Let's do this!

I hate waking up early. Running is not my forte. Anything past 4 miles, I start developing blisters and it doesn’t feel (or look) pretty. But, last week I had an out-of-body experience and I signed up for a running team that meets almost every Saturday morning as early as 7:00 a.m.; this is the team that is going to help me achieve...no wait, drag me through my first half marathon - 13.1 miles. They are part of Team in Training, a cause that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. When I first looked at my training schedule, I immediately thought “there go my Friday nights.” You all know that I like to get dressed up, go out, have fun… and make the most of my life. But then I took a step back and away from myself. What’s a few Friday nights? How selfish can I be? There are every day people – young, old, big, small – who suffer from blood diseases that pop up out of nowhere. There are every day people walking among me, going out, having fun, partying, going to school, going to work, working out, that one day wake up and their lives are changed – they have blood cancer. They now have to wake up early to go get chemotherapy. They now struggle to sleep at night because they don’t know what tomorrow holds. All of a sudden getting a better paying job, getting the hottest new denim or buying the bar at the club doesn’t matter anymore. These people are now fighting for their lives.

I’m not the best fundraiser – I’m not the best runner – I’m not the best community supporter. I’ll admit all of those things. I’ll admit that I’ve said “I don’t have time to fundraise.” But I’ll also admit that I can and should do everything I can to help those in need. I’m healthy, I have a decent job, I can put on my Nike’s and drive my car to the track to train, and I have a wealth of support from my family and friends. There’s no reason that I can’t make the extra effort to help people that don’t have the luxuries that I have.

I only have one or two (now three!) indirect personal links to people who have suffered from leukemia and lymphoma – but I’ve almost lost my dad due to a different health issue – and if the families of these people are suffering anything near to what I experienced, I want to do my best to help. I’m asking for a donation to help me achieve my Team in Training goals, which is to fulfill my fundraising mark of $2,500 and to complete the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco on October 19. You don’t have to wake up early – you don’t have to run 13 miles and train for 3 months – but your contribution will help me, help the community, and help those that are less fortunate. Thank you so much!!

Checks can be mailed to:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter

Dept. #958

PO Box 145900

Cinicinnati, Ohio 45250

Christina Howell

Update! 8/10/08

I have a fundraiser dinner planned for Thursday, September 11 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Chevy's Restaurant on Almaden -- my favorite! Saa--weeeet! If you come and hang with us, have a margarita or some fajitas, 25% of your bill will be donated to my cause. Click here to view and print the flyer - don't forget the flyer or else it won't count :) Thanks, and hope to see you at Chevy's!

Update! 8/14/08

I went to my first training session with the team tonight. I loved it! We did a 2 mile time trial then did a light jog back. Felt good! I jogged at an easy 10 minute per mile pace there and back. I'm looking forward to our longer run on Saturday morning at Calero Park. I met some awesome people tonight as well. I'm truly touched by the generosity and support I've received since I started spreading the word about my training and fundraising efforts. I never would have thought I'd receive such an amazing response, and I hope it just gets stronger! This is the kind of support that is going to fuel me through the training and the race on the 19th! Thanks again to all of you who are helping me along the way!

***OH!***

If I make half of my goal ($1,250) by September 4, I get a sweatshirt :) Let's gooooo for the sweatshirt! xoxo C.

P.S. Speaking of sweatshirt... I learned that "cotton is rotten" at least for runners. I've got to invest in some new threads :)

Update 8/18/08

My first regional run on Saturday was great - we ran 4 miles at Calero County Park... seems like there were several hills (BLECH!), but I survived. The team was so cute :) They had water/snack stops and one of the participants brough homemade chocolate chip cookies :)

Update 8/19/08

Wow... I never knew how many people are so close to this cause due to their own struggles with blood cancer or their family members struggles. I just want to say that I am officially running in honor of the following people, and PLEASE let me know if there is someone close to you that I can run in honor of as well! It really comes to a point where these things hit close to home; you realize it's not just a matter of fundraising for a generic cause and for people you don't know, it's a matter of contributing to a cause that can and will save your own family and friends!

