Aug. 11th

Multiple days to report:

Aug 9 - 5 min/0.25 mi warmup then 1 mile in 12:32
Aug 10 - 5 min/0.25 mi warmup then 1 mile in 12:56
Aug 11 - 2 min / 0.10 mi warmup then 1 mile in 12:33

I've been kinesiotaping my shins and so far, just from these workouts all on the treadmill, I haven't had any problems with my shin splints! Thank goodness! But with finals, I just don't have very much time to devote more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Thanks for reading!

Aug. 8 - I'm BACK!

So, I realize it has been a month since I've posted. Due to a lot of family matters, I have been extremely busy and stressed out. Also, I've been struggling to meet my fundraising goal so I've focused more on that aspect than the actual training. But I'm now going to take a backseat on the family stuff until classes are out on August 20th so I can focus on finals and trying to get more runs in. I think I'm going to try to run 1-2 miles at a time but maybe twice a day. I realized that once the mileage increased, I was discouraged because it would take me 45 min or more at a time to complete it and I didn't have that time in one block. So, maybe if I can break it up for a little while, I can build back up and get back on track. Today, while I was trying to will myself out of bed, I told myself that I was going to run as soon as I got up. And I did. My shin splints (distal medial calf) had been so severe and weren't ever healing but after taking all this time off, they finally don't hurt anymore. Also, my ankles have been really sore as well. I noticed a little bit of left ankle soreness while running today but nothing too severe. So today's running data: Total 1.25 miles; 0.25 mile walking warmup at 3.0-3.5 mph; 1.0 mile at 4.5-5.0 mph for 13:06. On my next run, I'd like to repeat this except increase the distance 0.10 mile. I think I'm going to try that instead of the intervals. Wish me luck! And please donate! (I signed the recommitment contract, so I'll be donating the remainder in October for whatever is left of my fundraising goal, which is $2500 right now. Please help!)

July 4th/6th

July 4th:

I ran the "Macklind Mile" with my dad. It's an all downhill run for 1 mile. They give you a chip so you know how fast you ran. I was hoping for under 12 min and managed to complete it in 11:02! I finished 226 out of 251 women. Not back for only starting a couple months ago!

July 6th:

I ran down to my mom in the nursing home. According to iMapmyrun, it was 1.20 miles. The way there was completed in ~18 min and the way back to my apartment was ~20 min. I ran most of the way there too! I felt great! Until the way back. My silly calves (medial soleus muscles bilaterally, I'm fairly sure) are absolutely dieing! They were still a little sore from the run on Saturday, but I just tore them up going uphill and pounding on them on the downhill. So, I soaked them in Biofreeze and put on some ice packs. Hopefully they will be better soon!!


Miscellaneous update:

The hydration pack that I exchanged worked wonderful tonight! It takes a little getting used to but once your get you pace, it fits nicely! I love having water whenever I need it! Also, the bake sale raised over $209!!! That was absolutely incredible! Thanks again to everyone that brought baked goods and/or helped out in any way and to everyone that supported the LLS by buying or donating that day! (In no particular order, a super big thanks to: Jenny, Jenny, Kristen, Abby, Michael, Andrea, Hannah, Brad, Ali, & Angela!)

So much to do in so little time! Thanks for reading!!

June 29th

Today, I ran from my apartment to my mom in the nursing home! It's the first time I've ran outside in quite a while. It was really great to have the wind in my face. Unfortunately there's a lot of hills along the way. Actually, that's probably really good but it made it much harder! The distance there is about 1.23 miles and I ran there in ~18 min and ~20 min back (2.46 miles total). Obviously, it's more uphill on the way back. Also, I bought a Nathan Trek hydration pack to carry a bottle of water and my phone and keys. However, literally 30 steps out the door and the buckle broke! I was already set to run so I just tied it and made it work. I'll just have to exchange it tomorrow but I really liked having water all along the way, even if it wasn't really too hot outside at 7pm today.

Tomorrow is the back sale so I've got to get the last minute details ready for that! And I have a big midterm on Wednesday that I haven't started studying for yet. Hopefully luck will be on my side, yet again. I've got to be using up my all my luck for this trimester!!!

Thanks for reading!!

