Everytime...

Everytime I think about how close the race is and when I see it posted on here, I get butterflies in my stomach. Does this happen to anyone else?

Good job on the fundraising Aoni! The letter that you did was great and I used it with minor adjustments. I sent out about 15 letters yesterday and would have done more but I had no stamps. I am sending them out to every person conceivable. I sent them to all of the people in my Mom's address book and I didn't even know half of them! I have about 100 people to send them to, which includes people like Mr. Murray, Mr. Larnard, Mrs. Gall and my old gymnastics coach! I have no shame when asking people to donate! Lol! The only thing that makes me mad is that you guys are fundraising too, so I can't ask your parents for money! LMAO!

Also - Aoni, here is an idea. Write a letter to your chapter of Chi Omega. Maybe the chapter will donate and maybe some individuals will too. They are always hitting us up for money, time for us to do the same!

Kiss Cafe

Here is there web address:

http://www.kisscafe.us/

Check it out!

It's only 13 weeks away!!!!!!!!!! We need money so here's a solution:

Erin's fiance Aaron has volunteered to play one night and make some of the admission dollars go towards Leukemia & Lymphoma. Sort of like a charity concert!!!!!! He already has 2 nights scheduled at Kiss Cafe in Baltimore so I am wondering if these dates work for any of you??? July 8th or August 12th? Please let me know asap! Once we get a date we just need to clear things with Kiss Cafe. Aaron has played there several times so hopefully it will be okay. For those who have never been there it is a neat place located in Canton. It is a good size, nice bar, dinner tables, pool tables etc.... If either of these dates won't work out we can pick another date. Erin said friday nights are better. We would just have to promote the event and get all of our friends and others to come. This can benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma and also Aaron. He is an awesome musician & singer and i think he could be famous one day with his music!!! He is really, really good!

Just reply with what dates work for you even besides the ones listed!

Well keep up the good work with run/walk! The race will be here before we know it!!!!!

Andrea

YARD SALE

YARD SALE IN CROFTON ON JULY16TH.
EARLY, EARLY, ANYONE CAN SLEEP OVER. START COLLECTING AND ASKING PEOPLE IF THEY HAVE THINGS TO DONATE.

Not sure if anyway noticed....

But the ads at the bottom of the page are gone. I got an email from Google last night saying that our ad had been deactivated because we had done something that was against their policy and guidelines. Of course, they couldnt tell me what and they won't reply now to my emails. So the $150 that we raised is gone, and we can not qualify for another account. I am still trying to work on this, but it doesn't look good. I believe that our quick way to get some fundraising is over :( I am very mad still.

On a better note, I got my fundraising binder. I am excited to get to work on fundraising!

FIRST GROUP TRAINING

ON SATURDAY I WENT TO THE FIRST GROUP TRAINING SESSION IN ANNAPOLIS. THERE WERE LIKE ABOUT 15 PEOPLE THERE. WE ALL TOOK TURNS INTRODUCING OURSELVES AND GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER. THEN WE DIVIDED INTO WALKERS AND RUNNERS AND WE WERE SPLIT ABOUT 1/2 WAY FOR EACH. I DECIDED TO WALK SINCE I DID'NT THINK I COULD KEEP UP W/THE RUNNERS. SOME WALKERS DID 3 MILES, MY COACH AND THIS OTHER GUY DID 7 MILES RUNNING. MYSELF AND 2 OTHERS DID 4 MILES IN ABOUT AN HOUR. NOT TOO BAD. ONE OF THE MENTORS THERE WAS TELLING ME THERE IS THIS GUY THAT WROTE SOME BOOKS ON THE WALK/RUN METHOD. (WALK5 MIN RUN 2 MIN OR WHATEVER) I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHO IT WAS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I THINK I WANT TO DO. OUR COACH SAID THAT EVERYONE DOING THE MARATHON WILL WALK AT SOME POINT SO SOME WILL JUST BE WALKING MORE THAN OTHERS. I SUGGEST TO EVERYONE TO GO TO AS MANY GROUP TRAINING SESSIONS. THEY ARE GOOD MOTIVATION, GOOD PEOPLE TO TALK TO AND THEY CAN GIVE YOU GOOD ADVICE. THIS WEEK SOMETIME I'M GOING TO GO TO SPECIALTY SHOE STORE IN COLUMBIA CALLED FEET FIRST. SUPPOSEDLY THEY ANALYZE YOUR GAIT AND FIND THE BEST SHOES FOR YOU. MY MOM SAID I SHOULD PROBABLY GET TWO PAIR AND ALTERNATE. I ALSO WANT TO GET A HEART RATE MONITOR. EVERYONE SAYS POLAR IS THE BEST. I'M REALLY GETTING EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE SO AWESOME AND A GREAT FEELING WHEN ITS OVER. MY MOM, TOM, MY BROTHER AND MY GRANDMA ARE ALREADY MAKING PLANS TO COME TO THE RACE.
ALRIGHT ABOUT FUNDRAISING, MY LETTER WILL BE SENT OUT THIS WEEK. HOPE EVERYONE'S LETTERS ARE ALMOST DONE. I AM ALSO PLANNING ON HAVING A YARD SALE AT MY HOUSE SOMETIME IN JULY AND AM TELLING MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IF THEY WANT TO DONATE STUFF TO IT. SO I HOPE YOU WILL ALL WANT TO PARTICIPATE. WE SHOULD TRY TO PICK A DATE SINCE I KNOW SUMMER WEEKENDS BOOK UP QUICK. WE CAN ORDER TNT SIGNS AND THINGS FOR FREE TO ADVERTISE IT. I DON'T THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM W/THE $.
GOOD LUCK W/YOU TRAINING!!!!

