My Knee

I've been holding back quite a bit on training due to knee pain. Since my divorce my insurance is bad. Well, let me be frank...it sucks. Yes, I have some, but it isn't going to offer much assistance in terms of physical therapy, etc. My worry was miniscus or cartiledge and the possibility of doing signifcant damage. I didn't want to compromise my ability to run in the future or risk the need for surgery.

Luckily, I know people. :-) The diagnosis was classic runner's knee, or tendenitis. There are some things I can do to help healing. The bigger piece of the puzzle is looking for the source, whether it's form, lack of stretching, etc. that has recently caused the pain. Good news is, I can and should keep training. I know better now what is happening and how to both prevent, deal with and treat the reoccuring pain.

NOW, I just have to make it to the starting line. 59% there.

57% Finished

I'm at 57% raised for fundraising dollars.

On one hand I'm thinking 57% !!! Yay! That's over halfway. That's not much left. Then on the other hand ... That's still 43% more to go. Yikes!

I did the math, 57% of 26.2 miles is 14.94 miles. I can imagine when I hit that mark running I'll probably have about the same range of emotions plus burning muscles, a high heart rate and extreme light-headedness with 11.26 miles left to go. Half empty? Half full? It could go either way.

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you'll consider making a donation to help get me across that finish line, but most importantly to support the many children, adults and families impacted by blood cancers. The donation is truly for them.

Thanks! Happy Holidays!

Jen

At First It Was About the Running

I have to admit, at first my marathon effort was about the running. It was my newest addiction with fabulous health benefits, social networking benefits and a huge contributing factor to my new love affair with how good my legs look. Sure, I was open to the fundraising effort, but it wasn’t my driving force.
I’ve never been one to participate in charity work. I have avoided being involved when it comes to illness, suffering and need, whether it be cancer, the economy or otherwise. I’ve always felt so powerless. What can I do? What can I say? I’m just little me and those things are so big. So, I’ve avoided them. Avoided talking about them. Learning about them or getting involved in any way with them.

Something amazing has happened with my marathon training. It’s like I just woke up one day and it wasn’t about the running anymore. It was about the niece battling leukemia of an unknown girl at the bar who strong armed the patrons, to GIVE something, anything to this cause, as I was only gently requesting donations. I saw firsthand how it mattered to her. It was about a little boy that asked his mom why she could go home and he had to stay at the hospital. I know it matters to him. It was about a freshman at college who is determined to make his grades and continue on even with debilitating pain and no promise of an end in sight. I can see that this makes a difference in his life. Something broke through for me and I wept for these children, families, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers that are faced with their own mortality or potential loss of loved ones, without fairness, without explanation.

I have found myself inspired to reach out and to speak up, not for me, but for them!

Running has given me personal physical strength. It has given me emotional strength. It has challenged me to go further than I could go, faster than I thought I could and to carry on when I have wanted to quit. Running has helped given me courage to face challenges in my own life and helped me find my own power to make real and lasting changes in my personal circumstances.

That personal power has transformed into something bigger. This marathon is giving me the opportunity to place one foot in front of the other and help someone else in need. It helped me realize my own strength and commitment matter. It helped me realize, even though I cannot make it go away, I am not completely powerless to things like cancer. I realized that my footsteps can make a difference and that my voice counts. I know now that I may be small, but not insignificant. I am so very grateful that I am able to contribute even if it is only at a small level.

Sure, I am looking forward to crossing that finish line for the personal accomplishment. But it really isn’t about the running anymore. I don’t think I have the personal desire to actually complete 26.2 miles for me. I have nothing to prove and I am adverse to pain. I would have bailed on this event by now, but I won’t. I can’t. It is no longer for me. Your donation counts and if you aren’t able to contribute to this cause or even another, please take time to pray for those in need, as THAT IS powerful too.

So You Think You Can Wing It!

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Downtown Johnny's Hall of Fame

6PM-9PM

Join us for a night of fun-raising as our valiant contestants Wing it On in honor of our Team in Training teammates Zach and Nick, 2 boys both battling leukemia Local athletes, celebrities and community members are participating in a wing eating contest where the ultimate winner will be chosen by YOU!, the voting public.

Purchase an optional $5.00 wristband for drink specials with the funds going directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Mark your calendar! Invite your friends! I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

More details to follow soon!

My Children Are Hungry!

