Injury!!

Part of our wonderful group

Yes, I have hurt my left foot.  Thursday night I believe.  At any rate. I could hardly step on it on Friday.  I immediately went to the shoe store and got new inserts for my shoes.  They have helped, but it still hurts today, Sunday.

So I read that when one gets hurt one takes at least three days off training.  Since I noticed it on Friday.  I take Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off.  And I should apply the R-I-C-E method to it.

R  is for Rest

I is for Ice

C is for Compression

and E is for elevation.

Not sure what good compression will do me in this case. But….I am doing rest and will start ice today.  Yes, I know I should have been doing it all along but I didn’t think.  Well there you have it I didn’t think.

So yes I have seriously thought about quitting.  September 13 is coming nearer and nearer and I have raised about $100 in fund raising.  The funds in this case must be raised before the race not collected afterwards.

The money goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   The link for donations is http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/BigSurHM11/fattieintraining,

Logo for TNT/LLS

Cross training Wednesday

Logo for TNT/LLS

Hi, Just a Short note to let you know I have joined Team in Training and am working towards doing the Monterey Big Sur Half Marathon, walking.  I have never done anything like this before. The furthest I’ve ever walked was about 5 miles  hiking about five years ago.  Currently I am working toward being able to walk 4 miles.

So what I have done up to now is work out each week. And this last weekend I became ill with a UTI, for which I have taken three days antibiotics and today is back to training again.  So I got up this morning and went to the gym and rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes and 3.66 miles. I know not a stellar time, but my heart rate stayed down the entire time, so I am ready for greater things I think.

One of the important things to do is to stretch out. So I took a photograph of the gym’s sign explaining how to stretch for cardio workouts.

I have also started reading a book about Marathons/half Marathons  called Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield. Do I know what I am doing? No.  But I am trying anyway.

TNT gave me a goal of $2400 to raise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, http://lls.org, and have my own website  for those of you who want to share in this cause.

At any rate, I have gone down to Santa Cruz and sung on the boardwalk.  I was going to give a concert but I had to cancel because my accompanist withdrew.  So I am rescheduling for later in September.  Meanwhile I am setting myself up with poster boards, flyers, table and chair and am going to begin sitting outside grocery stores and other businesses to try to collect donations.  As well as walking door to door of businesses and handing out flyers.

I also will be sending out donation letters to relatives and friends.

Is this hard?  Yes.  I have no idea what I am doing.  I am winging it all the way.  Do I believe that I can do this ?  Others have. So I think it is possible. I do know I am giving it as good a shot as I know how.

Challenges for me are my weight, my age, my health, my willpower.  I believe that for me to do this is a miracle of God.  The thing is I want to give back instead of being a leech.

Somewhere over the Rainbow Saturday

On Los Gatos Creek trail

To bring those new to this up to speed, I am a 55-year-old Fat woman, who started out July 8 to train for a half marathon, walking.  I am going to do the Monterey Big Sur.  I have joined Team in Training which supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  The first miracle will be me making 13.1 miles. The second will be me raising $2400 for the cause.  Towards that end I have started fund-raising. I am writing on-line about this regularly.  And I am singing a benefit concert August 27.  I used to sing with the Arizona Opera Chorus, plus I did a few small parts in productions in Tucson, as well as give concerts. I tended the University of Arizona for voice.  I have also performed in Spokane Washington as well as done a few things around the Bay area. But in all honesty, this will be the first real concert I have given in several years. I also decided to go down to Santa Cruz and sing on Pacific Ave. and throw my hat down.

Thursday, I practiced with my accompanist for the first time.  It went reasonably okay. I thought she was going to do a good job.  That was the day when I realized I might be getting sick with a UTI, and so I started chugging the cranberry juice.  Friday morning I went to the doctor to get tested.  Also on Thursday night I went to Los Gatos High School and we used the track to figure out our pace.  Our walking team captain is Lisa.  And she knows so much about how to get a pace going. She says that ideally the right  foot should strike the ground 180 times a minute.  I tested out at about 45 strikes a minute.  But the rest of the team were stellar I could tell they were doing really well. Because shortly after we started they were a quarter of the track ahead of me.  These people have  wings on their feet. I am awestruck.  But that’s okay, I got to say hi and great going to everybody at least twice for every round of the track I made. I haven’t talked about the others on the team and I think I should start doing that so I will try to start featuring them every week as well as a snap shot of them.  Lisa talked to us a while about how the foot should strike the ground and where to hold the arms to keep the hands from swelling.  Chris is the exercise coach and he had us doing planks.  Standing on one foot then another. Doing lunges and arm swings.  Each exercise I tried to do but on all except the marching in place I only got about three repetitions done before I had to quit.

But it was a really good workout, and although we (I) didn’t get that far, only  1.25 miles,  my legs and arms were exhausted afterwards.

