9 miles, Followed by Plantar Fasciitis

Have you missed me?! I know it's been awhile. Life has been so busy lately! Onto the running news, since that's what you are here for! About 2 weeks ago, I ran my longest mileage yet, 9 miles! It was the hardest run to date and was full of hills. I will admit there were moments that I struggled big time! The hills were serious! I felt pretty good immediately following the run, but on my 30 minute drive home, my left knee began to hurt...well, if you've been following my blog, you know I have had my fair share of injuries and issues while training for this half marathon. So, all I kept thinking was "please don't let this be serious, please don't let this be serious!" I got home and was in excruciating pain and my friend suggested taking a soak in my bathtub, so I did that and then iced and elevated my knee off and on for the remainder of the afternoon. Walking up and down the stairs was excruciating, so I began to stress that I had really hurt myself that morning. Before bed, I iced my knee again and took a couple of my trusty friend, Advil and hoped for the best. Well, imagine my surprise when I woke up the next morning and my knee was pretty much pain-free...it was a tad sore...but, it seems the pain had transferred itself to my left foot...think pain so bad that you can barely walk. I mean taking the first step after getting out of bed, brought tears to my eyes! So, of course, I'm thinking "great, another foot issue! just what I need." Well, this was a different sort of pain than I had ever felt and boy was it excruciating. I was basically hopping around all day because putting any pressure on it was excruciating (Have I used that word enough in this blog post yet?! That is the only word to describe the pain!) I began searching the Internet for what this injury could be. I started at www.runnersworld.com and pretty much diagnosed myself with Plantar Fasciitis. Here is a definition of Plantar Fasciitis if you are interested in learning more about it. Apparently it is a pretty common injury. However it is extremely painful and hard to get rid of in my opinion. Stretching and icing is the best thing for it, so you can bet I've been doing all those things like crazy! I tried to do my 6 mile run on Saturday, regardless of my foot pain and actually was able to run with the pain but about 1.5 miles in, my knee started to hurt really badly...same knee as the week before. I tried to run on it a bit more, but decided more running could potentially make this injury worse. I ended being in pretty awful pain the rest of the afternoon and evening, but woke up the next morning with little pain in the knee, but horrible pain in the foot again. Well, I saw a different chiropractor this week since my usual one, Dr. Rob is out of town. He officially diagnosed me with Plantar Fasciitis, though, the guys at the shoe store and my coaches (and myself) had already diagnosed me. I feel like this Dr. made it worse and I have been in even more pain since seeing him, so I am not exactly sure what is going on at this point. I am hoping to get in with Dr. Rob on Monday when he gets back into the office and maybe he can give me a better answer as to what my next step should be. I will admit that it has been a little discouraging dealing with yet another injury during my journey to the half marathon. It has been frustrating, but I know I can do it! We have less than 2 months until race day and I am really excited! I feel like I have been training for ages...although my body seems to think otherwise! I know this is just another bump in my road but it really helps to remind myself of the real reason I am doing this half marathon! I am doing this for all the people affected by blood cancer or any cancer, who can't! I run for LIFE! I am really thrilled with how my fundraising is going! I am at 94% of my 6500.00 goal! I am hoping to raise even more money than that, but I am so pleased with how much I have raised so far! For me, the main goal of training for a marathon with Team In Training is the raise as much money as you can for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and I am so happy to be doing this! If you want to help me reach my goal, you can go here to donate! Remember every penny counts and it is tax deduct able! I will be back soon with more news on my poor foot! Until then, happy running to all my running buddies! :)

8 Miles...

Saturday, I ran 8 miles! Good news is, I am still here to tell the tale! I have been pretty nervous all week about this run...I feel nervous each week, we go up 2 miles. For me, it's just important that I am able to accomplish each mile, every week. It is amazing to me that I am just 5.1 miles away from the distance I will be running in the half marathon October 17th! I have such a sense of accomplishment when I think about running. Running has always been something that I dreaded, but now it is something that I look forward to. Don't get me wrong, I'm no speed racer, but I am out there, doing it and that is really all that matters. I have never been stressed about my running times or anything like that. Honestly, the main reason to do Team In Training (TNT) is to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! I am out there running all of these miles for all the people who can't...I typically have to remind myself of that about 5 miles in. It is great motivation to think about everyone I am running for; people sick in the hospital with cancer, going through chemo, as well as people who have lost their battle to any type of cancer. I can actually picture these people as I run. I had first hand experience with watching people get their chemo treatments, since my siblings and I switched off who would take our mom each week. Walking into that "chemo lounge," you see fighters. Each and every person in there! Thinking about these amazing people when I run is a HUGE motivation!

