*****See current updates below. Last updated 10/22/08*****

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Photo courtesy of http://pogostickphotography.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/runway-runner/

October 22, 2008

Race Details

Family and Friends,

As I sit here reflecting on this past weekend, it’s hard to believe so much fun was packed into such a short time.

The Nike Women’s Marathon was simply amazing. The night before the race, the TNT teams for the LLS met for a pre-race pasta party. The scene when we walked into the building was indescribable – it was almost like an indoor mardi gras. Purple wigs and hats, crazy outfits, clapping, whistles, air horns – a celebration for all the money we had collectively raised for the LLS from just this marathon. The number? $18 million!!! Wow.

The dinner was followed by a couple of inspirational speakers. One was the first woman to run in a marathon, another was a long time marathoner with many humorous tips – many of which manifested themselves during the run itself. The most inspirational, however, was a woman who shared the story of her struggle with cancer.

Upon arriving in San Francisco, I was sooooo glad and relieved to hear that my freshman college roommate (Kristen) ran the same pace that I do. We decided to run the half marathon together. Honestly, she is the one who kept me going strong, especially up the hills. Now, I expected hills in San Fran. I did NOT expect them to be so steep – and some were a mile long! I don’t think any amount of hill training would have helped me. ;-) Kristen was my cheerleader and coach along the way. I hadn’t run on the road since mid-July when I hurt my leg, but I can happily say it held up perfectly well during the race.

Sunday morning I woke up excited! I was finally going to run in the race that I had been preparing for since March!! I knew right away that it was going to be an unforgettable day – and it was. It started immediately as Michael handed me a pile of cards and notes of encouragement. If you were one of those who sent an email or card – thank you! I sat on the bed and read each and every one of them laughing and crying – sometimes at the same time!

The starting line was dark and cold, but as we lined up with 20,000 other runners, the excitement really started to grow. We were released in groups to start the race. Miles 1-3 were kind of slow. Kristen and I ran as fast as we could, but we were maneuvering around people, and over discarded water bottles, trash bags, sweat pants, hats, and gloves. Seriously, everyone just drops stuff and you need to make sure not to trip on it. Since my middle name is NOT Grace, I had to be especially careful. ;-) Miles 4 and 5 went well, but the beginning of 6 is the beginning of a mile long hill. The first part is very steep, but it does become more of a gradual incline. My coach met us about halfway up that hill and ran with us for about a mile. That was a really nice change of pace. She really surprised me when she said I was the first one from the Northside Team she had seen that morning! Miles 7 – 10 were up and down a bunch of hills. Miles 10 through the end were my biggest struggle. I was breathing perfectly fine, but my right knee was hurting. I had never had knee pain, and at that point it’s just something you have to run through. I found out at the end of the race that everyone’s right knee took the brunt of that run since we were running right near the ocean and the road was slightly slanted that direction. That makes sense. At that point, Kristen and I really focused on WHY we were running this race, and WHO we were running this race for. Our pain was so minor and temporary.

I cannot describe the feeling I had as I ran through San Francisco. It was simply beautiful. We had the best views of Alcatrez, the Golden Gate Bridge, the ocean, and the architecture. We passed so many different types of runners. We were privileged to be running with some who were cancer survivors. I touched one woman as I passed her to let her know what an amazing job she was doing.

I think the best part of running for TNT is the purple singlet. It’s not particularly attractive – but neither is being a sweaty mess. ;-) But, it is a very noticeable way to know that those runners are all running for the LLS. There are people on the side of the road yelling, “Go Team. Go Purple. Go Jen, you’re looking strong.” It’s funny how encouragement from perfect strangers can spur you on.

Michael bopped around the course with Aaron (Ginny’s husband) and was able to get pics at miles 5, 11, 13, and the finish line. His adventure was more like The Amazing Race, and included a hitch hiked ride in the back of a caravan.

Kristen and I finished in 2 hours. That was my personal goal – and probably ambitious for that hilly course. I cannot accurately describe the feeling I had as I crossed the finish line. I felt relieved, honored, tired, overwhelmed, and strong. I picked up my necklace, a mylar blanket (it was extremely cold as soon as I stopped running) and found my way to Michael who held me while I briefly cried happy tears.

