~~9 days out!
9 days out and what does it feel like? Exciting! Surreal! Outrageous! This is going down! Those are a few adjectives that come to mind.... Over the past few days I've been in bed dealing with a pesky cough/cold which i soon enough learned was bronchitis. But I'm not worried. I know I will overcome this thing and have been hydrating and resting up- while doing some serious fundraising from my bed. This minor setback aside, I generally  feel strong, grateful and thankful! My short, fat, legs have never felt more strong and unstoppable. They've never felt more beautiful and utilitarian. I cant get over how far these feet and legs have come.

I have immense gratitude and thanksgiving for all my supporters who truly have helped me get to this place.  We started this journey together several months ago and I'm just so amazed with how far we've come! Words of encouragement from strangers and friends alike, folks who donated to LLS and in doing so, not only gave to a very worthy cause -but also reaffirmed their trust in me to accomplish this challenge. I am so thankful for the faith you've vested in me!

As we get closer to race day, I am making sure that all my T's are crossed and I's dotted. My race outfit is all set- yes I'll be wearing purple. A regal color, quite befitting for the man he was- my dad's color and also LLS's color. Have no fears, You won't miss my purple manicure, and matching bandanna, my purple Lululemon run inspires- yes I'm still that girl, even on the course :)

I've broken into my new shoes now- they're all set. Sidebar- after the Staten Island 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago,it became painfully obvious that after 300 miles, I needed new shoes. I endede up getting the same pair that I've been running in- just an updated color which also happen to be the official race shoe. That minor incident aside, it's now forward, forward, forward! In the next week, I'll be marching in the Marathon opening parade where I've been selected to be the Flag bearer for Cameroon (yaay green, red, yellow), I'll finalize my post race jubilations (join us if you're in NYC), I'll spend a bunch more time meditating over conquering the hills and the entire course and of course being mildly an overachiever, I'll strive to surpass my fundraising goals.

I'm so close to the start (and finish lines) as well as to  fundraising goals! I know that with just a tad more help from you, we can do this and keep leukemia at bay. I hope that if you haven't yet done so, you'll consider joining me to stamp out this horrendous disease!

Xx

19 days to go! I can’t believe it’s almost here. I can’t believe I’m running the TCS NYC Marathon on Nov 2, 2014! The thought is both overwhelming yet exciting. I’ll be running through all five boroughs and through the city streets like I own them. Over the past few weeks, I’ve logged my longest runs, broken barriers once thought of as insurmountable, pushed myself beyond anything ever imagined. My long runs have been physically exhausting and taxing but mentally liberating. They’ve provided an outlet for clarity of thought, a time for reflection and a time to break away from it all. This week was peak week in my training plan; I ran a half marathon and then some more. The week culminated all the early morning and late night runs across several continents, rain or sun, heat, humidity or cold.

Someone asked why I’m doing this and what inspires me.  Well, I think it’s easy to see that what brought me to this place was a desire to honor my daddy in a special and memorable way.  To show the world that his spirit lives on through me. I made a pledge to train and do this race and thus far, I’ve kept my commitment. And through each gruesome mile logged, my daddy has continued to watch over me from above.
In addition to my dad, I am inspired and fueled by the following:
1. An opportunity to make an impact towards stamping out this horrible disease called leukemia.  This may be one of the few opportunities that I may ever have to do something positive for humanity and I’m going to seize it. I’m inspired to run by those who would be delighted to run but can’t. I don’t think I need much convincing here nor do I need to elaborate…
2. My amazing sister, friend, and running coach Randi Elisabeth- who has been with me each step of this journey. She’s encouraged and challenged me to do the work that it takes to be a better, stronger runner. When I’ve been discouraged, she’s been quick to remind me that keeping “1 foot forward” was the simplest, yet ultimate goal.
3. Many friends who have donated to my fundraising efforts and offered kind notes and words of encouragement. Reading your notes often brings tears to my eyes and is quite humbling the faith you’ve entrusted in me to accomplish this. You inspire me more than I could ever offer to you.
4. My amazing, kind and patient husband Akan who hates being away from me and not being able to spend most of our non- working time together. I’ll soon return to being his exuberant, Flywheel  and fashion obsessed  wife who loves to cook, cuddle and dote on him- the wife who does not spend all her time talking about strength training, mileage, Garmin watches, nutrition, hydration running negative splits and pacing.