I tried using Sport Beans again yesterday and while I don't get a sudden surge of energy, I was able to go 8 miles, so they must be doing something for me! As I was running on Saturday, a coach from the Central TNT team was running beside me. She was really great to talk to and gave me some great insight for the marathon. She also told me that even though I didn't think the Sport Beans were working, if I tried running without them, it would be much harder. She made a very good point. We ran along the coast on Saturday and through some neighborhoods. Running along the coast is one of my favorite places to run. There is just such a peacefulness about watching the water and surfers while I am running. I always miss this when we run at different places on our Saturday morning Team runs. So, back to the 8 miles. I am still doing 5/1 intervals. Running 5 minutes seems like 1 hour and power walking for 1 minute seems like 5 seconds! This is working for me though, so I am sticking with it. This coach from the other team also told me that doing intervals is a great way to run a marathon. She explained that when she ran the Boston Marathon this past Spring, she always marched through the aid stations and hung out there for a a minute or two and then kept going. She said she always ended up passing the people who would run through the aid stations and skip the aid. It was encouraging to hear that I am doing this all correctly! I had a pretty good run, except the fact that I am still having pain in my feet...it has now turned into both feet. I am honestly thinking that switching to a Stability shoe has caused more damage. At this point, I feel frustrated because everyone is telling me something different. I am on my 2nd pair of shoes. I am not sure what my next step will be. I have had 2 women recommend the same Nike shoe in the past 2 days, so I may end up trying that, because at this point, I feel like it's time to try something else. My feet both started hurting pretty badly at mile 7, but I was determined to finish the full 8 miles and I'm so glad I did. I iced both feet for awhile when I got back to our base. While icing, I spoke with a few different people and got a few more opinions on what to do. I am NOT letting this foot thing get me down! I am doing really well in my training and I am sure I will find the perfect (magic) shoe in no time! We have a back down week this coming weekend, so I will be running 5 or 6 miles. I am headed to Washington state for one of my best friend's wedding, on Wednesday, so I will be running this mileage on a treadmill this week! I am headed to run hills with my Team tonight , pilates on Tuesday and spinning class bright and early at 5:30 on Wednesday morning! Here's to a great week!

With Love,
Ashley

Guess Who's Back...Back Again?!

Me! I ran on Saturday in me new shoes and I did pretty well! I did 6.54 miles...my longest distance to date! My foot started hurting about halfway through the run, but we are thinking this could just be my feet getting used to my new shoes. It was pretty tough but also really exciting at the same time! I am really amazed that I am now a runner. I would have never thought I would ever be a runner. I am really praying that the more I run, the easier it will be on my body. We joke that I have the body of an 80 year old because I always have aches and pains, but the running magnifies my usual issues so much! I had some good running partners this week which really helped. It is so much nicer to run with people than by myself. I tried Sport Beans during my run and I really liked them! Our coaches and mentors have expressed the importance of finding an energy source in gel, block, bean, etc form for aid during our runs and our marathons. We are supposed to try all sorts of brands and see which we like best. I am pretty disgusted by the energy gels. They just make me nauseous even thinking about them! So, I decided to try energy jelly beans. I really liked them, though, I don't think I ate enough to give me a huge surge of energy. I am planning on trying a gel or a shot block this weekend during our 8 mile run. Lord knows I will need energy aid on that run! Right now it is all about trying new things and seeing what works best! I will report back how it goes on Saturday! I am really proud of myself for making it as far as I did on Saturday. It is amazing to me that I am now considered a runner. WOW!

New Kicks...