Thank you so much – each and every one of you. Whether you encouraged me, asked about my training, listened to me drone on about boring training runs on the treadmill, or gave to the LLS, each and every one of you were an encouragement to me. It was honestly an honor to run in this race, for this cause, at this time in my life. It has really changed who I am as well as who I want to be.

Jen DeHaven

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May 20, 2008

Racing to Save Lives

This year, six of my college friends and I are running in the Nike Women's Marathon to raise money and awareness for the Leukemia & Lympohma Society. The money raised is used to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

I'm training to participate in the half marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. I've never really been a runner, but I started my 'training' back in March, when I first decided I wanted to help support this worthy cause. I am currently able to run about 3 miles!! I've spent about 20 hours training so far, with plenty more to go. ;-)

I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Specifically, I'm running for two special people. The first is Michael's grandfather, Jim DeHaven, who passed away from leukemia in 1996. He was admired as a Christian, husband, father, and business owner.

The second is a sweet little girl that I'd like to ask you to pray for. Her name is Shelby Howerton, and she is precious. www.caringbridge.org/visit/shelbyhowerton She was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at the age of 3 about a year and a half ago. She is currently in treatment, planning to finish about Jan of 2009. I am running this race with her as my honored hero. She has endured, with great courage, more than most of us ever will - and she's only 4!! She truly is a hero to be honored!!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. If you'd rather write a check, please make it out to the LLS and send it to me at 3460 Rosewicke Drive, Cumming, GA 30040.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

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May 29, 2008

My first 5K

Well, I did it. I ran in my first 5K on Memorial Day. It was very exciting to get up early and gather with a bunch of other runners . Can I call myself that yet? A runner? I think it fits. ;-)

I started near the back of the mob of runners - the serious ones all jostle to the front. I wasn't in it for a certain time - but just to finish, having run the whole time. I started out at a good pace, and I think I kept it pretty steady. Most of the run felt pretty good. There were a few hills, but not too many. I was hoping to have a bit of a surge at the end, but really I was just trying to keep running. Once I was about 100 ft from the finish line, I did kick it up a little. ;-) I ended up finishing with a time of 34:59. I was under 35 minutes!! Just barely, but who cares. For someone who could only run 1/4 mile without stopping 2 months ago, that's a pretty good time!

My friend, Therese, who encouraged me to run in this race is already looking for another one for us to run. (Therese is a rock star and finished in under 30 minutes). :)

My TNT training is going well. I've been to the Group Training Sessions the past two Saturdays. I really enjoy running with my team members - it really helps the 'long' runs to pass more quickly. I'm doing the weekday runs here at home. Our neighborhood is exactly 1 mile around, so it makes an easy training run for me. Well, easy to calculate, but running the hills are hard!

Thank you all for your support! It feels so good to know that my training and your generosity are helping raise money to fund research to help find a cure for blood related cancers!

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June 7th, 2008

12 miles!

My training this week went pretty well. I logged 12 miles total - 2 on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday, 2 on Thursday, and 3 on Saturday. Phew. Now I just need to put all those miles together into one day! ;-)

I think the hardest part of training right now is the heat!! It's been unusually warm in Georgia for the beginning of June. I've been quite impressed with my sweat output. lol

This morning's training was especially inspiring. Our team hero, Bob, came to cheer us on for our run. Bob has been battling non-Hodgkins type Lymphoma for six years. He recently had 2 scans done which indicated that he is cancer free!!! He said it's been a long road, and will continue to be, but this was very encouraging news.

I was also struck with some realities of fighting cancer. Bob talked a little bit about how all of the drugs he's on cause his heartrate to jump into the upper 100's, low 200's!! I guess my lame understanding of fighting cancer is that you take your meds and receive your treatments and you're good to go. That's just not so. Often there are other complications DUE to the drugs and treatments that then you need to deal with. I think it's so much more than any of us who have never been there can imagine.

