I am going to go faster if it kills me....

Today I have to run three miles. And I am determined to go faster if it kills me.

I figure I can start to pick up the pace on the shorter runs. They won't hurt me.

I run the first mile in 11 minutes 45 seconds. For those keeping track, that's a record for me. Yes, it's still slow, but it's a personal best, so bite me.

I run the second mile in 12 minutes. That's pretty damn good.

The third mile in 12 minutes, 45 seconds. That means that I ran about an average of 12 minutes a mile for the three mile duration.

That's the best I've done! I am so proud of me!

Of course, when I finished, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

But I did it!

And I also sent my checks off to be counted! Thank you again to everyone who has supported me so far!

The injuries are starting....

I call them injuries, but they are really minor problems. I had to ice my foot yesterday because I felt plantar fasciitis returning. If anyone has ever had this problem, you know you want to nip it in the bud toot sweet. It hurts like a mother........ if left unchecked.

I also have two blisters, one on each foot. I pop those, as instructed. But they still hurt.

Thank God I get to rest today. And rest I do.

Oh Boy!

Eight miles truly kicked my ass. It was such a perfect day for a run. It was cool, there was dew on the ground, and there were enough slugs/snails on the running trail to serve as a parade of sorts. A parade to remind me how pitifully slow I run.

I think there were points in the run in which it could not be said I was running. But I managed to pass all of the snails! Go me!

I also passed two dead snakes and two dead toads/frogs. Oh boy, am I on a roll!

At about the one mile to go mark, I was greeted by one of our coaches. She had been running with another group (a faster group) and wanted to come back to help me get back. We talked while I ran....

...And she walked.

That's right. I was upset when Ellen walked beside me for that brief moment. But I didn't seem to care that Katie was walking next to me. Truth be told, she was not sauntering. She was walking at a pretty good clip, as walking goes. But she was walking.

And I was so damn tired, I just wanted that last mile to end. I did pick it up for the last tenth. For some reason I always find some energy in my reserves. God only knows how.

Katie did keep reassuring me that I was doing fine. I shouldn't worry about running slowly, etc. Thank you for that!

What am I going to do when I have to run ten miles next week?

Rest Day

Thank you to my mom for supporting my cause.

And thank you for this rest day.

I am nervous about running eight miles tomorrow. The seven miles I ran last week represented the longest distance I have ever run. That will grow each week now.

Eight miles. I hope I can do it.

My first tarot card fundraising party.

Yesterday three miles was no big deal.

Today it was.

What gives?

I hope not my legs or my feet or my knees.

My good friend, Peg Schwenk, agreed to host a tarot card fundraising party for me. Thank you to Peg! It was an incredible success. I enjoy reading cards and freaking people the hell out. And I am thankful I am able to parlay that ability into money for my cause!

I also received a call from a regular Wild Mountain Organics customer. She wanted to reorder some products. When I mentioned that I was participating in a tarot card reading fundraiser, she wanted to know if I could add one more to the evening. When I said yes, she was thrilled and I added more money to my fundraising coffer! Thank you Cindy!

More support!

Thank you to Rose Carter for adding to my fundraising tally! I am getting closer and closer!

And three miles today is no big deal.

Isn't that funny. Three miles used to be my long run. Now it's no big deal.

Woo hoo!

I need my schedule back

Our flight from Kelowna was delayed because the plane was struck by lightening enroute to Kelowna. They had to inspect it.

And then we got on the same plane and flew to Calgary and then to Hamilton.

And we arrived.

2.5 hours late.

We didn't get home until 4:30 in the morning.

Needless to say, I wasn't about to get up at 7 or 8 to run. I ran when I got up.

And today was a long one. Five miles.

I have carefully marked several running options. I cannot run on the same path all the time. I need to jazz things up. Toss things about.

But my markers are things that may be temporary. For Sale signs on houses. God help me if my house markers sell before October and I don't notice the Sold signs. I might be running forever and not notice it!

Five miles did kick my ass a bit today. I managed to get through and then had to invoke my mantra "you can do anything for a mile." In fact, I think I had to "do anything for two miles."

I went through my mail and noticed that I have another supporter! Thank you to Shanon and Jeff Castiglione! You are helping me to get closer to my fundraising goal!