Well, we just returned home from the Running Center and I got a new pair of shoes! This time (my 5th time going there!), the guy who helped me, videotaped me running in my current running shoes. It was nice to be able to see my over-pronation. It is a very small amount of over-pronating, but either way, it is affecting my feet and ankles, so it was time for a shoe change! The guy that helped me today has been the most helpful so far! As all of the employees there, he is a runner and really knew what he was talking about! I really liked him and learned a lot from him! I have been thinking the issue has been my shoes for awhile now, but everyone seemed to poo poo the idea, telling me that I am a pretty neutral runner, so my shoes were ok. I just knew something was not right with them. I was happy today when he told me we should try a stability shoe. He said that even though my over-pronation was small, it was still big enough to cause issues with my feet and ankles. So, I tried on about 6 different pairs of stability shoes and he videotaped me in each one, so we could see what helped me the most. It was amazing to see how much of a difference the stability shoe makes with me turning my foot/ankle in. It was key to be able to watch on video. I ended up going with a pair of Brooks running shoes. They felt the best, but also looked the best of my feet as I was running. I am really hoping these are the magic shoe! I will be trying them out for the first time on Saturday when we do our 6 mile team run! Hopefully the ankle/foot pain will be long gone in no time!

Also, a funny story about our morning at the Running Center. I had to take my 18 month old with me, like I do every time I go in there. He usually walks around and looks at the clothes, shoes, watches me practice running, etc. Today he was all over the place and had a great time with the guy who helped me and another woman who works there. The guy was so great with him and really helped me with him so I could focus on finding a pair of shoes. At one point, while the guy was watching me run, we both turned around and Teddy was gone...now it's a pretty small store, so I figured he couldn't have gone far, but I did panic inside a little. Turns out, he had gone into the back room and was wandering through the maze of shoe boxes, having a grand old time! It was pretty comical! We had yet another great experience at the Running Center today! I really love that place!

News

So, I took a couple weeks off from running, spinning, pretty much everything exercise related...except chasing my 18 month old around every day! I decided that everything else we were trying was not working, so why not try some rest?! It has definitely helped and I feel like I am doing a lot better. I ran/walked 5 miles on Saturday with my team and it went pretty well. The hardest thing for me was the fact that after taking 2 weeks off, I felt completely out of shape! Oh, and the fact that it felt like it was 100 degrees at 7:30am last weekend! Regardless, I made it! Afterwards, despite the water I drank, I felt really icky and just plain exhausted, so I tried one of my new electrolyte drinks and within an hour, I was feeling back to myself again! Yay! I am really tryting to be proactive about my fluid intake the day before I run now. It is so important! On Wednesday nights, there is a track workout that is led by our head coach or assistant coach. I have been dying to try this since it began on June 30th, but my injury has kept me away, so last night I tried it for the first time! It was extremely tough, but I have no doubt that it will help me immensely over the course of the next few months! We did some interesting stretching exercises, which made me realize my core is not strong at all. That is something I really need to work on! The main workout was to run 6 intervals of 800 meters! Wow! In hearing that, I was stressed. 800 meters is 2 laps around a track, which is half a mile! 6 of those! I was thinking it may not happen for me since I had been out of commission for so long, but I decided to put the doubt out of my mind and just run. It was probably my toughest run to date. I was the last to finish in my group each time, so I had minimal time to rest in between intervals! After the 5th interval, Coach Kerry, our head coach, asked who was finished and who could do the last interval. A few people decided to be finished at 5 intervals, which was still a huge feat, but I decided to try and do the last 2 laps! It was pretty tough, but I am so glad I did it! I even finished 11 seconds earlier than my prior intervals! I think one of my favorite things about the track workout, (besides the running of course) is how positive and encouraging most people are! It makes it so much nicer when you are dragging yourself down the track, so exhausted and feeling like your legs may give out, to hear "Go Ashley!" "You can do it Ashley!" "You go girl!" and the list goes on and on to what was said to me last night, during each of my intervals! It was so encouraging and I am so thankful for my coaches, mentor and teammates! I left there feeling very positive about my run and about myself! We headed to Mr. Taco for dinner afterwards and it was great to sit and chat with people. Getting to know new people has always been one of my favorite things to do! I was so tired after I got home last night...I slept like a baby, which is pretty rare for me! I had to ice both of my feet/ankles last night...I am just trying to be proactive about them. My left foot was starting to give me some trouble last night, which makes me wonder if my issues are actually coming from my shoes, like I have wondered all along! I am headed to the running store this morning to see what I can figure out...hopefully I will leave there with magic shoes!