After listening to Bob, I didn't seem to really mind the heat today. It's amazing what a little perspective can do for you.

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June 12, 2008

Sidelined

This week did not turn out like I had intended. I have been having knee pain since the evening of my 5K. Like an over-achiever, I kept running on it anyway. What's being an athlete (did I just call myself an athlete??) without a little pain, right? For a while I thought I was getting better - or at least staying the same. Finally, last Friday I decided to go see a doctor. I was hoping they would refer me to a sports medicine doctor or to physical therapy. Thankfully, they did! I had my first appointment with physical therapy on Wed evening. They diagnosed my issue as a weak sartorius muscle (had to google it - have you ever heard of it??). They gave me a bunch of different exercises and stretches to work on, and I'm supposed to go back on Monday.

I was grateful to find out what my issue was and have a plan to fix it. However, I'm also disappointed that they told me not to run until Mon. Are you kidding me? I've never been in better shape in my LIFE, I'm finally on a good schedule of getting it done, I actually WANT to run, and now I'm not allowed?? Pure craziness.

All kidding aside, I'm following their orders perfectly. I'd really like to be better soon, so I'm not risking messing this up. However, here's a list of what I have accomplished since I've not been able to run right now.

Daily exercises and stretches twice per day followed by ice. Vacuumed all the house vents, wood blinds, and moldings. Washed all the curtains and windows. Most recently, spent an hour on my hands and knee cleaning up 8,546 shards of a glass bowl that shattered on the kitchen floor at lunchtime (is that cross training??). ;-)

Honestly, when I think of people battling cancer, I'm sure the road is much like this as well. They get into the groove of their treatment, overcome obstacles, start to feel confident in their new routine, and then BAM, there's a new obstacle to overcome. A new routine to learn. Makes my issues seem kind of lame, huh?

My fundraising letters were sent out this week. I've been amazed and encouraged by the support I've already received!! Thank you so much to anonymous, my sister (who also forwarded my email to Al's family!), Michele Fiorillo, Jackie Fiorillo, my mom, my grandparents, Ken and Laura Beamon, and Michael's Uncle Jeff and Aunt Nancy. Thank you all so very much for partnering with me in this fight!

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June 23, 2008

On the Road Again

First off, I'd like to ask you to pray for sweet Shelby. She came down with a virus last week, which was hard on her little body since her blood counts are so low from being on maintenance. She is in the hospital and had a transfusion early Sun morning. To my knowledge, she's still there being monitored and receiving antibiotics. Please click on her link above to read the full story. If you feel led, please leave her an encouraging message. I'm praying she's out of the hospital and home again soon. It's for sweet little girls like her that I'm doing this.

On to me, I was able to get back on track this week (ha ha, get it? back on track?). Here's how my week shaped up. I ran 1 mile on Sun, had strength training Mon, rested Tues, ran 2 miles W, had strength training on Th, rested on Fri, and ran 4+ miles on Sat.

I was worried about my long run on Sat, mostly because my knee had been feeling so much better. I didn't want to mess it up by doing too much. Ironically, we met at a track that morning. I ran 4+ miles on that spongy material with no pain!! I thought maybe it would hit me later, but it never did!! PTL! I'm honestly so encouraged and relieved.

Here's my plan for this week. Sun I rested, Mon had strength training, Tues 2 miles, Wed 3 miles, Thurs strength training, Fri rest, Sat 4 miles. It's going to be a tough Sat run because this is a week Michael has school, so I'll have to run it on my own. Not my favorite thing. I'm really struggling with trying to do 'enough' without overdoing it.

I'd like to thank Grandpa Byer for his generous donation to my fundraising campaign this week. Grandma Joan Byer, his wife, passed away from leukemia very quickly in Jan of 2005. She had struggled with a rare blood disorder for many years, which was described as being the opposite of leukemia. The doctors had said that at some point her condition would reverse, and that she would pass away very quickly from leukemia. When I was writing my letter, I had forgotten about how her blood disorder had reversed itself into leukemia right before her death. I am sure that any research they do for leukemia will impact those with her disease as well. So, in honor of Grandma Joan I will run as well. She was an extremely loving, kind, thoughtful woman. I feel blessed to have known her.

