I have officially reached the $1000 mark in my fundraising .... yeah! I am so excited and thankful for such generous friends and family!
Training for me has been slow this season, I hate to admit. There have been so many days where I have come home from work and have been SO beyond exhausted that I just cannot make myself go out and run. I know I just need to suck it up and do it, but for some reason I've just had a hard time doing it. I am soooo good at making excuses, and I really hate that about myself, but at least I can admit it. I've really had to push myself to run outside and not on the treadmill, too. It's been a lot easier to take the comfort of the treadmill knowing that there are bathrooms nearby, but I do feel so much more accomplished when I actually run outside through my neighborhood.
Being a mentor with Team Challenge this season has been really awesome. I have a really wonderful group of mentees who have all really impressed me with their drive and motivation for finding a cure. It's so great to know that they have faith in my abilities as a mentor and come to me with questions, concerns, and praises! Way to go Lindsay, Catie, Amanda, Tiffany, and Ivette! I know you all can do it and I'm so glad to be a part of your Team Challenge experience!
I missed our group run last weekend at Stone Mountain because I was up in Virginia with Matt. Instead of running, I woke up early to tailgate and drink lots and lots for the UVA/VMI football game .... which can't really be considered football .... followed by lots of napping and drinking (and dancing ... HA). This weekend I'm so excited to be back with the group for a 6 mile run at the Chattahoochee River! I love this course (and love even more that Justin Bieber supposedly has a house right around there ... I'm such a good stalker!) and am excited to see my Team Challenge friends again!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
My team is awesome!
Team Challenge Georgia has 54 participants this season .... which is SO awesome! Even more awesome is how much money we've raised so far as a team! Are you ready for it ..... remember that we are only in Week FOUR ..... we are working our boo-tays off training and fundraising!
Team Challenge Georgia has officially raised ........
Team Challenge Georgia has officially raised ........
$40,623!!!
Just so you know how the money that we raise for the CCFA is spent, here's a little breakdown:
$30 provides a one year membership to the CCFA for a patient in need
$300 supports a Camp Oasis camper in need for one day
$500 covers six months of unlimited online chat support with a Patient Information Specialist
$2,500 sends a child with Crohn's or Colitis to Camp Oasis for one week
It's humbling to know how much we are helping the mission of the CCFA. Your money really does make a difference in the lives of patients!
Check out my fundraising page .... I need your help!
http://www.active.com/donate/lv10georgia/CADEL
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Honoring ...
I have two good friends from college with sisters who have been diagnosed with Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis. I'm excited to be running in their honor this season, and will be so happy when there is a CURE for all of us!
Here's to you, Sara and Kristin .... we're running for a cure!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Starting from scratch
I'm a little embarassed to admit that I have been completely slack, lazy, unmotivated, UNINSPIRED to run or exercise over the past few months. After I completed the Las Vegas 1/2 marathon, I was so excited to keep running and train for another race. I took a month off of running, and then signed up for the Country Music 1/2 marathon in Nashville. I really thought I could just keep up with my training and do it on my own ..... wrong answer. The longest run I did before Nashville was 8 miles, and I felt totally unprepared going into that race. I finished the race (and actually 29 minutes faster than I did in Vegas), but did not feel good about my strength or endurance. I again took almost 2 months off of running, because it was starting to get hot and I had lots of things going on --- like graduation! I then ran the Peachtree Road Race 10K on the 4th of July after 2 weeks of training by myself .... once again, big mistake! And I decided that if I was truly going to run in Las Vegas again this year, I obviously NEEDED to do it with a group. I have proven to myself that when left on my own, I lack the inspiration and motivation to properly train and keep up with running.
Sooo .... here I am starting my second season with Team Challenge! I will be honest and say that I haven't run since about mid-July. I can feel it in the way my body feels, how my clothes fit, and the lack of energy I have. Our training officially starts this week, and I feel like I did exactly one year ago .... like I am starting completely from scratch! I'm a little nervous about getting back into shape, but with the support of my coaches and teammates (and the knowledge that I CAN successfully run 13.1 miles with proper training), I am excited about this season of Team Challenge and about starting my training again .... even if it is from scratch!