June 27th

Sorry, it's been a long time since I've updated. We've been in midterms at school and I haven't been feeling well. But I'm finally back to normal! So I had a few minutes and decided to do a short run. So I did 1 mile in 13:46 with 3 min/2 min of 5.0/3.5 mph. Since I missed quite a few runs, I'm going to build back up a little at a time. I have a lot of stuff going on with my mom and grandma's health as well as the responsibilities of being my mom's legal guardian. Regardless, I'm back in the game and should be getting back into my routine. However, my fundraising isn't going so hot right now. I was on a streak for a bit and now the donations have halted. I have a bake sale coming up on Tuesday. Hopefully I'll make quite a bit from that. I have to have $1,300 by July 24!! If you read this, think about contributing even $5 or $10 if you can! It all adds up and really keeps me motivated to keep running!!

Oh yeah, I'm on Facebook now too! Please add me so I can keep up updated on my efforts there too!

June 15th

It seems that every run just gets harder and harder but I always do more and push myself farther! So, this evening I ran 3 miles in 40:49! I had intended on 4 miles tonight but once I hit 2 miles, my body felt like it weighed a lot more than usual. Here's the breakdown:

5 min - 5.0 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 5.0 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 5.0 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 5.0 mph (~2 miles here)
2 min - 3.5 mph
2 min - 4.9 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
2 min - 4.8 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
2 min - 4.7 mph
2:39 - 3.5 mph

In total that is 14:39 walking and 26 min running! Woo hoo! Even though I didn't reach the distance I had planned on, I think I had a pretty darn good workout! Now time for a shower (since I'm already soaked as usual) and a little epsom salt bath then ice maybe. I'd love to hear some recovery strategies from my readers. What do you do and in what order directly after you run?? Leave a comment!

P.S. My new socks are incredible! I should have gotten them a long time ago, or rather at least when I started. I've currently been wearing Drymax Light Mesh running with no-show tab. They get 10 out of 10 stars!

June 14th

Well, it appears that I took the whole weekend off. I didn't intend to but other things like schoolwork kept me a little preoccupied. Regardless, I was planning on doing 3 miles today and catching up tomorrow with the long run of 4 miles. However, once I got on the treadmill, my weekend of unhealthy food choices caught up to me. I chose to only go 2 miles (on the schedule for last Thursday). And it took me 29:58. Obviously not a big accomplishment but at least I got a workout in today. I have a big "Psychology of the Athlete" paper due soon and not having any sports experience is posing a problem. I'll be back into the swing of things tomorrow and I'll catch up like I always do. I never seem to do the correct workout on the right day, except for Wednesdays at Queeny Park. Anyway, that's it for now. Off to try to solve my non-sporty dilemma.

June 10th - Major Haircut!

As you can see, I got a haircut!! I donated 8 inches of my hair to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. I had tried to prepare myself for it, but it was hard!! But I'm so glad I did it!

So the real reason for the blog: trip #2 to Queeny Park! Lee and I adventured into this crazy hilly trail again. We managed to make one minor wrong turn, but it didn't really change much. We went about 2.6 miles which felt like 4 miles. It was crazy. Lee says I did much better than last week which was great to hear! Maybe it's due to the 5 pounds I lost from cutting off my hair! Anyway, I felt pretty good through most of it until the last hill that just seems to ascend forever! It really took it out of me and I struggled to get back to the car. But it was a great workout; I was drenched as usual.

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment! What do you think of my running or anything?

June 9th

I just ran 2 miles in 28:39!

Here's the breakdown:

10 min - 4.3 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
10 min - 4.3 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
4:39 - 4.3 mph

It went pretty well overall. I was watching a movie while running which kept me occupied. I'm dripping sweat though. I'm going to have to start bringing a towel because this is just ridiculous. I guess most people get used to sweat when they are in athletics in their youth. Well, I skipped over all that. Anyway, that's about it for today's training. Nothing too surprising. (Although the new ache I discovered today was along my plantar fascia. Nothing drastic but I can tell I need to start stretching it. Also, I used my other black athletic socks and they are cotton. I ordered 3 pairs of real running socks from Sock Geek but they aren't here yet. No blisters today but I felt like if had gone any farther, I would have been in trouble.)

Adios amigos!

