On June 5th I completed the ZOOMA Annapolis Half-Marathon in 2:58:25 to support the the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and on behalf of cancer patients. It was a challenging course but at least the weather cooperated during the tough uphill battles....and the dreaded crossing of the Naval Academy Bridge...TWICE!

Special Thanks to the awesome TNT Water Stop located right at the Bridge. Lifesavers!

Gotta grab that water quickly! There are still 9 miles to go!

Just after crossing the finish line I gave a thumbs up to all my team mates and supporters- WE DID IT!

Thank you for your support throughout this process. This has been one of the most difficult, and most rewarding, challenges I have ever taken on. Together,as a group, Team in Training raised over $211,000 for research and patient services. We all rocked it and we could not have done it without the support of our family and friends.

What a difference a few months made under the encouragement from coaches, mentor, and fellow friends who were with me every step of the way.

I enjoyed the process so much I am registered for the Baltimore Half-Marathon In October. I plan on running with the TNT and cheer them on as they prepare for races such as Baltimore, Nike San Francisco, and the Marine Corps every Saturday morning.

I hope to race in another event on behalf of, and in support of, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society sometime next year. I'll keep in touch!

Till next time and Thank You! Kind Regards, Maria-Laura

Congrats to the US Naval Academy Class of 2011! With the ZOOMA Half Marathon occuring in just two weeks we began easing back on our dstances. Today we did 11 miles to the US Naval Academy and back, the same route as 2 weeks ago. It was a lot easier this time around and I was able to run all 11 miles! Beautiful day; awesome run!

At the finish line we received some celebratory "contraband" and talked about the race weekend. Conitinued the celebration with Dorene and Becky at Gina's with uber strong Margarita's and yummy soft chicken tacos...love it!

Thanks Dorene for sticking with me throughout the run. Getting a little nervous but I know I can do it! Thanks to all of you who have been cheering me on all this time and calling me crazy! You know what? I AM!

Views from the Bridge of the US naval Academy and the Severn River. Beautiful!

As we approach the finish line!

Thanks everyone for a great season and thanks to our support for the margaritas at 10 am! Love you all and best wishes on the race. I'll be there cheering as well as running!

Thank you Erin for being such an inspiration to as all and stay strong girl! You are amazing!

Today we did a 12 mile dress rehearsal in preparation for "The Big Dance." It was drizzly but we managed OK. It was not hot so that helped out a bit. Conpleted Rugby Hall (AGAIN!) and then tried a new loop off of Glen Oban Road. Talk about inclines! I don't know how people manage to drive in snowy conditions in that neighborhood.

My body held up for 10 miles or so but that annoying stiffness returned. I thnk I could've pushed it but I don't want to injure myself so close to the race on June 5. So I did intervals. Still worked out like a madwoman.

D and I were done after the run; so done in fact that we skipped our usual egg sandwiches and cappuccinos and traded them in for tacos and margaritas at Gina's Cantina. Can you say "pain relief?" Maybe we'll start a new after training trend!

The gates are open! Should I crash? Surely a place like this must have a party going on!

A view of a modest abode off of Glen Oban. Very nice waterfront neighborhood but then again, aren't they all?

Some of us and our mentors after we crossed the start/finish line. We got "lei'd" as we crossed the line. Woohoo bring it on ZOOMA Annapolis!

One again a huge heartfelt thank you to all of you who have been following me during my mission and for your support! Till next time!

OK, so today was the HARDEST route ever! We began at MM1 and Katie's Touch. We had to follow the trail till the end, then pick up Route 2 to the WWII memorIal. From there we ran over the US Naval Academy Severn River bridge to the US Naval Academy entrance, back over the bridge, up the river basin and back to the startt/finish line, only to realize we STILL had four miles to go. Who can think up a route so cruel???

Really? After all that we have a 1 1/2 mile steep grade to go????

ARGGH I ran every step, seemed totally insane if you know the path we took. One girl commented on how crazy I was to run the whole bridge TWICE and then take on the riverbasin grade w/o missing a step.

Kept it up until the 10.25 mark when the wall hit. I am trying to work on getting rid if it! Good thing is that I did run a good part of the last .75 miles but did have to finally, and begrudgingly, walk a few steps here and there.