Sooo .... here I am starting my second season with Team Challenge! I will be honest and say that I haven't run since about mid-July. I can feel it in the way my body feels, how my clothes fit, and the lack of energy I have. Our training officially starts this week, and I feel like I did exactly one year ago .... like I am starting completely from scratch! I'm a little nervous about getting back into shape, but with the support of my coaches and teammates (and the knowledge that I CAN successfully run 13.1 miles with proper training), I am excited about this season of Team Challenge and about starting my training again .... even if it is from scratch!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Round Two ...
I'm baaaaaack! I am officially signed up for another season with Team Challenge, but this time as a mentor! I will still be training and fundraising, but I will also be guiding other participants towards meeting their goals! I am so excited to be in this position and to help other people share in what I have known for the past year .... and that is that Team Challenge is amazing and so fun!
Stay tuned for another season with new friends, new goals, and a few more steps towards finding a cure for Crohn's and Colitis!
Stay tuned for another season with new friends, new goals, and a few more steps towards finding a cure for Crohn's and Colitis!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The most important part
I finally uploaded the rest of my Vegas pictures ... including the most important part of the weekend .... my decorated singlet! I got so many compliments on the course about my cute singlet, which is more than I can say about the compliments about my running :) haha
Notice the rhinestone guitar ... courtesy of Amanda! Loved it ... so cute and perfect for a rock 'n roll marathon! 
There wasn't as much room for fun on the back, but I was a fan of having my name because people cheered me on by name the whole race. And the sticker at the bottom was a big hit ... and not even necessary because I felt great at the end of 13.1!
We used lots of glitter glue all over our race numbers, but unfortunately you couldn't really see it unless you were up close. For my next race, I'll have to find another way to decorate my number! haha ... I know, I'm so lame.
Notice the rhinestone guitar ... courtesy of Amanda! Loved it ... so cute and perfect for a rock 'n roll marathon!There wasn't as much room for fun on the back, but I was a fan of having my name because people cheered me on by name the whole race. And the sticker at the bottom was a big hit ... and not even necessary because I felt great at the end of 13.1!
We used lots of glitter glue all over our race numbers, but unfortunately you couldn't really see it unless you were up close. For my next race, I'll have to find another way to decorate my number! haha ... I know, I'm so lame.Sunday, January 17, 2010
Race Day photos!
Our fearless leader, Angel, on race morning!
Team Challenge Georgia! Look at all those amazing people!
Me, Jennifer, and Heather after using the clean restrooms in Mandalay Bay (way better than port-a-potties!)
Heather, Jennifer, me, and Don in Mandalay Bay warming up before the race!
Video footage of the starting line ... we watched people starting for over an hour before we even made it to the start line! The race winners were almost FINISHED before we even started! Crazy!
This is one of the bands along the course! Most were local bands and played popular music ... perfect way to stay energized!
There were 27,000 runners in this race! It was so crowded!
Me and Jennifer when we passed my parents in front of MGM Grand! This was Mile 3 or so ... plenty of time to pose for pictures and to chat! 
Another band on the course. They also had a run-through Wedding Chapel too. There were lots of women running in veils and makeshift wedding dresses!
This is me and Jennifer rounding out Mile 13 ... almost done!
And we're crossing the finish line! We did it!!!
Getting a massage and stretched after the race .... that man was amazing!Race Day!
So the half marathon started at 6:15 AM ... so early! Which meant for my Georgia team, meeting at 4:45 to talk group pictures and walk to the starting line. Amanda and I got up around 4, dragged our butts out of bed, and started getting ready. I'm totally not a morning person, so even though I was super excited, I still struggled.
Looking cute for the race was a priority (hey, we all knew I wasn't breaking any world records out there, so it was a good thing I looked cute). I'll admit that I was totally that girl who put on makeup ... not much, but at least some mascara so it didn't totally look like I just rolled out of bed. And I had a really cute hair ribbon, and a Team Challenge face tattoo. And of course my decorated singlet too!
Our group met for pictures and then began the trek to the starting line at Mandalay Bay. I was a little disappointed to find out that one of my friends, Betsy, had changed her corral number, because I had really hoped to run with her and Jennifer. Oh well.
It was freezing outside ... seriously, it was so cold. I think it was about 38 degrees in the morning and while it did warm up a bit during the race once the sun came out, it was still really cold all day long. We got to Mandalay Bay so early and it was so cold, so a group of us from my team went into the hotel and went to the bathroom and warmed up a bit.