With Love,
Ashley

Rockstar Status

Well, I did it! I have met my fundraising goal and then some! My required amount to make was $3,200.00 for Team In Training (TNT), so I decided to make my personal goal $4,000.00. As of now, I have exceeded my personal goal by $1,925.00! Last Saturday, I received my jacket, which all members of Team receive when they complete their required goal! I also received "Rockstar Status," which means, I got a "Rockstar" pin to wear on my jacket, a TNT frame and a cute TNT duffel bag! I am pretty surprised that I have gone so far over my goal, but couldn't be more thrilled. It amazes me how generous people have been with donations! It has been such a blessing and will be an even bigger blessing to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)! My goal all along has been to raise as much money as possible for LLS, so that is what I will continue to do! I have decided to up my personal goal $6500.00 and hopefully I will be able to exceed that as well! As of now I am at 91% of my NEW goal! I hope to make it to 100% in no time!Thank you to everyone who supports me and LLS! It is such a worthy cause and I am so happy to be a part of it!

Scentsy Wickless Candles Fundraiser!

A friend of mine from high school, Paige, contacted me a few weeks ago and wanted to host a Scentsy Wickless Candles party for my fundraising campaign! I was totally amazed and so excited! I am trying to raise as much money as possible for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), although my personal fundraising goal is $4,000. I hope to make way more than that! Paige is hosting a party for me on her website for the next 2 weeks and 20% of anything purchased under "run for life" party will go directly to my fundraising! If you are interested in purchasing some Scentsy Wickless Candle products to help support LLS, please go to http://paigejeanes.scentsy.us/ and on the right hand side under "open parties," please click on "buy from run for life party!" There are so really great products on her website! Even if you don't like candles, you could buy some early Christmas or birthday presents for your friends and family!

If you would like to make a direct donation to my fundraising campaign, please click on "Team In Training Fundraising Page" on the right side of my blog page!

Happy Shopping and thank you in advance for your support!

With Love,
Ashley

Believe

I had an experience last week that has stuck with me and I can't seem to get it out of my head, so, I decided this needed it's own post. I have always tried to be a positive, upbeat person. We all have our days where we feel negative. So, during this whole foot/ankle injury, I have really tried to be positive because I feel it's important for the recovery process! Well, as I mentioned in a previous post, Dr. Rob and my coaches were concerned it was my shoes that were possibly causing the issue...that they were too "cushion-y". So, in an attempt to try and resolve the problem, I headed to a specialty running store again, for special fitting and help with purchasing another new pair of running shoes. I tried a new place last week, per a recommendation from a few people, plus our team had met at this store the Saturday prior and our coaches highly recommended it. I got there and explained my issue to the girl and gave her the list of shoes Dr. Rob had given me to try on. She only had a few of the shoes he recommended and none of them felt right. With running shoes, it is important that you feel like the shoe is one with your foot, like you can barely even feel the shoe...hence, why I love the pair I have now...they were 1 of 15 pair of shoes I tried on originally. So, I ended up trying on pretty much every women's shoe they had in the store...my foot is too small to try men's shoes, or I would have tried them all too! As I was trying on shoes, I explained to the girl who worked there, that I am new to running and have really never been a runner. I told I played tennis all through school and how I spin and walk regularly. Her reaction to this, was that I was crazy for training to run 13.1 miles! She mentioned I should train for a 5K first to see if I could even do that before setting my sights on such big mileage as 13.1! Um, excuse me?! I was shocked and actually kind of annoyed because Team In Training recommended us to buy shoes from this place and here is this girl who is basically telling me I can't do this?! Throughout my experience with fundraising and training so far, I have not run into one person who has tried to deter me from doing this! I immediately told her that I was doing this and that I was committed to raising money and running the half marathon!!! I told her I know that I can run the 13.1 miles! I believe in myself. I know I can do this. Every single runner I have spoken to has told me that injuries are common and they happen all the time and I WILL bounce back from this. Luckily, I have a supportive husband, family and friends who believe in me as well! I left the store without a pair of shoes. After trying on every pair of women's shoes, I decided none of them were "the shoe" for me. Having this experience with the girl at the running store definitely left me feeling bummed that a stranger could have such little hope in me, but it made me remember, on a day that I was feeling pretty discouraged, that I do believe in myself and I know I can do this!!! It also reminded me to be sure to always be a cheerleader for anyone who tells me their story, you never know when they might need your words of encouragement! Thank you all for believing in me and cheering me on! Your support means so much!