Gaurav Bhatia

Taylor Brown

Fidela Carbone

Update 8/20/08

Yesterday I did a run on my own (my usual at Gunderson track - and yes I am the girl that DRIVES to the track to get her run on... lol) - anyway, it was one of the hardest days of training so far. I think there were several factors. I had a big, late lunch with my parents that day... and I ran almost 2 hours earlier than I usually do on Tuesdays due to a post-workout bday celebration I had planned. Plus it was super windy! It made me realize how much I really need to pay attention to my eating and the timing of it all. I still managed to jog/walk about 5 miles in the hour+ that I was there. It was cute watching the pee wee pop warner guys practice as always, and nice seeing my friends who bring their sons there for practice every night!

Thank you Heather for putting me over the 1k mark! It wouldn't be possible without the amazing support everyone else has provided! It's such a blessing to be surrounded by so many great people :)

Almost to that sweatshirt! I can feel it!

Update 8/21/08

Today we had a workout at the track. It was cool - we warmed up for about a mile, mile and a quarter, then broke into our wave groups. I'm in wave 4. This means I'm basically at the slower end of the fast group. :) Works for me! After our warm up we did a couple of Pilates exercises with a TNT alumni who happens to be an instructor. The focus was to strengthen our core which will help us on our distance running - has to do with keeping your spine elongated and your head in line with it so that you don't get tired... it's easy to catch yourself hunching over a little when you're fatigued. So after that we broke into groups - waves 1 - 3 and 4 - 6 - and did four separate 800 meter (2 laps) runs. This exercise is designed to help us train our bodies to send blood to the weary muscles via the VO2 max method. (Something like that). We basically start very slow - 2 laps, then a 100 yard walk - next 2 laps a little faster - next 2 about the same if not 5 - 10 seconds faster - last one we were going for pretty much as fast we could go. My first time for the 2 laps was 5:10, and the last set I clocked in at 4:02. I could definitely feel the difference! It was a great workout. We headed to Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza for a hang with the gang session - yummy salmon and spinach fettucine with a dill cream sauce. <3 Food. Mmmmm.

I hit a slump in my fundraising. I've had so many people pitching in to my cause and surprises left and right - I think this might have been my first day with no donations at all. It's definitely not easy to ask for money! That's why I'm so grateful for the people who care and do contribute. I have 2 weeks to reach my halfway point, and I most definitely believe I can do it! :)

Update 8/22/08

Yeah! I did it! I made it to my halfway point! What an awesome feeling. I'll have a bit of a struggle to do ALL of that one more time to reach my entire goal of $2500, but I feel confident I'll find ways to make ends meet. Thanks to Alejandro Gutierrez for reminding to "Live 2 Learn and Learn 2 Live". Great advice from an incredible supporter of charities and an individual who believes in enriching the lives of those less fortunate by always offering support, care, resources, and attention. Adding to my list of honorees that I'm running for is his godfather, Jesus Sedano.

Back on track! Literally! 9/4/08

Having a week off from training really proved to me that I NEED THIS TEAM!!! I have the hardest time a) forcing myself to run on my own and b) challenging myself to really GO THE DISTANCE! We had a long run at Almaden Lake Park on Saturday, August 30 - 6 miles - then I did my on my own run at Gunderson on Tuesday - then - then - then... FINALLY!! I brought myself to run the Guadalupe - Almaden Trail on Sunday morning. I ran for 1 hour and 15 minutes straight (I need to get that Nike + thing so I can track my distance), and that was it until track practice tonight. I'm SO glad to be back in the swing of things. Practice felt good tonight. We ran 5 sets of 6 minute runs around the track with 2 sets of core exercises in between (push-ups, squats, crunches, plank, balancing, etc.)... the last set I ran 3 laps as opposed to ~2.25. I had a huge slump in my fundraising, but thanks to Darran Matthews and Gerry De La Rue (my childhood girl scout leader who encouraged me to join TNT!), I am out of my slump and ready to tackle that last $1110. Remember... if I don't reach $2500, I'll be paying the difference out of my own pocket :) My supporters are still the fuel to my legs when they feel like concrete beams (quoting Angie), my shot of oxygen when I feel short on breath, and my heart and soul when I feel like quitting! Thanks again to all of these amazing people, and let's keep the momentum going through September! :)