June 7th

Wow...I'm hurtin'. I just got back from going 3 miles on the treadmill. Overall, I think the time I was on the treadmill went well, but once I stopped, whoa did the pain start! And I've officially learned that I need "running" socks and not cotton ones. Looks like my feet sweat this time with all the exertion and I've got blisters developing on my arches on each foot. Strange place for blisters, but that's where I've got 'em. Anyway, so here's the breakdown of tonight's run:

5 min - 4.5 mph @ 0.5 incline
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 4.4 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 4.3 mph 14:28 = 1 mile
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 4.3 mph @ 0 incline
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 4.3 mph 29:14 = 2 miles
2 min - 3.5 mph
5 min - 4.3 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
1:57 - 4.3 mph 43:57 = 3 miles

It really just went great (minus the blisters)! No side pains or real problems with breathing. Even the first 20 minutes didn't totally suck.

Today, I also went downtown to a Cardinal's game 2 hours before it started. I managed to collect $91 towards my fundraising goal! It was a lot of fun (as fun as asking for donations can really be) so I'm going to try to head down there more often and for some weekday games too.

That's all for today's post. (My awesome Oklahoma friends were here over the weekend, so I skipped a training session, but I'll have it all made up and back on schedule soon. That is, until I go out of town again this weekend and miss group training.) But I think it's fairly obvious how much I've progressed for just a month ago! This is awesome!

June 3rd

Today, I went for a run with my pal, Lee, at Queeny Park. It's known for it's hills so Coach Rick suggested we all try to run it sometimes since San Francisco is very hilly. Lee and I went for the 2.56 mile loop. Hills were an understatement. I thought I was on more of a hiking trail than a running path! There were some steep inclines. But I managed to do pretty well, I think. The first 20 minutes of every run is always the absolute hardest. But once we got to more flat areas, I was able to jog for quite a bit. I started out with a jog 5 min walk 2 min pace and built up to about 8 min and walked up hills. I jogged probably most of the 2nd half of the whole trip. It was crazy and I was grateful to have a buddy keeping me motivated.

And thanks to all the folks who have made donations this week! I can't believe how much I've received and I'm so thankful! It's finally looking like I might actually reach my fundraising goal! I also got my bake sale at school set up for June 30th. A lot of my friends will be making the baked goods to sell. That's going to be a lot of fun!

June 1st

Here's to another 2 miles! And to new pains that I seem to discover every time I run!

The breakdown:

8 min - 4.5 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
8 min - 4.3 mph
2 min - 3.5 mph
9:08 - 4.0 mph

So that's a grand total of 4 min walking and 25:08 jogging. Not too shabby... but I also put the incline on 0.5 this time which is wondering if that is where my new ankle pain came from. Around 16 minutes in, I started getting kinda sharp pain just posterior to my left medial malleolus (just behind the inside ankle bone). I had a doc mention once that I may be having some posterior tibial tendon problems so I'm thinking this may be attributed to that. Does anyone know if I'm getting it today because I put the incline up? Anyway, sorry for the bad grammar. I just finished and I wanted to get this posted right away.

One thing to add about my fundraising: My sister Jenny and I went to the Taste of Maplewood on Saturday after the Shop "N" Save thing. The people were very generous there too, and I was giving away purple and white beads for the donations. Seemed to work well and received nearly $100 in a little less than 2 hours.

Future things on my agenda: Bake Sale on June 30th (Let me know if you haven't already if you can make something for me or help me out from 11-1 at Logan). Also, Cardinal's games starting on Sunday where I'll be handing out red and white beads for donations. Now that I've got a little experience begging folks for money, I think it will go well. I'd like to get out there during some of the weekday games too but unfortunately school is starting to pick up and there's just so free time.

So that's about it for today! Send me your thoughts!!

May 30th - Big day!

Wow, I've done a lot today and it's only 5pm.

First, we had group training at 7am at Forest Park. Let me just say that it was nasty outside...thunder, lightning, and a downpour. I didn't think there was any way that they would have us run in this mess. Boy was I wrong. I remember someone asking last time if they ever canceled group training, and they would only cancel if the lightning didn't stop but they wouldn't tell us until we were down there. So, I went ahead and headed to Forest Park with all intention of hoping it was cancel. But it wasn't. I was scheduled to go 3 miles today! It was crazy! It started out with the rain but the lightning and thunder had diminished. By the time that Gail (staff sponsor that stayed with me through my whole route today) and I had got to the half mile mark, the rain had mostly stopped and water was mainly just falling from the trees. The sun even came out around the 1.5 mile mark. Even my coach, Rick, kept up with us through most of the second half of my journey today. I have to admit that I mainly walked at a brisk pace today. Running is just so much harder outside, and that's something that I really need to work on. But it was good to accomplish that distance!

