American Cancer Society Relay For Life

My Reason to Relay

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is more than just an event to me. It is my personal opportunity to help save lives from cancer by supporting the American Cancer Society.

It's amazing to think that millions of people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Somebody close to us may be one of them.

But, by taking part in Relay, I am helping the American Cancer Society save lives by:

• Helping people stay well by helping them take steps to prevent cancer or detect it early, when it’s most treatable
• Helping people get well by being in their corner around the clock to guide them through every step of their cancer experience
• Finding cures by funding groundbreaking research that helps us understand cancer’s causes, determine how best to prevent it and discover new ways to cure it
• Fighting back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rally communities worldwide to join the fight
  

Please support my efforts by making a donation or by joining my Relay For Life team. Together, we have the power to help create a world where cancer can no longer claim another year of anyone’s life.

The Link to my personal donation site is below:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY10National?px=16582920&pg=personal&fr_id=21716

Thanks so much for reading!

peas and carrots

So I know it has been too long since I last blogged, so here I am. I have been busy the last two and a half weeks, doing pretty much nothing. The week after finals, I went to Homer to see my family there and to hang out with Steve while he worked there. It was pretty fun and relaxing. The weather was clear blue sky and bright warm sun and I even acquired some freckles while sleeping on the porch during the sunniest part of the day. Then we headed back home for a week of graduation festivities for Beka, my little sister. We got to spend a lot of time with my Grandpa, who was here visiting from Michigan for Beka's graduation. Steve and I also bought a newer car, a Jeep Cherokee, which we are pretty excited about.

Sunday was the Gold Nugget Triathalon, and it turned out to be very hard but overall a great experience. The race included a 500 meter swim, a 13 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run, in that order. The bike was definitely the easiest part for me, I really enjoyed that portion of the race. I got to use my new road bike, which made it even more fun. It was exciting to see how hard I could push myself. I had planned on training for the swimming and running portions of the event, but that just never happened. So I went into it having not been in a swimming pool for over a year and not having run more than 100 yards for over 6 months. I was still pretty happy with the results. The woman who won the event, Shannon Donely, finished with an overall time of 1:05:19 - One hour, five minutes, and nineteen seconds. My overall time was 1:44:56 and I placed 569 out of 1500. So that's pretty good in my book for not training AT ALL. In fact I have been really encouraged to train hard for next year to see how well I really can do. Here are the split times of the Donley first, then me:

Swim Bike Run

06:35 35:55 20:29

13:39 50:33 34:29

That leaves me with plenty of room for improvement, especially in the transition times, which I haven't shown above, but are added into our overall times.

This week I have been recovering from the triathlon and getting serious about my small produce garden. I planted my flowers on Monday, and built a little raised bed for my strawberry plants, peppers, peas, and carrots. I planted the strawberry plants, and transplanted my little pea and carrot seedlings from inside as well, but it will be a while before the peppers go out there, if ever. I'm hoping these strawberry plants do okay; my last bunch grew like crazy and were overall very productive - until the lawn maintenance people thought they were weeds and WEEDWACKED THEM. They were COMPLETELY OBLITERATED. As you can probably tell, this was not a pleasant experience, and I'm still recovering. I'll update pics as the "garden" (if you can call it that) grows. Now off for a nice bike ride with my boo to Kincaid.

okay I lied...

...I know I said I probably wouldn't post until next week, but these are just some pictures I needed to lift my spirits and bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

Finals Week.

So, it's finals week and I'm taking 20 credits. That's really all I can say right now, but hopefully I'll be back to normal posting after this week!

what? snow? still?!

Waking up this morning to 5 inches of wet snow that is still coming down was not my favorite. Especially after I literally biked all over Anchorage yesterday and was loving the sunshine and DRY sidewalks and roads (although the wind was a little brutal at times). But I have to concede that the snow is beautiful, and I love the way it muffles sound, so that as I walk to school in the mornings all I can hear is the snow still softly falling and the beauty of my own thoughts. Maybe this isn't such a bad thing...

waiting game

It feels like I am always waiting for things in life. Waiting for school to get out, waiting to hear back from potential employers, waiting for Steve to get home, waiting for summer, waiting for a newer vehicle, waiting to buy a house...the list just goes on and on. I'm glad I can recognize this, but I think it would be healthier (and happier) to try and focus on the goodness in my day to day life rather than thinking so much about the future and what it has in store for me.