Packing up

People are leaving from the weekend party. We are leaving this afternoon, but not before I run three miles/five kilometers.

I made sure to get the next week's schedule before I left so that I didn't miss a day of training.

And I love this bike path.

I get another early start - not 6 a.m., but 7. It is already warm outside. I find myself hoping it is still cool at home. I know our summers can be pretty horrific in terms of heat and humidity, but this was a shock. We have had an unseasonably cool/wet summer so far - I am not complaining - and coming to the furnace of BC tossed be about a bit.

I take in every portion of the bike path. The cover of cottonwood seeds that looks like fluffy snow. The sound of the water rushing down the creek to the lake. The other users of the path. The birds. The plants. I am going to miss it. But I can certainly return to visit my sister.

Three miles didn't seem too bad today. I enjoyed my time in British Columbia, but look forward to returning to my regular stomping grounds.

And then she rested.

I have never been so happy for a rest day.

I was able to enjoy the wedding festivities yesterday and enjoy the evening.

Now I am at peace and relaxing.

On a boat, in the lake.

Sweet Lord, this is early.

5:30 a.m. That's what time I got up to get ready to make my way to the Mission Creek Bike Path.

What the hell was I thinking drinking too much on Thursday night and saving this run for today?

I wasn't thinking. And therein lies my problem.

Just over 11 km is a long damn way.

Thank God for the spectacular scenery.

No one is on the path at 6 a.m. There are a few by 6:30 and even more by 7. But 6 is pretty desolate. It made me worry just a bit. I know few people in town and anyone could have been hiding in the woods or the creek (creek monster?).

People with big dogs are on the path. Big dogs that from a distance look like small bears. I had to muster all of my courage and stamina to remember what to do should I encounter a bear:

• Do I run scared and screaming hoping it will be more scared of me than I of it? No, that's not a solution.
• Do I run in a zigzag? No, I think you do that for large reptiles like crocs and gators. Although I did hear that was a misnomer. Run straight for crocs and gators. You will outrun them. You are screwed if you are in the water with them.
• Do I stand my ground and stare the bear down? Perhaps. And then I will piss all over my sweaty running shorts. Does urine attract bears? I don't know.
• Do I fall to the ground and play dead? I think this is one answer depending on the bear (Now I have to remember how to identify bears? Jesus, isn't running 11 km enough for one day?).
• Do I climb a tree? None of the trees in the area was really a climbing tree.

Of course, I go through all of this twice. Once for a large black dog. A damn ugly dog at that. And once for a large white dog. Because, you know, a polar bear got loose in the interior of BC.

But I felt prepared should I encounter a bear.

On my return from the 5.5 km mark or so, I see so many more people.

I also have an old man talk to me. I don't know why old men always want to say inappropriate things to me. He was on his bike and saw me run across one of the roads. It was my last kilometer and I was damn tired and probably looked as though I might die. He asked me if I was sweating already. Already? Dude, I've been out here over an hour and a half. Bite me!

Don't drink and run.

Since my sister is getting married tomorrow, I wanted to run this morning since I didn't think it likely that I would want to run the morning of her wedding.

She is getting married at 10 a.m. and that would mean that I have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to run. I like running in the morning, but dawn's ass? No thanks.

Turns out when you are excited to see relatives you seldom see and there is wine (remember the Okanagan has some fabulous vineyards), you shouldn't plan to get up to run.

You shouldn't plan to get up.

So I didn't run today. I used it as my rest day, which was what it was supposed to be. But that means I have to run 7 miles (just over 11 km) tomorrow morning before the wedding.

And it means I cannot sample every local wine tonight.

Drat!

I found the best bike path/running trail!

I like that I run in the morning. I beat the heat and get my day off to a good start.

I do not like the heat.

I hate it.

Most people are surprised to hear that it is hot in parts of British Columbia. My sister lives in Kelowna which is in the Okanagan Valley. The Okanagan Valley is home to Okanagan Lake - a vast expanse of water that is quite deep. It is also alleged to be the home of Ogopogo, a Loch Ness monster type of monster. Since the lake is quite deep and large, people assume there must be a monster. Oh, and people have spotted it, I guess.

Did I neglect to mention that the Okanagan Valley is also home to many award-winning vineyards?

Does that help to explain the presence of a lake monster? Perhaps, perhaps not. You be the judge.