Thank you all for your support. It's because of the generosity of people like you that there will one day be a cure for blood cancers.

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July 1, 2008

Cumulative update

This past week was a pretty good one. I feel like I'm getting into a groove again. Here's how it all panned out. I had physcial therapy on Mon (I prefer to call it strength training, LOL), ran 2 miles Tues, ran 2 miles on Wed (had planned on 3 but wimped out), had strength training on Thurs, rested on Fri, and ran 4 miles on Sat. Man was that Sat run HARD!!! Michael was at school, so I ran it in our neighborhood alone. I think it really shows the value of being able to go to the Group Training Sessions. It took me 48 minutes, so I guess that's about a 12 minute mile. I was a little disappointed, because my Tues 2 mile run was 20 minutes! That must be my record. lol

Tonight I was encouraged. I had run 3 laps of the neighborhood this morning, which should be about 3 miles. I decided to drive it tonight (yes, for the sake of accuracy, I drove around the neighborhood 3 times, lol) and it came to 3.2 + miles!! That's a 5K. I'm relived, because my time was not all that good. It was 37 min, and when I ran the 5K last month I did it in 35 min. What's up with that? Shouldn't I be getting faster? ;-)

Here's my plan for this week. Mon - strength training, Tues - run 3 miles, Wed - run 3 miles, Thurs - strength training, Fri - rest, Sat - run 4 miles (with my group, YAY!)

So far, since my TNT training started (so I'm not counting my March - mid May runs) I have run 51 miles!!

If you have a moment, please go check out Shelby's latest update. She's doing well, but still needs prayer for her counts to go up so she can swim and do other normal 4 (almost 5!) year old things. She's still pretty tired, too.

I have many people to thank this week for their donations. Thank you so much to my dad and Jeannie, Hank and Dee Gravitt, Mike and Jill Grinkewich, Bryan and Alicia Hamrick, Pete and Birgetta Hofert, Mike and Lisa Ferrell, Amy Wallenbeck, Joe and Colleen Rostas, and Ian and Kara Fink. Phew! That is a big list!! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your support. Everytime I get an email that someone donated or a check in the mail, it's like a shot of adrenaline to my training!! I know not everyone is listed on the website, but I submitted the checks last week, and they should be posted soon.

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July 5th, 2008

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. We had a really nice time this weekend.

My training flowed pretty smoothly this week. I met my goals of PT on Mon and Thurs, running 3 miles on Tues and Wed, and running 4.5 miles today!

Today's run was really good. We started at 7:30am - that was nice since it gets so hot here! I ran the first 2.25 miles with two other Nike women. They are both much better at chatting while running. I spit out words as I gasp for breath. ;-) I really pushed myself, as they are both faster than I am. At 2.25 miles, we stopped for water and they continued on (they were running 6 miles today) and I started my run back. I ended up running those 2.25 miles by myself. It was actually pretty nice. The trail was pretty and I felt like I kept a steady pace without pushing myself. I finished in 48 minutes, which isn't too bad for me. :)

In other good news, I was released from PT on Thurs! Now I need to find some type of cross training to fill in on those days. I might try swimming. I can swim fine, but I'm not a super strong swimmer. My upper body could use some work. ;-) I guess I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

Here's my plan for the week. Mon - swimming?, Tues - run 3 miles, Wed - run 3 miles, Thurs - swimming?, Fri- rest, Sat - 4 miles (in my neighborhood). If you think of me this next Sat, please pray I have a good run. It's really hard for me to stay motivated to run the longer runs without my group. I think I just need to realize this 'long' 4 mile run becomes my base run in a few weeks. ;-)

Thank you so much to Chris and Kim Smith for your donation this week! It's exciting to find a check in the mail helping push me toward my goal!

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July 14, 2008

Another week down

Please continue to pray for Shelby to get stronger each day. She turned 5 years old on the 4th of July and celebrated with a big party this past Saturday! I can't wait to hear how the party went!