With Love,
Ashley

Update

Some news on the foot...I decided to take a few days off from running and spinning just to see what would happen. Well, I didn't spin Friday and I didn't run Saturday. I jogged in my mom's pool a bit on Sunday and decided to try and walk a few miles with my mom and sisters on Monday. I didn't have too much pain! It has gotten better! It still hurts, but it is not excruciating...just an annoying pain! I am thinking this is due to not doing high impact exercise. Hopefully I am on the road to recovery! So, I had an appointment with Dr. Rob and we discussed the plan. He was happy to hear that it was feeling better. He also noticed a difference in how my foot, ankle and leg felt, as he was working on them. So, all positive things! As of now, my foot is sore from the bodywork and electrical stem he did on it today. I am hoping that with some Advil and ice, the pain will be long gone tomorrow! As of now, I plan not to run on Saturday with my team. I actually ran into one of my coaches at Dr. Rob's office today and she said our run on Saturday will be on a trail, which is not good for ankle/foot issues anyway, so it is ok to miss the run. I am hoping to go to a weeknight run next week and try to run a bit and hopefully I will be able to run some next Saturday as well. I am really praying that I am recovering because I am ready to get back into running without pain!!!!! This has been a very frustrating injury! I should also mention that Dr. Rob and I discussed that if the pain does not go away in the next week or two, it is time for an MRI. I am hoping we don't have to go that route! Prayers and positive thoughts are greatly appreciated!

With Love,
Ashley

The Foot...Dun Dun Dun....

Well, I had my follow up with Dr. Rob, my chiropractor, yesterday. The good news is, he is positive that we WILL work through this. The bad news is, we have no idea how long it will take to heal. Bummer.com! He still thinks this is coming from the way I run, but as of now, we don't know for sure. The other issue is, it has also started hurting all over my foot, including my arch, so walking or even just sitting is pretty painful. Dr. Rob worked on my ankle/foot a bunch, which was pretty painful, but in a good way. Then I had the electrical stem on my foot, which is trip...I hate how it makes my toes tingle! I also had a laser work done. This was all new to me! It was pretty interesting. The laser could sense where my problem areas were and it would spend time "zapping" the area. It was obviously working because it spent a lot of time on the areas that hurt the worst. Technology is such a neat thing! So, I am supposed to give it a few days and see if these things have helped. As I type this post, I am icing and elevating my foot. It is always worse at the end of the day. Being a stay at home mommy to a VERY active almost 17 month old, means I am on my feet a lot throughout the day, so it's no wonder it hurts badly towards the end of the day. As of now I am not supposed to do any running. I can cross train (like spinning) if my ankle isn't too sore, but it has been too sore to do anything the past two days. So, Saturday, if I am not in too much pain, the plan is that I am to try and run 20 minutes. If I can do 20 minutes without pain, great! If it hurts, I can stop or try and finish, depending on the pain level. I am really hoping and praying I can do 20 minutes without pain! After the 20 minutes, I will ice it immediately and keep it elevated as I cheer on my teammates coming in from their runs! I am a tad sad that I cannot do the 5 miles that I am scheduled to do, but I know that the most important thing to do is to heal so I can get to 13.1 with ease and no pain! I am scheduled with Dr. Rob for the next 6 weeks and will most likely continue to see him throughout my training for the half marathon. I told him yesterday, that is is on my team..."Team Keep Ashley Going!" He totally agreed with me! It is really great to have an awesome support system to help me get through everything! I also got adjusted yesterday...neck, back, he tried to do my ankles and legs, but they wouldn't adjust. I am pretty sore today, but think I should be feeling better by tomorrow! All of my muscles are pretty tight, so the adjustment was much needed. All in all, it seems like I am on the road to recovery...let's hope it's a short one! This girl wants to run! :) Stay tuned for a post on another new member of my team, my nutritionist! She is awesome as well and I am really enjoying working with her!