On another note, I really need to get focused on training for the 500 yard swim and 5k run of the triathlon. I'm not worried about them at all, in fact I'm completely excited for them (and the 10+ mile bike of course - my favorite part!). I just want to know that I prepared for all aspects of the race so that I can put my all into it and therefore have the most fun, fulfilling experience possible. My goal is to finish the 5k run in under 28 minutes - slow, I know, but I want to make a goal that I can actually accomplish! Besides, the running is the final portion of the race and is therefore going to need the most mental preparation. I guess one way to start would be to get off the computer and get out there to train! Off I go...

lists are my favorite...

After spending 40 minutes on a conference call with 5 girls last night as we registered for the Gold Nugget Triathlon, I realized that I desperately needed to figure the other races available this summer that I wanted to participate in. So here's the list; we'll have to see how many I actually end up participating in! Last year I did the Skinny Raven Twilight 12K, the Alaska Run for Women (8K), the Mayor's Midnight Sun 5 Miler, the Homer News Spit Run (10K), and most of the Tuesday Night Race Series.

April 24 Saturday	Heart Run - Anchorage Meet 9 am - UAA Arts Building 3 & 5K - city streets, Race time 9:30 am Entry fee: $20 Bib pick up at 7:30am-9:00am
May 1 Saturday	Alaska Zoo Kids Fun Run - Anchorage Meet 9 am - Alaska Zoo Approx 1K - gravel trails, hill, animals Race time 10 am, Entry fee: $10 Contact: Pat Lampi 346-2133 plampi@alaskazoo.org Shannon Jensen 346-2133 www.alaskazoo.org Sponsored by: Alaska McDonalds Free zoo admission 9 - 11 am race day, register on-line, limited for kids between 3-10 yrs only Part of the Healthy Futures Series
May 2 Sunday	10th Annual Bike for Women Sunday, May 2, 2010 11:00am Chugiak High School Adults: $20
May 8 Saturday	Salmon Run -Anchorage Meet 9:30 am - Inlet View Elementary School 2, 5 & 10K - down N street, out & back on Coastal trail, ends at inlet view school Race time 10 am, Entry fee: $15/$30 with shirt $12/$27 w/t-shirt under 16, $50 family 4+ (immediate only), $20 late/$60 family Contact: Salmon Run Hotline 274-6960 2010salmonrun@yahoo.com Sponsored by: Inlet View PTA For info or download form, www.skinnyraven.com Family fun run/walk for all ages Part of the Healthy Futures Series www.healthyfuturesak.org
May 16 Sunday	Gold Nugget Triathlon - Anchorage Race time 9 am - Bartlett High School Approx distances 500M swim, 20K bike, 5K run Entry fee: TBD Contact: Betsy Haines haineswilson@ak.net www.goldnuggettriathlon.com Sponsored by: Check website for major sponsors The GNT Board of Directors is working hard to re-establish the course at Bartlett for the 27th annual race. Check the website for updates Part of the Healthy Futures Series
May 22 Saturday	Eklutna Lake Challenge - Eklutna Meet 9 am - Eklutna Lake Visitors Cabin 3 mile run, 15 mile bike on Eklutna Lake trails Race time 10 am, Entry fee: $30/$35 after 5/15 Contact: Barbara or Danny 746-4644 info@lifetimeadventures.net www.lifetimeadventures.net Sponsored by: Lifetime Adventures
May 25 Tuesday	Turnagain Arm Trail Run - Anchorage Meet 5:30 pm - McHugh Creek (4 miles) race finishes at Potter Trail head, Race time 6:30 pm Entry fee: $20 by 5/24, $25 race day Contact: Trond Flagstad 786-1285/229-3518 nordic@uaa.alaska.edu Sponsored by: UAA Ski Team & Skiwolves Booster Club Register on-1ine @ www.signmeup.com/67687 Proceeds benefit UAA Ski Team Scholarships
June 4 Friday	Skinny Raven Twilight 12K - Anchorage Meet 6 pm - Skinny Raven Sports, 800 H Street Downtown loop, road, bike trail, Race time 7 pm Entry fee: $20/$30 after 5/29, Registration ends 6/4, 6 pm Contact: Jerome Ross 274-7222 jerome@skinnyraven.com www.skinnyraven.com Sponsored by: Skinny Raven Sports Technical Breathable Active T’s available for $15