There wasn't anything that really stuck out this week in my training. It was a very humid week in Georgia, so I cut Tuesday's 3 mile run down to 2. Phew - it was so humid I had trouble breathing.

I decided to run indoors on Wednesday - on the treadmill. ;-) That was much easier in so many ways.

My Saturday run went really well, too! Even though I couldn't run with the group, I hopped on the treadmill and easily ran 4 miles. It was one of those low mileage, yet pretty encouraging weeks for me.

This week is going to be a little different. We are in Western NY visiting family, so I've mapped out some different runs online. I'm excited about both the variety of running routes and the blessing of having family willing and able to watch the girls so I can run.

This morning I had the pleasure of having company on my run! ;-) Michael is off this week, so he agreed to run with me. Unfortunately for Michael, he hasn't been running regularly. Hehehehe. We ran 3 miles this morning, and he admitted that he would've quit if I weren't running with him. I'll take that as a compliment. ;-) In addition, we finished the 3 miles in 30:32!!!! Can you believe it? Amazing!

We (notice I'm just assuming he'll run with me again ;-)) are planning on running 4 miles Wed and 5 on Friday.

Thank you so much to David and Kristen Shaw for the donation this week. Once again, it is so encouraging to have friends and family partner with me in this fight against blood cancers!

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July 23, 2008

Running While on Vacation

It’s been a crazy week and a half! We have visited with family in NY, and I tagged along with Michael on a work trip to Chicago this past Sat – Wed. I’m on my way back to NY to see my kiddos right now!!

Training has been going well. As I mentioned last time, Michael and I ran 3 miles last Monday. We were able to get in 4 miles on Wed and 5 miles on Fri. That is my official longest run to date! ;-) The best part (besides having a running partner) is that my pace has stayed pretty consistent at a 10 min mile. I think the flatter landscape of Western NY is helping me out, so the true test will be when I begin running in GA again.

Unfortunately, I’m currently recovering from yet another injury – same leg as my previous knee issue, but now it’s my ankle. It was sore last Thursday, but I had worn my cheapo flip flops all that day (I hear you grandpa – I need better everyday shoes ;-)). We decided to run 5 miles anyway on Friday. I really wanted to get that long run in to prove to myself that I could do it. Uuugh. It was pretty painful and swollen Friday night, but did I learn my lesson? Of course not. Double uuugh.

We arrived in Chicago on Sat night, and Michael and I both ran a 5K on the treadmill on Sunday morning. My ankle has been pretty painful and swollen ever since. I decided that I needed to let my ankle heal, so I skipped today’s run. It really hasn’t had a chance to recover yet, though, since walking is the main mode of transportation in Chicago. Not just walking, actually, but power walking. It’s excellent exercise, but not for an injured ankle.

I’m publicly declaring that I will NOT run injured again. This is exactly what happened to my knee – I hurt it, but I kept running with it. I will learn someday, right? Honestly, I’m just ready for the injuries to be behind me.

On the positive, I logged 19 miles in 8 days!! That’s awesome mileage, but not so great for my body. Once again, when I begin running again, I need to space it out to only three times a week. My body just can’t seem to handle more than that.

On an even MORE positive note, my fundraising really took off for a bit this past week. I’d like to thank John and Dana Barnes, Roxanna Thomas, Jason Sisley, Toni Lyons, Randi Berger and Centra Marketing, my mom, Fred and Jill Hart, Patrick and Laura Nixon, Matt and Kristi Wilson, Jay and Joella Potts, Toby McChesney, Dan Byer, Lee and Dawn Weeks, and Anonymous all for your donations!! Oh my goodness. Thank you so very much in supporting the LLS in their mission to wipe out blood cancers. I’m almost halfway to my goal, and it’s only by the generosity of my friends, family, and Michael’s co-workers that it is possible. I’m excited to see where the rest of it comes from!

I have a recommitment meeting next Thursday, July 31st. This is where I sign on the line, so to speak, that I’m definitely running in the Nike Women’s Marathon (there are many different races that support LLS). I’m so excited that I’m going to be ‘official’. I’ll know more about my travel arrangements at that time.