Friday morning I went into the doctor to get tested and it turns out I have a light inflammation and the rest of the results won’t be in until Monday, so I am spending the weekend swilling cranberry juice and water, as well as using D-Mannose,  a home remedy that is sometimes held to be of help.  Friday, my husband and I went down to Santa Cruz. He had an optometrist appointment, and I took my music for the concert and stood on the sidewalk and sang my way through them with a hat on the sidewalk in front of me, wearing my Team in Training t-shirt.  There were a few things I didn’t know. First of all apparently the local musicians who play there were very curious about me standing there singing opera.  I had a few long and curious stares.  Plus, somebody, drove by a car more than two or three times with music blaring loudly and hooting at me on the sidewalk.  Then when I was nearly through a very nice police officer came up and told me that I was being complained about being too noisy. So, I had to move 100 feet from where I was.  I asked how far that was and he told me 50 squares of pavement. So, I moved, and then finished my music.  Five people gave money to me.  And I raised a total of $9.00 for one hour’s singing. So, I have considered going back, and playing bad flute music for a while, or  take a Reader’s Digest oldies but goodies, down there and sing them.  The other idea is just to set up a table and chair and make a sign and ask for donations.  Why there? Well, they have a rather open policy.  And it is a tourist thoroughfare so it is somewhat a likely spot to get donations.  More on this later.

Saturday morning I felt better so I went out to the trail, trying for 3 miles. I miscalculated how far I go so when I got home, I found out I went 2.78 miles not the 3 I had aimed for. But I was close, very close.  I did some stretches afterwards which helped. But I am beginning to see that stretches before and then after are important so I am going to try to start getting some in.

After I got  back to the apartment, I got some somewhat discouraging news.  My accompanist wrote to me she couldn’t make the concert engagement. So I am going to have to find someone else.  Tonight I am making up flyers and tickets  to start early sales to the concert.  So, hopefully I will start getting some money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for that. Who will I get to play for me? I don’t know. But, if I have to I will sing to CDs, or try to play for myself, or find some fine Irish songs to sing without accompaniment.

But the good news is I got an envelope in the mail with a donation today. And so things are still moving on.

Doing what I haven’t Done Before

One of the places along the route for Big Sur Half Marathon

For those of you who don’t know it. I have joined Team in Training, and have dedicated the next few months to walking a half marathon, about 13.1 miles.  I am 55 years old, fat, and haven’t done anything like this ever.

So I am out there hanging in the wind officially folks.  I have dedicated this day to getting things done.  So, I have made an official donation request to Whole Foods for support.  I also have set the date for my concert at New Life Church in Cupertino, California.  From 7:00 to 8:30 PM.  Lydia Lo will be my accompanist and I have heard her play and she is really excellent.

She is going to play a couple of pieces as well, and she is fantastic.  I am going to sing a few arias, a couple of art songs, a couple of oldies but goodies, and a Christian song or two.

Next, I am picking out the music today and making copies for the accompanist to use. I will meet with her tomorrow to start working things out.  I also put an announcement out to the local Art /Community Newspaper.  Hopefully they will publish the announcement. I am going to look up a couple other news areas as well. Next I need to make some circulars and announcements up to hand out to people and to post at various stores in the area.

I also did my cross training this morning. I rode a stationary bike for 30 minutes and made 3.81 miles which isn’t speedy but is slowly improving.  So now I believe I can physically do this challenge. Now to raise the funds for the organization.

And to my way of thinking it is all good.  I am doing things I have never done before, put myself out for something I never thought I could.  I am an introvert. I like to stay home, and read, or study, or write. Instead I am going out with a group and walking, raising money, and giving a concert.

Ho boy let’s see what happens.

And as always:
Please click here to give to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is a really good cause.

Remember my goal is to raise $2400 by September 13, 2011. Thanks for your support.

At the end of the trail

Two Point 75 Tuesday or 10,000 Steps

This morning I got up at 4:30 am because we had a Buddy Training, not sure what that means because I have no buddies to walk with in the group. At any rate, I went to the Campbell Park by 6 am all geared up and read to go.  I had my special shoes special clothes, heart rate monitor, pedometer, water belt with my phone/camera, and in the other pouch, my kleenex and pro air (albuterol inhaler).  So I was all set.  I set off down this trail which I thought was a there and back again kind of trail.

There and back again trail at Campbell Park. NOT

Well what I found out if you walk far enough you find there is a nice wooden bridge across a creek where you can cross and loop back on another trail, which is slightly curvier and has more up and down to it, thus more fun.   Next time I go walking I am going to take pictures of the many ferile cats that were lined up along the trail.  I even saw a few squirrels.  Considering that this is a mini wildlife area in the middle  of the city of Campbell, it has more wildlife than I thought.

You know I thought I would be the only crazy person up at this hour. But apparently insanity runs rampant, and I counted somewhere between 20 to 30 people who were walking/running the trail this morning.

The other amazing thing besides the fact that I managed to walk nearly 3 miles today was that instead of my heart rate getting steadily faster.  Somewhere around the middle it calmed down and steadied out at about 104 bpm.

