October 18, 2010

Okay, so my first 10K was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I totally credit coach Stephanie Terrell and my awesome walking parther Katherine Jore for keeping me literally in the loop. Stephanie provides the killer routes and Katherine just won't let me slow down. Keep in mind that Katherine about 8 years my senior, has had surgery on both her knees and has a quirky hip that can be very temperamental. So when yours truly starts complaining, Katherine very resolutely just reminds me to "suck it up." It's lovely. No, really.

All Katherine's badgering - ahem - encouragement served its purpose on Saturday. Every time I found my speed waning on Saturday morning I heard Katherine in my head saying, "C'mon, Girlie, this isn't nearly as hard as chemotherapy!" And you know what? I walked a little bit faster.

Since I train with a group of 30-35 really fast to moderately fast runners, I am used to getting passed up right out the gate. I must admit, however, with only about 40 walkers out of a group of 3,000 participants, I had to resist the psychological damage that threatened as a sea of people left me in their proverbial dust. It was all I could do to remind myself - "Just stay the course, Sheeri." I am tempted to get or make a shirt with a sentence on the back that reads, "If you can read this, it means I'm not last," but I fear the probable repercussions. Another phrase that pays is one that Stephanie said at the last Saturday training before part of the team left for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. It was as profound as it was simple. She said, "As long as you're moving forward, you will cross the finish line. So don't stop." There is a whole other spiritual lesson in that one sentence, too, but I'll save that for another time.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me get to 63% of my goal. My deadline is November 3rd. So tell all your friends (and enemies for that matter) to donate. And if you feel moved to become a repeat giver, that works too! In the words of the ever-too-cool Russell Simmons, "God Bless and Good Night!"

Until My Next Blog,

Sheeri

Hey Family!

I'm hosting my first fundraiser!

Join me for:

$ILPADA TO $AVE LIVE$

WHEN: September 18, 2010

WHERE: Starbucks on 183 and Anderson Mill Rd NW Austin

TIME: 12 noon til 3:30 PM

Come see the elegant new designs from Silpada's Fall Line

and drink free coffee, compliments of Starbucks!

My friend, Amy Smith, a rep for Silpada Designs is donating

100% of the profits for all pieces purchased on site or from her online catalog:

http://mysilpada.com/sites/amy.michelle/private/content/home.jsf

Buy as much as you like! After all, it is for a good cause!

August 18, 2010

Hi Family!

A warm thank you to those of you who have contributed to my fundraising campaign and to those of you who have pledged to do so. With only 12 more weeks until my November 3rd deadline, I encourage you to give all that you are willing, as soon as you can. Time sneaks up fast. The race will be here before you know it.

My training this summer has gone well. I am up to walking 4 miles a day during the week and 8 miles on Saturdays. Last Saturday I finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes - my fastest time yet. Thank you for all of your support, both financial, moral, and spiritual.

I had mentioned to some of you that I planned to dedicate my race on November 14, 2010 to the memory a very special man. His name is Arnulfo "Arnie" Campos.

Mr. Campos was the father of a good friend of mine, Cathy Harwick (pictured on the bottom right with her Papa). Diagnosed with an agressive form of Lukemia in the fall of 2009, Arnie fought the disease courageously for nine months before succumbing to it on July 1, 2010. He was 87 years old. Arnie is deeply missed by not only his wife of 58 years, Mary, and his four children, but by his extended family and the community in which he served so diligently.

By all accounts, Arnie's was a beautiful life. His death serves as a poignant reminder to me of why I will finish my race on November 14, 2010. I don't know if we will ever live in a world free from cancer. But I do know that the money raised through organizations like LLS goes a long way toward helping people beat this dreadful disease.

My deepest gratitude goes out to Cathy and her family for allowing me to honor their father/husband's memory in this way.

To learn more about Arnie Campos, his amazingly full life, and his family, please click here.

Once again, thank you all so much for your support in this endeavor. I pray that God blesses you and keeps firmly in his loving hands.

Walking With Purpose,

Sheeri

July 5, 2010: The Honeymoon Is Definitely Over!

Hi Family!

