Thanks, Cancer.

There are a lot of things that really suck. Pediatric cancer is one of the biggest.

Take a minute and read this post from Tuesday. It's important.

These are not statistics drummed up by a special interest group. This is Gabby's real, every day life. Our life.

On Sunday, I'll be running my 7th half marathon, with 20 friends, all on Team Gab, all to fight pediatric cancer.

There are better, easier, more effective cures out there. I support PCRF, and their commitment to funding those cures. You can help. 80% of your donation goes directly to funding research and cures. It goes to those projects IMMEDIATELY. The money you donate today will be helping children tomorrow.

Cancer has done a lot of super shitty things - it turned my youngest child into a pincushion; it wreaked havoc on my older kids' routines and grades (for a trimester, no worries, all is well now); it cut our income in half; it completely changed Gabby's personality.

It's taken away opportunities.

It's introduced a world of uncertainty.

There are choices, every day, that we make, determining how we handle these things.

It's easy to be pissed. It's easy to be sad. It's easy to take it sitting down.

If I wanted things to be easy... well. I guess I wouldn't be a runner.

I choose to focus on things I can change.

I choose to show my children cancer is not the boss of us.

The changes that I fight for - better treatments, better cure rates, more alternatives - these are not things that we will benefit from. Gabby's treatment is what it is. But for the kids following her, I want better.

Cancer has shown my family what hope looks like. It's brought us closer than we were; probably closer than we would be now without it. It's strengthened me as a mother, a person. It's introduced me to amazing people. It's bonded me to great friends.

Most importantly - MOST IMPORTANTLY - it's been a catalyst.

So, yeah. It's not often that I'd think to say this.

But, thanks, Cancer. As much as you've jacked things up, you've given us so much more.

So take that.

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Yeah, it's race weekend.

I ran a pretty strong tempo on Tuesday, and nailed my goal paces, and felt strong. So....

Goal A: dun dun DUN. 2:10:59. Ambitious.

Goal B: 2:14:59

Goal C: PR (2:28), and don't die.

Weather so far looks pretty ideal - overcast and 55-60*. Last year The Sun was my undoing, so fingers crossed, this forecast sticks.

If I don't PR, I might cry.

That's a lie, I will definitely cry, and I will probably quit running forEVER.

Anyway. I'll be in a BRIGHT ORANGE PCRF shirt (VIP Runner on the back!) and gunmetal Team Sparkle Skirt - say hi!


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Last request, for now....

Click HERE to donate to Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Help kick cancer in the face.

Three Things Thursday

1. My azz hurts from the "Conditioning" class I took yesterday.
1a. I'm 97% sure "Conditioning" is code word for "You suck and need to be stronger so I will kick your ass until you are".
1b. I'm also 97% sure that the fact that my glutes hurt so much means... they need strengthening.
1c. Even with all the pain (ouch), I still can't bring myself to use the elevator to get to my 2nd floor office. Which makes me REALLY curious about people that work on the 2nd floor with me and use the elevator daily.

2. I forgot to bring a bowl with me today for my oatmeal, so I'm eating it out of a shaker cup. It's weird and awkward. Also, I just tried to take a bite, and apparently, shaker cups make it stay hot - REALLY hot - a LOT longer than bowls. Noted. Ouch.

3. I had very, VERY optimistic goals for my 10K this weekend. I'm a crazy person. I am re-evaluating those goals. I don't like to fail. I also considered dropping down to the 5K... because 10K is just such a sucky distance. Same strategy as a 5K - run hard, try not to puke - but twice as long. WHY?? WHY would I do that?? It doesn't sound like fun at.all.

Yeah. I can't imagine why I'm not faster...

Any 10K tips, since I'm googling "10K pace strategies" and psyching myself out?

I mean, besides "Don't puke".

Don't forget - shop with BIC Bands and in ChaCha's Etsy shop, and a portion of your sale will be donated to PCRF!! Click here to donate directly!