I am forced to run 3 miles (5 kilometers or thereabouts - when in Rome) in the middle of the afternoon. Bad idea, but what choice do I have?

I ask at our hotel if there is a marked path or something nearby. The clerk is more than happy to direct me to the Mission Creek Bike Path. The bike path is a 16 km (8 km out and 8 back) packed dirt/stone trail that winds next to Mission Creek. It is well-maintained and beautiful! I feel connected to nature running on this trail.

Not only do I see birds of all sorts, but I see plants and insects that I don't regularly see at home, if at all. The trail does have its share of users. I can see people running, walking, and biking. People have kids and dogs.

And it also abuts some of the best scenery I have seen in ages. I can see past the creek to the mountains in the distance. Jutting up from the landscape, they motivate me to push harder to get to the 2.5 km mark. I almost don't want to turn around. Almost.

I do my share of sweating. That's nothing new. But I do make a note that I want to run in the morning. The morning. It is much too warm in the middle of the day.

Thank God for the shade of the trees along the banks of the river. Rarely was I in the open sun.

We leave today. I hope I keep up.

We leave this evening for Hamilton, Ontario. We are spending the night in order to catch a very early flight to Kelowna, British Columbia. My sister is getting married and we are going.

My run this morning reminds me that I am doing this for an incredible cause. I received an email that reminds me exactly what this means to people. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society frequently sends inspirational emails to motivate us. Many come at just the right time.

This is from that email:

Elli Wolpe, herself a cancer survivor, became part of the LLS family when her husband David was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She is now one of our Team In Training® (TNT) participants. Here is a portion of her speech from the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Pasta Party.

I remember reading once that when people tell the story of an event that changed their lives, they often begin with the words: "It was a day that started just like any other day..." The same is true for us.

It was a day that started just like any other day when I got a follow up call after my annual exam. I was 31 and a new mother. And I had cancer. It changed my life forever. But I was one of the lucky ones, it was caught early and I survived.

It was a day like any other day when my husband, David, had a grand mal seizure. We learned it was caused by a brain tumor that was removed in a 10-hour surgery. But he was one of the lucky ones. It was benign and he survived.

It was a day like any other day when, just two a half years later, David found a swollen lymph node that led to the diagnosis of follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Luckily, the chemo worked and he went into remission. But being in remission is not the same thing as being cured. In January, he got the last of his Rituxan®, a monoclonal antibody that was developed in part by funding from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Now we play the waiting game. Because incurable means it's coming back. Only we don't know when. All we know is that it will be on a day just like any other day...

Your support for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society matters - to my husband, my daughter, myself... You are changing the world for people like us.

Thank you to everyone who supports me!

I think I have died

I have no idea what on Earth happened today.

No idea.

At mile 2.5, I almost walked. WALKED! I haven't had to walk yet. Why today?

I made myself get through the last two miles. Yes, today my mantra became, 'you can do anything for two miles.'

Actually, that is being family friendly. My mantra was actually, 'WTF? Why is this kicking your ass? You pansy, get your freaking ass moving and get it over with.'

Then I said I could do anything for a mile.

I did not go to yoga today. I thought I should take a break from two workouts on Tuesdays since it took nearly all day to run 4.5 miles (not that dire, but it felt like it).

And my back is bothering me tonight.

I think I may also be nervous because I am going out of town on Thursday morning and my running schedule is going to get screwed up.

My sister is getting married in British Columbia and we are leaving at the crack of dawn on Thursday. I won't be able to run on Thursday until the afternoon. I am not sure about this.

And I have to convert to kilometers. Jesus. Thank God I know how to do that!

And I have to run my long run along the lake in Kelowna. That will be tough. (That's sarcasm.) We will see how it goes.

I do plan to take my computer to have access to things so I should update the blog. Stay tuned.

Another week

This is week four.

I cannot believe I have trained for three weeks and am into week four.

Mileage is increasing, slowly.

Today I had to run 2.5 miles and it felt pretty good. Nothing too unusual.

I am worried about tomorrow. 4.5 miles. I have done 4, 5, and 6 before so 4.5 should be no big deal.

I am not sure why I worry so much.

I did buy a copy of Runner's World. Apparently, I am a runner. I should know what other runners know.