I think the most annoying part of the race (and definitely something I'll know for next time), is that since Jennifer (and Amanda, though we couldn't find each other before the race began so we were both on our own) and I started in Corral 21, it took us over an hour to even make it to the starting line. We saw everyone starting on a big screen, and heard fireworks, but man it took forever before we were even close to starting. I started running in sweatpants and a hoodie because it was so cold, and ended up just taking those off and leaving them on the street as it warmed up a bit. I did run the whole race with gloves on (with hand warmers inside too) ... so much for trying to look cute.
There's not a whole lot to say about the race other than we ran ... and ran ... and ran some more. Jennifer and I stayed together the whole time, and it was nice to have a friend by my side to keep encouraging me and keep me going. It was hard to remember to pace ourselves with a running/walking regimen. That's how we had trained, but once you're out on the course and there are bands and hundreds of spectators watching, it was so easy to get caught up in the adrenaline of the moment and just keep running. We had to remind ourselves that we didn't train to run the whole thing, and built in our walk breaks every 2 blocks or so. It worked out well, and I'm happy to report that I really felt good for the majority of the race. I think by about mile 8 and 9 it was getting to the point of "Ugh OK am I really still running?". By that point, we were running off the Vegas strip and through some neighborhoods and there weren't as many spectators there. It was so amazing being a part of Team Challenge. There were so many complete strangers that we ran by that cheered for us. All of the Team Challenge participants wore orange singlets, so it was easy to pick us out of the crowd. We had so many people cheering as we ran by, yelling our names (lucky I decorated my singlet right!) and thanking us for what we were doing. It was a great feeling and definitely made it easier to keep running. Our coach, Max, ran with us for awhile through mile 10 or so and it was awesome to have his encouragement. And as we got closer to the finish, our coach Mona ran with us through mile 12. They are both such incredible people and it meant a lot that they helped us get through the season and turn us into runners, and then helped us finish the race too.
Jennifer and I crossed the finish line together -- holding hands because it only seemed appropriate. My parents, Aunt Sue and Uncle Vinny, and our cousin Kevin were all at the finish line cheering me on. It was a really emotional moment and such a really sweet victory. We certainly didn't break any world records, but it was such a great accomplishment for both of us. I had such a bumpy year and a half prior to starting to train for this race, and it was so amazing to cross the finish line knowing that I had completed such a great task. It was definitely a moment I'll never forget! :)
After crossing the finish line, we got lots of snacks, and then went to the Team Challenge after-party. I devoured some PF Changs and got a massage ... it was so nice! Knock on wood, I really wasn't as sore as expected after the race. I really thought I wouldn't be able to walk, but by the Grace of God I felt really great! Maybe I was more prepared than I thought I was!
And it's a good thing I wasn't too sore ..... because the night that followed was definitely a nice treat! More to come on that!
Looking cute for the race was a priority (hey, we all knew I wasn't breaking any world records out there, so it was a good thing I looked cute). I'll admit that I was totally that girl who put on makeup ... not much, but at least some mascara so it didn't totally look like I just rolled out of bed. And I had a really cute hair ribbon, and a Team Challenge face tattoo. And of course my decorated singlet too!
Our group met for pictures and then began the trek to the starting line at Mandalay Bay. I was a little disappointed to find out that one of my friends, Betsy, had changed her corral number, because I had really hoped to run with her and Jennifer. Oh well.
It was freezing outside ... seriously, it was so cold. I think it was about 38 degrees in the morning and while it did warm up a bit during the race once the sun came out, it was still really cold all day long. We got to Mandalay Bay so early and it was so cold, so a group of us from my team went into the hotel and went to the bathroom and warmed up a bit.
I think the most annoying part of the race (and definitely something I'll know for next time), is that since Jennifer (and Amanda, though we couldn't find each other before the race began so we were both on our own) and I started in Corral 21, it took us over an hour to even make it to the starting line. We saw everyone starting on a big screen, and heard fireworks, but man it took forever before we were even close to starting. I started running in sweatpants and a hoodie because it was so cold, and ended up just taking those off and leaving them on the street as it warmed up a bit. I did run the whole race with gloves on (with hand warmers inside too) ... so much for trying to look cute.
