Delirium at Mile 21

While some people experience the infamous "runner's high" as the miles increase, Elizabeth and I seem to experience delirium. Perhaps they are the same thing, I don't know, but it was fun-ny! Elizabeth is one of my Westside TNT teammates and we happened to do our 20-miler together yesterday. We started out at 6am and I knew this one was going to be difficult. I was exhausted and my legs felt like lead but I was going to finish, I had to.

The funny thing about Elizabeth and I training together is that we tend to be a bit grumpy at 6am. Neither of us are morning people and in general, we're probably not the ones people look to when needing a perky bit of encouragement on the course. (I think we even spent one morning actually competing for the title of bitchier bitch! :) We both have training partners that are cheery and positive enough to make up for our deficit in this area. Well, with the absence of these perky partners on Sunday, one of us was going to have to adjust or we would never make it. Elizabeth stepped right into that roll! It was amazing and Jen, her training partner, would have been so proud.

I have to admit, I barely remember the details of the morning. By the time we turned the corner for our final few blocks we were so delirious that everything was hilarious and we had even caught up with a couple fellow teammates who were also in a similar state. Elizabeth kept saying miles when she meant minutes and I, seriously, could not stop laughing. Everything from the waist down hurt but I continued to laugh and I laughed all the way home. I think this might have been my body slipping into survival mode. How else is it supposed to react to this many miles?!

Now, you may have noticed that I've titled this entry "Delirium at mile 21" but in the first paragraph I mention we were scheduled for a 20 miler. Well, those of us that started early were given wrong course directions and when all was said and done, I discovered we actually completed 21.8 miles! With the exception of some pretty impressive blisters and the general soreness of every inch of my body, I feel pretty good! And I'm ready. Seriously. I can't believe it but I feel ready for Nike!

So many generous people have joined in and made donations over the last couple weeks and I AM OVERWHELMINGLY GRATEFUL to each of you! Thank you Danielle & Jeremiah Frink, Angela Uhl, Krista Roorbach, Carol Samrualruen, Anonymous, Jeff Gray, Gabe Ben-Meir, Rochelle Holguin, Gina Esposito, Paul Logan, Brenda Antonio, Amie Cole, Jill Brune, Mary & Jarod McBride and Joan Begemann for helping me come so close to the goal of $3200! With a couple additional donations that are on their way, I think I'm $125 away! Truly amazing. Thank you for your partnership and support for this worthy cause.

Quote

I saw this quote for the first time on Friday.  Thought I'd share...

"Pain is temporary.  It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take it's place.  If I quit, however, it will last forever." 

~Lance Armstrong.

Houghton Homecoming Run Invitation

Hey all (this included ANYONE reading this post),

This is a cordial invitation to anyone who would like to join us. The Western NY portion of our infamous little band (Kristen, Heidi, and Ginny) are getting together at Houghton this Saturday to do our long run together. We'll be doing 8 miles, with one of us going on for a total of 12. Feel free to join us for a mile, 2 miles, 6 miles, whatever. We'd love the Houghton Homecoming company! Place and time to be determined. Watch this post for more info.

Mud and Medals

I did it!!!  Ok, I know that some of you have done this before, and others do it on a weekly basis, but I've never done more than 10 miles.  HOLY CRAP I JUST DID A HALF MARATHON!!!!  I was a little slower than I wanted to be, but considering the horrible weather conditions, the pee break, and the photo-ops, I really can't complain.  I finished.  That was the first goal.

Did I mention the weather???  Hmmm...... I think the floodgates of Heaven opened for us. Soaked.  Absolutely drenched.  I had to wring out my SOCKS at the finish line.  My underwear were wet.  My ponytail dripped down my back for 13 miles.  We started the race in designer Hefty bags.  We were a sight, let me tell you!  I chuckled when I heard someone ask if they made gutters for hats and visors.  The rain was unbelievable.

Yes, the first event had to be a photo-op.  We took pictures together at the signs for 5K and 10k. 15K was next to the "Flood Zone" sign.  Pics of the vineyards, farms, the gigantic mud pit we ran in (miles 5-7) and the Peconic Bay (when it seemed that mile 10-11 really was a bit longer than all the others). I also had to stop and take a picture with the friendly police lady in the bright orange raincoat....after all, she stopped traffic for me!  It's only fair that she makes it into the marathon chronicles!