With Love,
Ashley

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -Theodore Roosevelt

The Pink Glove Dance

So, as the title of my blog reads, " I run for Life," and even though I am specifically fundraising to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I still want to recognize other cancers as well. The video below is dedicated to Breast Cancer, which also has a special place in my heart, because my mom was diagnosed with that towards the end of her Chemo for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This video was made at a Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon to raise money/awareness for Breast Cancer. It is such a great video and I cry every time I watch it. It is truly amazing how many people out there in the world, support finding a cure for cancers of all kinds! Hope you enjoy this video! :)

Low

Low is what I am feeling tonight. It has been a rough evening. I was planning to go for a run around 5 tonight...my ankle has been hurting pretty much all day but it's been bearable...then around 3:30, it started to hurt worse and it didn't get better. I decided it was best not to run on it this evening, but I am really struggling with it tonight. The pain is annoying, but I can deal with it. It's the training that I am upset about. I have fully committed myself to this marathon, to the fundraising, to Team In Training and I just want to be able to do my training without pain. In the grand scheme of life, I will get through this and I will run the marathon in October, but right now, I am having a tough time. I made this blog to document my journey in all aspects, so I feel it's important for me to remember days like this. I see the chiropractor, Dr. Rob, on Wednesday, so hopefully he will have some more info for what we can do to fix me! I tried to get in tomorrow morning too, but they said I could come in but would have to wait awhile, which I can't do with Teddy in tow. He sat in his stroller for an hour and a half the other day while I saw the Dr. Rob and I just can't do that to him again. Sean made me an ice bath tonight and I tried to put my foot in it a gazillion times, but each time, it was sooooooo freezing, I couldn't stay in! He said it is "mind over matter," but the pain was shooting up my leg! My mom used to do full body ice baths when she trained for her marathon and I have no idea how she did it! It is so COLD! I am going to continue with ice, elevation, compression and Advil tonight and tomorrow and hopefully I will have good news to report here on Wednesday! Meantime, I will stick to spinning since that really doesn't hurt my ankle. No matter how low I feel tonight, I know it could be a billion times worse if I or someone I love, were lying in a hospital, ill with cancer. Instead, I am running for all these people. As one of our mentor's has on his training shirt "Running is a bitch, but Cancer sucks!" So true. This is a minor speed bump on my way to 13.1!

With Love,
Ashley

Skin

Here is a music video of a song that I love. When my mom was first diagnosed, a friend of mine turned me on to this song. As I listened to it, while crying hysterically, I knew I had to share with my family. I went home and booted up my computer and we all sat there listening to the song, over and over again, crying. My sister, Kelley and I, used to listen to it a lot, while my mom was sick and going through chemo. It has a lot of sentimental value to us. About 2 months ago, I was driving in my car and this song came on...I couldn't believe it because it's not a very popular song and I had never heard it on the radio before and not many people have heard of it! My sister called me a few days later and said it came on randomly on her ipod...so crazy that we both heard it around the same time. We both still cry hysterically every.single.time. we hear it. After you listen, you'll understand why...

Also, I would just like to add that I pray that my son would someday do the same thing for his girlfriend if she were ever (God Forbid) in the same situation as Sara Beth. It takes a very special person to do something like that. :)

With Love,

Ashley

My Misson Moment

Here is a video of me doing my "Mission Moment" at our TEAM training yesterday morning. Every week, one person on the team explains their reasons for doing Team In Training. This is strictly a volunteer thing, so not everyone has to share a story. So far, we have heard a couple amazing stories from some gals on our team about their direct connections with blood cancers. This has become one of my favorite parts of our Saturday sessions. I really love to hear people's stories for why they are doing this. As you know, I have a direct connection to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, seeing as my mother is a Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, so, I chose to share my story with my team this week. Please take a peak...you may want to grab a Kleenex...I started crying on the video before I even started telling my story! Hope you enjoy it! :)

With Love,

Ashley

Run it...

