Monday, December 15, 2008

My first 10K!



December 14, 2008

Damn was it cold, but I survived! Not having run in quite some time I was impressed that I was able to run the entire 6.2 miles. Considering this is the furthest I've run for my training , I was proud of myself!

My stats
Chip Time 1:07:31
Overall Place 2955/3475
Gender Place 1794 out of 2104
5K split 38:14
Pace 10:52

I am definitely sore today though. Both my knees hurt after the race and are still sore, but I guess I was expecting that. My hips are sore today as well. All in all I'm so glad I participated in this event. It was great to experience this before the big race in Miami. It's also time I step up my training :)

Iota Concert

Wow! I'm still in awe of December 9th. Thank you to everyone who helped make this night a huge success!

We raised $2,600 for Crohn's and Colitis!

This was such an amazing night. Everyone seemed to enjoy a full night of music and dancing. The line up was:
Two Kings
Justin Trawick
Emmet Swimming
Mike Huckleberry

We all had a great time with this event, we're thinking about doing another in January. Stay tuned!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Front Page Happy Hour was a Success!!

Thank you to all who showed their support and attended Monday night's fundraising Happy Hour at the Front Page in Ballston.

I'm happy to announce that we raised $800 which has helped each of us move closer to our fundraising goals.


Upcoming Benefit Events

When: December 9th at 8:30pm
Where:
Iota Club & Cafe
Why: CROHN'S AND COLITIS BENEFIT
Who:
EMMET SWIMMING , W/TWO KINGS & W/ MIKE HUCKLEBERRY
What: $10 Minimum donation at the door

....Stay tuned for more fundraising events

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Minor set backs

We’ve been experiencing some amazing weather lately! However, it is mid October and it’s beginning to get cooler. Saturday, October 18th was a chilly early morning group run. We met at Washington Lee High School and our practice was to run on the Custis trail for 30 minutes heading towards Rosslyn and turn around and run 30 minutes back to the High School.

I've been experiencing some knee pain on the outside of both my knees (what I believe are my IT Bands), so I've been cutting back on how much and how often I run. Cycling’s been rumored to be an alternative aerobic exercise and has worked out well. The plan for this week is to incorporate some weight training into the schedule and save the running for our long group runs on Saturday. Natalie and her amazing new iPod Touch joined me for circles around the track. We ran about four miles alternating directions around the track each mile to break up the monotony.

Natalie, Tim, Collins and I are working on some fun and exciting ways to reach our fundraising goals. Tentatively, we're planning a Happy Hour at Front Page on November 11th and a Beer Pong Tournament for Dec 13th. Additionally, we will be reaching out to local businesses for their involvement- donations for products, gift certificates etc. to raffle off at our events. If anyone has any ideas, please share :)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Support, Encouragement, Motivation... oh my!

I was so excited to share the news and start discussing Team Challenge for the first time with friends and family. My friend Natalie asked me "Well, who are you doing the race with?" I told her no one I knew that I'd be training with others who joined Team Challenge. Without hesitation Natalie said, "Well I'll do it with you". She meant every word! I was absolutely stunned that she said this without knowing too much about what was involved. Not only did we each need to prepare our bodies for completing the 13.1 mile course, but we need to raise a minimum of $3,600! I've learned that when Natalie says she's committed, she means it 110%. Words simply cannot describe this feeling of gratitude.

Out of sight, never out of mind. An amazing friend of mine from college, Carrie Yehle, was actually the first person I met at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), during pre season for soccer our freshman year. I simply can't give this story justice, but we both knew we'd be lifelong friends and our friendship hasn't been anything short of that. Carrie began running a lot after I graduated from RIT and entered races in the Rochester area and completed a few 1/2 marathons. I remember talking to Carrie a lot about these races in complete amazement of her accomplishments. She would describe the feeling of training and it paying off by reaching and crossing that finish line. A feeling I never imagined I would experience myself. One of her pursuits in life was to attempt running a race in each state while visiting her friends at the same time. I couldn't wait to share the news with her that I will be taking on the Challenge to cross the finish line in Miami. Carrie, who's up in North Dakota attending Grad School, not only was ecstatic over this news and wished me luck and donated to my cause, but said she's going to begin training as well to cross that finish line with me in Miami! I simply can't describe the feeling. I'm extremely blessed and grateful to be surrounded by phenomenal people.

Believe it or not, two other mutual friends of Natalie’s and mine, Tim and Collins have since decided to join the DC/Virginia Chapter Team Challenge. This journey is just beginning and already is truly remarkable.

After my initial email to friends, family, colleagues, professors and peers I was blown away by the generous support. I heard from others who where personally affected by Crohn’s and those who’s loved ones are affected by these diseases. All the messages hit home for me and helps motivate me to train hard and fundraise strong.

More Tales from the Trails to come stay tuned....!!!

Friday, October 17, 2008

How it all began..

After my diagnosis of Crohn’s disease in August of 2003 I periodically received direct mailers and information from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), however my address in their database was my parent’s house. I’m not entirely sure how my Mom came across this event, but back in May, she noticed a 3 mile walk event called ‘Take Steps’ which raises money for CCFA.
A. I was so impressed she took notice in this event
B. She thought it would be great to do it with me!

I just moved from TX to MD and my second weekend in MD I drove up to NJ to join my mom in this great cause. Words of wisdom…. If you’re going to drink a lot of water before embarking on a 3 mile walk, make sure you use the restroom beforehand ;) Alternatively, a nice relaxed walk turns into a run very quickly, haha. Mom and I literally raced to the bathrooms.

Fast forward to August, a former tenant, whom I've never met (but receive her mail every so often) was sent a postcard from CCFA. Something caught my eye about this mailer and I held onto it. This postcard was advertising the ING Half Marathon in Miami and joining Team Challenge, CCFA’s new endurance training program. I was very eager to do some more research about this half marathon, but wasn't convinced it was for me. I didn't mention it to anyone; after all, did I really think I could run 13.1 miles?!?! This is a girl who thinks a distance over 400m is long distance! I held onto that mailer for about a month, psyching myself up mentally for this extreme Challenge that I wanted to do. I signed up to attend the first information session on September 10th to learn more about the details of Team Challenge.

At this meeting I met our DC/Virginia Team Leader, the chapter's director and other key individuals. I also met other interested people, who like myself, was attracted to attend this info session and wondering if running a half marathon was possible. I was completely hooked and knew this was definitely something I wanted to do, it just felt right, so I signed up that night!