Then I had chosen to help out another teammate with a canister drive outside a Shop 'N' Save in Maplewood. The people were so generous. There for 4 of us standing around the entrance and I still managed to get $150! I was so excited to see that amount. I'm much closer to reaching my goal. (A word to those conducting canister drives themselves, people prefer to donate to a larger container than a coffee or slim jim-sized canister. Wal-mart has the perfect sized ones that I'll post a picture of soon!)

Tonight, my sister Jenny and I are heading down to the Taste of Maplewood that is in the same area so ask for donations and hand out beads if anyone wants them. I'm very sunburned from standing out in the sun for a good 6 hours today but I've loaded up on the sunscreen and hope that protects me from the sun tonight. I'm sure we will have a great time!

Presents for Donations!!

Here is the list of incentives for donations:

Donations over $50 are welcome to submit a name in honor of someone with cancer. This name will be placed on a purple ribbon and attached to my jersey for the day of the race! Here is an example:








For $100, you will receive a Team in Training Tote Bag.






For $250, you will receive a Team in Training Duffel Bag.





For $500 or greater, it can be considered a corporate sponsorship. This can get your business's logo on my jersey, the whole team's jerseys, or the entire Team in Training member's jerseys across the whole nation.

May 29th

So, this isn't really a running post but I just made something cool so I wanted to show it. It's my canister that I made for TNT donations when I'm out and about, like at the Maplewood Shop 'N' Save on Saturday, May 30th, for 9 am -6pm. I think it looks pretty neat. It's just a Slim Jim jar covered with the logo that I made on my computer. I printed then trimmed it to size and covered it with packing tape. If anyone needs the layout, just let me know and I can send it to you! (I used Open Office Draw which you may need, but it's a free program.)

May 28th

So I just got back from another 2 mile run on the treadmill. (It was past 9:30pm and probably not a good time to try to run on the roads.) So here's the breakdown:

8 min - 4.5 mph (run)
2 min - 3.5 mph (walk)
8 min - 4.0 mph (jog)
2 min - 3.5 mph (walk)
9:38 - 4.0 mph (jog)

Total: 29:38 for 2 miles

WOOO HOOOO! I was so proud that I managed to go as long as I did. I admit that the last little bit was so hard but I turned on the most upbeat song from Spring Awakening (Totally...) and it got me pumped up enough to push through. So that's a total of 4 minutes walking and 25:38 of jogging!!! I can't believe it still. I didn't have any side cramps this time which was really nice. I kept taking some big deep breaths about once or more a minute. Also, the other thing that I changed is that I just ate dinner (a big dinner) about half an hour beforehand and I was still full. I think that helped a lot actually. (And Andrea, no hurling occured.) I tried to take pictures of the treadmill screen to help me keep track of my intervals, but only one picture came out so that's what is shown here.

May 27th

I'm dripping with sweat. I'm writing this as soon as I got in the door so I can remember how my 2 miles went exactly. And I did it on the treadmill because it's nasty out and my confidence in running diminished a bit since I took the whole holiday weekend off. I was building up the 2 miles (instead of the 1 mile as I was doing) to be a bigger task than it probably was. Granted, it was very hard. Here's how I managed:

8 minutes - 4.5 mph (running [it seemed to me])
3 minutes - 3.5 mph (walk)
4 minutes - 4.0 mph (jog)
9 minutes - 3.5 mph (walk)
7 min 12 sec - 4.0 mph (jog)
Total time: 31:12

Around 4 minutes in, my right side started cramping up so I pushed through the 8 minutes with was around 0.5 mile, then I gave into the pain and tried to walk it off for a bit. Back to jogging after 3 minutes but it only got worse and it felt like my whole diaphragm was contracting. I tried to make mind over matter and just say that I can work through it, but I succumbed. I decided to walk until it went away so I could jog again without pain. I walked until 1.5 miles. Then I pushed through the last half mile. Oh yeah, so I was listening to Spring Awakening and right about 1.7 miles, the song "I Believe" came on! It was perfect timing! Most of the song is just the chant of "I believe". I needed that so that I could believe I could finished the last little bit of my total 2 miles. So I walked 12 minutes and jogged 19 minutes. Not too bad I guess. I've got to stop discouraging myself in my head. I am so worried about the fundraising and then trying to get my body to do something it's never done. For never participating in sports (except t-ball in 1st grade), I think I've come so far, but there's so much more to go!

