Only 2 more sleeps before I run my first half marathon (13.1 mile) run (yes, run, that is. On foot, not on bicycle). All for an incredible cause! To kick Cancer's butt by raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! If you have already donated, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! If you have thought about it but haven't done it. NOW'S THE TIME! Please click on the "Donate" button.

Thank you!

What? Tinker Bell Half Marathon

Where? Anaheim, California. On the streets around and in DisneyLand

When? Sunday, January 20th, 2013

Why? To kick some cancer booty by raising funds for research to find a cure.

Who? Me and You. Me to fundraise and train. You to donate.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

I. Am. So. Excited!!!

Julie

If you haven’t donated, but plan to do so, now’s the time. Only 17 more days until my first half marathon event!!! Can you believe it??? Please go to my fundraising website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner and make your donation now. If you aren’t comfortable making your donation on line, please contact me and I will let you know where to send your check made payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This Saturday, I am running my longest run of the training season: 14 miles! That gets me up and and over a half marathon distance of 13.1 miles, which will help during the event, knowing that I’ve already run the distance.

14 miles! And it’s gonna be COLD! Friday I’m going to have to locate my face mask to keep from freezing my nose.

I know I can do the 14 mile run. And I will complete it happily. I will be thinking of those that I am running on honor and memory of.

Here’s an update on Lula:

12/28/12 UPDATE: We're done with chemo (in Boise) and onto bigger and better? things at the children's hospital in SLC. Lu and I will be driving down on the 1st. Brand new year...

2013, we're counting on you.

Dec 30, 2012: In case you were wondering about the afterlife - here's information from Lula Coe. I am certain it can be trusted. Hell = angry, aggressive unicorns. Heaven = happy unicorns that will give you hugs.

1/2/13 UPDATE: Lula & I are in SLC. We had an appointment with the clinic today - her counts are low, but climbing. So, here's what happens now: We head to the clinic, every morning, at 7:30. Which means we leave my brother's house at (at least) a quarter to 7, to get there on time. On the day that her counts peak out where they need to be, they will call us and let us know. The following morning, she will have a femoral catheter placed in order to start the "harvest" of her stem cells. This process is called apheresis, if you want to look up more info. I'm going to post more information about what comes next, after we get to that point. Thank you all for your love and prayers! ♥

Again, If you haven’t donated, but plan to do so, now’s the time. Please go to my fundraising website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner and make your donation now. If you aren’t comfortable making your donation on line, please contact me and I will let you know where to send your check made payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Thank you so much!

Julie

My blog update is waaaaaaaaaaay too long in coming. This past Saturday, the group ran 9.5 miles; my longest run to date! By about mile 7, my legs felt like lead, but I knew because of what my friends have been through with different kinds of cancers, I couldn’t quit! They can’t quit, so what gives me the right to even think that way? They are going through (or have gone through) much more physically challenging times than a measly 9.5-mile run that was partially run in the rain.

Here’s an update on Lula (9 years old). These updates are from Lula’s Mom.

The picture above is Lula and a therapy dog. She is having her chemo treatment as I'm typing this.

Monday, 11/26/12

“UPDATE: The scans today revealed that things have grown - but not like crazy. It's good news in a couple of ways - it didn't take over her lungs in the few weeks off of chemo & we know that we have to press on. So, the girl started chemo (again, with a different drug) today. She'll have 5 days in a row of chemo - but we get to do it in the clinic, instead of in the hospital. And again the following week. 3rd week, we head for a day trip to SLC to meet the bone marrow team. Then, scans on the 14th or 17th. If they show shrinkage from today's scans we will press into another round of chemo, followed by a trip to SLC sometime right around the beginning of the new year. Stem cell harvesting, chemo & bone marrow transplant. 2 wks in isolation in the hospital. At least 2 months in SLC (or within an hour distance to the hospital) and then, home.

That makes sense, right?”

11/28/12

“UPDATE: We're off for more chemo this morning - JoyBubble is feeling good and sassy, rocking out to Pink's new song, TRY. It's meaning a lot to us, these days:

Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame.

Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned.

But just because it burns, doesn't mean you're gonna die -

You gotta get up and TRY!

Lu and I have talked about our desire to get rid of this cancer... sometimes it burns - the chemo, the surgeries, the disappointments. But just because we're hurting doesn't mean it's over - we have to keep trying!