.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next few weeks of tapering my training and eventually crossing that finish line.  I hope that if you haven’t already visited my fundraising page, you’ll consider doing so and supporting my race.  To find out more about my progress and to support me, please visit: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nyc14/runfordad
 

It's 33 days till the New York City marathon! What am I thinking? Honestly, it’s a mixture of thoughts and emotions. Intermittently, these vacillate from “you got this” to “ummm maybe not”.  Thankfully, each time I think of my Dad, I am encouraged and I feel he’s watching over me and encouraging me each step of the way. I feel so close to him, especially on longer runs. That usually causes the doubt and fear to dissipate.  Yes, I’m fearful sometimes and vulnerable. But I’m also resilient, strong and audacious. I have to remind myself of this continuously. I feel tremendously encouraged that I get to celebrate his life by raising money to support a cause that I know he would stand for.  My dad may have lost his battle with leukemia but thanks to our collective efforts, other families won’t have to go through the same.

This week I reached even greater heights and ran further. I’m discovering parts of NYC that I never knew. It’s like a never ending cycle of setting records only to break those 7 days later! I ran 17.6 miles ya’ll…. 17.6 miles this Sunday! Something I’d never imagined doing before.  Sure this speaks to the resilience of the human body and mind, sure this speaks to perseverance. But it also speaks to my commitment to overcoming the insurmountable. I couldn’t continue on this journey without the support of my amazing Team in training family and all of you – your words of encouragement, kind notes, donations, texts etc.

Funny, each run has been quite introspective- I’m learning more about myself with each step. First- the notion of early bird gets the worm: I’ve really been questioning that on recent runs. I realize that fast and furious may seem efficient in the near term. But as the mileage gets higher, I’m also realizing slow and steady is just as powerful. Second-I don't need to walk around with a big purse daily: On most runs I leave home armed with a hydration belt, sneakers and bare essentials. I’m realizing that carrying big purses (albeit fashionable), is superfluous. Running has proved to me that a subway card, my AMEX, insurance card and electrolytes is all I need to get by in this life LOL.  With these bare essentials, I’ve been able to break barriers and conquer miles! (Disclaimer: I won’t be hosting a yard sale to get rid of my bags and shoes anytime soon, LOL) In spite of all the intermittent aches and discomfort, I like what running is teaching me….

Looking forward to the next few weeks of building a bit more mileage and then tapering!

xx

Liz
 

~~This weekend, I did my longest training runs to date and after a few weeks of travelling, have re-launched my fundraising campaign with utmost intensity. Just seven more weeks to go! I’m so grateful for all the donations that have come pouring in thus far. I’m thankful for all the pledges as well! I know that together, our collective efforts will touch lives and alleviate the devastating impact of leukemia in ways far beyond our imagination.
As my mileage has increased, so too has my affinity with the foam roller! This is like the best invention ever conceived for athletes (if I dare to call myself that).  Soreness and a few aches are part of this parcel. I won’t shy away.  I think of how my dad fought through till the end and did so with such courage and gusto! I’m emboldened by these thoughts. I’m audacious but still not daring enough to consider myself a bonafide athlete. I simply think of myself as a girl who’s pushing through and trying to do the best that she can. Funny, over the weekend, I came across an email reminding me to order photos from my 1st half marathon- which was last October 6, 2013. I look back at the arc of my running “career” and smile. To think it went like this:
May 2013: I started running with the couch to 5K app
June 2013: Ran my first 5K
October 2013: Ran my first ½ Marathon
Since then, I’ve run a few more 5Ks, 10Ks, 10 milers, and ½ marathons. And this November- can’t wait to run my first full marathon! I can’t believe this is all happening within 18 months!
As I continue on this journey, I am encouraged by the outpouring of love that friends, family and even some strangers have shown. Your words of support through phone calls, texts and social media keep me going.  I’m amazed at how powerful and transformative this journey has been for me. I started off wanting to honor the memory of my Dad and through it; I’ve discovered a well of resilience that I hardly knew existed within me.  Pushing through core/ strength workouts, running distances never before imagined, and feeling stronger after each. It’s all been much more than I ever thought.  As we get closer to Nov 7th, I’ll be posting photos of some of my training runs, workouts and the amazing team that continues to inspire, motivate and push me.  Sending love and light.
Xx
Liz