Please use the box to the left if you have any comments that you'd like to send me! It doesn't register your email address or anything so don't worry about spam. It simply sends your comment to me directly via email. I'd love to hear from any Team in Training people that may have been here before. Well, frankly, I'd like to hear from everyone!!

May 21st

I finished stuffing envelopes and addressing them today! Mailed on Friday!


And I wanted to post pictures from my day at Six Flags on May 17th.

Okay, that's about all I had to say.

May 19th

Today, I went for a run around our track at school after my last class. The track is 0.25 mile. I went around it 4 full times!!!! Without stopping! YAY! That's my first FULL mile outside. Granted, it's fairly flat with a little bit of an incline, but I managed. I'm having some issues with my calf muscles and feet now. The inside of my arch and leg above my ankle is getting really sore after running, even though I ice it immediately afterward. I'm probably going to add some arch supports to my running shoes and make sure that I get my feet adjusted regularly. I think that will help my feet pain, but I'm still working on a resolution to my calves. I think it's that my muscles are strong enough yet to sustain the exercise but I don't really know exercises for the soleus muscle (which I'm pretty sure it is, not the grastrocneimus). One of my professors mentioned that I could have a repetitive sprain/strain to my posterior tibial tendon which kind of runs along the area that I've got pain. But there's not a whole lot to do that I'm not already doing. Just make sure that I have enough rest between runs. If you guys have any experience with problems like this, please shoot me an email with your solutions (cindy.almon@logan.edu). That's all for today.

May 18th

I managed to run 0.8 miles outside with a few big hills! But I also walked 0.4 miles so I managed to go 1.2 miles today! My friend Jenny ran with me! (Thanks Jenny!) It is such a big help to have someone else with you! When I didn't think I would make it up the hill, she kindly pointed out the crosswalk sign ahead that obviously marked the end of the incline! Then it was all downhill (literally) from there! Anyway, I know today is scheduled as a "rest" day but I'll use that later in the week. When I have the opportunity to run, it's best to take it! Well, I guess that's about all I've got for today!

Side note: donation letters are going out soon so PLEASE send me your address to my email address (cindy.almon@logan.edu)! I have free postage for 100 letters, but not nearly enough addresses to send them too! If you have parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts/uncles, etc. that you think might be able to donate a few bucks, I'd love to send them a letter too!

Also, if your employer ever donates to charity, I can send them a more detailed "corporate sponsorship" letter! There are some major incentives for companies to donate, and it really isn't that much money in the grand scheme of a corporation! Just think of it as a tax deductible advertisement to thousands of people! Now who wouldn't think that's a great idea!!!

May 16th - Group Training 2

Today marks the end of Week 2 of training. I went to Forest Park at 7am to give my best attempt at running 2 miles! Oh my goodness, it was hard. I managed to jog the first half-mile, then walk-jog the second half-mile. But by the time I got to the 1 mile mark, I was spent. My energy reserves seemed to be exhausted. But I managed to get back to the starting line in 37 minutes. Obviously, it's much harder to run outside than on a treadmill. Regardless, it was exhausting. As soon as I got home around 9am, I crashed and didn't get out of bed until close to 5pm! Not all of the was hard core sleeping; I spent a lot of time thinking about fundraising and getting ideas put together. I have so much to do and not a whole lot of free time to do it! If you have any ideas for fundraising that have been successful for you or your group in the past, please let me know. Either leave a comment here or you can email me at cindy.almon@logan.edu. Also, I'll be sending out letters soon, so if you'd like to get one, email me your address! What a day!!.






Here's a pic from the St. Patrick's Day 5 mile Run! (3/14/09)

May 12th - My first full mile!

I can't believe I just jogged my first full mile!!!!!! I used the treadmill at my apartment gym with no incline. I started at 4.0 mpg for the first half mile, then 3.7 - 5.0 for the other half. When I got to about 0.75 miles, I realized that I might be able to make it under 15 minutes, but ended up doing the whole mile in 15:12.

