Alaska ... HERE I COME!

To my dearest family, friends & fans,

It is almost here! Tomorrow evening, I will be boarding a plane for Anchorage, Alaska. On Saturday, I will be running in the Mayor's Marathon -- 26.2 scenic miles through Anchorage wilderness (where I hope to see caribou and eagles!). This season, I am running on behalf of our geeTEAM Honorees -- Matt, Rob, Whitney, Steve, and Zeeky -- I am running to beat blood cancer!

The last few months have been pretty rough, and this season has proven to be more of a challenge than I had anticipated. But, thanks to all of my donors, geeTEAM has raised $3,985.00! Your generosity and support have made this amazing feat possible. Our team of donors, volunteers, and supports have commissioned three C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blankets -- for Matt, Rob & Steve -- and we are only $15.00 away from a fully-commissioned blanket for Zeeky. We have come a long way, and have raised a significant contribution for blood cancer research and patient services, but we can do more! Our goal this season was to raise $5,000.00, and to commission a total of five blankets. And with your help, we still can still reach our goal. Tell your family/friends, reach into your change drawer, make coffee at home for a week -- there is still time to make a contribution to the LLS and C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket missions! A donation of $20 to LLS will commission two Donor Medallions and get us 2% closer to our goal.

I would like to extend the sincerest thanks that I can muster to all of those who have been so instrumental in my success this season. In just over 4 very short months, I have raised awareness and funds for LLS to a magnitude that I could not have fathomed possible -- it has not been easy, but it was a blessed opportunity and an experience that I cherish. In these short months, I have done my best to prepare my body and mind for the strenuous work of this endurance event -- which has proven to be the greatest challenge, but the is best thing that I have ever done for myself. I have struggled through injury, looming deadlines, training upsets, and event after fundraising-event. But I have come out of this experience with strength, humility, gratitude, and love. If I could, I would reach through the screen and squeeze you too-tight, because I do not have the words to express my thanks for all of your support.

I will be thinking of you, carrying you with me in my heart as I trek these 26.2 miles. I am doing this for you -- because you believe in me. I am doing this for our Honorees -- because you believe in Contributing Unconditional Means for Research, Treatment, and Support. I am doing this for me -- because will all of the support that you have offered me, I know that I will succeed.

I could not have done this without you. Please keep me in your thoughts this weekend, because you will be in mine. In advance, thank you for carrying me across the finish line.

Lots of love from the bottoms of my heart & feet,
Jess

Growing Among Giants (aka "Run, Forest! Run!")

My training has been plagued with hiccups - rehabing from my neck injury has proven to be more problematic than expected. But I have been programming my rehab into my training for the marathon I will run June 18th in Anchorage, Alaska for Team in Training. I anticipate that this run will be gorgeous and challenging, and I am terrified that there are only 7 weeks between me and the hardest challenge that I have ever chosen to face.

This Sunday, the first of May, is a major milestone in my Team in Training journey. I will be participating in my first "sanctioned' half-marathon - that is 13.1 miles people! The "Avenue of the Giants" is reportedly a beautiful run through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. I will be passing through and amongst the ancient redwoods Sunday morning.

While I have reached the mileage in my training, and I am aware of my ability to complete the mileage again, I am still very nervous. Running is largely a mental exercise for me. And every run, however short or long, is more practice in the art of distract myself. We cannot use iPods or other devices during these runs (safety issue), so I have been learning how to run without music. I have discovered a few keys to success on the long runs. First is scenery - I like to run on trails; I cannot run indoors, on tracks, nor up/down the street. Second, I am completing these runs for the Honorees that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society supports; I am running for Matt and Rob.

I am competing against myself. I work hard so that I can complete these endurance events to honor the fight that blood cancer patients and survivors endure. My training goals for this season are to complete these runs, on behalf of our Honorees. I will have to be cautious of my neck, it might take me hours to cross the finish line, I might walk more distance than I would like, I might not feel great when I finish, but I am WILL finish 13.1 miles this Sunday for Rob and for Matt. Go TEAM!

stay tuned!

Hiccups and The Function of the Neck

Hello All,

My sincerest apologies for my long absence from the realm of fundraising and training. I am on my way back (tortoise pace) from the world of injury and have just entered into a phase of life I like to call “Recovery and Awareness.”

Two weeks ago, I suffered a slipped disc in my cervical spine (scary!) and a subsequent muscle spasm in the left half of my neck (painful!), and was on diagnosed bed-rest and in a muscle-relaxer-induced coma for almost an entire week. Coming out of that “coma,” I have found that I have lost a lot:

• Precious time. I am surprised to find that today is the first of March. Who knew!? March, already! (Women’s History Month people – thank you mother, hug your sister, kiss your significant other, and appreciate all the women who make your existence possible and pleasurable!)
• Precious training. I looked at my marathon training schedule, and my cross-training schedule, and I was supposed to complete almost 40 miles of run-time in the two weeks I was “out of commission.” Sigh… It is hard not be feel frustrated, and daunted, by the idea of “catching up.”
• Precious fundraising. “Sidetracked” is the best way to describe the current status of my fundraising campaign. And I have a lot of ground to cover!
• Precious movement. You do not understand or appreciate the function of the neck until you no longer have a functional neck. Affected functions: essentially everything! Current movement status: 60% on a good day.

Physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, special sleeping arrangements, ergonomic everything, stretching, strengthening, pushing, pulling – it is all terribly uncomfortable, painful, and altogether frustrating.

But I cannot poo-poo on the fact that I have gained a lot from this experience:

• Precious awareness: of my body – how I have treated it in the past, how I need to treat it in the present, and what I need to be aware of as I transition our of “Recovery” and back into “Training.” I can no longer take advantage of the function of a neck, or any other body part/function – I am blessed to have a working neck and I need to be grateful to it, and thank it, every day.
• Precious awareness: of my time – lying in bed in a fog for days at a time, losing a sense of myself and time – my time is precious. It can be taken from you swiftly and without warning. I must appreciate the time I am given, and spend it wisely.
• Precious awareness: of my commitment to Team in Training. This lesson was the most difficult for me to “learn.” It has also had the largest impact. This evening, I contemplate the effect that this injury has had on me – I whine and moan about the pain and the inconvenience this injury has had on “crippling” my daily activity and longer-term goals. But it took me more than two weeks to consider how this injury pales in comparison to the struggle that blood cancer patients endure in their battle with treatment, recover, and remission. I did not choose to work with Team in Training – TNT chose me. I have met patients and survivors, have heard their stories and witnessed their struggles, and I willingly made the sacrifice to train my body (and mind) on their behalf. With my teammates at TNT, we train, endure, achieve and matter.

As I get back into the swing of things (hopefully, sooner rather than later), I need to be mindful not to give myself more than I can handle. I need to be mindful that I am doing all that I can to help those that need me. I need to be mindful that I will achieve my goals and I will do it well! I also need to be mindful that this injury is just a hiccup and that, with time and perspective, I am lucky it is not more serious.

I look forward to getting back to my training and fundraising. And I thank everyone who has been instrumental in my recovery and awareness!

Stay tuned!