The 8-mile - 9/8/08

I officially logged my best run ever on Saturday, 9/6. I ran 8 miles in 83 minutes! I kept a nice, easy pace the whole way, and felt awesome at the end! I really wanted to punch it up and just hit that 80 minute mark, but either way I was totally thrilled. I kept a smooth pace the whole 4 miles out, and figured I'd probably want to take a walking break at the switchback for a while until I gathered myself - but I turned around and jammed right home, without stopping! I'm wondering how much faster I could do it, but rather than focus on speed, I'm shooting for distance. I'll go for 10 miles in 2 weeks, and then it will almost be time for the SJ Rock 'n' Roll half. Then, before you know it, I'll be in San Francisco running alongside 10s of THOUSANDS of people. I just know it will be exhilirating and inspiring. I can't wait. Thanks again to Rocio and Auntie JoJo for the generous contributions - - I am now happy to say that I have LESS than $1,000 to go with one month left! I'm going to push it forward and try my very best to reach it! :)

Pain. 10.06.08

Will the blister on my right foot heal by 10/19 for my big race? Will the piercing pain entering my left foot each time I walk be alleviated? Will I be able to walk like a normal human being at any time soon?

Wow! Let's rewind. I spent a week in NY for work (and play - snuck a few extra days in there)... I decided to do my training on Sunday through Central Park. Soooo.... I realized I haven't been running as much as I should, or maybe just that I haven't been running hills as much as I should and that it would have benefited me to know that Central Park is one big rollercoaster filled with hills... and that it exists in a city that is prone to sporadic downpours of rain and psychotic women screaming at the rickshaw drivers to "obey the rules of the park and get the hell out of here before I call the cops!". Phew. What an experience. Anyway, I somehow managed to log about 8 miles at a super slow pace. And lo and behold... that was the last my tennies saw of the pavement till the following Sunday, which was the San Jose Rock n' Roll Half Marathon.

Having signed up for the SJRNR far before I joined TNT, I considered this part of my training... but errr... I must admit I did underestimate the whole 13.1 miles thing. My wonderful sister (an inspiration to me!) and my B-I-L with nephew in tow picked me up and we headed downtown to the swarm of 13,000+ runners plus many more spectators. It really is nice to see the spirit of San Jose come out of the trenches and cheer us runners on. It was a nice, flat run through great areas of the city that after mile 7 was a test of me trying to remember basic motor skills - right foot, go forward, step down, left foot, go forward step down - one by one till all those steps got me through each mile. I'm thinking, "ouch".

Anyway, I passed the 12 mile mark and was hurtin' for certain. I was taking a quick walking breather, when all of a sudden I get a tap on my arm and hear "Come on, let's go." - - CARLA! CARLA my savior!! Oh my gosh. Team in Training - how can I ever thank you. I told you in the beginning that all of the people on my team would be dragging me across the finish line - Carla literally did! I dug every bit of energy out and told my legs to just keep moving and together, Carla and I ran the last half mile and sprinted the last 100 yards to the finish line. 2:18:03! Oh my gosh. I've never felt that feeling before. The feeling that I needed every bit of strength my body could muster up for those last 15 seconds. The feeling that I was so close to accomplishing a goal that I've had for so long. The feeling that my sister has encouraged me to do this for years and will be so proud that I did it. The feeling that the best is yet to come - 10/19/08 in San Francisco with the rest of my team.

Thanks again to all of those have supported me so faithfully! I am continuing to receive donations and I'm just thrilled that I have this amazing network of people around me. 2 more days till my fundraising deadline... I am so grateful for being just $150 short with time still left. Now I'd better go figure out a way to patch up my old bones so that I can be stronger than ever on 10/19!