Doesn't this sound like fun?

http://www.craftsbury.com/run/

All of this marathon chatter has really gone to my head, especially if I think this would be a fun trip!

Fundraising Page

Andrea and I have set up our fundraising pages with TnT. Actually, Harmony may have too. You can view them at www.teamintraining.org/mdm and click on Donate to Maryland Participants. You don't have to donate now (notice I said now).

I went for a run yesterday and Marley drove me crazy. I am not even sure how far I went because everytime a car, dog or person passed, he ran straight back to my townhouse. I wonder if Mark Dale will babysit him while I work out at the gym. They could play in his office.......

15 Weeks to Go!

Welcome to week 5!!!

Hoping everyone is getting signed up and committing for real! Work out for this week:

monday-1.5 miles
tuesday-2 miles
wednesday-30 min cross train
thrusday-1.5 miles & strength
friday-REST
saturday-2 miles
sunday-Rest & strength

Have a good week!!!

KICK OFF BREAKFAST

ANDREA, HARM AND I WENT TO THE KICK OFF BREAKFAST YESTURDAY. IT WAS GOOD WE GOT TO MEET A FEW MENTORS(WHICH ARE JUST NORMAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE A MARATHON AND HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO BASICALLY JUST BE THERE FOR YOU IF YOU NEED HELP OR TO TALK OR WHATEVER)
THEY ALSO HAD THE FOUNDER OF TEAM IN TRAINING GET UP AND SPEAK. ANOTHER REAL MOTIVATING SPEAKER WAS THIS GIRL WHO TOLD ABOUT HER FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE SHE WAS A BENCH WARMER ON THE SOCCER TEAM AND THE ONLY GIRL THAT MADE HER FEEL LIKE SHE SHOULD BE THERE WAS A GIRL SHE ENDED UP BECOME BEST FRIENDS WITH. A YEAR AFTER THEY GRADUATED COLLEGE HER FRIEND GOT LEUKEMIA AND DIED. AFTER SHE DIED SHE WENT TO HER GRAVE AND PROMISED THAT SHE WOULD RAISE 100,000 DOLLARS FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY. HER FRIEND DIED IN 1998. THIS COMING UP MARATHON IS HER 17TH EVENT AND SHE HAS RAISED 57,000 DOLLARS SO FAR. THREE WEEKS AGO HER MOTHER TOLD HER SHE HAS BRAIN CANCER. SO FOR ANYONE THAT IS NOT SURE THEY WANT TO DO THIS, I HOPE THIS STORY MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND AND ANYTIME YOU ARE TIRED OR DON'T FEEL LIKE RUNNING, REMEMBER WHAT THIS ONE GIRL HAS AND HAS BEEN DOING FOR HER FRIEND FOR 6 STRAIGHT YEARS. I THINK WE CAN SACRIFICE OUR TIME FOR 4 MONTHS.
HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL!

Week #4 Quote

"As for courage and will - we cannot measure how much of each lies within us, we can only trust there will be sufficient to carry through trials which may lie ahead." Author: Andre Norton

I am very tired, so I gotta go.
~Jenny

Fundraiser idea

Hey - what about having a silent auction? Do you think that is something we would be able to pull off?

Saturday Breakfast and a New Team Member

Hey Everyone!

Very excited to annouce Harmony is a definite and going to join our team saturday at breakfast!!!

Also just got an email from Jessica from TNT and it stated bring whoever for sign up and there will be a quick information session beginning at 8:30 so I don't think new sign ups need to get there 1/2 hour earlier.

Jenny are you coming up friday night??? do u want/need to stay at my place??? the bed is all yours! Just let me know!