There's not a whole lot to say about the race other than we ran ... and ran ... and ran some more. Jennifer and I stayed together the whole time, and it was nice to have a friend by my side to keep encouraging me and keep me going. It was hard to remember to pace ourselves with a running/walking regimen. That's how we had trained, but once you're out on the course and there are bands and hundreds of spectators watching, it was so easy to get caught up in the adrenaline of the moment and just keep running. We had to remind ourselves that we didn't train to run the whole thing, and built in our walk breaks every 2 blocks or so. It worked out well, and I'm happy to report that I really felt good for the majority of the race. I think by about mile 8 and 9 it was getting to the point of "Ugh OK am I really still running?". By that point, we were running off the Vegas strip and through some neighborhoods and there weren't as many spectators there. It was so amazing being a part of Team Challenge. There were so many complete strangers that we ran by that cheered for us. All of the Team Challenge participants wore orange singlets, so it was easy to pick us out of the crowd. We had so many people cheering as we ran by, yelling our names (lucky I decorated my singlet right!) and thanking us for what we were doing. It was a great feeling and definitely made it easier to keep running. Our coach, Max, ran with us for awhile through mile 10 or so and it was awesome to have his encouragement. And as we got closer to the finish, our coach Mona ran with us through mile 12. They are both such incredible people and it meant a lot that they helped us get through the season and turn us into runners, and then helped us finish the race too.
Jennifer and I crossed the finish line together -- holding hands because it only seemed appropriate. My parents, Aunt Sue and Uncle Vinny, and our cousin Kevin were all at the finish line cheering me on. It was a really emotional moment and such a really sweet victory. We certainly didn't break any world records, but it was such a great accomplishment for both of us. I had such a bumpy year and a half prior to starting to train for this race, and it was so amazing to cross the finish line knowing that I had completed such a great task. It was definitely a moment I'll never forget! :)
After crossing the finish line, we got lots of snacks, and then went to the Team Challenge after-party. I devoured some PF Changs and got a massage ... it was so nice! Knock on wood, I really wasn't as sore as expected after the race. I really thought I wouldn't be able to walk, but by the Grace of God I felt really great! Maybe I was more prepared than I thought I was!
And it's a good thing I wasn't too sore ..... because the night that followed was definitely a nice treat! More to come on that!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Part 1 pictures
I thought I'd add some pictures from the portion of the trip that I've already blogged about ... and promise that this week I'll finish up blogging about the race! I'm pretty certain that no one's actually reading this, but I know I'll want to have it all down for my own memories! :)
Anna and Eddie came over the night before we left for Vegas with cards, presents, and this sign from the girls. LOVE it ... they are so creative and supportive! I carried this to Vegas with me and gave it to my parents to hold up during the race! And I even made my parents bring it home so someone could hold it during my next race! 
Most of my team once we got to Las Vegas! We took a group flight out there and then had group transportation for the weekend too ... it was fun!
Amanda and I "enjoying" some MGD 64 at the race expo. There's a reason beer should have more than 64 calories ... it makes it taste better! We even got bracelets at the expo so we could have a beer at the finish line, but it was so cold and not even worth the 64 calories!
We made another sign at the expo for our parents to hold .... Mander and Corky were always our nicknames for each other!
Sneaking an illegal picture at KA, the Cirque du Soleil show we saw at MGM Grand!
Angel, our endurance manager, modeling the Team Challenge snuggie!
Angel, Mona, and Max .... wouldn't have made it through the season or the race without them!
Anna and Eddie came over the night before we left for Vegas with cards, presents, and this sign from the girls. LOVE it ... they are so creative and supportive! I carried this to Vegas with me and gave it to my parents to hold up during the race! And I even made my parents bring it home so someone could hold it during my next race!Most of my team once we got to Las Vegas! We took a group flight out there and then had group transportation for the weekend too ... it was fun! Amanda and I "enjoying" some MGD 64 at the race expo. There's a reason beer should have more than 64 calories ... it makes it taste better! We even got bracelets at the expo so we could have a beer at the finish line, but it was so cold and not even worth the 64 calories!We made another sign at the expo for our parents to hold .... Mander and Corky were always our nicknames for each other! Haha, it only seemed appropriate to pose with Elvis masks on! That thing grossed me out so much ... I can't even think of all the germs that were in there, but I put it on my head anyways!
