Feeling Lucky

Chris U and I after the run/bike/run!

I am so lucky to have people around me who like me and want to hang out with me. So lucky to live in a community that wants my opinion. So lucky to have friends that are into the same things I'm into. Just so lucky.

Today I had a run/bike/run. I met my friend Chris at the American Tobacco Trail, we ran 10 min, we rode about 46 miles, and then ran 20 more min. It was awesome that I got to spend time with my friend. Vicky came out too, and we rode with her for the first 15 miles. Ruth was out to and she rode with us for the first 5 miles, and then headed on her own ride (80 miles). I also saw my friends Jenn and Avril who were out on a 110 mile ride.

Also my neighbors sent over someone who was new to the area and is a dental hygienist. I offered her some advice, and promised to let her know more info once my brain re-engages. Run/Bike/Running can make you a little foggy.

Today is a good day.

Training/ Fundraising/ Hurricanes/ and misc.

On the Beach at Duck

Sunset at the Coast

Sunrise at the Coast

Jason and I in the Ocean!

Deer in our backyard

Clean Bike

How my bike got clean

Results from my 12 mile run/ on Wednesday

Drawing for the $1,000 raffle

And the Winner is....

Coming off a Recovery week from last week, where I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Duck, NC with my husband and in-laws, and going into a build week this week has been fun.

Recovery week, just less intense workouts. I did workout while I was in Duck, however I forgot my running bra. I would of gone out and bought another one, however I only had a 20 min run to do, so I just skipped the run (it's recovery week). I figured I did a lot of walking on the sand, so I did get a good workout in. On Saturday I did a 30 mile bike, which consisted of me riding from my house to the end of the road and back (30.38 miles). I also had a 1 hour open water swim, which I didn't do because there were so many jellyfish, and they scare me.

Once I got back from Duck it's been GAME ON! Training has been intense, but fun! I however did get today off, which works out pretty good since Hurricane Irene has been hitting our area with lot's of wind and rain. So tomorrow is by big weekend training day. Today however was a big weekend day for all my fundraising. Today I went to the LLS office and had Emily Roland (LLS staff person/ Light the Night coordinator) draw a name for the $1,000 raffle. Rob and Cathy Harris-Cannon won the $1,000! Rob and Cathy are amazing people that I feel lucky to have know for about 6 years. Rob was on my first TNT tri team. He and Cathy are RELENTLESS for a CURE! I sent them an email to let them know they had won! They sent me back an email letting me know that they are donating all of the $1,000 back to my fundraising campaign! AWESOME!!

Train. Endure. Achieve. Matter.

These four words, the mantra of TEAM in Training, have become my mission statement. My personal goals, with the help of TEAM in training are to compete in the Augusta Half Ironman Triathlon and the Disney World full Marathon and raise $15,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society- and I need your help.

You, too, can be a part of the TEAM.

You can be a part of my team and help me reach my goal.

I am reaching out to you because I know you will not sit back and do nothing; because you realize that even the smallest contribution can make a monumental difference.

What can your donation do:

$5 will cover the costs to send a packet to a newly diagnosed patient, which includes information on support and their specific disease.

$20 will help pay for 1 round trip per day for 5 days of treatment at a facility for an urban patient.

$30 allows 1 patient to make a First Connection with a trained peer volunteer.

$42 will pay for 1 anti-nausea pill for a person in treatment.

$100 will pay for 1 round trip per day for 5 days for a patient living in rural NC to drive to treatment.

$200 will pay for 1 lab test co-pay.

$300 will assist with 1 round of radiation treatment co-pays.

Just $5 can help. Not to mention, that they would be 5 tax deductable dollars- so what have you got to lose? Nothing at all, but it could mean the world to a patient diagnosed with Leukemia, Lymphoma or Myeloma.

Please take a moment, right now, to donate.

Do not wait to do this later.

Please donate now. Now is when your help is needed; not yesterday, not tomorrow, right now as you read this. Please support me, the researchers working for the cure, and for those people who have to fight this disease every day.

Do you know someone else who would be interested in supporting this cause?

Please forward this information to them.

Do you think that your company would be willing to donate?

Please pass this information on to them.

My goal is to raise $15,000.

Thank you for taking the time to read my fundraising page

and thank you for your support!

• All Donations are 100% Tax Deductable
• Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
• You can make a secure online tax-deductible donation (and track my progress) by visiting my site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/wdw12/dentalfriend
• You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.
• If you wish to donate by check- it can be made out to the LLS and sent to my address (please message me for the address)
• Please send me the name of the person you are donating in honor of- I would like to honor them or their memory during the race.

What's been happening??

(The Sky on our Thursday night dog walk)

Well...I can tell you this. My bike(s), and helmet, plus I'm sure a few other items, really need a good washing! I need to review the Delta Tri blog to see how to clean my helmet! It's so gross from all this summer heat, and my sweat.

According to Dailymile I logged 80 miles in last week, and 76 this week. Admittedly I skipped one workout this week. I just didn't have it in me to do my Interval Bike after a long day at work on Thursday. I switched my workouts around a little this week, because I had an all day scrapbooking day with my girlfriends on Saturday. I got to hang out with Megan and Joanie at Archiver's (the paper crafting mega store). Joanie is my friend whose son has leukemia, and who I am dedicating this season to training for.

