Sunny California

What a beautiful few days. Sunny and hot. Today we went to the beach, great hot sunny weather. Walked for two hours on beach, yesterday about 5 miles in neighborhood and Monday ran 7 miles around neighborhood. Enjoy the pictures and thanks for donating to CPC
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

Spring Break Portland

Last week was spring break so went to see my daughter in Portland. We walked everyday since Dave doesn't run we still walked at least 6-10 miles everyday to places like Voodoo doughnuts, Pearl Bakery, Waffle Window and Stumptown coffee. Admittedly did get out of the running routine especially since I also got a calcium deposit on my left shoulder causing severe pain and got an mri and a cortisone shot for it. Have been on Vicadin and anti inflammatory meds for more than a week. But have kept up the walking daily. Enjoy the pictures and if nothing else will walk the 5k if cannot run. Please contribute to such a worthwhile cause for Community Pregnancy Centers
gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

Day Nine

Went for a short run yesterday and a long walk today. Again two gorgeous days, warm and sunny though they say rain to come. Pictures of the hills and wild flowers, the camera phone doesn't do the color justice, the bright greens and yellows.
Thanks for all the support, God bless
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

Crocheting

Sometimes I think I have add because I get bored so easily. Have been crocheting hats for the oncology ward at the hospital, they work up quick in an hour or so, and since visiting the NICU ward am now making baby blankets. They take much longer however in several hours. Here my personal trainer is modeling one. Crocheting is so addicting and I love doing it, so much so that in the eighties I made a living at it. I had my own booth at craft shows from San Francisco to Monterey and sold in antique stores or linen stores. Handmade crocheted afghans, my specialty being an original pattern fisherman knit. Aunt Margie's Afghans and I made them during the week while I watched my kids and daycare kids, then sold them on the weekends at art and wine shows. They were very popular and unique and one store owner I sold them too was an interior designer and told me what colors were hot and I sold even more with her advice. But alas my arms wore out and I got tendinitis in my shoulders from the repetition of movement. I could make a full size afghan in a day, was really fast. So now can only make so many and have to stop. Getting ready to run now, God bless and please support the CPC and my 5k at
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

Day Eight

Went for a short run in the neighborhood. Another pretty trail through the houses. This one is more necessary than the other trail, it divides the streets into cul de sacs and increases the property value. At the end of the trail is a huge park and power lines. When the kids were little there was a real estate agent named Rick Funk who used to put on Easter egg hunts in this huge piece of grass. It is all grass and bushes no playground or anything and you can hear the buzz of the power lines set right in the middle of it. The whole neighborhood turned up in the eighties for it. For Christmas he used to go on a horse drawn carriage around the neighborhood dressed as Santa. He hasn't done this in years but was really memorable and fun, was totally free to everyone, like his way of thanking the neighborhood for his business. Only ran 2.9mile today, was hot and in the middle of the day, tire easily when hot.
Thanks for your support http://gifttool.com/athon/myfundraiser

Day Seven

This was a colorful route that I had only taken walking in the dark hours of the morning or riding a bike through years ago. Went 5.78k today through the neighborhood and a park trail that goes through the neighborhood. This trail has been there over 30 years and was just dirt up until a few years ago when they beautified it spending of coarse millions of tax dollars for what I believe to be completely unnecessary. The trail was accessible and fine the way it was now it is paved and fancy with landscaping and trees. Anyway another beautiful day, hot and sunny, ran the whole way in 55 min. Still working on time to go faster, but confident of ability at this point. Was going to ride my husband's free American Express points bike which I rode the other day no problem but now the breaks are honking like a duck. My bike needed the tires pumped up and the valve broke off so need to get that fixed. I fixed up the bike last year after at least 10 years sitting outside in the rain and weather. Put on new tires, got off all the rust, new tape and seat and for $60 it rides like new, thanks to the help of my husband and daughter's boyfriend. I bought the bike in 1979, Raleigh Record Ace. Bought it for $200 then and it is $200 now, expensive then, cheap now. My other bike from 1981 is a Peugeot made in France that I gave to my daughter for college. Bought that for $400 then and is $400 now, wild. Thanks for your support,God Bless
http://gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

Day Six

Today took my run across the street from my house, mapped it with MapMyRun.com and was 5.69k. We went later in the day and are used to going when it is dark either early in the morning or late in evening, so was not as into running and walked for the most part. Still it is good to get out and get going. Gorgeous day, sunny and hot, just an ever slight chill to be comfortable while running. Saw 11 deer on golf course no mountain lions. Last summer when we went this way early in the morning there was a mountain lion at the top of the hill. In the morning more animals are out, just squirrels today. Feel good, yesterday made hats for the chemotherapy patients at hospital, so today did my run and tomorrow my hospital visits. My son the MMA professional says it is good to start to run every other day so not to overexert or lose interest. I am also training for a bike path that I really want to ride. It starts at the Shoreline in Mountain View and ends at the Stevens Creek Reservoir, 25 or so miles. Baby steps. God Bless
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