Thank you once again for your support. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself running in a marathon for such a worthy cause.

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August 4th, 2008

Patience

Please continue to keep Shelby in your prayers. She still has a low energy level. Pray her body is able to kick the rest of the virus out of her system quickly. Sweet girl.

Patience. We all need to practice this every now and then. Now is my time.

Upon returning to GA, my ankle was still swollen and bothering me. I saw a Sports Medicine doctor last week who diagnosed me with a stress fracture of my posterior tibia. Blech. The not so good news is that I’m in an air cast. The good news is that it’s only for 3 weeks, and I can take it off to shower, swim, and sleep!

Training this past week has solely been swimming. I swam 500 yds on Wed and 648 yds yesterday. It’s a good cardio workout, but I know it’s not working my legs as much as running. The other night, I followed up on the suggestion from two trusted running pros and ordered an aqua jogger. I don’t have it yet, but it’s a flotation thing you strap around your chest to keep you afloat as you run in the deep end of the pool. I’ve tried exercising that way just a bit with pool noodles, and I can tell it’s going to be a good workout. ;-)

On the fundraising front, things are still flowing smoothly. Thank you sooooo much to Catherine and Michael Taylor, Moveo (a company that Michael does work with), Mike and Kim Arispe, Lenoir Randall, and Anonymous. I know they haven’t all hit my webpage yet, but once the donations are entered at Paycor, you’ll see that I’ve passed the $2000 mark!!! I’m a tiny bit over half way to my goal – and it’s only because of the donations from family, friends and Michael’s co-workers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It seems like every week I hear yet another story of someone who is fighting a blood cancer. It makes me so glad to know that we are all partnering to find a cure.

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August 8th, 2008 (part 1)

Lazy Days of Summer

Shelby is starting to feel better! She’s excited about preschool starting again soon. Please join me in praying that she has a happy, healthy year!

There’s not much to report on me this week. I seem to be in a holding pattern with both my training and my fundraising. I was able to swim three times this week. On Sunday I swam 648 yds. My aqua jogger came on Wednesday, and I ran 30 minutes in the pool both Wednesday and Saturday. I plan on running (in the water) at least three times this coming week as well. I’m anxious to see what it’s like to run on land again. I’m really praying it’s not too hard to run after being off for almost a month.

I’m looking for ideas with my fundraising, so if you have them, please pass them along. I am participating in a bottled water sale at the Latin Festival at the end of August with some other TNT participants. I’m hoping it’s a hot day with lots of thirsty festival goers. ;-) I’m still waiting for that last batch of checks to hit Paycor. It'll be exciting to see my little thermometer hit a little over halfway!

I guess that wraps it up for now. Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. They mean more than you can imagine.

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August 9, 2008 (part 2)

And the Winner Is . . . . .

When I sent out my fundraising letter, I said that I would randomly select a winner for a $50 visa card from all donations $50 or more received by July 25th, 2008. I went through tonight and numbered the $50+ donations starting with number 1 in the order they were received. There were 15 (actually 16 counting an anonymous $100 donation, but I had to exclude that donation as I wouldn’t know where to send the gift card ;-)) total by July 25th, 2008. I went to random.org and had them randomly select a number between 1 and 15. My randomly generated number was 9. That makes Toni Lyons the winner!! Congratulations, your $50 Visa gift card will be in the mail this week.

True Random Number Service

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

9

Timestamp: 2008-08-10 01:38:25 UTC

Thank you all for your continued support.

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August 17th, 2008

Plugging along

Shelby starts up preschool again tomorrow!! I hope she has a great day!

I’m doing pretty well this week. I swam 800 yds on Sun, used the aqua jogger for 40 min on Wed, and swam 500 yds on Sat. I get to take the air cast off for good on Tues. I think I’m just going to get used to walking around without my fashionable boot on Tues ;-), then try a quick 1 mile run on Wed. Please pray all goes well, and I can pick up a slow running schedule again. I just emailed one of my wonderful coaches. I’m sure she’ll have some great advice for me. ;-)

I’m not sure what my plan this week will be. I’m guessing it’ll be a mix of running and swimming, though.