(Ebony brought over his GIANT hedgehog, and I had to line them all up)

On Friday I went to the dog park in the morning with Scout. He had a great time. I brought his furminator (worlds best pet brush) to de-fur him while I was there. Well somehow I forgot it on the table (the picnic table in the dog park) when I left. Luckily for me one of the regulars picked it up. Friday night I picked up my friend Kim's dog Ebony. Kim was going to Philly to do her first 100 mile bike ride. I realized that I didn't have my furminator when Ebony came over, and I thought he'd do good with a good furnimation. So for the first Saturday morning in a really long time I took Scout and Ebony to the dog park. It's pretty quite at extra early in the morning (when I go). The boys were enjoying meeting new dogs and old friends. I went to follow Scout into the woods to pick up after him, when one of the other dogs in the dog park almost catches a squirrel (stupid squirrel). As soon as I start picking up after Scout I hear someone yell to me that Ebony seems to be limping. Hmmm...I come check him out, check his pads and look him over. He seems fine, but is limping, and won't put any weight on his back right leg. I thought...hmmm...maybe he'll walk that off. But as time went on he didn't walk it off and it seemed to not get any better at all. Needless to say I did not get my furminator back on Saturday. I went and dropped Scout at home, and took Ebony to his vet! Bad news from the vet is that he probably tore is ACL. He's on pain meds and anti-inflammatory right now. He's still not able to put any weight on that back leg, and it seems that surgery is going to be needed. *sigh*

(Ebony)

(Ebony's back right leg - ouch)

Today, I met my friends Chris and Vicky for a run/bike/run (they just did a brick- bike/run). The weather was uncertain and I thought we might end up on the trails (on mountain bikes) instead of on the road (tri bike). However in the end, we rode on the road. In the middle of the ride we met up with DZB, and I saw a bunch of peeps out on the road including my good friend Ruth (who I haven't seen in like ages!!). So Awesome to be out in overcast skies and no real rain....at least for us. It seems we just got out of where the rain fell because when we came back the roads were soaking wet. It was a great ride, and an okay run afterwards. Turns out I didn't take enough electrolytes in during my ride, so I was cramping a little and getting some side stitches on my last run. It worked itself out though, and I was fine....just slower than I wanted to be. No worries, at least I made it!

(Chris and I after the workout...all sweaty, but still smiling)

"The best day of your life is the one on which you decided your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift of life is yours; it is an amazing journey; and you alone are responsible for the quality of it."

Gimme 5!

I am training for a half ironman triathlon and a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, it's my fifth and sixth events, and I could use some help! So I am asking you to Gimme 5!

1. Gimme 5 minutes of your time- go to my website at http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/wdw12/dentalfriend and read about what I am doing.

2. Gimme $5 bucks - just donate online: five dollars for a great cause - and hey if you want to donate more, that's fantastic!

3. Gimme 5 friends - send this to five friends and help spread the word!

Every 5 minutes someone new is diagnosed with a blood cancer - money for research is desperately needed - so donate now.

Dog Sitting...

I really love my neighbor's dog. He super sweet. He's HUGE. He's a doby. He looks intimidating. Lot's of times people cross to the other side of the street when I walk him. His name is Seven. Scout (my choc. lab) used to love to play with Seven (the doby) but now they are older and they pretty much lay around.

Seven is sweet, but being an older doby means there are some health issues too. He's got a thyroid issue that he takes meds for. I give him a pill in the morning and evening. He's also gotten so he can't hold his bladder for longer of 3-4 hours. So that means someone has to be there to take him out all the time. If I can't or if Jason can't take him out because of work etc then we take him back to his house and have to put pee pads out. I know he probably hates this, but we have to keep things clean.

Seven has always been kinda an oaf. He's big, he wants to be right next to you. And he steps on your feet...ALL THE TIME! I've had him since Thursday last week, and I take him back to his house on Monday morning. I hope my feet can make it till the end of this visit. Doby's nails are on top of their feet, not tucked inside like labs. Ohh and they are BIG NAILS. They really hurt when they dig into your feet

Some Words to Live by...even though we all make mistakes.

I got this off facebook.....I'm not supposed to be on facebook for this month (for those of you who are my friends on facebook, I posted this on 8/1). Since my experiment I've been on facebook every day. Arrrggghhh. What's the addiction to facebook? Why do I need to know what's happening in everyone else's lives? Hmmm. Probably because of these little nuggets of inspiration that I'm reminded of. I've seen this little saying a bunch of times before...but thought it worth sharing...again.

There are 5 things in life you can not recover:

A stone...after it's thrown.

A word...after it is said.

An occasion...after it's missed.

The time...after it's gone.

A person...after they die.

Life is short.

Break the rules.

Forgive quickly.

Kiss slowly.

Love truly.

Laugh uncontrollably.

And never regret anything that made you smile, Enjoy Life ...

It's all gone!!

My Hair that is: I've been struggling with the weight of my hair this whole summer. I've been to sweaty, and thus my head/ hair has been to sweaty. I decided that it was time to go back to SHORT hair. Hopefully I'll continue to be happy for awhile, cause it's such a pain to grow out. Here are the Before and After Pics.

How my hair looked most of the time, front and back.

What my hair looks like (kinda) when it's down...yes that is natural curl/wave

Now (with the help of straightening tools) what it looks like after the cut (front and side view). I'll put a pic up later after I wash it, and we'll see what it looks like without it being all straight.