I Did It

Ran the 5k around my neighborhood (mapped by www.mapmyrun.com) without stopping. My personal trainer (my golden retriever Genie) is passed out on the couch. Feel great, nothing hurts stretched first and watched my breathing. Reading a book about running for distance called Chi Running really interesting, tells you how to focus on breathing, posture, focus and is more about using momentum to carry you through the run then strength so can go farther without tiring or injury. I forgot my ipod for the run so focused on my breathing, to breathe deeply and not shallow once and a while to let out the old air in the bottom of the lungs and really worked well was able to breathe easier for the entire run and not tire. Kept worship songs on my mind and Phillippians 4:8 "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is any thing praiseworthy, meditate on these things." God Bless, and to donate copy and paste-
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

day four

Went running with Genie, my personal trainer (golden retriever) about 50 min. 3miles or a little more on the trail down the street. Saw ducks in the full rushing creek and a bunny ran across our path. Turned back when I saw the coyote on the hill not more than thirty feet away, didn't want my trainer to be anyone's breakfast. Feel good and active with every day feel stronger and eating more healthy, fruit with every meal and no desserts. Thanks for your support for this 5k run for CPC on April 9th at Lake Almaden in San Jose
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage

DayThree

Went for a walk this morning with husband and dog.
Saw 11 deer at the golf course grazing.
Then went for short bike ride and saw at least 15 wild turkeys in front of a house grazing. Was good to get back on my bike. I was on my bike last in August and had a hard time breathing. Almost called Dave for a ride home because the pain breathing was so bad but braved it out and made it back. Went right to the doctor and they did ex-rays and a ct scan and said I had Pleurisy, an inflammation of the lung lining. So took meds for almost two weeks before it went away, felt good today to get back on the bike. Yesterday took a day off of training to do my chaplaincy homework, on page 15 of a 31 page open book test of one of the books for the year long coarse. I also finished crocheting the hats I was working on during the week for the oncology floor at the hospital where I do weekly visitations. Thanks for supporting my goal of my first 5k run for CPC on April 9th
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage.
I will keep this blog updated with progress reports hopefully daily or as often as possible. I look at the top of my blog and see the picture of the Grand Canyon and know I can do this 5k because we hiked the Canyon in one day from bottom to top end to end. That took 11 hours and couldn't walk for four days but was so worth it! Tell a friend of this cause and God Bless.

My Progress

Today is my second official day of training for the 5k run on April 9th in San Jose for CPC (http://gifttool.com/athon/myfundraisingpage to donate). A little background on my physicality first. I have always loved sports and was a major tomboy growing up. I climbed trees, rode bikes, was in all the girls sports in grade school and jr. high ie: basketball, softball, volleyball (that was all the school offered) and played tennis on a regular basis. I went to a private very competitive high school and was too intimidated to join a sport which is still my regret, however continued tennis, jogging and sports on my own.
Riding my bike was always my favorite activity and I would ride for hours but not for exercise then it was just to get out of the house and see how far away I could go.
Over the years with marriage, family, and jobs I still have had a desire to exercise, so ride my bike when I have the time, go to a class at the gym when I have the courage, and jog fairly often. My husband and I usually walk for hours on the hilly streets of San Francisco or the beautiful neighborhoods of Monterey at least once a week and at least 6-15 miles. I started training in January seriously with my dog and started slowly walking/jogging and built up in a few weeks to 3-4 times a week and more jogging then walking. Then my husband and I were hit by a car while walking to Starbucks and that recovery process put me behind. Now however I have given myself a definite concrete goal to reach of April 9th at Lake Almaden in San Jose for the 5k run.
The other day I started with the dog around the neighborhood walk/jog, and today I went to the gym and did 3 miles on the treadmill in 47 minutes. My goal is to be able to run the distance with no walking and in a decent time. I have had asthma all my life since I was 6 so always try to overcome the breathing with straight posture, not overexerting, Advair daily and an inhaler when too much workout, but it is manageable and I know I can do this.
I love to "exercise" what people call it now, growing up it was just fun to move and that mindset is the key to knowing that this isn't only necessary but it is really fun. My major goal is to work up to a 12k run to do with my son, an MMA pro, possibly the Bridge to Bridge run in SF. Someday, what is the phrase, the greatest journeys start with the smallest of steps? or am I making it up. Thank you for your support and please pledge for this great cause.