This is the first time that I've actually been able to judge and account for how far and fast I went. Now I know that I can continually jog for at least 15 minutes! I just can't believe it. For so long, I was always so tired, out of breath, and muscles fatigued, that I barely made it 0.25 mile. This is such a shocker and a confidence boost. I'd like to attribute a small amount of my success today to my new shoes from Big River Running:

Also, today was the first day of school. :( One of my professors mentioned that around this time of our education (just passed halfway), a lot of students experience a burn out. It was great for him to remind us of the new students having their orientation in the next building. He reminded us of all the enthusiasm that they have right now. This trimester also marks a big change in the way that we look at things. We have mostly clinical classes; we have the knowledge and now need to apply it. It seems like it's going to be a lot of critical thinking and you can't just wing that from cramming the night before.

I'm hoping that this seemingly new-found ability to run will be a great stress reliever, although the fundraising aspect is more of a stress-causer. (Yeah, I think I just made up some words.) Regardless, this is going to be one crazy summer!

But hoooooooray for making it completely through a whole mile!

(Donate $1 for my first 1 mile success to show your support!)

May 11th

I just finished my first outdoor training run through my apartments and around a local park. According to Google Earth, I went 1.18 miles. I admittedly walked a bit more than I expected but I jogged a lot too. It really makes a big difference when someone is running with you to push you harder to go just a little farther. I liked the route that I took so I'm going to try to go that way this week until I have to extend it to 2 miles, then I'll work something else out. And technically today was a rest day, but Coach Rick said that we can switch the days around. And since Wednesday is my big "quarter of a century" birthday, I doubt I'll get a run in. I'm hoping to see "A Chorus Line" at the Fox Theater!

Overall, I definitely exhausted myself to about the same extent that I did at group training. As long as I keep pushing myself and nothing gets too easy, I must be doing something right. I'd love to have your feedback! Answer the poll, leave a comment, and most importantly, show me support by leaving a donation for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

May 9th - First Group Training

Today was the first group training!! We met at 7am at Forest Park and began with an injury prevention clinic. Basically, he just showed us some stretches and simple at-home treatments for common injuries. The guy leading it is actually 2 trimesters ahead of me in school so I'm sure I'll run into him on campus.

Now onto the running: I was scheduled to run 1 mile. I ran pretty much the entire first half mile, which is more than I've ever ran!!! Then walk/jogged the second half mile. It was really great to have a girl by my side that was struggling just like I was. We would point out trees and say, "we just have to make it there" but once there, we'd point out another landmark. It was really great! I'm still in shock with how long I actually jogged. I was done in a little under 20 minutes. I probably could have walked it faster. But I need to get used to the jogging pattern, even if it is slower than walking.

Today got me really excited about training. It showed me that you really can do more than you think you can if you put your mind to it! I'm very excited to start jogging more and increase the mileage. This is going to be a great summer!

(Show your support by sending a donation! - Link to your left!)

May 8th

So, I guess I don't have a lot to update but it all begins soon! I've really just been unpacking and organizing/decorating my apartment, getting it ready to start school. I received my training schedule and it was supposed to start Tuesday. Since I've been nearly dead for most of the week, I didn't start until last night. Still super busy, I used the compact elliptical machine in my living room to do a mile. Since it's manual, I think it adds a lot of resistance that wouldn't be there on a normal elliptical. I'm still kinda skeptical about how well my knee will hold up with running. The first group training is tomorrow morning at 7am with an injury prevention clinic beforehand. Also, according to the schedule, Fridays are scheduled rest days which works out great since that's the day that I usually work, when my boss remember to put me on the schedule.

Anyway, so here goes nothing. It's all starting now!

(Donations are very encouraging!)

May 4th

Lots to recap!

Last Sunday: went to the zoo and then watched The Reader with Jenny and Michael.

Monday thru Thrusday: Jury Duty! First day I sat in the big juror assembly room for the whole day. Tuesday I was selected for a jury panel and the 50 or so of us that were chosen were questioned the entire day and I found out I was selected for the jury at the end of the day. Wednesday: Listened to the trial all day. Babysat my 4 year old little sis that evening. Thursday included 5 hours of deliberation and a not guilty verdict. Then I went to a Flight of the Conchords concert and got to meet the 2 guys in the band afterward and took a ton of pictures! That was awesome!