Great job to everyone who finished strong today and to Lisa who went over the bridge FOUR times as she is doing a full marathon soon! Ugh- BRUTAL!

Einstein Bagels made me ill, but it was not their fault. The run today made quite a few ill it seems....dehydration and heat exhaustion seemed to set in.

Here we go! Pics showcasing the beauty of the US naval Academy Bridge, WWII memorail and sites. Enjoy and until next week! Thanks D for some of the Pics!

Running past the WWII Memorial and getting ready to face the Severn River Bridge! The US Naval Academy is In the Background.

NAH! I'm not scared! Who am I kidding???? Sure looks a lot smaller in the photo...hmmmm

View from the top of the bridge! That is the Route 50 Bridge in the background. Leads to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Eastern Shore.

On my way back from Annapolis and the bridge I pause to remember and give thanks to those who fought in WWII

At the end of 11 miles, I need to lean back against the memorial "Katie's Touch." Thank you for the inspiration.

Once again I'd like to thank everyone for your support during my journey and mission. Till next time!

Wow! At least it wasn't wet but it was dry and not all that warm out today. We started over by the Big Bean and revisited areas such as Lindstead and Glenn's Loop. I petered out after about 8 1/2 miles or so and started a jog/walk combo. My hams are really tight! I need to work that issue out but I really think the cold has a lot to do with it.

Dorene, Lynn and I hung close most of the way and then Dorene took off! Afterward we tried a new, and very eclectice coffe shop called the Big Bean! YUM!

Enjoy the pics; this week they are courtesy for Dorene. Goooo Team!

Nice looking modern victorian overlooking the water on "Lindstead on the Severn." When can I move in?

New Construction by the Severn. We were laughing at the port-a-potty entrance to the property but then something else caught our eye. See below.

THis is just one more example that demonstrates that just because someone has money does not mean they have class. Personally, I would find a new place to live.

Lynn, Dorene, me, and Pam pose for the after run pic. Oh look! Blue Sky!

Its the Big Bean!

Thank you everyone as always for taking the time to see how I'm doing and thank you for your support! Till next week!

What is it with the Saturday morning weather? Other than it has been cold and rainy almost every time? I dressed in layers, prepared beginning on Friday by icing my sore spots, hydrating, and feeding my muscles.

We started out at the B/A Trail mile marker 3.5 just by the Severna Park "Park and Ride." It is always a good thing when you live close to where you start your training runs. However, today I woke at 4:46 and was wide awake and an early arrival by the time we began at 7:30.

Today took us to a new area and included neighborhood by the Severn that had some pretty houses by the cliff. We risked getting lost and almost did! But in the end it added some excitement to the long run.

I hung out with Lynn and Becky today; Dorene is out of town. We paced eachother well and finished in a little over 2 hours time. It was a long time to be in the rain.

As happened last week, my muscles started to protest around mile 7 or so. The last couple miles were SOOO hard I could barely stand it but I kept on. Iced afterwards... well after a trip to Einstein Bagels that is.

Still icing! We do 10 miles next week. I didn't take many pics this week it was too rainy but enjoy the view of Lindstead! Thank you once again for your support.

Very nice neighborhood of Lindstead here. You can't see the water because of the mist/rain but these are all waterfront homes. I particularly like this house because it was a rancher with wings and it reminded me of home :)

I wasn't into the homes right here but I'd guess I would "buy that for a dollar." Nice pier and awesome water views!

OK, so I look like a drenched idiot but after all I DID run 9 miles!

Thank you to all who have supported me on this journey! I am on a mission to help erase cancer. If you haven't already done so, please consider supporting my quest. It is getting painful but I'll work through it!

YES! I am still preparing for the ZOOMA Annapolis Half-Marathon on June 5! Under the threat of severe weather we gathered at 7:30 in the morning to tackle 9 miles through Severna Park. We went back to the neighborhood of Rugby Hall and, as it did before, kicked us in the *** as we ran up the steep hills along the banks of the Severn River. The cold damp weather did everything it could to try and sieze me up. The wind finally did it to my hamstrings in the 9th mile so I had to slow....BOOOOO!

Coach Nancy was not there today, she is in Boston getting ready to run the mother of all marathons this Monday. However, just so we wouldn't slack, she posted a photo of her from one of her ironmans peppered along with words of encouragement that can only come from her. She was there with us in spirit.