Wow.  And even with all the aches and pains and the end of the adrenaline rush, I can say that it was FUN!  Let's do it again!!!

Seven and a half miles - 82 minutes.

I've decided that I need a weekly pep rally to get me through these last few weeks. Feel free to join in so I can cheer you on as well!! ;-)

Today was my 7.5 mile run. I had some of a coffee drink that Michael made me this morning, and I think eating (um, or drinking) BEFORE I ran was quite helpful this week! The first four miles were awesome! The fifth - not so much, but after I figured out (duh) that I needed to slow my pace, I was walking on air during mile six. Mile seven was fine - add half a mile and I was done! Woo Hoo!! It took me 82 minutes, which keeps me at about a 11 min/mile pace. I KNOW it'll probably get messed up on race day between the crowds, taking pictures, the infamous 1 mile long hill, etc, but I feel pretty good about it.

Next week I have a nine mile run and then taper back to six for my final long run before race day. My coaches have been very encouraging. I'm so grateful that they've worked with me to develop a training schedule for my - umm, unique - situation.

As far as smells - smelling whatever Michael was eating while I was running mile 5 was NOT helpful. I'm not even going to ask. ;-)

Smells

Ginny and I talked about the different scents we’ve encountered along our running routes. There are some pretty interesting ones and between the two of us, they varied due to the country vs. suburbs lifestyle. What started the conversation was the smell of manure, which is frequent in my neck of the woods. I commented that it was either chicken or pig and that if Shannon were there, he could tell us. It is one of his spiritual gifts, distinguishing manure scents.

Other things I’ve smelled… Yesterday, I passed two dead animals that were very ripe. Speaking of ripe, one route takes me past an orchard which smelled like peaches for a while and now of apples. The orchard smells are my favorite. I also run by a greenhouse which has flowers and mulch in the air. I also love to smell fresh hay being baled and corn being chopped. What about you? Any interesting scents?

The Original Shunderwear

Tonight, Shannon discovered that I am not the original shunderwear model. As he was watching the third night of Dancing With the Stars (only for the commercials), Richard Simmons came bopping into a grocery store advertising something to two ladies. Shannon said, “Look, the original shunderwear!” Now, if you didn’t have a mental picture before, think of Richard Simmon's shorts with me in them!

I did wear them for my run yesterday and unfortunately saw more relatives and neighbors than ever before! They did get a wave out of the Mennonite boy down the road.

My Longest Run Ever

Well, you all are going to laugh, but I had my longest run ever yesterday of 6 miles! Yay! ha ha The best part was that my leg did not hurt at all - so thank goodness for that.

Besides that, there's nothing really good to say about that run. For some reason it was a mental struggle from the very start. The run previous, I did an excellent job with distracting myself in thought. Not so much on yesterday's run. Uggh. I took a few short power walk breaks, didn't drink enough water, and was just plain tired. I ended up finishing it in 67 minutes, which is probably pretty good considering how bad of a run it felt like it was. Not sure how I'm going to add another seven miles in the next four weeks, but it has to be done. I'm glad to do it, just not sure how. Any tips, advice, words of wisdom?

What's The Signifance Of Today?

September 19, 2008. Well, firstly, it's Heidi K's birthday! Hope you're having a great day, dear friend. And secondly, we are exactly 1 month from race day! We're really almost there, almost ready to cross both finish lines-- marathons & fundraising. We have about $2000 left before reaching our goal of $28,000 which is amazing! Can you feel the excitement building?!

A huge thank you to everyone that has contributed so far, many people will be touched by your generosity and lives will be saved. We are so grateful for your partnership and support.

If you're reading this and would like to help us raise these final dollars, please click on one of the names listed to the right to make a donation today. (Katie, Jen & Kristen O. have reached their goals so please, click on another name to help their fellow runners do the same.) We need your help. Also, feel free to invite your friends and family to join us. We're so close and we have just over a week of fundraising time left!

Marathoners, see you in a month! Until then, keep rockin' it!

