One week from today, I will have completed my first half marathon EVER!!!! I've just come off of a really good group run of 6 miles, which I ran with my fastest time for that distance!! It felt pretty good!!! People keep asking me if I'm excited about going to San Fran. It seems like such an odd question, because I don't really feel that excited yet. I don't think it has set in that I'm actually going to do this! There are going to be $25,000 runners, which is mind blowing to me! I can't even picture it! It is going to be a whirlwind weekend, and I am going to have to remind myself to stop and savour the moments.

I've had some really good reminders this week about why I'm doing this! It has been so motivational and inspiring! Awesome really. This has been such a great experience, and I'm sad it's coming to an end......although if my mentor Kristen has her way, I'll be running another half marathon 3 weeks after this one. We will see :)

Thank you to everyone for the donations, the encouragement, the support, and the inspiration! I am forever changed by this experience! I can't say that I've loved every minute of it....Percy Warner is not my friend.....I would consider being friends with Percy if his last name were Axe or something like that (sorry TNT buddy joke.) I've loved it nonetheless!

Thank you!

I haven't updated my blog in a while, but since I was called out by one of my lovely contributors to the cause who actually checked my blog recently I decided it was time! Even if I only have one reader! This one is for you Steve! :) I hope you enjoy it!

Training has been going fairly well! I am tired, and definitely ready for my race to be here at this point! It's been a long training season. This is a gigantic commitment, but I'm so glad I've been able to be a part of it!

We had a group training session last Saturday in Brentwood. My goal mileage was 12 miles which was the farthest attempted distance for me. I can proudly say that I ran 12 miles!!!!!! HOLY MOLY it was painful. I spent the rest of the day hobbling around the house with random grunts and groans. 12 miles is NO JOKE!!!!!!

Things I learned on my 12 miles:

1. When I have to pee, it's best to stop and pee. I feel SO much better and running is much more enjoyable with an empty bladder.

2. Hydration is key.

3. I get hungry! It's best if I eat bits of something along the way instead of eating a whole something at one time. My tummy is happier this way.

4. Ellie Underhill is one amazing person. It's true that great things come in small packages.

5. My toes like to grip when I run, and that equals some gnarly blisters and a lot of pain.

6. I will more than likely cry at the end of running my half marathon since I almost did at the end of 12 miles. They will be tears of joy....with some pain mixed in.

7. Running in the rain is delightful until the rain starts washing sweat into your eyes and then its painful.

8. Epsom salt baths are the bees knees. How have I never experienced one before? I will definitely be making up for lost time!

9. I love my lulu lemon shirt I purchased. So light and airy!!!

10. Cloud cover on a long run is a gift from God.

11. Justin Timberlake Pandora station is my jam while running. It can take me to a happy place like nothing else!

12. I can run 12 miles. WOW!!!!!!

Thank you to EVERYONE who has donated! If you were planning on donating and haven't yet, please do even though I have reached my goal! It is all for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!!! Every bit counts! The more I raise the better!!!!!!

Yesterday I wasn't able to run in the morning like usual, so I had to go after work. It's difficult for me to find motivation in the afternoons for exercise. But I'm doing this for those in this world who can't, so I really have no excuse but to take my sorry butt for a run.

Last weekend, I had a mental block and gave up during my 6 mile run convincing myself that I just couldn't do it. Bad bop won in a big way. So for my Tuesday 4 mile run, I was a bit nervous. Can I get back in the game? Especially with a 10 mile Saturday run quickly approaching..... It's go time.

I went to Radnor to run. I love Radnor. It's so peaceful and grounding for me. Yesterday though was strictly business. I don't think I even enjoyed the scenery. I just pounded the pavement. It went a little something like this in my head.......

"Ok, let's do this. It's just down and back, down and back then you're done. Breathe. Why is my side hurting already? This isn't a good sign. Breathe. Easy Lynn. Run. Ouch, that doesn't feel good. Havent felt a cramp there before. It's ok. Its going away. Run. Breathe. Easy Lynn. You can breathe, you can run. You can breathe, you can run. Relax. Just 3 more to go. I could walk a little. It won't hurt to walk some. Lynn, run. Relax. Run. Man my IT bands are tight. Going to have to stretch. Wish I brought my water with me. Oh look, a chipmunk. It is hot out here. I guess my face is really red by the alarming look that lady just gave me. Run Lynn, run. 2 more. I could stop now. It would be fine to stop. I'll just run 4 miles on Thursday instead. No lynn, you're supposed to run 4 miles today. Easy. Relax. Run. You can breathe, you can run. You can breathe, you can run. 10 miles on Saturday.....don't know how I'm going to do that if this 4 miles is such a struggle. Lynn, you've run 9 miles, what's 10? You've got this. Now relax and run. Easy Lynn, easy. 4 miles done. I did it."