Sneaking an illegal picture at KA, the Cirque du Soleil show we saw at MGM Grand!A picture with some of my team before the Pasta Party! These people are amazing!
Some of our teammates at the Pasta Party!
Mona (run coach), Karla (my mentor), and Max (walk coach)
Angel, our endurance manager, modeling the Team Challenge snuggie!Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Las Vegas Recap, Part 1
As predicted, I'm like the worst blogger in history. We're now status-post 23 days from my Las Vegas trip and half marathon finish and I'm just finally sitting down to recap the weekend! I thought I'd be so full of free time after finishing with Team Challenge, but quite the contrary and I have stayed pretty busy over the past few weeks! I do have to say that I have loved being able to sleep in on Saturdays and haven't totally missed having to run in the cold weather. I was even able to get back to Faith and Light, a group for people with disabilities that I'm involved with here in Atlanta, since I had been missing the Saturday morning meetings in order to train. It's nice to see all of my friends there again!
So, I'll do a short and sweet recap of Vegas weekend, but most importantly of the race!
We got to Vegas on Friday morning and checked into the MGM Grand (Amanda and I had a great room with a view of the strip ... amazing!) and went over to the race expo. It was held at Mandalay Bay, which looked like it was really close by but in actuality was a pretty good walk. Not a huge deal, it's not like we weren't all running 13 miles in a few days, but I'm pretty lazy. The race expo was neat ... a little overwhelming with all the vendors and people and stuff going on. We picked up our race numbers and Amanda and I changed corrals so that we could start with my friends from Georgia that I always ran with. (seemed like a foolproof plan, but one of our mentors Betsy ended up changing her corral too so I wasn't able to run with her). We took some silly Elvis pictures, drank some beer, and got some pretty funny stickers for our singlets.
On Friday night, Amanda and I got tickets to Ka, the Cirque du Soleil show at MGM Grand. 1 word for the show ... incredible! It was totally worth the expensive tickets and we had a great time. Even the expensive gin cocktail I had was worth it, although I was spinning and about knocked flat on my butt when we left the theater. We had dinner after the show and called it an early night because Amanda was running the next morning with her team.
Saturday was somewhat of a wasted day. Amanda went for a run with her group, but I opted to sleep in since my team wasn't going out for a group run. I ended up feeling kind of yucky and groggy on Saturday, so I spent a good part of the day in bed with Tylenol and my heating pad. Saturday was also official 'singlet decorating day' and we enlisted our mothers' help to make our singlets super cute. I'll post some pictures so you can see the full glory ... but we decked out our singlets with rhinestones, glittered guitars, decks of cards, our names, and a great sticker that said "If found on ground, please drag across finish line." We also decorated our race numbers with plenty of glitter glue, which happens to be one of my favorite craft supplies. We even had cute hair ribbons and Team Challenge face tattoos. If we're not setting world records with the running, we're certainly looking CUTE while we're at it.
Of course, Saturday was also the SEC Championship game between Alabama and Florida, and even in Vegas I couldn't stand to miss football. We watched the game with a big group of people from my team, and although it would have been so much better had we all been drinking heavily and eating chips and dip, it was still a lot of fun.
Saturday night brought the Team Challenge pasta party. It was so much fun ... we all walked into the party through a tunnel of cheerleaders and encouragers, ate some good food, heard some inspirational stories, and did lots of cheering. It was a cool experience to be with all 900 other Team Challenge participants from around the country knowing that together we raised $3.4 million towards the fight against Crohn's and Colitis! The top fundraiser in the country raised $40,000 by himself ... WOW! Talk about dedication! After the pasta party, we had team meetings and got details about the logistics of race day ... and had team gifts/prizes! Our top fundraiser got a great orange/blue Team Challenge snuggie ... how funny! My mentor, Karla, gave me a 'Most Traveled Member' award and it was a really funny toy truck with all the trips I've taken through the course of the season. It was really sweet and Karla was a great mentor!