Well, this morning my team and I ran 2 miles. It was a "back down day," which was much needed for me since I have been recovering from an ankle injury for the past two weeks. Since I had taken about a week and a half off running, 2 miles was rough on me today! I did intervals today and ran five minutes, walked one minute. It was pretty tough because until today, I had been running 3 minutes and walking 2 minutes. I never realized how much i needed that extra walk minute until today! I did pretty well and I am sure it will get easier as time goes by...right?! Of course! Thankfully I had my trusty Garmin 305 to help me through the two miles. As you see in the "where i buy my gear" side bar, it is my new best friend and I seriously could not do it without this little guy. I actually decided to name him...Greg. Greg the Garmin. A lot of my close friends know I like to name things; My car's name is Ben. So I figured I'd better name the Garmin since we have a long road ahead of us to get to 13.1 miles! In case you missed the side bar link to where you can purchase your own Greg the Garmin, click here! As for my ankle, it is pretty sore, but I think it's going to be ok. I saw my chiropractor this week and plan on seeing him weekly or more if necessary until we get all my kinks ironed out. I am icing my ankle as I write this post and it is much needed after an eventful day. Not only did I run the 2 miles today but I also had to chase my 16 month old all over the beach and ocean for a few hours this afternoon, so I think the sand did not help, but the ice is helping! I did my "mission moment" today at our TEAM practice and it went really well. It is basically where you share why you chose to do Team In Training. I alsways get emotional when talking about my mom and her battle with cancer. All in all the training is going really well! Oh! I almost forgot! I am at 50 percent of my fundraising goal, so I received my Team In Training hat as a reward today! I am pretty proud that I am 50 percent there, but I plan to raise as much money as possible, so hopefully there is a lot more to come! This money is so important for research and there is no doubt that because of fundraising like we do in Team In Training, that is part of the reason why people, like my mom is still with us today!

With Love,
Ashley

blisters, calluses and a hurt ankle! oh my!

In the words of my husband, "if it was easy, everyone would be doing it." Such true words, such a smart hubby. This is something he said to me in the beginning as I went back and forth on my decision to join Team In Training. This pretty much solidified why I wanted to do this! So, since this blog is to keep track of things, here we go!

During our first training session, I did pretty well. I Ran/walked the two miles with my buddy Amber and felt pretty great afterwards. Then came the 3 miles the following week...I started to get blisters and calluses! Ouch. They can be pretty darn painful. I hightailed it back to the Running Center, where I buy my shoes and socks and begged them to help me figure out my issue. They assured me this was pretty common in runners and the girls even showed me their own feet to assure me of this fact! They also told me that the pain will go away...eventually...so, they recommended buying Toe Caps, a silicone cap that goes over any of my toes that are rubbing. They also suggested Body Glide. Also, they gave me a special pair of blister prevention socks! So nice! Well, I love the toe caps and the socks so far! They have definitely helped with my feet. I haven't tried the Body Glide yet, but from what a few Team In Training Alumni told me last Saturday, it's only a matter of time before the chafing begins...so I'm sure I'll be using it in no time!

Well, as I was on the mend, I had yet another issue! Somehow, I hurt my ankle and I continued to run on it and then ran on it again two days later. Not smart, I suppose. But, I have really been trying to be strict about my training. I now know that sometimes rest is the most important part of your training. So, as of now, I have had to take about a week off running (well, it will be a week on Wednesday) to let my ankle heal. I have been elevating, icing, and taking Advil. Being the mom of a sixteen month old, I can't really ever stay off my feet, so I'm doing the best I can trying to take it easy! I am ready to get back out there though. I have come to really enjoy my workouts, whether it be running or walking or spinning. We still are not sure how I injured my ankle. We are leaning towards it being the way my foot moves inside my shoe. So I was fitted with inserts and I am hoping and praying that this will solve this issue! Being someone who pretty much deals with aches and pains on a daily basis from my hips issues(will get into this another time), it has been frustrating to have this ankle injury. After talking to my coaches and the fabulous people at the Running Center, I now realize that these kinds of things are extremely common and this probably won't be my only injury during my journey to San Fransisco for the marathon...though I am praying this is it! My ankle still hurts, but putting things into perspective...this is nothing compared to what a lot of people are going through and I will overcome this minor stuff...minor bumps in the road to 13.1 miles!

