I am a STUD!

Well, I ran the 20 miler. I think that makes it official: I'm a runner! Hard to believe huh? Unfortunately, I did something to my knee mid run and I have to go to the Dr today to get it looked at. Hopefully its nothing, I will complete my marathon!! Even if its on one leg! :-)

I only have about $10 left to raise to hit my goal. If I do a couple more fundraisers and get to +$500, there are incentives... a cool TNT hat, etc. I'm tempted... We'll see how good I do selling beads at the K-State football game! Ya never know how generous people will be in Aggieville after a Wildcat Victory!!

This weekend, I'll be manning The Salvation Army booth at the Kansas State Fair. Which means Pete and I head to Wichita to stay at Hotel Nanny and Poppy. I've never done the fair thing before, so I guess it could be interesting. I also plan to work and visit donors in Humboldt, Neodesha, Benedict, Altoona and Iola, Kansas. I'm sure those are all bustling metropolises! Seriously though, I'm loving my job. I have met some of the most interesting people who are generous and selfless and have great stories to tell. It keeps things fun!

Now that the race is less than two months away and its officially post-Labor Day/Fall, I want to pick my next race. Katie and I want to do a half... maybe Gobbler Grind. Any suggestions would be great! Especially if it means I get to steal my brother's Grinch costume and run with Pete!! ;-)

Fundraising update!

Only $484 to go!!

And once I get there, I can spend some time and effort helping Tim reach his fundraising goal of $15,000 for Stepstone. Domestic violence - an issue oh so close to home. See the link to Tim's blog for more info...

On a more personal note, I've decided to start figuring out how to buy a house! Somehow I've got to figure out how NOT to be an impulse buyer on this one. I get excited and I want things to happen right away, but considering this is a bigger deal than a new pair of shoes, I really need to take my time to get it figured out right. Any advice????

Notes

So last week's long run really took a toll on me. 16 miles of hills that stretched up and up and up. Or at least it seemed like it. It was really nice to have my brother Tim run with me. We maintained about an 11:00/mile pace. Got done in 3 hrs 23 minutes. The last few miles I seriously doubted I could take another step. Definitely the hardest training run by far!

Tomorrow, though, is only 8 miles. So no big deal. I LOVE how an 8 mile run has become "no big deal"... A few months ago I couldn't have even imagined saying that!

I have $1,024 left to raise! Please help me!!! This weekend will be a super fundraising weekend, boot blocking and selling beads at the K.

On a more personal note, I was totally touched by the note my brother got from the family of the kid whose wish he granted last year with his fundraising. Now that kid is a TNT honored patient, and goes to my high school. Leukemia & Lymphoma affect SO MANY PEOPLE and the stories that hit close to home really help when I have zero motivation to go run - like all this week. At least I'm struggling with a 4 mile run and not a life-threatening disease!

Fundraising Update

So as of Aug. 6 at 10 pm, I've raised $2,505!! I think this is great and now I'm even more motivated to get the final $1300!!!!

Please help me... http://www.active.com/donate/tntmida/trishod. One click to the donation site and all you have to do is punch in a few credit cards numbers to get your quick and easy tax deduction!!!

Isn't that special?!

Here's one of the whole fam after the Run for Glory to benefit RACE Charities. We are one great looking, sweaty bunch!



Natasha and I all sweaty after our 8 miles in the Wichita July heat! Lots more Tash and Trish running photos to come once we get to San Fran!

Well, training is going great. I have finally gotten "the bug" and I look forward to my next run. After my hilly, hilly, hilly 14 miles at Shawnee Mission Park I am totally confident that I can do this marathon! My new Garmin Forerunner is a great training toy, I mean, Tool. Fundrasing is working, as well. I still have about $1600 to go though, so please please make those donations!

I did get an email yesterday from some random girl that found my info on Facebook. She writes...

hey, I got your email address from your site on face book when my friend
Emily joined your group. I wanted to tell you by what you are doing it has a
huge impact on many families. Mine included My little brother who will be
turning 9 next week had Leukemia and is now in remission due to the research you
are helping to fund. Just so you know be prepared for a lot of hills my mom did
the same marathon two years ago and just completed her second on last January. I
encourage you to go to the light the night walk in Topeka if you want to see
some of the families that you have helped by doing this the walk is in sept. but
there is more info on the Leukemia and Lymphoma web site. hope you the best and
keep it all up you will do great and Thanks so much for doing it
Sincerly, Janelle

Its things like this that will keep me going during my grueling 26.2 miles! Thanks for the encouragement!

WE are INCREDIBLE!

Just a couple cute photos from the trip to Disney back in June.

Trish and Tash are the real Ms. Incredible's! At least we will be after 26.2 in San Fran! What a team!

Trish and Tash waiting in line for the Tower of Terror. It was super fun! And we are too cute!

Ryan and Trish wait for Tower of Terror. Ah, brotherly love. Or something like that.

More photos from an amazing summer to come!

Run for Glory!

Saturday morning, I ran with Ryan, Tim, Natasha and several others in support of Ry's good friend Jeromy Gensch. He ran way too many miles in honor of his sister Glory, who just died from cancer. Together, they started a charity... http://www.racecharities.org/ - RACE stands for Raising Awareness of Cancer Early On. It was a very special day for me, because I finally got to run with the family. Especially my two brothers - who I know would do the very same thing for me as Jeromy is doing for Glory. To think that a year ago, things were so much different from now... We ran 8 miles in 87 degree humidity and heat, from 91st south and Broadway in Wichita to (as Tim calls it) OJ Simpson park, near Wichita South HS. Tash struggled with the heat. (Bet she's liking Wisconsin now, huh!?) I stayed with her the whole run and we had a good chance to talk. If only we took the same size steps, it would have been a lot easier to stay with her!

I am so proud of my family and how we are such a tight-knit unit. Spending the weekend with everyone in tight quarters at Nanny and Poppys was surprisingly fun. Its hard to be cranky in the morning when you get woken up by an adorable almost-3 year old who just wants you to come play with him.

As far as training goes, I've decided to invest in a Garmin Forerunner, and I'm pretty excited about getting this new training "tool". Today I run 4 miles (in tonight's heat!) and then 3 on Thursday, followed by a 14 mile team run on Saturday. I can't believe that I am actually going to run 14 miles. That's more than half of what I'll do on race day! I am a little bummed that I missed TNT's Silent Mile at the last team run, I bet that would have been pretty cool. Fundraising is going pretty well. Today, I need to get the Red White and Cure money to Helen. And then I might be at my halfway point. The girls and I are going to do a few other things...boot block, sell beads at a Royals/Chiefs game and get a party bus!! Should be fun ways to get $$!