Amanda and I probably should have just gone to bed after the pasta party and team meetings, because the race was bright and early on Sunday morning, but instead, we went to see Robin Williams! He was performing his stand-up comedy show at the MGM Grand that night, and our parents bought us tickets to go! We missed the first few minutes of his show, but everything else we saw was so funny! He's definitely a vulgar comedian, which is hard to imagine after seeing him as such a funny and normal guy in Mrs. Doubtfire and Patch Adams. To hear some of those jokes and obscenities coming out of his mouth was a little appaling, but we definitely laughed a whole lot! I wouldn't dare repeating most of his jokes, but he was totally worth seeing and kept us in stitches for the whole show.
Sunday morning and the race comes next ... stay tuned!
So, I'll do a short and sweet recap of Vegas weekend, but most importantly of the race!
We got to Vegas on Friday morning and checked into the MGM Grand (Amanda and I had a great room with a view of the strip ... amazing!) and went over to the race expo. It was held at Mandalay Bay, which looked like it was really close by but in actuality was a pretty good walk. Not a huge deal, it's not like we weren't all running 13 miles in a few days, but I'm pretty lazy. The race expo was neat ... a little overwhelming with all the vendors and people and stuff going on. We picked up our race numbers and Amanda and I changed corrals so that we could start with my friends from Georgia that I always ran with. (seemed like a foolproof plan, but one of our mentors Betsy ended up changing her corral too so I wasn't able to run with her). We took some silly Elvis pictures, drank some beer, and got some pretty funny stickers for our singlets.
On Friday night, Amanda and I got tickets to Ka, the Cirque du Soleil show at MGM Grand. 1 word for the show ... incredible! It was totally worth the expensive tickets and we had a great time. Even the expensive gin cocktail I had was worth it, although I was spinning and about knocked flat on my butt when we left the theater. We had dinner after the show and called it an early night because Amanda was running the next morning with her team.
Saturday was somewhat of a wasted day. Amanda went for a run with her group, but I opted to sleep in since my team wasn't going out for a group run. I ended up feeling kind of yucky and groggy on Saturday, so I spent a good part of the day in bed with Tylenol and my heating pad. Saturday was also official 'singlet decorating day' and we enlisted our mothers' help to make our singlets super cute. I'll post some pictures so you can see the full glory ... but we decked out our singlets with rhinestones, glittered guitars, decks of cards, our names, and a great sticker that said "If found on ground, please drag across finish line." We also decorated our race numbers with plenty of glitter glue, which happens to be one of my favorite craft supplies. We even had cute hair ribbons and Team Challenge face tattoos. If we're not setting world records with the running, we're certainly looking CUTE while we're at it.
Of course, Saturday was also the SEC Championship game between Alabama and Florida, and even in Vegas I couldn't stand to miss football. We watched the game with a big group of people from my team, and although it would have been so much better had we all been drinking heavily and eating chips and dip, it was still a lot of fun.
Saturday night brought the Team Challenge pasta party. It was so much fun ... we all walked into the party through a tunnel of cheerleaders and encouragers, ate some good food, heard some inspirational stories, and did lots of cheering. It was a cool experience to be with all 900 other Team Challenge participants from around the country knowing that together we raised $3.4 million towards the fight against Crohn's and Colitis! The top fundraiser in the country raised $40,000 by himself ... WOW! Talk about dedication! After the pasta party, we had team meetings and got details about the logistics of race day ... and had team gifts/prizes! Our top fundraiser got a great orange/blue Team Challenge snuggie ... how funny! My mentor, Karla, gave me a 'Most Traveled Member' award and it was a really funny toy truck with all the trips I've taken through the course of the season. It was really sweet and Karla was a great mentor!
Amanda and I probably should have just gone to bed after the pasta party and team meetings, because the race was bright and early on Sunday morning, but instead, we went to see Robin Williams! He was performing his stand-up comedy show at the MGM Grand that night, and our parents bought us tickets to go! We missed the first few minutes of his show, but everything else we saw was so funny! He's definitely a vulgar comedian, which is hard to imagine after seeing him as such a funny and normal guy in Mrs. Doubtfire and Patch Adams. To hear some of those jokes and obscenities coming out of his mouth was a little appaling, but we definitely laughed a whole lot! I wouldn't dare repeating most of his jokes, but he was totally worth seeing and kept us in stitches for the whole show.
Sunday morning and the race comes next ... stay tuned!
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