Wishing and A-Hoping

Sunday Long Run- Wishing for 18 miles. It's not unusual for me (and most walkers) to have soreness in the hips at the end or after long workouts. Yesterday, it started on my right side around mile 6, way too early, and it was worse than usual. I guess I'm joining the rest of you, "the I'm in pain crew." It didn't hurt when I was running or walking up hill but the course wasn't all uphill :) and my running stamina is not up to 18 miles. So, I did what I could and then cut it short by about 2 miles. After a strong 16 miler last weekend, I was looking forward to this 18 miler so it was frustrating not to even finish the course. I hope it was wise. I hope the icing and stretching that I'm dedicated to, from this day forward, takes care of the problem. I hope I'll be able to finish the full course next Sunday. I hope that all of us with aches, pains and more serious injuries approach the final weeks with wisdom and positive spirits.

Fundraising- More hoping, I hope I can raise $800 in the next 15 days! I'm getting nervous. Cancer is something all of us can relate to and the research being done will benefit and touch each of us in some way, if it hasn't already. In these economic times, I understand that many of us have less extra money which is why it's so important to give the little bit we can to help those who are adding medical bills on top of the already existing bills. If it's difficult for us financially, it must be that much more difficult for a person or family facing a cancer diagnosis. Please, help them by making a donation of even just $5. If you have more to donate, please feel free but if you don't know that every dollar counts and when combined, small donations become large donations.

Thank you- Ross Kay, Jill Vasant, Ronya Henderson, Linda Bourbeau, Lisa Severino, Kate Klimow, Tina Moon, Kristi Hennessey, Dave Simons, Michelle Tillen, Stephanie Kettner, Wendy Shiba, Stephanie Maruyama, Sandra Zenner, Evelyn Shelton, Michelle Mumford, Carla Slivano, Stan Koyanagi, Melissa Gunzburg and Jennifer DeHaven are the generous people who made donations this week. THANK YOU! And a big thank you to my sister, Melissa, for inviting her colleagues to participate in the fight against cancer. (Thanks, KB Home!) She also sent the invitation to her friends outside of work and some others did the same. There is no question, I could not do this without the support of my family and friends. I hope (there's that word again) that more of you will consider passing along my website to your contacts and invite them to donate $5 to this worthy cause, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This week, I'm wishing and a-hoping for a lot, for me, my teammates and all those reading this!

Fancy names that I just can't remember

Well, the verdict seems to be in. I do not have a stress fracture---thank you Jesus! I do, however, have an injured ligament in my foot. This ligament has a big fancy name that I just can't remember. In non-Dr. terms, it is the one that connects the foot to the ankle. I just know that it is swollen and still aches. Here's the deal.... I'm allowed to continue to train as there has been improvement in it. I go back to the Dr. for treatment again next week and twice the week after (before the race)---I am now on a "taper" schedule as my first half marathon is in 12 days. The Dr. is a sports chiropractor who is 1) an athlete himself and 2) is very familiar with TNT and promises to have me back to 100% in time for the events.

I have also been advised to get new sneakers. Who would have thought that my mileage may be "up" on my running shoes???!!! How freaking cool is that???!!!! You mean I actually put enough miles on those bad boys that they need to be put out to the old sneaker pasture? (Katie, do you have one that we can use?)

Now...here is the plug for hydration. This whole injury started 2 weeks ago after a 10 miler in AWFUL conditions. (Kristen, it was probably like what you experienced this past weekend) It was the morning that the tropical storm/hurricane was supposed to hit but then didn't until much later in the day. The humidity was the worst ever. Anyway, LONG story really short, my little group of slow runners and I dehydrated (I'll share that miserable experience another time). The Dr. said that if I swelled really bad (which I did), then I could have cut the circulation in my foot, thus causing injury. I probably stepped wrong, twisted it, something like that, but b/c of the swelling, my footing was off, and I didn't feel it. So girlies, DRINK DRINK DRINK DRINK!!!!

Content in all things

Well, I ran the 1/2 marathon yesterday here in Rochester - and bottom line, I feel like it was the worst run I've ever completed. Why? Because I stopped and walked for 2 minutes... not a good reason you say? :) In my "running career", what little it has been :), I've never had to walk ANY of my long runs ever, so as soon as I stopped to walk around mile 9, I felt like a failure. Never mind that it was 85 degrees and humid beyond belief, never mind that up until that point I had run UNDER my goal time, never mind that I had to pee from the first mile (the line for the bathrooms were 10+ minutes in wait time before the race, so we decided to go during the run... there WERE no potties on the run! AHH! Not a muscle that I wanted to be holding for 2 hours!!)