I've spent the afternoon touching base with family and friends, contacting venues for a possible upcoming event and researching ideas for a successful fundraiser for the LLS. So at 5PM, braindead and tired I realized I hadn't run today, hadn't prepared supper and didn't feel much further in my efforts than when I started. So I posted Please Help! My Children Are Hungry and the following video to facebook. I asked my network to buy a virtual piece of pizza for my children. Each slice reducing my time for fundraising, which keeps my kids fed and ULTIMATELY contributes to the children, adults and families facing Leukemia, Lymphoma or other life threatening blood cancers. What an amazing response. Two very generous donations totaling $600 arrived with in the next hour. One from my brother, who was recently laid off but refused to see the young ones hungry and the other from a new friend who has a strong personal connection to a family with a 9 year old boy currently battling leukemia. I give thanks everyday for my children's good health as I cannot bear to imagine the emotional and physical challenges patients and their loved ones endure. Everyday I pray for the healing of others and hope that the steps I take in this marathon can each be a step to support those who need it most. Thank you for your donations. It may be your dollar that finds the cure!

Back to the Gym

Gotten pretty off track with training. I'm a wimp when it comes to running in the cold and in the dark. I had a day where my knee felt like it was going to explode too, so all things combined I feel like I might as well be starting from day 1 of training.

I relented and put my gym membership back in place so I can utilize the treadmill, swimming, biking and stay on track with my core exercises, keeping all of me fit and hopefully taking some of the strain off the running muscles. Also, now I don't have any good excuse not run, because I can go inside.

When I ran on the treadmill the other day I could tell how my average pace was way down. I think I had slowed down and was getting comfortable at the easier pace since I wasn't utilizing anything to track my speed and keep me accountable and pushing a little harder.

If you haven't yet, I hope you'll consider clicking the link at the top right of my page to make a donation to LLS. Thanks!! Jen

FUN-Raising

Fundraising should be dubbed FUN-raising. My partners in crime, Nicole and Carrie, and I dressed up in cute running gear last Wednesday evening and did our own version of beggars night. We frequented several popular drinking establishments with our TNT trick or treat donation buckets and I must say people were very supportive to the cause. Our partner Robb was the designated driver keeping us safe as we had a drink or two and had a lot of fun with the idea. It's the first time I've ever worn a short skirt or knee socks and I must say all the running has done good things for my legs. I'll be looking for excuses to wear them again. lol.

Thanks everyone for your support!!

Time Management

Today I had to get the brakes done on my van. Yuck.
Wearing my tennis shoes and wishing I had just outfitted to run. Stuck here at the repair shop for at least another hour. Could have easily shot out the door and just jogged twenty minutes out and twenty back. Two birds one stone. But nooooo, I didn't feel like showing up in running gear or leaving sweaty or running in the cold rain for that matter. So, here I sit, in my running shoes and jeans wishing I had my ipod and seriously doubting that I will actually get this in later in the day. Drats.

1/2 Marathon .... CHECK

So many things running through my brain for the 2 hours and seven minutes that it took from the time the clock started to the time I crossed over the finish line.
Thought about how far I’d come since the year prior. Thought about how short 13.1 miles is compared to 26.2 and that 13.1 is pretty long for me. Thought about how maybe I should have had the pasta instead the fish and chips the night before. Thought about how PROUD I am of Haley for wanting and being able to run this event with me.
So, at about mile 4 I turn and look at Haley. “How ya doin’ babe?” I asked. And I kid you not, she GLARED back at me. Oh, holy guacamole, we could be in for a long run….
Mile 5.5 Haley asks me, “How much further?” I answer, “Too far to talk about now.”
Mile 7 Haley says, “Are we in that Water Park?”
Jen: Water Works Park?
Haley: yeah.
Jen: Yes, we are, isn’t it pretty?
Haley: It looked a lot smaller on the map.
Mile 8: My calves are burning, what the heck, maybe that week and half off from training did matter.
Mile 10: “Just know when you finish this Haley, You can finish ANYTHING!” and I sped up even though I knew her knees were bothering her, she was a couple steps behind me and the mom in me wanted to make it easier for her.
About mile 11 I say, “Almost there babe, about 2 miles left.” At this point Haley pops on ahead of me. She knows what two miles is like from cross country and apparently she is ready to end this thing. I couldn’t catch her. She got a good thirty plus seconds on me. I kept her in my sights until about the end.
At one moment, I was disappointed that I couldn’t catch up and finish with her. But then I thought about it and came to the conclusion, as her mom, I’m not here to compete with her or even have to always be with her, but if I can drag her butt out into the world, give her courage and enthusiasm to do something bigger than she thinks she can do (even while she glares at me) and finally be able to watch from behind as she finds strength and speed and finishes strong…well, then, I’ve won too.
What a fantastic event to do. We saw lots of people we knew. We celebrated the achievement with both family and friends. I’m definitely intimidated by the 26.2, but it’s time to get serious about that one. Time to up training, get back on track with diet and nutrition, recommit my efforts to fundraising and finish something, that at this moment, looks really big, really hard and well, I won’t lie…fairly painful.

I relate...

Shared by my friend Dara... Powerful words

"I LOVE YOU LORD!" and I heard Him responded through the thunders "RUN child RUN! Don't look back towards the past, press forward to the future for I have a plan for you!" "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected."(Hab 2:1).

