Sunday, May 1st was a gorgeous day in Humboldt County! My TEAMmates and I woke up to a chilly morning, but by mile 6, my fingers thawed and it was positively sunny on the short stretches between the redwoods.

I couldn't have asked for a better day or environment to run. People cheered along the race route, the sun shone through the canopy of trees, and the Avenue of the Giants was as magnificent as its name implies. I had to work hard to keep my running form up since I just wanted to look around the entire time. I must say that wandering off into the forest at a slower tempo was the biggest temptations, especially about 9 miles in. My mental dialogue was mostly made up of praising God for beautiful forests, praying for strength, and being excited to be running with great people! I probably thought a bit of food and water, too....it was a long run.

John helped me write, on a bracelet, the names of the honorees that you guys had written on your donation forms - I wore this on my right hand and it gave me a boost when I looked down and thought of all those who had cancer and endured much, much more pain than I was going through as I ran. My only tribulations were the several bathroom stops I was forced to make (it killed me to watch runners go by that I had worked at passing...) and the soreness around mile 8. For some reason my body didn't like what I had eaten, but now I know what not to eat for my next long run! I think I also need to put some less mellow-songs on my iPod...but rule #23 - NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION!

Anyhow, I bonded with several of my TEAMmates and loved seeing them on the course! We all celebrated our training and completion afterwards. Thanks so much to all of you on my team who inspired me - honorees, donors, and the cheering TEAMmates.

My last mile was tough since there was a bit of a hill half way through it, but I sprinted in the last quarter mile and finished! Thanks everyone :)

Train

Endure

Achieve

Matter

...now to get started on those thank-you-notes....pictures to post and send soon to follow!

Love,

Tomiko

Hi, Friends!

I'm not sure if anyone even reads these posts - but I feel like a little update should be here for anyone who happens onto my page!

I am so encouraged by how generous you are! I was scared about making my minimum goal - and you have exceeded it by nearly $600! I am overwhelmed at how much you guys gave to help those with blood cancers - this amount will go a long way to providing funding for research, providing education for patients, and reaching out to families who have a loved one who is suffering with leukemia or lymphoma! Be proud!

Anyhow, I am resting up before the big day this Sunday, May 1st! I have gotten lots of great eating and preparation tips from friends and family who have been doing this kind of thing for years. My dad and my coach have given me the (awesome) advice of eating lots of carbs this week (darn, I'll have to eat lots and lots of delicious carbs!). I've been drinking tons of water which I have found is quite time consuming what with the refilling and using the restroom. Small 3-mile runs keep me in the running mentality. Also, I have been trying to get a bit more sleep than normal.

The past two weeknds I have done long runs that are within a mile or two of the race distance (13.1 miles) and I feel pretty good! Now I just need to focus, keep limber this week, and mentally prepare for pacing myself this weekend.

Before I drive with a friend to Humboldt for the race, I have to make a little buiness trip down to my favorite place: San Luis Obispo. God has blessed me with awesome friends in many places and I am excited for my long journey this week!

I'll be running with my TEAM bib, my 1st generation iPod shuffle, a small pack of energy gummies and a handlheld water mini water bottle. I hope it's a cooler day since I run quite warm. My teammates and the trees will be my inspiration :) The next time I post on here will be after the race...unless I think of something awesome to post before then! Pray and think of me on the day - I've got butterflies in my stomach and hope that I'll do well in my first race!

I couldn't do this without you...well I perhaps could have, but it wouldn't have been much fun at all. Thanks again so much for your help!

Love,

Tomiko

Less than a month to go! I still feel like a newbie to long-distance running.

Running is now a lot easier than when I started, though I haven't gone the full distance yet, so I better not count my chickens...

I love running near the river or at McKinley Park! The weather has been great for running after work - sunny but still breezy enough to keep me cool. Meredith runs with me on a refular basis and when I make it to TEAM practices, everyone is so encouraging as we run together.

Since this is my first long race, I'm totally open to suggestions or tips from those seasoned runners out there! I'll be running light for the race - a small hand-held water bottle and a pack or two of the carb gummies to power me through those last miles.

I am really looking forward to the race and to raising donations and awareness for the LLS.

T

Leap of Faith

Howdy!

I am nearing time to turn in all of my donation money! I need to have all of the $2200 in by April 15th and I'm still lacking quite a bit. Please let me know if you'd like more info, or if you feel ready to donate, do so to the right of this box! I can also give you tax receipts.

Running has been fun! I feel like I've gotten into a nice rhythm of running and I am meeting my running goals! It's been fun running with Meredith who has joined the running craze! One week Devon and I ran a bit together and sometimes John and I go. Running with the TEAM team has been great each week, too! Everyone is so strong and brave to take on these distances!

Thanks for helping me. Read below for previous posts about why I'm running in this marathon.

<3

I get by with a little help from my friends :)

Hi there,

Just wanted to give you an update - things are going great! Still fundraising away and needing lots more support. Running is proving to be a challenge with a short sickness and many other things that consume my time, but I think it's going well for the most part! Wednesdayday night runs are fun and the other night Meredith (friend from Sacramento) came out to run with us!

We run 5 miles on Wednesdays and I try to run about 3 or 4 other days of the week - averaging around 4 miles each day. It has been great to get to know other members of the team!

For those of you who have donated either time, prayers, encouragement or money, I am so grateful! Thanks - look for other updates and a thank you card soon!

Tomiko