Sarah Palin was in this issue (July or August). And I had just read about her resigning her position as Governor of Alaska. I am guessing she needs more time to run. And by run, I mean on the mean streets of Wasilla, not run for office and such.

Or so I hope.

But life is never that easy.

And on the 7th day, they rested....

I am quite sure I just bastardized the Bible, but I don't really care that damn much. And I don't much believe God created everything in seven days, but I digress.

The point is that on Sunday, I rested.

Truly rested.

Didn't do yoga, didn't clean the house, didn't garden, didn't get off my lazy ass.

And I felt wonderful!

Those rest days have been put on our schedule for a reason.

And I love them!

Happy 4th of July

It's the 4th of July.

But it's also Saturday.

That means it is my long run day. Six miles.

Six miles.

I am nervous about six miles. It seems to far. And truth be told, the last time I did six miles was as far as I ran before I had to drop out. I tried running seven once. Once. It didn't work out so well.

My route has been mapped. Ironically, my route ends right at a house Jamie and I were interested in buying. Unfortunately, we are unable to make any sort of financial move like that right now.

I see that as a good sign - ending at the house, not that we have no money. I am always looking for signs.

The course is also relatively flat.

I want to get an early start so that I am finished and can either sit and relax for the day or curl up and die.

There is not a soul out this morning. The roads are completely empty. I dismiss with running on the sidewalk and run right on the street. I am practically running in the center of my running lane. I feel free! Unhindered in any way.

And my run is spectacular. Yes, I do have to invoke my mantra for the last mile (you can do anything for a mile), but just the last mile. The other five seem to come easily. I am getting the hang of this running thing.

Running this early, I feel unobserved. I don't feel the least bit bothered by staring a bit too long at someone's front garden or other landscaping or other home related coolness.

I also observe my surroundings a bit more closely. When the only sound you hear is the sound of your Shuffle, you turn it down a bit to listen to the world around you. It sounds impossible, but it isn't. Try it on your own Saturday morning when you are running in near seclusion.

I also love my town. A man rides by me on his bike. He seems to want to take advantage of the early morning also.

He is riding a bike that has an attachment in the back for a child rider. I am sure it has a name. Perhaps if I had children, I would know the name. Hell, if I had children, I would probably own one. Let's just call it a tot attachment. It is obviously for a child to pedal along with mom or dad.

The reason I mention it and describe it is because it seemed to be missing its rider. As a self-proclaimed smart ass, part of me wanted to yell, "dude, I think you lost something," or "dude, you better backtrack to get your child." I didn't and thank God because those comments aren't the least bit clever. Honestly, I didn't want to hear my own voice. Or any voice.

He rode in silence and I ran in silence.

I also passed the usual suspects. There is a woman I find inspirational. I know not one damn thing about her other than that she exercises every day. She is also older. If I had to guess I would say she is at least 65 or 70. If she isn't power walking (and doing it faster than I run, I should add), she is cycling. She usually cycles with another woman - a daughter, friend, I have no idea. We always say hello, smile, wave.

It doesn't matter that there is solitude. It doesn't matter that I didn't want to yell at the lone biker. I have to say hello to them. And I said hello and "happy 4th."

Because that's what country folk do on a Saturday morning.

On my run back to the house, the man with the tot attachment passed again. He was still missing his rider.

And I suspect that no matter how much he loves said rider, he was blessing the solitude too.

I don't have to run today!

I woke up and felt relief. I felt relaxed. I do not have to run today! Today is a rest day.

Of course, I did do yoga.

And it felt wonderful.

I think I need yoga to keep me limber and able to run.

I also sent my letters/newsletters to my unsuspecting friends and family. I hope to reach my fundraising goal! Thank you to everyone for supporting me.

It's raining snails and slugs!

Not really, but there sure are an inordinate number of snails and slugs - and I don't mean slow runners like me.

We have had rain every day for a week. I may be exaggerating, but not by much. As a result, the roadways and sidewalks are riddled with snails and slugs. Thank God there aren't worms, which is surprising to me. Snails and slugs are easier to jump over. Not that worms pose some serious roadblock, but they are bigger. Snakes would also get in my way, as would bears and deer, but I am getting off topic.

I woke up this morning and all I heard was pouring rain. I thought that it better clear up a bit before I run or I will be pissed off. I didn't want to wait to run in the afternoon. I like the morning workout.