Morning Jog

I am not comfortable talking on camera...lol

Hit a Wall

I haven't gone running for 6 days now. Life sort of tripped me up there a couple days and then I just have mentally faltered. Napped when I should have gotten out there. I also ate badly ALL weekend.

Off to a Re/Max meeting and then I have several hours of research and follow up to do for current clients to do today. The kids get home about 3:30PM and then Haley has a cross country meet at 5PM. I should run at least 5 miles which commits me for just under an hour including stretch time and then of course a 2nd shower, cause I'll be sweaty gross. Yikes, there are just not enough hours in the day.

Nike Naked Running Camp - You want to watch this!

Time to Ponder

So I showed up at 6:30AM for our running group on a Saturday morning. Sucks to get up that early. But felt good to run. I did eight miles and I've never been happier to hit the turn around spot at four miles and know that I was coming back home.

I pondered while I was running. Not sure how long it took me. I ought to invest in a stopwatch. It was probably about 70 minutes, more or less. Anyway, plenty of time to ponder.

I thought about the children, adults and families affected by cancer. I thought about what it was like to be in the hospital. Midnight visits, uncomfortable beds, lack of privacy, needles, tubes, nothing to do but sit and wait and sleep and be woken up as soon as you fall asleep. Hospitals suck a lot more than getting up at 5:30AM to run. I have nothing to complain about. My family is currently in good health and I am happy that I can use my health and commitment to run as a way to contribute to those who are facing the challenge of their lives. I hope if you've taken the time to visit my page you'll take a moment to make a donation. It's easy to do. Doesn't really cost so much and pays dividends to the health and healing of others. Thanks!

TNT Kick-OFF

Last Thursday myself and several of my co-workers from REMAX gathered for the Team In Training's kickoff event. We met great people that are also participating in marathons, 1/2 marathons, triathlons and walking events. Everyone with their unique reason for participating. Some of the running participants shared their personal stories and battles with cancer. It certainly strengthened my commitment to fundraise and to finish this event. It is hard to express how very right it feels to be joining in this cause. Like, I've always been meant to do this, I just didn't know it until now.

1st Donation!

Thanks Jen K. You're number 1! You're number 1!

I mentioned that I received my first donation at a meeting today towards my $3700 goal. The response was "Only $3699 left to go huh?"

Funny... NOT ... well, sort of :-)

My sincerest thanks Jen for getting the ball rolling! You Rock.

Blog and Webpage

Well, it seemed like running 26 miles would be the hard part. But perhaps that will be easy. Maybe it's raising my $3700 fundraising goal that is going to be the real challenge.

I have my webpage set up with team in training that allows for easy online donations. I just sent out a massive email request. Perhaps, that is why you found this? I still have a donation letter to put together and send through snail mail. I can already envision myself doing bake sales, can drives and pub crawls (Think I'll concentrate on pub crawls :-) ...)

I did the math. 100 people/organizations times a $37 dollar donation = $3700. Coincidence that my 37th birthday is this October? I'm setting the goal .... 100 $37 dollar donations by my 37th b-day. Will you be contributor # 1?

$5 ... $1000, any amount is welcomed and appreciated. Also, if you have a business that would consider being a corporate sponser let me know. I can obtain the needed information and would be happy to fill out a donation request.

Jen

How It All Started

I ran my first 5k in May of 2009. It was the Annual Dam to Dam event here in Des Moines. I had been running 3 to 5 miles faithfully on the treadmill at my gym, Aspen 3 to 5 days a week since November of 2008. However, real pavement running was daunting.

Between operating my childcare from 7AM to 5:30PM and working real estate evenings and weekends as well, being able to jog consistently without the assistance of Kids Klub at the gym was almost impossible. But I managed to get a few outside runs in before the event.

I completed Dam to Dam event with a time of 28 minutes and 30 seconds. Not bad for my first event. I was HOOKED on running. On July 2, 2009 I gave up my childcare business and went back to full time real estate with RE/MAX real estate concepts. (www.jengruberhomes.com) The new schedule allowed for outdoor running, hooray! With the encouragement of a friend (thanks Brian!) I decided to sign up for the Des Moines 1/2 Marathon coming up this October. It seemed huge, but what the heck. No time like the present. I utilized Gray's Lake and MapMyRun.com and have started running 4 to 10 miles on a regular basis.

Soon after my mental commitment to the DSM 1/2 Marathon, my broker Robb Spearmann introduced me to several other agents looking at The Team-In-Training participation at the Phoenix Rock-N-Roll Marathon. Hmmm...run a marathon, meet new friends, have great training support, learn about and donate to an important cause? There just doesn't seem to be any down side to this adventure.

Thanks for joining me and supporting me on this personal journey!

Jen