Friday: Went to a classification class on how to classify disabled athletes according to their abilities so they only compete against other athletes with similar abilities. When I came home, I checked my tempature and it was over 100 degrees. I had awful chills and was suffering. Didn't sleep at all.

Saturday: Kickoff party was that morning but I had to stay home. :( I was really sad to miss it! Also, that day was the Gateway Games for disabled athletes which I was supposed to volunteer at. I ended up spending the whole day in bed going in and out of consciousness.

Sunday: Made it to the last day of the track meet in the morning. Then passed out as soon as I got home.

Today/Monday: I woke up around 10am and I've gotten a lot done already, like applying for the Master's in Sports Science and Rehabilitation program at Logan and paying some bills. If I keep this upward swing from my illness, then hopefully I'll get some things unpacked.

I think training is supposed to start this week and I'll get on that as soon as I feel like I can really move around again. I'll keep you posted on all the training I do!! Be sure to check out my TNT page or the other websites on the left side of the page.

April 25th - First Donation!

Today I received my first donation for TNT! Thank you very much to "GES" for his outstanding donation of $100! That's such a big help towards my goal. To me, that is bigger news than all my academic news that arrived yesterday.

My seemingly minor academic news: I made the Dean's List in chiropractic school for the first time ever. Second, I passed all my national boards!

Also, today I went to see Hairspray at the Fox Theater! Great show! Got my playbill signed by most of the cast. I love "stage-dooring!"

But really: I'm so much happier today to have gotten my first donation. Anytime someone can share their money towards such a great cause makes me truly understand what this is all about! Training starts next week and I can only imagine what it will be like. I'm sure there are going to be hard and painful days, but patients with cancer can't take the day off. They only hope for a treatment that may eliminate their illness altogether. With each donation, regardless of the amount, we get one step closer. To all my readers, take "GES" lead and donate. Whatever it is that you can give at this time, please consider! There is a link on the lefthand side of the page to my donation page. Also, if you'd like more information about LLS/TNT, their links are available too. Again, thanks for reading and keep checking back!

April 23rd

Wow, what a week! I've officially finished half of chiropractic school! And I moved into an apartment of my own. I attended another info meeting for Team in Training on Tuesday night. Again, it was very informative and so exciting!

The kickoff meeting is May 2nd and the first group training is May 9th! I got my stitches out this morning and I'll be reading to run in 2 weeks. Until then, I can do any other non-impact workouts that I'd like. So I'll have to get back into the routine soon.

I'm very excited to start training!! This is going to be an incredible summer! And I still don't have any donations so you should be the first!! Click here to reach my official TNT page!

Keep checking back for more updates!

April 15th

Not a whole lot to report. My knee is still very tender over the incisions and I feel like it's pulling a lot of the time, but that's probably just the stitches. All my exams have gone wonderfully this week. Finals begin on Friday with Laboratory Diagnosis and Basic Technique. I rocked my Cardiorespiratory exam so well that I don't have to take the final for that class. And depending on how I do on my Diversified Technique final tomorrow, I may not have to take that final either!!

Again, I'm really busy and unfortunately still not up for trying to work out. I think I should check with my orthopedic doctor before trying any of that anyway.

Thanks for reading up on me! I still don't have any donations so please consider being the first! Even if it's only $5!! Just to get me started!

April 12th - Easter Sunday

Surgery went great!! It only took around 45 minutes and I was back at my dad's house by 9:30am (after getting starbucks and meds). The only part that is still sore is where the incisions are. Otherwise, my leg feels great! I even got to keep the 2 screws.

Today is Easter and I got to spend it with my family here in St. Louis for the first time. I got showered with candy and even found the $20 egg at the family Easter egg hunt for all the school aged kids. I think it was just beginners luck. It was really one of the best Easter Sundays that I've had in a long time.

Training wise, I am going to try to get back to the elliptical or bike by the end of the week. I won't be getting stitches (6 of them) out until finals are over in nearly 2 weeks. I've got some tough exams this week, and finals start on Friday. I can't believe I'm really at the half-way point of school. 5 trimesters down, 5 to go!