It did clear up by about 10:30, so I thought I better take advantage of it. Of course, at about mile 1.25 (3 mile run today), it started to rain. Since I don't run fast, I knew I would end up soaked by the end.

But it stopped. It was almost a tease to see how I would react. Well, I took it in stride. At that point, the only thing to do was laugh. What, was I going to get upset because I was going to get soaked to the skin in the rain? There wasn't much I could do considering that I was 1.25 miles from home, so I kept running and laughing.

I had just heard Duran Duran's Hold Back the Rain on my Shuffle. Damn you Simon LeBon!

My first two miles were a bit lagging. I took a route that has an uphill - an actual uphill, not an incline - and it kinda kicked my ass. And I am tired. I think I am still trying to get into a groove. Running four days a week with Friday off and then a long run on Saturday and then Sunday off hasn't settled in yet. I need to settle. When does that happen?

But I did think that if I ran early in the day, I would have more time off before the long run.

Hey, whatever motivation works.

The upside to running in the rain is that it is a perfect excuse to take a bath afterward. And the weather we have been having has been a bit chilly, but still humid. And when it rains, it is cool and damp. Perfect bath weather. If you are reading this thinking, 'oh, finally some juice, she'll tell us about her bath,' think again, pervert. This is a family program!

But I did sit in the tub with my People double issue celebrating the life of Michael Jackson.

If you think it's odd that I sit naked in a tub reading about MJ, don't worry. He wouldn't have been interested in me because I am female and forty. And I wouldn't have been interested in him because, well, really, do you need me to fill in the blanks?

On another note, I talked to one of my neighbor's last night. A package of mine was inadvertently delivered to her house so she brought it over to me. It was very nice of her. Instead of just thanking her and saying 'good-bye,' I started to talk to her and I am glad I did. We went to high school together and were in the same year until she decided to graduate a year early by taking summer classes. So we are the same age, but she graduated a year ahead of me.

We talked about how she was doing, how I was doing. She mentioned that things haven't been going so well for her. I asked if she wanted to elaborate and she told me that her sister had cancer. Her sister - Becky - is a year younger than us. That is damn young to have cancer.

She told me that it should be okay. She has a 90% cure/survival rate. I told her that was good news and that I would keep her in my thoughts. I thought I would pry further by asking what type of cancer.

Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

I told her that I was training to run a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and isn't this a small world. I did ask if it was okay to mention Becky's name in my training blog and so on. She said fine.

Then she said that she didn't know I ran marathons. I had to correct her and say that I don't, as a general rule, but that I wanted to challenge myself. I told her I am not planning to win, but if she sees me running, yell some words of encouragement or get me a stretcher or something.

Then I told her about my upcoming fundraiser at Weber's Grille and asked her to come by. I hope to see her.

And I hope Becky does well. Becky, I ran for you today. While I was in the rain cursing Duran Duran, I did wonder how you are. I did think about the struggle you face every day.

And then running in the rain didn't seem so bad.

And the bath...cleansing, relaxing and rejuvenating.

Get well, Becky!

Oh Boy am I Tired!

Today was a struggle. I had to run only 2.5 miles, but it seemed daunting. It took all my energy to get outside to run. Once I got started, things seemed okay. But just okay.

Of course, last night I went to yoga because I love it. I am thinking that now that mileage is ramping up, I am not going to be able to run and do yoga on the same day. I am bummed because I like the class, but I have made this commitment and need to stick to it. So I will do yoga on rest days.

It won't be with the class, though.

And I find that I am tired after I run and have a hard time getting into the swing of things. I am working from home over the summer, which makes it more difficult to motivate, but I should still be able to get things done. Thank God I can read and call it a job.

On a brighter note, I finished my fundraising "newsletter." I put together a newsletter detailing the Team in Training program and why I am doing this. I mention my work with the group in 2004 when I trained and completed a Century Ride in Lake Tahoe. I also discuss ways in which you may help me reach my fundraising goal. I wanted to attach it, but can't attach a document here. Please visit my personal website to download a copy: http://www.pwhoffmann.com/

As a note, I reference an upcoming fundraiser. If anyone lives in or near Alden, feel free to join us at Weber's Grille on Broadway Wednesday, August 5 from 4-7 p.m. for tarot card readings, Wild Mountain Organics and food!