Weekend Roundup, Plan For The Week

1. If you missed it last week, I am EXTENDING the Team Gab Virtual Run an additional 2 week. You can CLICK HERE to read the details and sign up. There are still prizes from BIC Bands, Tommie Copper, Arctic Ease, Road ID, ViiAD Jewelry, and MORE.

2. Team Gab is sitting at $2,994 in fundraising - do you know what that is?

It's $6 away from $3,000. If everyone who read this donated a dollar, I bet we could top 3Grand TODAY.

And, if you donate a dollar - just one, tiny $1 - today, I'll add 3 entries to the Team Gab Virtual Run giveaway for this coming Friday.

Click HERE to donate.

3. PCRF kicked off their training program Saturday with what looks like about DOUBLE the size of the group we had last year - that is AMAZING.

Pepper, our fearless leader (and organizer) reported that the VIP Training participants had raised a total of $7,870 dollars as of Sunday.

Coach Doris is still extra peppy...

IF YOU ARE IN SOCAL, AND ON THE FENCE ABOUT JOINING.... Renegade Racing is offering a 15% discount good through tonight at midnight. You can register HERE, select "Join a Team", type in "Team Gab", and use discount code "presidentrenegade".

The VIP option is an EXCELLENT choice if you want to join a fun group, receive professional coaching and training, and raise money. If you are interested, email me for info.

4. After my run with the group, I went home and put on real person clothes, and headed back out to do some shopping for a party #2 had to go to....

oops. Lulu-aide strikes again.

5. Then we took #2 to the party, sat in Souplantation eating all the things for 90 minutes, went back to pick her up, and locked our keys in the car. So, that was fun.

6. Sunday, I skipped anything active. Yeah. That's right. I skipped a 10 mile run. I didn't cycle like I said I would instead. I slept until 7:30, woke up and won a couple eBay auctions. And then went shopping with #1.

Best purchase of the day. $4!! Then, I met my friend and her pretty baby at Souplantation and sat around eating all the things (again!) until it was lava cake time. It's true, that happened. Followed by a trip to 85*C bakery, again.

Yes, FourSquare, in fact I DO love fresh baked goodness.

7. And that brings us to today, where apparently I'm the ONLY PERSON in OC working.

LAME.

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To recap last week....
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 6 miles, easy, 1:04:47, 10:47 pace. (Of note, my real 10K PR is 1:06:05....)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Normally, this is speed work day. But, I was extra tired and thought I needed some extra rest.
Friday: ...and switched my 10x400 to here. Turns out, I was STILL extra tired, and probably should have made this an easy run, but instead, I did this:

Man, did it suck. It was my first time running intervals outside (thanks to some EXCELLENT directions from The Jesse!), so it definitely took a few tries to get the feel for the correct pace. When I got home and uploaded my data, I am equally horrified and excited to report, there were SEVERAL points that I was running 6:03-6:08 pace. I don't even know how to fathom how fast that is, and it's OBVIOUSLY unintentional. I had no idea that capability even existed in my super short stupid slow legs. Anyway, in the end, I think I loved doing the intervals outside, I think I just clearly need to practice this more - and now that it's staying light out longer, I don't feel so creepy running outside alone.

Saturday: 4 miles, easy pace with PCRF. LOVE THIS GROUP.

For this week.....
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 6 miles easy
Wednesday: I might try to hit the Mind Body class PCRF provides for us. Maybe. It's so early, though - 6am. And then I'd have to come into work late. So... not sure.
Thursday: 6 miles easy
Friday: rest
Saturday: RACE DAY (for REAL, I've double checked). 10K. I'll post later about my goals.

I feel like this was really long, and you're probably not reading still by this point, so now seems like a good time to throw in that I'm reallllllly excited and again, equally ashamed, to start planning a trip to Knoxville (Knoxville, no really) to see Lemonheads March 3. I know. I'm out of control. It's madness. In my defense, this time, This Lady started it. And, we're in agreement that considering my BFF Evan Dando's current lifestyle, there's no telling how much time we really have left to enjoy him. So.... might as well.