I’d like to thank Tom and Cori Boogaard, and Tom and Nora Lupo for your donations this week. They both came at just the ‘right’ time, as encouragement on a slow week. I’m going to be selling water at the Latin Festival next Sun, so please pray for a hot day with thirsty festival goers. ;-)

Thank you once again for all your support.

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August 29, 2008

Back on Track – Kind Of

It’s been a busy couple weeks. First, I’d like to thank my friend Laura for the photo shoot last Wednesday (20th). We had a great time getting dressed up (in our everyday clothes, of course) and shooting some pictures. Please check out her website at http://pogostickphotography.wordpress.com/ and take a look at all of her work. She’s an excellent photographer that turns each photograph into a piece of art. If you are in the Atlanta area (or ever visiting) and in need of a photographer, please give her a call. You won’t be disappointed.

This past Sunday (24th) Kaitlyn and I spent from our whole day (7am – 9:30pm) working the water sale for the Latin Festival at Underground Atlanta. Our day started out very, very slow, but really picked up mid afternoon. I ended up making $310 for the LLS!! I’m supposed to be getting my money on Wed, which I will then deposit into my fundraising site! I also have a side job this weekend of dog sitting. The money is just going right into here. Her name is Josey, a 22 lb terrier. She’s been here 2 hours and is snuggling with Kailtyn on the couch as I type. It’s really sweet having a dog around here again. Deep sigh.

This past Tues (26th) I was able to meet Shelby’s mom, Shawn, for coffee. What an incredible woman! I cannot speak highly enough about her. She is truly a woman of grace, confidence, and beauty – both inside and out. I really enjoyed being able to understand better what Shelby has endured and what she still has ahead of her. I also had a glimpse of what it’s like to be the mom of a child with cancer. Shawn said many things that really made an impression on me. There were many words of wisdom in what she shared. Shelby sounds like a delightful child and has been a miracle from the time she was conceived. God must have big plans for this little 5 year old! Please pray her body will kick the Parvo virus out for good so that she can have her port taken out as planned in January.

As far as running, I’m on the slow and steady. I was cast free as of last Tues (19th). I ran 1 mile that Wed, 2 miles that Sat, 2 miles this Tues, and 2 miles last night. All my runs, except for last night’s were on the treadmill. I’ve had a little pain, but not too much, until last night. That outdoor run was really rough on my leg. Please pray that it heals up very quickly. I’m going to lay low until it’s better – then stick to the treadmill for a bit longer.

My friends and I are all getting really excited about Nike!! It sounds like a great weekend awaits us. It’s also exciting to see us reaching our goal, one dollar at a time.

I’d like to thank sooooo many people this week. Thank you to Anonymous, Grandma DeHaven, David and Therese Batson, Farrah Adkins, Chad and Dawn Ashpole, Yvonne DeHaven, Suzie szabo, and CalComp Nutrition for your generous donations. I kid you not, each and every donation brought tears to my eyes. They just all came from a variety of places and were so unexpected. It’s exciting seeing this all come together. Thank you very much for your support.

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September 5, 2008

My Treadmill

My treadmill and I are going to have to become one for a while. After last Thursday's run that left me limping (see above) I know my leg can't handle the road just yet. I ended up biking 4 miles on Monday, running 2 miles on the treadmill yesterday (felt fine after - yay!), and am attending my first Zumba class tonight. My friend Dee is teaching this class to our ladies small group on Thursday nights. I believe it's similar to aerobics with Latin music. We'll see how coordinated I really am. I may need to update this later. ;-)

For the month of September, every $10 increment of each donation will be entered into a drawing on October 1st for $100 in gift certificates to Amazon.com. If you give $10 you'll be entered once, $20 and you'll be entered twice, etc. I need to have all my donations in by October 1st, so if you've been planning to donate but haven't yet, please do so by October 1st. I can't believe the race is only a little over 6 weeks away! Honestly, I try not to think that it's that close. lol

This week I'd like to thank Mary Ella Faust, who saw the article in the newspaper and sent a check. Her dear husband also passed from cancer, and he was a friend of Grandpa DeHaven's. A beautiful note accompained her donation and really brightened my day. I'd also like to thank Cathy McCarty. She works with Michael and is the first one entered into our drawing.

