, and my goal is to set a PR of under one hour. You will be able to track both my training and fundraising progress through this blog. My hope is that everyone sees how empowering reaching a goal truly is. Stay tuned for all the perks and struggles this adventure will surely bring!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Make a Difference
Let me be frank, I'm asking for your money. (PLEASE DON'T STOP READING, unless you're going to scroll down to the link and donate right now.)
Jackson County Girls on the Run serves suburbs like Lee's Summit and Blue Spring, rural areas like Grain Valley and Buckner as well as the urban core in the heart of Kansas City - think VanBrunt and 17th Street and areas like Sugar Creek. This season we've nearly tripled in size going from 33 girls last fall to close to 90 this spring. We've added 3 fully funded sites - thanks to Pave Your Lane, LINK and SoleMates. At the same time, we've been able to maintain our registration fees to $50-$75 for our public sites. Our total out of pocket site per girl is $200, so offering it at an affordable rate means we need help!
I've signed up for SoleMates (the charity running piece of GOTR) this season with two goals in mind. I'll be running Hospital Hill 10K. Last year I completed it in 1:06, this year I want to do it in less than an hour. If you're not familiar with HH, let me just say, the name is NOT deceiving. This race is full of HUGE hills, and if you know me at all, you know I'm a treadmill kind of chick. But I'm up for the challenge - 60 minutes, 10 minute miles, YES I CAN!!!!
My second goal is to raise $1000 for GOTR through SoleMates. http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/SLea1 Here's the link to my page. You can see how much I've raised, who the biggest funders are and all that fun stuff. I will also be posting awesome stories about the girls and about how your gift of $10 (yep, that's all I'm asking for - 100 people to give $10) is impacting girls in our area.
Last season two women wanted to add a site at their inner city school, and I wasn't sure how we were going to fund the site. Basically they decided to do SoleMates which would cover the cost of their girls' registration fees. I am excited to share with you that they currently have 15 girls signed up for Girls on Track (6-8th grade girls). Here's a blip of how SM/GOTR has made a difference in this girl's life.
"Thinking about the girl who is overweight. . . I am really excited she is involved. She is looking forward to learning about healthy eating too. I think this will be great for her. When we first mentioned the group to her, she asked if she could just be the cheerleader or help coach, because she didn't think she could do the running. So, I'm glad she signed up. And, another chubby girl signed up once she saw this other had signed up. She said, "If she's gonna do it, then I'll do it too." I know GOTR is not a weight-loss program, but if they can see that exercise is feasible and can be fun, as well as eating well, then maybe they will eventually see a change in weight and lifestyle."
What chokes me up about this is that the girl wants to coach or cheer on other girls because she's already told herself she can't. She's already living in that girl box about what a big girl can and can't do. And she signed up anyway. She'll learn over the next 11 weeks what it's taken me most of my life to learn, I can do anything.
More to come!!!! You can donate right now, it's painless and easy - $10. . .and it does directly affect our girls right here in Jackson County!
Jackson County Girls on the Run serves suburbs like Lee's Summit and Blue Spring, rural areas like Grain Valley and Buckner as well as the urban core in the heart of Kansas City - think VanBrunt and 17th Street and areas like Sugar Creek. This season we've nearly tripled in size going from 33 girls last fall to close to 90 this spring. We've added 3 fully funded sites - thanks to Pave Your Lane, LINK and SoleMates. At the same time, we've been able to maintain our registration fees to $50-$75 for our public sites. Our total out of pocket site per girl is $200, so offering it at an affordable rate means we need help!
I've signed up for SoleMates (the charity running piece of GOTR) this season with two goals in mind. I'll be running Hospital Hill 10K. Last year I completed it in 1:06, this year I want to do it in less than an hour. If you're not familiar with HH, let me just say, the name is NOT deceiving. This race is full of HUGE hills, and if you know me at all, you know I'm a treadmill kind of chick. But I'm up for the challenge - 60 minutes, 10 minute miles, YES I CAN!!!!
My second goal is to raise $1000 for GOTR through SoleMates. http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/SLea1 Here's the link to my page. You can see how much I've raised, who the biggest funders are and all that fun stuff. I will also be posting awesome stories about the girls and about how your gift of $10 (yep, that's all I'm asking for - 100 people to give $10) is impacting girls in our area.
Last season two women wanted to add a site at their inner city school, and I wasn't sure how we were going to fund the site. Basically they decided to do SoleMates which would cover the cost of their girls' registration fees. I am excited to share with you that they currently have 15 girls signed up for Girls on Track (6-8th grade girls). Here's a blip of how SM/GOTR has made a difference in this girl's life.
"Thinking about the girl who is overweight. . . I am really excited she is involved. She is looking forward to learning about healthy eating too. I think this will be great for her. When we first mentioned the group to her, she asked if she could just be the cheerleader or help coach, because she didn't think she could do the running. So, I'm glad she signed up. And, another chubby girl signed up once she saw this other had signed up. She said, "If she's gonna do it, then I'll do it too." I know GOTR is not a weight-loss program, but if they can see that exercise is feasible and can be fun, as well as eating well, then maybe they will eventually see a change in weight and lifestyle."
What chokes me up about this is that the girl wants to coach or cheer on other girls because she's already told herself she can't. She's already living in that girl box about what a big girl can and can't do. And she signed up anyway. She'll learn over the next 11 weeks what it's taken me most of my life to learn, I can do anything.
More to come!!!! You can donate right now, it's painless and easy - $10. . .and it does directly affect our girls right here in Jackson County!
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