So, all this to say, I'm laying in bed this morning calculating the time it would have taken me to reach my goal time - I would have had to run 2 minutes and 38 seconds quicker - that's all - to be at my goal. For some reason, figuring this out made it worse... in my mind I immediately say, "Kristen, of course you could have run that much quicker!" And then I begin to remember how much pain and how much swelling of my head from the heat I was feeling those last 4 miles. And that wonderful still small voice (gotta love it :) begins to bring to mind the Phil. 4:11-12 verse:

"for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Being content. Content in not doing what I thought I would do. Content in being ABLE to run. Content in finishing being enough.

What I did not realize was that the next verse was, ironically: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." So appropriate for my run to put these two verses side by side. I now read this last verse here in a new light: I can do all things through Him - and one of those things is God giving me the strength to be content. Stop being frustrated, stop berating myself, stop wishing my run to have been different. What I have completed is good enough.

Ever have one of those runs/days? :)

Rain Heads: What a Day to Wear White

Katie and Ginny here in Houghton, of all places. My (Ginny's) family finally have gotten ourselves housing and are together here at last! Katie came up this weekend to finally deliver a box she smuggled out of NZ for us. It's been so long that Aidan thought the toys in it were presents that Katie brought for the boys. So we did Katie's first 20 miler, and my second, together.

We started at 6:30 this morning. As Katie ate her Cheerios and I ate my cereal bar, we began to hear noises coming from behind the TV. We're in the basement.

Katie here. I asked, "Ginny, is that rain?" She continued with her long run routine with some stretching and in her "I am trusting weather.com" voice replied, "Naaaah!" We made our way up the steps, opened the door to the darkness and saw the steady rain pouring down. I really did not want to do these 20 miles and would have gone back to bed if it wouldn't have been for Ginny's adventurous, determined and never-quitting spirit. So, we started running.

About 0.1 miles into the run, the only thought I had was "what a day to wear white and my shorter-than-my-underwear shorts." I must admit the shorts were a good decision. They have less fabric than any of my other shorts and didn't weigh me down.

Ginny again. I think Katie looked stunning in her shorts -- quite literally. We looked like we meant business, me in my $2 Meijer official running singlet and Katie in her 'shunderwear' and our fancy, sparkly running shoes. AND we were running on Rte. 19. Only die-hard runners brave the 18 wheelers and milk trucks on this route. We had arrived. 11 years later, mind you, but we arrived, nonetheless.

We were doing well. The first 3 miles, I felt heavy. It might have something to do with my pre-run ritual of donut holes. Thanks to Max in Fillmore, the homemade cinnamon donuts from the Houghton gas station (now a Citgo) were weighing me down.

We were trucking along at our stupendous speed of 10 minutes a mile when we hit the plague of the frogs. As we planted water bottles last night, I accidentally ran over a HUGE bullfrog. God forgive me! May s/he rest in peace (can a bullfrog be female??). I think his cousins were out for revenge because on East River Rd., miles 4 to 8, about 5 million more bullfrogs and smaller relatives had given their lives also in protest, or were stationed to spook us out of our stupendous pace.

Katie back in the blog. We arrived in Belfast right on time and were joined by Patty Pepperato and Lucy! We were shocked she accepted our last minute invitation and chose to run 2.5 miles with us in a torrential downpour! We knew we had to do this run but Patty and Lucy get all our respect because they willing joined our craziness. We really enjoyed the new company and mini-reunion. Maybe Houghton wants to add a Reunion Run to its alumni weekends? Ginny was extremely thankful for Patty's presence since she had bathroom connections. We had just finished 10 miles and Ginny needed her SECOND break of the run. Patty got on her cell phone, called her friend and Gin had a bathroom within 100 feet. Please take a moment and pray for Ginny's bowels on race day.

Patty and Lucy split away from us at Rte. 19 in Belfast and we continued back toward River Road. We felt good at mile 15, when out of heaven, a tan Toyota Camry was driving toward us. I have never been so happy in my life to see Aaron!!! Don't tell Ginny. Aidan and Rees, with Houghton pom poms in hand, rode in the back cheering for us as Aaron drove at our 1 MPH pace. It was a welcomed distraction and fun addition to our run.

Aaron and the boys stuck with us until we hit Route 19 and then headed home to make our victory waffle feast. Caneadea left us with three miles to go and Ginny's challenge to run the last three at marathon pace. What was she thinking?