So nervous about Saturday's run, and I'm sure it will be a little something like this again! Just have to keep good cop shutting down bad cop!

Thank you to everyone for all of the support! I need every bit of it!!!

I've been a slacker when it comes to writing on my blog lately! I haven't been a slacker when it comes to running though!! 9 miles completed!!!!!!!!!!!

Things I learned while on my 9 mile run:

1. It's hard to run if your pants keep falling down. I wore the same bottoms I normally wear, and haven't had this issue before. Luckily I repositioned my running belt (aka a sleaker fanny pack) so that it fixed my problem. Guess I'm in the market for some new bottoms....

2. It's quite difficult to eat while running. Think of trying to chew when you have a really bad cold, but then worse.

3. The last mile and a half was TORTURE!!!!! My IT bands were screaming and my toes were pretty sensitive.

4. Every recovery is different, and it's a fun game trying to figure out what my body wants.

5. I need to hydrate better the day before my long runs. I had a massive headache before the end of my run, which went away after 2 hours or so of replenishing my body of water and electrolytes.

6. I like water stops.

7. THAT WAS REALLY HARD!

I have 2 months left before I run my race! I'm so pumped about this! I keep thinking about the next race I'm going to be a part of.....my husband thinks it should be a marathon in Paris. I'm not sure if I want to run a full marathon yet, or at all. There is a half marathon in Paris as well, and both will be around my 30th birthday. What do you think? Half or Full?

Only 1 month left to get donations in! Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far!

Loves!

One of my longest and best friends Ellie is running with Team in Training, training for the full marathon in San Francisco. Today we ran "together"...I say "together" because she is a beast and runs way faster than I do currently. She ran 10 miles today, and looked amazing while doing it too! I'm so excited to be going through this with her! Words can not begin to express the amount of love I have for this girl. Truly. It's amazing to me all the life events we have witnessed in each others lives including hair braiding through 8th grade government, teenage heartbreak, teenage parental drama, 20 something parental drama, marriage, child birth, divorce, more heartbreak, more parental drama, and now running. Of all of these things, the running is the one thing I definitely thought we wouldn't be sharing together. I couldn't imagine not having her as my inspiration during all of this!

This has made me realize that while growing up, I never really had any confidence in myself. I didn't think I was capable of much. Those who know me can probably understand the root of these issues......(moving on) In gymnastics, I was pretty good. Had some natural talent even though I was the tallest girl out there. But I didn't think I was good enough, and that was enough to stop me. In singing, I wasn't encouraged by the person I wanted encouragement from which has lead to a paralyzing stage fright situation that follows me to this day. And I've never given much effort to try to be a runner because I thought I couldn't do it. Through Team in Training, I have come to believe in myself like never before. I still have a long way to go, but for the first time I'm a believer in my ability to tackle any situation....including running! Today I ran 7.5 miles. NO WALKING!!!!! I feel amazing afterwards...what a high!!! (including also feeling like I've been assaulted, but it's nothing a little electrolyte replacement and stretching can't fix) So not only is this one amazing personal journey for me, I am doing it for one amazing cause!

Other things I've learned while running today:

1. I am the only person in the world, I think, who running constipates! It's crazy to me. So far no pooing emergencies have occured. Only stopping up emergencies! Ugh, I think I'd rather need to "pop a squat" than be stopped up. ( I say that, and now my next run I'm going to poo myself) Don't worry, you'll be the first to know!

2. I really want a running skirt, but it needs to have decently long short underneath because I don't want to experience chaffing.

3. I don't want to stop running and training once my race is complete! WOAH!!!!! That's a big one! I don't know that I want to run a full marathon, but I do want to keep running. Apparently there is a marathon in Paris a week after my 30th birthday. I may have to look into this.......

4. Sprinklers are a gift from God. Enough said.

5. I now have ugly runners feet, and I don't care who sees them!

6. I may have to get another tattoo to somehow signify this journey. We'll see. I'm not impulsive like I once was, so I'm making a pro/con list. We'll see which side wins.

7. I think if this were a T-ball team, and it was the end of the year banquet....I would get the most improved award. I couldn't run a mile when I started, and I'm fully running now 7.5! Who knew?!?!!?!?!? I know I didn't!!!!!!

Thank you again to everyoone for their kind words and donations! I can't even tell you what they mean to me!!!! Seriously grateful and amazed by the support and generosity! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!