2 Weeks Until the Half!

In just 2 weeks, I will lace up and run in my first half marathon.  The wonderful people with Run Over Cancer are hosting their inaugural half marathon in good old Cypress, Texas and I will be there bright and early to run.  Run Over Cancer raises money for cancer patients in need of assistance during their treatment.  They are just starting out and are ready for the challenge of fundraising for their cause.

This week's long run was yesterday morning.  I went out just about the same time the gun will go off for the half marathon.  Training for race day conditions is important; to help me know what I'm getting into.  My plan of attack was to have a water and Gu break at the 5.5 mile mark, a pit stop at 7.5 miles, and then finish out the rest of 11 miles.  I finished, at 2:05, and promptly needed to lie down.  Wondering why the bonk after last week's 10.5 miler was such a pleasant experience, I went back over my meal plan for the week.  Whoops!  I forgot the carbs again.  Now that I know what happens when you try to combine low carb with running, that will be taken care of.  Oatmeal, bread, pasta - what a wonderful world has opened up to me again!!

Also this week, I logged a total of 35 miles.  Okay, so 3 of those miles were logged taking the dog for a brisk walk, but they still count, right?  That tops my previous record week by 7 miles.  Wow!

In other news, I am appreciating running with a fuel belt.  No more hiding a bottle of water and some Shot Bloks in the bushes.  Now I carry it right with me.  I have discovered that, while I like running in tanks or singlets, I have strange tan lines from my iPod and BodyBugg.  My running shoes have 230 miles on them so far this year, and I think it's about time to get a new pair and start breaking them in.  And speaking of Shot Bloks, I have discovered that while I prefer them to Gu, it is just easier to suck down a Gu than to chew up a Blok.  Hmmm, the things you never thought you'd know...

For those of you who have been following me as I train for my full marathon, I am still fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  The Hippity ROC half marathon just happens to be at the perfect point in my training for me to run the half marathon distance.  Since it's always good practice to be in a few races, I took advantage of the schedule to lace up and raise even more money to fight cancer.  In case you hadn't guessed, I really, really, really don't like cancer.

It is such a terrible disease, and it brings pain, misery and fear to thousands of people every year.  While lots of people win the fight, not everyone can.  By raising money for both research and patient support, we can help those in need right now as well as supporting new treatment methods for the patients of the future.  Neither of those is more important than the other.

I've gotten a few questions, so I did want to clear one thing up about my fundraising.  Team in Training is not paying for my trip to San Diego.  I am making my own travel and hotel arrangements and paying for that personally.  So every dollar you donate to my fundraising efforts goes to LLS, not to me.

Thanks to everyone for your support as I race to fight cancer.  Whether you've contributed to my fundraising, or sent a prayer or positive energy my way, I appreciate it all!!