June 5 Saturday	Run for the Waves 5K - Anchorage Meet 1:30 pm - Delaney Park Strip (W End) 5K – Park Strip/Coastal Trail loop Race time 2 pm, Entry fee: $25/$35 race day Contact: Butch Allen 274-3626 butch@akcenter.org www.alaskaoceansfestival.org Sponsored by: Alaska Ocean Festival Prizes awarded to participants sporting Ocean related attire or costumes! T-shirts w/entry fee
June 12 Saturday	Alaska Run for Women - Anchorage Meet 8 am - Anchorage Football Stadium 8K – area streets and Coastal Trail Race time 9 am, Entry fee: Donation Contact: Missy Anderson 561-3136 run@akrfw.org www.akrfw.org Sponsored by Alaska Run for Women Board Championchip timing system used Benefit run to fight breast cancer, 100% of entry fee goes towards research & education. Walkers welcome. Largest women’s run in the state No Race Day Registration Part of the Healthy Futures Series
June 19 Saturday	Mayor's Midnight Sun 5 miler - Anchorage Meet 8 am - West High School 5.6 - West High to Earthuake Park Race time 9 am, Entry fee: check website On-line registration available until 6/16 Bib pick-up at Expo, 6/17 3-8 pm, 6/18 10-6 pm Contact: Parks & Recreation 343-4296 UAA 786-1325 track@uaa.alaska.edu Sponsored by: Anchorage Parks & Recreation, University of Alaska Anchorage & ConocoPhillips Register on-line & save @ www.mayorsmarathon.com Walkers welcome! T-shirts for participants NO RACE DAY BIB PICK-UP OR ENTRIES! 2nd in the 2010 Solar Series Challenge Series
June 26 Saturday	Homer News Spit Run - Homer Meet 8:30 am - Homer High School 10K -flat, from town end of Spit Race 10 am, Entry fee: None if signup before 6/22, $5 after, family event Contact: Lori Evans 235-7767 lori.evans@homernews.com McKibben Jackinsky 235-7767 Sponsored by: Homer News, South Peninsula Hospital & Homer Senior Citizens, Inc Check website @ www.homernews.com for info Postrace party & awards at Land’s End
July 10 Saturday	Bear Paw 5K Classic - Eagle River Meet 8:30 - 9:30 am - New China Restaurant Race time 10:30 am, Entry fee $20 $60 family 4+ (immediate only), $25 late/$75 family Contact: Salmon Run Hotline 274-6960 joryvst@pobox.alaska.net Sponsored by: Anchorage Women’s Clinic Hosted by: ANR/ERNTC Sign up at Skinny Raven, Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, Jitters, or download registration form @ www.cer.org or www.skinnyraven.com Fun for all ages, t-shirts for early registrants
August 7 Saturday	Alaska 5K Classic - Anchorage Meet 9:30 am - Elderberry park Race time 10 am, Entry fee: $25 Contact: www.10kclassic.com Sponsored by: Peak Performers Track Club Register on-line @ www.active.com Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Alaska www.healthyfuturesak.org
August 10 Tuesday	Fossil 5K - Anchorage Meet 6:30 pm - Kincaid Timing Shack Entry fee: $20 Contact: Katch Bacheller 274-2400 www.alaskamuseum.org Benefit for the Alaska Museum of Natural History in Mt View
August 15 Sunday	Anchorage Running Club's "Big Wild Life Runs" Snow city Cafe 5K - Anchorage Meet 8:30 am – 610 W 6th Avenue New 2 loop flat course on downtown streets Race time 9:30 am runners/walkers Entry fee: Check website Contact: bwlr@anchoragerunningclub.org Sponsored by: Snow City Café & ARC Register on-line @ www.bigwildliferuns.org USATF certified course, ChampionChip Timing NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION OR BIB PICKUP
Sept 14 Tuesday	Bonny Sosa Tuesday Night Race Series begins - Anchorage Meet 6 pm - check website for location Distances up to 10K, Race time 6:30 pm Entry fee: $2 kids, $5 adults, $10 family Contact: Outdoor Recreation 343-4217 www.muni.org/parks Sponsored by: Anchorage Parks & Recreation Farm, Lightning & Munchkin Leagues $30 series pass for adults, $60 for the whole family Register on-line @ www.active.com/running Part of the Healthy Futures Series www.healthyfuturesak.org