We made it. Two of the last three at a nine minute pace and finished running up Luckey Drive hill. As we walked into the house, two towels were waiting, waffles were on the griddle and our cheerleaders were there to greet us. Aidan said he wanted to name us "Rain Heads" and he wants me to come run a marathon with Mommy every day. How about in six weeks?

Less Than 6 Weeks!!

Can you believe it???? I'd just like to say that I'm honored to call all of you friends. I'm looking forward to CA! Oh, and I have a running skort, too! ;-)

4:30

That's the time my alarm sounded on Sunday morning. Who's brilliant idea was it to start training at 6am? Oh, right, mine. I have to say, it doesn't matter if it's 4:30am or 5:30am, it feels bad. But I got up, went through my long run prep ritual and headed out to meet the bus...which was late....and crowded! It's really good for me to know and see that buses are crowded, even at 5:30 on a Sunday morning. Anyway, by the time I made it to the Westside meeting place, I was ready to go and we headed out in the dark. It was great! The darkness was peaceful and didn't last too long, the air was cool, the streets and paths were nearly empty. I seriously felt great, we all did! It was probably the best training morning I've had yet and considering 16 miles was the worst training day of last season, I couldn't be happier!

During those 16 miles, I thought about all the people I know who have faced cancer and I found great inspiration in their courage and strength and the fact that we need to do more, we need to find a cure for everyone. I also used a mantra that a KC friend sent (thanks, Mary!) and it worked like a charm. Don't forget, if you have any mantras, thoughts, jokes, quotes, etc. send them my way!

How exciting-- $350 was donated this week! A special thank you to DT & Heidi Slouffman, James DeSimas, Nadia Piotrowsky, Susan Huslage, Lisa Zeshonshi and Kristen & Rob Boardman! I'm so grateful for your generosity. In the next 3 weeks, I need to raise $1075 so I need others to follow their lead. Please visit my website to make a contribution and help find a cure for cancer. Together, we can make a difference.

Today Was A New Day

Today, I ran the Harrisburg Half Marathon. It was my second half and an important benchmark to measure my marathon training to this point. I didn’t have high hopes going into it because of last Saturday’s 17-mile run. I ended it with aching knees, ankles and a nagging quad pull that shows up every once in a while. Every time I ran in the last week, my legs were tired and I didn’t feel like going. So, I stepped back and hoped for the best.

Hurricane Hannah passed through yesterday and left a gorgeous, low humidity and cool day. The race (unofficially) had around 1000 people running it. My first mile was slow because of all the participants. I walked for 45 seconds before I ever made it to the starting line. (I am sure that will be a lot worse in San Francisco with a few more thousand people.)

I felt good, used mile 4-8 to get on the pace I wanted, had Shannon jump in at mile 10 toting Gatorade and crossed the finish line with a time of 1 hour 57 minutes and 23 seconds!!! I did get a blister and walked away with a bloody bra from chafing, but otherwise I feel pretty good. Shannon got yelled at for running across the finish line with me. Just so you know, you should “never, ever run across the finish line without a chip.” I am proud of him for being the bad boy and wouldn’t wanted anyone else next to me.

Two things really helped me that I can pass onto you. First, I ran 4-miles on Thursday using a treadmill. I have never done that during training but will continue it if I can. I set the pace a little faster (15 seconds) than I wanted to run in the half. At the same time, I kept repeating Isaiah 40:31 in my head. It helped me get a beat that I picked up this morning and paced myself with throughout the race. The second and greater help is what some call “Race Day Magic.” I know it as Divine Intervention. I worked 12 hours yesterday on my feet, ate beef and potatoes, and hardly drank any water -- a total failure in pre-race prep. Thankfully I was reminded this week that “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” I need to get out there and take action but when it comes down to it, I needed God’s faithfulness and strength to get me through the challenge. Keep going ladies!

Skirts, Blisters, and Garbage Bags

I could start with how this week has been insane....but I won't. We're all in the same boat with the start of school and the chaos that ensues as the "year" begins. (Really, does the year begin on Jan 1st or on Labor Day with the start of school?).

