I can’t believe my last post was welcoming in July and now we are well into August! This summer has FLOWN by....

The rest of July was a blur of fun times, bloody marys and LOTS of lakeside runs. I ran my longest run to date – 16 miles  and didn’t die!

Now I’m back in Ithaca and I have to say, it’s wonderful here!!!! Ithaca in the summertime is one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been. I will say that it’s *slightly* too hot in my non-air-conditioned apartment – but I am now all set with window units and happily keeping my apartment at a bearable temperature.

My first weekend back in town I was able to do my long run with two of my running buddies here (Kim and Karli) and we did 14 miles…. Chatting like crazy the whole way. It’s so great to run with people when you have a whole summer worth of stories to share! My mid week “short” runs have been a lot harder in HILLY Ithaca than in FLAT Milwaukee – but the scenery looking out on Cayuga Lake and the mountains makes up for it!

I managed to squeeze in some NYC fun last weekend and it was a really fun – run free – weekend!

Thank you to everyone who helped me reach the $2,000 mark by July 15th. I am now more than halfway to my overall goal of $3,700. If you haven't already, please consider supporting me in my efforts to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Hello July!!

A couple of things that July brings...

1) Fireworks - Milwaukee is serious about their fireworks! There was a great show the first night of Summer-fest and then there was the HUGH 4th of July show. Seriously... and HOUR straight of fireworks, crazy!

2) The beach - I had a great time playing beach volleyball with the SCJ interns on Bradford beach (Lake Michigan) over 4th of July weekend. Then, I was lucky enough to fly east an spend the week with my family at my parents Outer Banks home. Heaven...

3) Warmer weather - This is something i was longing for, until I had to run in it! The warm humid weather has pushed my runs earlier and earlier. I got to run with my friend Kim in the Outer Banks and we started our runs before 6am... it was worth it when you realized how hot it was by 9am!

4) Back to Ithaca - Sadly, our summer in Milwaukee is coming to an end :( I have to return to Ithaca at the end of the month for work, and Steve will finish up his internship August 12th. It has been a great summer....maybe we'll be back????

Most importantly... July brings my Team in Training RE-COMMITMENT! To continue to hold my NYC Marathon spot I have to reach the $2,000 mark by July 15th. Thanks to everyone's support I am SO close. If you haven't already, please consider supporting me in my efforts to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

This is going to be a great two months of running! We are living right on the water on Milwaukee's Eastside, surrounded by hundreds of miles of trails and paths through parks and along the water. I am going to be spoiled byt the miled weather and gorgeous scenary!

These last two weeks have been filled with a crazy amount of travelling. I was in Charlotte, Reston, the Outer Banks and then Aiken SC for my sister-in-law's wedding! While it has been TONS of fun, it's also been a struggle to find the time to run as much as I would like. The good news is that when I made myself get out there and "just do it" I found out how fun it can be to run in a new place! Even in Aiken and Reston, where I've run many times before, I found myself taking new routes due to my increased distance. The one place I would like to do all of my training (and the actual marathon for that matter!) is in the OBX.... FLAT, FLAT, FLAT!!!

This weekend I will finally be in Milwaukee and try to settle into a better routine. I've learned that there is a Team in Training chapter that I should be able to meet up with for the summer which I am super excited about!

Stay tuned.. and thanks for your support!

Lindsay

This is one of my last days in Ithaca before I head out of town for the summer (Charlotte and Aiken for weddings and then Milwaukee until late July). I am sad to leave now that the weather is finally making a change for the better, but mostly I am sad to lose my running partner (Kim McCullough) for the next couple of months!

Flowers are finally blooming in Ithaca!!!

I've always been a loner when it comes to exercise and especially running. However, as I've started to increase the length of my weekend runs from 5, to 6, then 7, then 8 and now 10 miles I have found that having someone running with me makes all the difference in the world! Luckily, there will be plenty of new scenery to explore in Milwaukee so hopefully I won't be too bored running alone. On the bright side, I'll have plenty of 16, 18 and 20 mile runs left to do with Kim when we return at the end of the summer (not sure if I should really be happy about that!)

Thanks again for everyone's support! I am 1/3 of the way to my fundraising goal. EVERY bit helps!

Lindsay