With Love,
Ashley

Melissa Etheridge Singing "I Run For Life"

Please take a few minutes to listen to this song. You will be glad you did! :)

Ps...the video is a tad blurry, but the video is not the important part, the words in the song are! Enjoy!



With Love,
Ashley

i run for life

I wanted to give a quick explanation for why I chose the title of my blog. You may know the song "I Run for life" by Melissa Etheridge. I first heard this song around 5:50 in the morning during an awesome, but grueling spin class. As I was trying my best not to fall of my bike from exhaustion, I started to tear up listening to the words of this amazing song and it totally rejuvenated me in many ways that morning. It is such a beautiful song and is about Melissa Etheridge's own battle with cancer. The song may be about breast cancer, but it can be about any cancer or any illness. I have often thought of this song as I am dragging myself through the last mile of my run when I am training with my team and I think of all the people out there are in a seriously tough battle with cancer of all kinds. So, I am, in fact, running for life as I train and fund raise for my upcoming marathon. So, I decided that "I Run for Life" is a great title for the blog that will journal me as I run for life! Please check out the words to this song below. I am pretty sure that you will find it as encouraging and uplifting as I do. I will be posting a video of the song as well and I hope you take the time to listen to it. It is truly inspiring.

I Run for Life song lyrics

It's been years since they told her about it
The darkness her body possessed
And the scars are still there in the mirror
Everyday that she gets herself dressed
Though the pain is miles and miles behind her
And the fear is now a docile beast
If you ask her why she is still running
She'll tell you it makes her complete

[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend I run for life

It's a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I'm still learning the lesson
To waken when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still running
I'll tell you I run for us all

[Chorus]

And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember her remember me
We will be running as we have before
Running for answers
Running for more



With Love,
Ashley

well, here i am!

Well, I did it. I created a blog. I've been going back and forth about starting a blog for a couple years now, but never took the plunge. I've decided I'm ready to dive into the blog world. What better way to keep track of this amazing journey that I am embarking on! As you may know, I have decided to train for a half marathon...13.1 miles! Yep, you read that correctly, 13.1 miles! So, let's go back a bit, so you can understand why I have decided to embark on this journey...

When I was a sophomore in college, my mother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I remember such a feeling of helplessness that I wished I could do something, anything to make her not be sick. At the time, I wasn't sure what I could do. But, then my mom decided to train with Team In Training and train for the LA Marathon...26.2 miles...while undergoing chemotherapy! Wow! I have always carried the thought of someday following in her footsteps and doing a half marathon (maybe a full someday!), but I never could squeeze it into my busy life. Then I had my son, and my heart, which has always been heavy regarding cancer, illness, etc, has become a million times heavier than I ever thought it could when thinking or hearing about adults, kids and babies sick with cancer. I have yearned to make some sort of a difference in the world ever since I had him. As cliche as it sounds, having a child makes you want to be a better person. My son has done this to me and it, along with him are both amazing and huge blessings. Then one day, my friend and workout buddy invited me to a Team In Training informational session and after hearing all they had to say at the session, I was pretty much hooked. After a few discussions with the hubs about our schedules, I decided to take the plunge and here I am, training and fundraising! Although I have questioned my decisions to raise at least 4,000 dollars (hopefully more) and to run 13.1 miles on October 17th, i know this will be a life changing experience for me and I am loving the challenge so far.

So, I have decided that the best way to keep track of my journey is to blog about it. I want to be able to remember all the details, the good, the bad and the ugly. We are only about a month into training and I have met some amazing people, heard some amazing stories and am thoroughly enjoying myself...blisters, aches, pains and all! Please stop by my blog frequently to check on me and see how I am doing with my training and most importantly, my fundraising. I hope you enjoy this tiny snapshot into my life...it may not always be pretty or perky, but life isn't always pretty and perky and in the grand scheme of everything, i am doing this marathon and raising this money to help find a cure for blood cancers; though I believe I am out there running and raising money for everyone who has ever battled any type of cancer or lost a loved one to cancer. So, stick around and be a part of my journey as I run for life.

With Love,
Ashley