I have been in training for a solid month. And I have to tell you - I've had many more successes than I anticipated.

HOWEVER, for the first time ever on Tuesday, June 22, 2010, I refused to get out of bed to attend my twice weekly 6:00 AM training. It so happened that I had a great excuse, Mykel had participated in a sleep study the night before and wouldn't be home released until 6:00 AM. Lying, I had told myself that I would rise and walk my neighborhood in place of my workout at the track, while the Muppets slumbered.

Peggy and Sheeri at our first rest stop. Eventhough blood cancers have taken the lives of her mom and her aunt and threatens to take the life of her sister, Peggy is still an inspiring positive woman (and she walks circles around my butt). It is truly a pleasure to train with her.

But let me tell you something, when 6:00 AM showed up, the only thing I managed to do was to turn over! After all, one day wouldn't hurt. Yea - okay. Having "slipped" on Tuesday, made rolling over on Wednesday, the day when I do train in my neighborhood, that much easier. The slippery slope had started. I did manage to return to the track on Thursday, bright and early, but all the progress I had made the week before was undone. Two laps (count them 1...2...) around the track for warm-up, and I was ready to literally throw up. It seems my entire body had conspired against me to get back on track (pun intended).

You'd think that I'd not repeat such an inane practice again, but guess what? The following Tuesday, I did it again! I skipped practice and did not make up my work out. Sigh! Human nature SUCKS! My resistance is quite literally my own flesh.

After skipping for the second time, all of those hateful thoughts that plague anyone who attempts to go against her nature to form a new, healthy habit cascaded down upon me.

"You'll never complete a half-marathon."

"You'll never raise enough money in time."

"You're no athlete."

"Go back to bed."

"Just quit now and save yourself the embarassment of failing."

There were more. But I don't want to give them room in my mind or yours. At any rate, I learned first hand that the reason I must keep to my regimen, whether it is my physical or spiritual one, is that when I choose to fail to do my part, I open the door for evil, soul-sucking, negative thoughts, which threaten to defeat me mentally before I ever get started.

So, yes, the honeymoon is over, but I am commited to the marriage! Dag Nabbit! It's me and LLS all the way to the finish line on November 14th at the San Antonio Rock N' Roll Marathon.

Here is a gratuitous photo of Mykel and the kids, wishing you a "Happy 4th of July!"

By the way, the both Saturdays following my pathetic Tuesdays, I reached a personal best goal for time and distance! Until I started training for a marathon, I never knew how much I hated negativity. I declared it banish-ed!

Thanks Family, for all your support and encouragment both financial and moral. You will never know how much it nourishes my soul!

Til my next blog!

Sheeri

Sheeri Is Off And Running (Well, Walking Actually)!

Hi Family! Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

As you may have heard, (or read if you follow my tweets or visit me on facebook), I'm training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training.

I have joined an amazing team of people, TNT's Austin Team, who are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I will be walking the half-marathon route in the San Antoinio Rock 'N Roll Marathon on November 14, 2010. It's promises to be a hoot! There's a huge party at the end and a live band every mile! I can't wait. But I've got to get in shape.

>SIGH!< So I'm in training.

As somewhat of a couch potato since giving birth to Kit Donovan, AKA Mitchell #4, I am really excited for the opportunity to use my body to help other people whose bodies aren't doing so great. Too many people and their families are battling blood cancers. I am completing this event in honor all of those individuals and to help raise money to find a cure.

Will you help me in my quest to raise a MINIMUM of $2,500.00 in the fight against blood cancers? Donate to my page today (and tomorrow if you're so moved) to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

I'll be blogging about my (in)experience regularly and adding tons of pictures of not only my biological family, but also my new TNT family.

Thanks in advance for all your support! Don't forget to click on the "Donate" button before exploring the rest of the site! I have no pride at all - if you wanna give it, I'll take it. Every dollar helps and no amount is too small!

Have an awesome day and check back to see how the money is coming in and how I'm holding up!

Much Love, Family!

Other Information You'll Find Interesting:

What Is LLS?

How Can I Do What Sheeri Is Doing?

How Sheeri Plans To Take Her Life To The Next Level

Is Your Life Full Or Just Busy?