Skirts: Amy clued us in to the race gear (very spandex!) runners pants/shorts. I ordered a pair and I do like them. However, my very wide behind doesn't. I'm a bit self-conscious. I love the little runner's skirts that I see a lot of teammates running in, but with my fat knees--again, too self-conscious. Really, I just don't want to be visually offensive to anyone around me for miles on end. BUT, I found something awesome....a combination of the spandex capris (that my mind likes and my butt does not) and the skirt. Made by atalanta (sp?) and found at www.skirtgoddess.com ...it's awesome! Fat knees covered, wide behind covered with some extra fabric, moisture repelant material, pockets to store all of the goodies. And it is really cute for all of you skinny gals out there! With shorts or capris underneath. Check it out!

Blisters: I caved and bought the Balmex. Really, with the start of school I didn't have time to go to the runners store and buy body glide. The Balmex helped the chaffing on my back too. I'm going to take a bath in it tomorrow morning as we run in a freaking hurricane.

Garbage Bags: the big discussion on my team blog today was "where and when to run tomorrow" as a hurricane/tropical storm/mess is headed our way and expected to make landfall at precisely the same time that we are to be pounding the pavement. Many have opted to run in the mess as Sunday doesn't work for people's schedules. The rest of my training-mates have opted as well to run in the storm, so I guess I'm along for the ride (I mean run). Now the topic is what to wear: shower caps and garbage bags. ????????????? I'm bringing a camera as this ought to be hysterical. I don't know. I haven't figured it all out. The way I see it, this whole thing has been an adventure so let's just keep going with the mystery of training for long distances. Just remind me to have my head examined when this is all over.

And just when I had convinced myself that I deserved a "sleep in" day tomorrow---a day to stay in the pj's and moan and complain about the difficulties of the start of school--I got an email from a dear friend that I work with. Her mother passed away THIS MORNING from Lymphoma. So ladies, this is why we drag our tired little bodies out of bed in a hurricane.

Amy Who?

"Coach, I feel behind, can we have a mapped out course for next week that covers at least 16 miles? And can we PLEASE start before 7am?"

I'm sure many other runners/walkers have posed the above questions to their coaches and it seemed perfectly normal. The difference here is that I asked the above questions. Me, Amy-loves to sleep in-complained about every added mile last season-Wallenbeck, requested more work and less sleep. It's just one more reason for my family and friends to be concerned about what's happened to the real Amy. Do not be alarmed. Yes, she has been "removed from the situation" but will be returned promptly on October 20th.

My mid-week training felt really good this week, even though I'm running/walking on cement sidewalks which my body doesn't usually like (and who can blame it!) Maybe it's accepted that this is my only option and is learning to deal, I don't know but I felt okay. Yesterday, I met my team for another long one except it wasn't very long at all. I mean, it was long (13.5 miles) but not longer than what I've completed the last several weeks. I've basically walked three half marathons this month which would be fine if I didn't have to complete two half marathons in one day in less than seven weeks! That's when I found the above words exiting my mouth before I could stop them. We'll see what it produces for next week but I've got to get these miles up so I can taper before race day.

The 13.5 miles yesterday was a mixed bag. I felt tight all over for the majority of the walk but it was manageable, the first 6 miles went by quickly, I stopped 3 or 4 times to stretch out some weird cramping in my right thigh during mile 9, and then mile 13 I was in a zone and it felt great! I mean, everything hurt but I had this tunnel vision and focused on finishing strong and before I knew it I had left my partner and coach behind me without even realizing it. I was so concerned about not getting in the mileage I had expected, that I had to make every step count! I think that's as close to experiencing a "runner's high" as I'll ever get.

As we approach the final weeks of preparation, the focus for me becomes more mental than physical. I will begin to use my mantras more and more throughout the coming days, I know it's something that helps me. However, I'm going to be asking my family and friends to provide some of these for me. In my next email update, I'll explain it a bit more but I'll be asking people to submit quotes (by them or someone else) that will motivate me to keep going. And the funnier and more sarcastic, the better! Having a mix of the serious and the humorous will be good for me. So, start thinking!

Audrey Update: She starts kindergarten tomorrow! She's excited and nervous but even mom thinks she's ready. She's doing really well with her treatment. Doctors have continued to increase her meds and she's been able to handle it like a champ! Her family's even starting to plan the big party to celebrate the end of treatment...July 31, 2009. That feels so far away to me but when you're more than half way through what is such a long and difficult treatment plan, I suppose less than a year seems near. Audrey, I wish you a great first day of school!