Last night my running friend, Marie, dropped off the money I earned from the water sale. I need to get that deposited and entered into my fundraising account. Marie met her goal this week - way to go!! She is running the FULL marathon. She's quite an inspiration to me.

Signing up for this marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has truly changed my life in so many ways. I'm grateful for that.

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September 21st, 2008

Smooth Sailing

Please continue to pray for Shelby, for increased energy and good blood counts. Please pray the Parvo virus is kicked out from her body for good! She had a chemo appointment this past Wed, but I haven’t heard an update yet.

Things here have been going pretty well. I bought some new shoes at the beginning of the month, and I haven’t had leg pain since! Isn’t that amazing? I’m still running on the treadmill, but I hope to do a quick trial pavement run soon and see how it feels. Here’s what I’ve run the past couple weeks.

Sept 3 – ran 2 miles, Sept 6 – ran 3 miles, Sept 8 – biked 6 miles, Sept 10 – ran 3 miles, Sept 13 – ran 4 miles, Sept 17 – ran 3 miles,, Sept 20 – ran 6 miles. Did you see the SIX miles! I’m glad to finally be building mileage again. My race is four weeks from today, so I have some work to do!

My fund raising really took off these past few weeks, and I can excitedly share that I passed my fund raising goal!! Wow. Thank you so very much to everyone who has supported me in this journey. Whether it was through an encouraging word, prayer, or a financial donation, they have all been so helpful. I couldn’t do it without you.

Since my last post, I’d like to thank Pamela Benchley, who read the article in the Observer and sent me a check along with a beautiful letter about her experience running for TNT; Theresa Lacotti, who held a The Body Shop party to help raise money,; Kimm Hunt, who allowed us to dog sit in exchange for a donation; Leah Marsala,, a friend from high school; DT and Heidi Slouffman, friends from college; Carter and Mary Ann Town, my uncle and aunt; and Peter and Shawn Howerton, who have graciously allowed me to run with Shelby as my honored hero. Thank you all for donating and pushing me over the top! If anyone reads this and would still like to make a donation, please follow the link to my blog above and donate to one of my friends’ campaigns. I believe Ginny and Amy are still working toward reaching their goals. The rest of us have already hit them or are very close. How cool is that? Seven college friends raising $28,000 for cancer research!

My plan now is to just focus on training while staying injury free. I’m getting excited and nervous about California. Michael was able to use a free airline ticket to book a ticket to come out Sat night so he can support me that Sunday morning. He’s on my flight home, although he had to book business class in order to use his points. He’s already offered me his seat – isn’t that sweet???

I will try to update again soon.

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October 5, 2008

T Minus 12 Days and Counting

It’s been a while since my last update, but let me assure you things have been busy here!!

The week of September 21st went well. I ran 4 miles that Monday, biked 6 miles on Wed, and ran 7.5 miles that Saturday (82 minutes).

This week went pretty, too. I ran 3.1 miles on Mon, biked 7 miles on Wed, ran 3.1 miles on Friday, and ran my long run of 9 miles today (97 minutes).

It’s amazing – after every long run, I can’t imagine running further the next time – and yet I do. ;-) I seem to be holding to an 11 minute mile, but my last mile today was very hard. I’m not sure if I could hold that pace for the last 4 miles or not.

I can’t believe that race day is quickly approaching. We had a running meeting yesterday and received all our flight and hotel information plus the necessary information for when we are in San Francisco.

Thank you sooooo much for the donations that have come in this past week. Thank you to Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry, Win and Camille Smalley, and John and Sandy Waddell. You all have helped to blow my goal out of the water!! Combined, my friends and I have raised almost $30,000 towards blood cancer research. This is simply amazing – and due to the generosity of all of you!