Below are some pics of the run. Enjoy and until next time!

Now THAT'S inspiration! I believe this shot is from the Lake Placid Ironman

Today I found out that this incredible red behemouth in the background "Wroxeter Hall" used to be a boy's boarding school. Now it is a private, over the top, mansion. I am guessing at least 15,000 square feet. Can you imagine the electric bill? No wonder the grill is a "Smoky Joe's Little Weber."

Is this what is called "TOUGH LOVE?"

Windblown and looking worse than a drowned rat after 9 miles, I celebrate right along with my coach! You go girl! Congrats on earning the right to be there and best of luck running the BOSTON MARATHON!

Thanks to all those who have supported me; I am almost to my goal! Please consider making a donation to help me achieve that goal by May 1st. Till next week!

We revisited Kinder Farm Park again and this time took a little detour to see the adorable baby animals. How cute where they? Well see the pics for yourself! It was cold as usual; it always seems to be cold and dreary but so what! Dorene and I kept a steady pace and were eventually joined, after our little detour, by Lynn and we ran the rest of the way as a team. How awesome is it to be able to not only run 8.25 miles, but to run as a team as we train for the half-marathon this June.

Afterwards, based on Coach Nancy's advice that we take in protein, we went to Einstein Bros. Bagels and had some yummy sandwiches to go along with our cappucinos....missed my triple venti though; it's just not the same.

Next week we do 9 miles towards the Annapolis area. I can't wait to see, and feel, what Coach Nancy has in store for us next time!

Enjoy the photos!

Our starting point: The Ranger Station located at mile marker 7 in Earleigh Heights.

Momma pig and her 14 adorable sleeping piglets.

Come here little baby goat!

Ahhhhh, a rest break while trying to coax the goats!

Dorene in front of mooing, yet shy, cows

THE END

Thank you as always for taking the time to see how I'm doing and thank you as always for your support! Please consider helping me reach my fundraising goal by May 1st. Till next time!

It was cold and drizzly this morning as we embarked on a journey that wound around a beautiful neighborhood named "Rugby Hall" on the banks of the Severn River. Some of the houses were magnificent, and so were the cars. The weather quickly faded to a little more than background noise as we huffed and puffed up those really steep hills.

We teamed up with a new running buddy, Lynn, and completed the 8 mile trek in 1:40! Nothing like the hills of a riverbasin to burn those muscles hard. Part of the run was on the B/A trail, usually a nice run but it's getting all too familiar and the gray day didn't do anything for me.

Afterwards we ended up at.....you guessed it...STARBUCKS! where my triple Venti non-fat cappuccino awaited. Next week we do another eight miles.

Life is a special gift and mine is made even better by my motivation and mission to support cancer research.

The Sign at Mile marker 0 showing the scope of the B/A Trail

Believe it or not this is the SIDE view of the house located right on the Severn River. The house is so grand yet their grill (can't see it in pic) is a "Little Weber." Are you kidding me?

I just liked the back of this house at the top of the hill so I took a photo. Then I had to run up the hill!

We made it back to the start/finish line!

It was a cold crisp morning and the task was to do 7 miles through Kinder farm Park, a beautiful setting full of, you guessed it, farm animals. It was long and ardous. Dorene and I hung together and completed it in 1:40. A little slower than I would like but, since I was suffering from a head cold, I'll take it! I never thought I could run one mile consistently much less 7. I am getting stronger and so determined! Afterwards we were so cold we joked how cold our rear ends felt against the car seats and promptly drove to our savior....Starbucks!

*****Later on we organized our event crawl in downtown Annapolis! Some of the waterfront's most iconic establishments are gladly taking part in supporting the mission. It will take place on Sunday May 1st 1-6pm. Drink specials, fun, and games await so SAVE THE DATE! Details to follow.

A few pics below enjoy and please cheer me on and support me as I draw closer to the 13.1!

A View From The Trail

Coach Nancy and Me. Did I Mention She Has Competed in ironman triathlons? She is FIERCE!

Same Pose, Different Pic. Here I am with My Running Buddy Dorene After 5 Miles. Not Looking Too Shabby I Must Say...

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Let's See That Beauty Pageant Wave at the Finish Line! Wooohooo!

AHHHHHH.... Starbucks........