April 9th

Today was a great day! Went to school, adjusted some feet, then got adjusted myself. Then watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Not too bad of a movie, but it was too long. However, Brad Pitt was amazing! Now I'm all packed up to head over to my dad's.

Surgery is tomorrow at 7am. Shouldn't take too long. Hopefully they'll let me keep the screws! This will be my last post until I'm done!

Wish me luck (you could donate something!)

April 8th

Today has gone really well so far and can only get better. My 2 practicals both went very well and were a lot easier than I expected! Then I went for a run at my gym. For 25 minutes, I walked 2 min 30 sec then ran (at 5.0) for 1 min. I burned 165 calories and went 1.6 miles. I had planned on going for an hour, but my shins were really bothering me. I should probably go to no impact workouts now, but I really love running. And since I only have a few days left to run, I wanted to run today! Tonight is the last night for DASA swimming lessons. We are supposed to have a party for the kids and their family. I'm really excited to go to it. I'm finally done with exams and practicals this week, and my room is clean! So I deserve a fun evening, especially with these great kids! That's my short update for today! Be sure to check out my TNT page!

April 7th

So I've been pretty busy since last Friday.

Saturday - My younger brother (16) has mono and had to be admitted to the hospital because his airway was constricted. Therefore, I got to babysit my baby sis, Emily (4) for the whole day. We had a lot of fun at "Hare in the Air" Easter egg hunt at Logan. Then we went out to lunch to a great restaurant, O'Connells. Then we went back to my dad's house to watch her favorite channel, Noggin. Later that night, we went up to visit my brother in the hospital. He was doing much better!

Sunday - My brother got released from the hospital. I worked out on the elliptical (1 mile) before heading to my dad's house for the night. I had a big test coming up on Monday and didn't want to risk having a night of being woken up by my 'favorite' roommate, so I stayed with them.

Monday - I took the short answer make-up exam for Diagnostic Imaging I midterm. It was hard, but I knew a lot more than I expected. Still waiting on my grade. That night, I went to dinner with a few friends; we had such a good time! It was nice to kick back and just laugh for a while with the stress off my shoulders a little.

Tuesday (today) - I took most of the day off to catch up on sleep that I've been deprived of lately. Then, the motivation came for me to clean my room. I'm still working on 3 of the 5 loads of laundry I had to do. But my room is much more functional now that the clutter and dirty clothes are gone. I've got 2 practicals tomorrow but still haven't studied for either. They shouldn't be too bad, though.

The outpatient surgery center called today to ask all the questions and give me pre-op instructions for Friday. I have to be there at 6am, surgery at 7am. Should only take 30min to an hour. Then I'll head back to my dad's house. I'm so happy to get rid of the screws; they may even let me keep them (in a jar that is)! I just hope I can walk afterward. I hate using crutches! But Friday marks the day that I have to stop all impact sports such as running and be very careful. I seem to be a little accident prone lately so that's why I got my room cleaned up today. I don't need to be tripping over my mess.

Thanks for reading and be sure to really consider donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Every little bit helps! I also still don't have a first donation; YOU could be there first! I'm sure you could spare a coffee tomorrow and donate the cost to the cause. I'll be keeping you updated on all my training and everything else that I can remember!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/gat/nikesf09/calmon

Thanks again!!!

April 4th - The Very Beginning (Intro)

It's official! I signed up for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. I've registered to run the half marathon (13.1 miles) on October 18, 2009 at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. The catch: I've got to meet my personal goal of $4000 for the research and assistance to those affected by these blood cancers.

So, I'm starting this blog to chronicle my journey. So far, I've got my website up and going. I've written my story. I've sent out some emails. I've spammed a lot of people on Twitter. If this is the first time to my blog, please check out my TNT page:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/gat/nikesf09/calmon

I feel like I've taken on quite a challenge, especially while taking 33 credit hour of chiropractic college. This is going to be quite a feat, and this blog will be following all of the progress and fumbles along the way.

I'm so excited to get started! Here's what's coming up in my life:

April 10th - Surgery to remove screws in my right knee
April 17-23 : Final Exams for Tri 5
April 27: Jury Duty in St. Louis City
April 30: Flight of the Conchords concert @ the Fox
May 9th - Kickoff party (perfectly 4 weeks after my surgery so I should be able to start running again)
May 12th: Back to school

Well, here goes nothing! I'm so excited!