Everyone want to meet at my house at 7:45ish??? Harmony will probably just meet us there. I was thinking it we could all get in 1 car it would be better b/c parking is so expensive down there and we could just split it.

Quote on Commitment

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."~ Art Turock

We have all committed to train for the marathon and to raise the funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As of now, I see us as a team. We need to rely on each other and support one another to acheive these goals. You putting off training or not working on your fundraising does not only hurt yourself, but it hurts the whole team.

Imagine how great it will feel to cross that finish line and be able to say "I ran a half-marathon and raised over $2,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Now that I got that sappy stuff out of the way - get out there and run :)

Time to Get Serious

It's time for me to get serious too! Now that I am no longer working at the Tides and the semester is over, I will definitely have plenty of time to dedicate to running. I know that Andrea, Sarah, Kim and I are definites. Has anyone heard from Betsy or Harmony? Maybe they could come to the breakfast and learn about what it is TnT does. I think I need to be there a half hour early to sign up. Lauren is registered for the marathon, but she isnt doing TnT. She doesnt want to be responsible for all that money right before her wedding. Plus, it would just be one more headache for her. Jessica K. also said that she was a definite, but I havent really heard from her. I will shoot over an email today.

I love this blog. Its fun to see everyone writing and commenting on stuff. I think its cool that Tim Steppe wrote us some words of encouragement! Andrea, when you personalize your website through TnT, be sure to tell people to visit this site. I think that if people see all that we are doing and can follow along with our progress they will be likely to donate.

I am also bringing my camera this weekend so we can take pictures at the breakfast and if we run afterwards. :)

IM READY

OKAY, NOW THAT MY MOTHER IS HITCHED, IM READY TO GET SERIOUS. THE WEDDING WAS AWESOME. MY MOM IS SO HAPPY. MAYBE ILL TRY TO POST SOME PICS.
I ALSO WANT TO GO TO THE BREAKFAST. JENNY-COULD YOU LIST ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PLANNING ON DOING THE MARATHON BECAUSE IM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHO IS PARTICIPATING. THANKS. IM EXCITED ABOUT ALL THIS!
KEEP THE POSTINGS COMING THEY MOTIVATE ME.

Motivation

I found this article on motivational quotes for runners and thought I would pass it along. I am looking all over for different motivational things for the site. If anyone finds something, please post it!
http://running.about.com/od/getmotivated/tp/toptenquotes.htm

WEEK 4!!!

Hey Ladies!

Well it is now time to get serious with the training!!! No more excuses!!! Let's get in shape and for a great cause!!!

Sun-rest & strength training
Mon-1 mile
Tues-1 1/2 miles
Wed- 20 minutes of cross training
Thur-1 mile & Strength Training
Fri-REST
Sat-1.5 miles but why not try and do 2 miles
Sun-REST & Strength Training

I have not follwed the workout plan all the way through yet either so I am turning over a new leaf tomorrow and I mean it!!!

Good luck and have fun!!!!

Kickoff Breakfast Meeting May 14th!!!

Who all is going to the TNT Kickoff Breakfast Meeting this saturday May 14th???

Jenny you and your friend are more than welcome to stay friday night and whoever else. Our bed for the spare bedroom is getting delievered tuesday!

The breakfast starts at 8:30 so I say we should aim to get there around 8:15 or so. We could all meet at my house if you wanted and ride into the city together. If we left my house around 7:45 that would be more than enough time to get there by 8:30. Sarah no drinking bottles of wine the night before!!!

Please let me know who is planning on going!

P.S. Happy Mother's Day Kim!!!

TnT Website

I went on the website and looked up Andrea on the participants list. I donated a little bit to you :) I tried to find others, but there were no other names. That is a good way to get people to go online and donate using credit cards!
Andrea - don't forget to post week 4
I can't wait until next weekend! Not only do I get to sign up for the marathon, but I love french toast!
A girl that I work with at The Tides is interested in running too. Her name is Jessica Abell. She went on the site and said it sounded like a lot of fun. She has been interested in running a marathon and looked at this one last year.
I can't wait!
Keep clicking on the ads and search engine on here. I plan on splitting all profits between all of us. So far I think we are at $85!

It's Week 3 Already?????

Sorry I havent posted in a while, things are kinda hectic over here!
None of the SMC runners made the meeting :( but Jessica at TnT left me a message and it's not a problem. There is a kick-off breakfast on May 14th in Baltimore and I know Andrea is planning on going. I am going to go too, but need some place to stay the night before. Kim and Jess, maybe you guys wanna go too?
I hope everyone is running hard! The weather has been bad, but apparently that hasn't stopped Andrea!
Keep clicking on the ads and using the search engine! We have over $75 now, and this money will be split evenly between the runners. Tell your friends and family to use it too!