What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

This morning was a planned bike ride with my training team, Team Total Training. As the forecast was rather ominous and I am generally a fair weather cyclist (unless I don't have the luxury of cancelling), I decided to bail and swim instead. I went to my local pool and the senior team was working out. I had seen them before but never had an opportunity to train with them. I asked if I could join their workout and they were very friendly, replying with a resounding "yes". They briefly described the workout and I said I would "fit" in where I could. It's always interesting swimming with new folks. Figuring out where to seed yourself is half the battle but I decided to hang back towards the end of the line and test the waters, so to speak. Suffice it to say, I never moved up from the end of the line. Very humbling indeed.
There were 10 folks there, consisting of 8 men (ages 30 - 60 ish) and 1 other women, age 77. Now I am a pretty good swimmer and am usually in the middle lane with my team but these folks kicked my butt! I had to leave early but they were planning on going another 30 minutes, for a total of 90 minutes and 4000 meters. 60 minutes and 2500 meters would have to suffice for me for today. I was especially in awe of Barbara, the 77 year old. She swims with these guys 6 days a week and is really quite incredible. I can only hope that at that age I am still strong and eager to test my body in that fashion. How incredibly inspiring to be with these folks this morning. I hope to be able to join them again for another workout soon. They said I am always welcome. Golly, I hope I can get a nap in this afternoon. I think I am going to need it.

A Big Shout Out

OCRF has spent countless hours working with companies, in an effort to build relationships that can benefit both parties. One of their strong relationships is with Brooks Brothers. Clothing and cancer research? I was confused about the union too. However, it has been a win win since the inception. Brooks Brothers hosts shopping events in their stores (nationally) where a portion of the day's shopping goes directly to OCRF. Brooks Brothers increases sales because of the event, customers get discounts and OCRF is the beneficiary. What a great idea.
When they heard about my campaign, they wanted to do even more. Brooks Brothers has generously donated clothing to me for my races and interviews. I went in to the store last week for a fitting and received my box of clothes via Fed Ex yesterday. I am pleased to be wearing the clothes with pride and appreciate the support Brooks Brothers has given me and more importantly, OCRF. A big shout out and a big thank you!

Fancy Footwear

The generous folks at Crocs shoes donated a pair of their newest sports line shoe, PrePair, for me to sample. These are my feet. Do you like the polka dot socks? I have several pairs of Crocs already so I was happy to receive another pair, but was skeptical about the difference between their original line and the sports line. Big mistake! The PrePair shoe looks the same, for the most part, but the cushioning and support is completely different. I was out for a run and when I came home, my Crocs had arrived. I put them on immediately and felt a difference in the pressure in my legs and feet. I can really see how they will aid my recovery after a race. They also have more treads on the bottom, which works well is slippery conditions. Race sites tend to be slippery with morning dew so a sure foot is important. I think I am going to be really happy with these new shoes. In fact, I woke up this morning and put them before my feet even hit the floor. Thanks Crocs!

A Little Rain Didn't Stop Me

Great day, great race. A little chilly, a little wet but wings on my feet. Had a very strong outing and felt good afterwards. Special thanks to some of my girlfriends who helped to push/pull me along. Quite possibly my fastest half marathon time yet! That cheeseburger I had for dinner was well (actually medium rare) deserved.

Butterflies

T minus 36 hours and I have to admit, I am nervous about Sunday's race. Weather is supposed to be a little iffy; rainy and cool. But that is probably better than last week's 90+ degree heat. It is always like this before my first event of the season.... butterflies. I did a short run this morning to keep my legs fresh and will just do some stretching tomorrow. Hopefully a good pasta dinner and solid night sleep and I will wake up ready to go on Sunday morning at 5 am. Alright already with the training and preparation... let's just race already!
I will race this weekend for two of my friends that I have met as a result of being an ovarian cancer survivor. Both have gotten some tough news recently. One of the ladies has just started a clinical trial for her next round of treatment and another is on "watch" because her numbers spiked recently. This is why I race; this is why I fund raise. This is why we MUST find a method of early detection. I will carry them with me on Sunday, as well as the women who have lost their battle and those yet to be diagnosed.