Love you peoples. Have a really great day.”

If you have considered donating, but haven’t done it yet, please know that it’s not too late, and that I am still raising funds to find treatments and ultimately a cure for cancer. Please go to my secure fundraising website to donate and let’s find a cure!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

If you don’t feel comfortable donating through my blog site, please feel free to make your checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail them to me.

Also follow our training progress on my blog:

www.pedalchik.blogspot.com

Did you know that:

• A gift of $150 will fund a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society researcher for one day
• A gift of $500 will allow The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to reimburse one patient for medical expenses for a year through our Patient Financial Assistance program

A gift of $1,000 will fund a patient education program on topics such as coping with chemotherapy and healthy cancer survivorship

Thank you for your consideration.

Julie

PS. Lula is facing a bone marrow transplant at the beginning of 2013. There is going to be a benefit concert for her on December 15th. If you would like information about giving, please send me an email.

Thank you.

Do I really look that different dressed for athletics vs dressed for every day, or with my sunglasses on vs. off?

I’ve had three people say that to me over the course of two days. They saw me in my work clothes with my hair not in a ponytail and didn’t recognize me. Only when I pulled my hair back into a mock ponytail did they say, “Oh, there you are!” Not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing, but I have to admit, I’ve been guilty of thinking the same thing during my cycling seasons.

I’ve heard people tell stories of training for triathlons together, specifically the swim. Then when they see each other out on the street, not recognizing each other, or saying, “I’ve never seen you with your clothes on!” (Awkward or shocking to those observers close by, but funny at the same time.)

I walked into this training with the mindset that I did NOT like running. After reading the book “Born to Run,” By Christopher McDougall, my attitude towards running began to change. I am not completely sure why, but it did. Once I started running with a group of people, I really started to see a difference in my thoughts of running. In fact, one day, several hours after my first 5 mile run in over a year, I was driving home after running some errands and thought, “I want to go for a run when I get home,” then remembered that I had already put in 5 miles that day. That was when I realized that I am no longer only a cyclist. I am also a runner.

To date, my longest run is 7 miles. This next Saturday, I’ll be running in a 10K event called Barber to Boise, partly because that is what some of the folks in my group were training for, also because I want to experience a running event before I get to my half-marathon in January. I am looking forward to it!

As mentioned above, I am fundraising for the half marathon. It takes place on January 20th, in Anaheim, CA and is called the Tinker Bell half marathon. Funds raised will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and will be put towards research for treatments and a cure and for financial aid for patients.

Did you know that:

• A gift of $150 will fund a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society researcher for one day
• A gift of $500 will allow The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to reimburse one patient for medical expenses for a year through our Patient Financial Assistance program
• A gift of $1,000 will fund a patient education program on topics such as coping with chemotherapy and healthy cancer survivorship

You can donate by clicking on the link above or going to my fundraising website:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

This is a secure website to donate to the LLS. If you aren’t comfortable donating on this secure site on line, please write a check to LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and send me an email for my mailing address.

I am running in memory of:

Phyllis, Isaiah, Dale, Peter, and Nathan.

I am running in honor of:

Randall, Bill ,Byron, Lindsey, Lindsey, Lula, Kacey, Dan and Mike

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Julie

Who’da thunk?

I have been swearing up and down that I hate running, but I guess I just hated the thought. I have been running with a group of people who are amazing! Some of them are new to the sport, like me. Some have run marathons, and some are somewhere in the middle. Some are super duper fast, and some are not so super duper fast. We have all been divided into pace groups, and, having mentored the June cycle team, I was asked to be a pace leader. My first thoughts were, “But I don’t even run! I don’t know what my pace even is! Do I even know how to run???” Even with the nagging questions, I decided to say yes. I am glad I did. I love the pace group participants that I am with.

This last Saturday we ran 6.26 miles. That makes a total of 57.42 (+) recorded miles purposefully run or walked since July 7th!

I am running in memory of:

Phyllis, Isaiah, and Dale

I am running in honor of:

Randall, Bill, Byron, Lindsay, Lula, Kacey, Dan, & Mike

I invite you to partner with me and donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and help me towards my fundraising goal. Please go to the following website to make your donation, or contact me if you don’t feel comfortable with making a donation on line.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Julie

One of the people that I am running in honor of is

CLL survivor, Bill Pence.