So by the time I finished did my stretches and got i the car I was feeling pretty good about myself. I wasn’t sore, didn’t feel very tired. All was great.

When I got home, I got out of the car, and the first clue was when I started to get up, and heard this creaking and rumbling through my hips.  Somehow during the drive back to the house the signal had gotten from my brain to my legs that I was tired.

Well have a good day all.

And as always:
Please click here to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is a really good cause.

Remember my goal is to raise $2400 by September 13, 2011. Thanks for your support.

The Uphill Downhill Adventure

This morning we met at 8 am at Santa Teresa County Park for a group run/walk.  The point of this exercise was to build up our core.

On the trail, Santa Teresa County Park, South of San Jose, California

At 6:30 am my phone’s alarm woke me up.  I staggered around for about a half an hour in and out of the bathroom, taking various pills. When I looked in the mirror my hair stood on end and I looked like had a mohawk, good enough I thought.  I will just squash a hat on this and I will be fine. Next was loading up my travelling bag with all of my accessories: Food scale, sun lotion hand cream, plastic bowls, raisins, kleenex, water, phone, extra hat. In my shoulder bag, I loaded up on ibuprofen, allergy tablets, my two inhalers and my pill-box.  I took an extra pair of socks as well and I was ready to go.

Santa Teresa park is about 21 miles away and 31 minutes over an intersecting group of highways and then county roads.  Never having been there i didn’t realize it was up in a rolling set of hills that are part grassland, part brush.   I finally decided I was there when I saw a bunch of people with Team in Training T shirts stuffing money into the parking box.  The cost for parking at this luxurious dust bowl is $6.00.  I dutifully put my cash in and then drove on to the other parking lot where everyone was gathered.

So we gathered round and did a series of stretches aimed at tiring us out before we begin walking.

Then we are divided up between the fastest and slowest. The fastest go first. I was dead last. So with sunglasses, travelling bag which now only contained inhaler, water bottle, extra hat and kleenex as well as cell phone we were off.  The trail started off at a slow grade up.  And as I watched everyone moved ahead and out of sight.  I thought, “That’s okay, I’ll catch up with them, they are going to burn themselves out by going so fast at the beginning.”  After the first set of runners passed me the second time I figured that I possibly was being a little overconfident.  So the first part of this was a series of hills, where I would climb, it would level out. I would pant in the shade and drink water, and watch to see if my heart rate was going down, then I would trek up the next set of hills. Finally there was one killer hill that I thought I would never make it up and finally I even got to the top of that one. By this time, my head was sopping wet, so I took my Team in Training shirt off and just had my yoga top on.

A little further on there was someone just standing at a point on the trail which I figured was  there to make sure I hadn’t fallen down a hill somewhere.  “Are you okay? Can you breathe ? Are you all right?Oh…your back is red would you like me to put sunscreen on it. So I dutifully stood there while sunscreen was slathered on my neck and back. At this point I had made it two-thirds of the way and all I had to do was walk down hill.

And that was where the trouble began for me, because I have weak ankles. So while other people leap and slide down hills. I take baby steps to keep from breaking my neck. So the last part of trail was probably the longest for me and the most difficult because I spent it trying to keep up right.

I am thinking that next time I should bring some walking poles. At any rate, I huffed and puffed it into the finish area. And the rest of the group was gathered there. And they all clapped for their slowest member as I dragged myself in.

At the end of the trail

There are older people than me there, some in their 70s, these people just whiz past me at the speed of light.  I will have to just keep trudging on and hope that eventually my stubby legs speed up.

Afterwards we yelled “Go Team” and ran back to our cars and I crawled respectively to mine,  and some of us went to the Flames Restaurant to have breakfast.  At first, it was the usual, where nobody talks to me, but I had thankfully brought my Kindle along. So, I opened that up and started reading and pretty soon I was asked about my Kindle. No one can resist interrupting someone who is reading. So, after that there was so much conversation, I didn’t get to read further.  We discussed our fund-raising events, and then we got on the Gotham City Writing School.  I told them I was taking courses there and there was great interest in this.  I told them how many courses I was taking and that it was online and I was hoping to write the next great American novel.

At any rate, there was a lot more discussion, and finally, I slipped away, and came on home here, so I can rest my achy feet, take a shower, and spend the rest of the day washing clothes.

And as always:
Please click here to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is a really good cause.

Part of our wonderful group

Finally Friday, day of fun-d raising

Flowers near our apartment. My husband calls them exploding fireworks.

So today, was a day for 45 minute easy walk, and a lady from church Linda, who is a wonderful Christian woman, sweet, kind, helpful, the real deal, you know? Anyway Linda walked with me and at the same time, we set a day up for me to do a concert at the church. So, I have had classical voice training and have done some professional singing. I am somewhere between a lyric and dramatic soprano. And I am going to do a concert to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. I also stopped by Whole Foods and asked them about sponsoring me. I left with a phone number. I am also planning on going to Santa Cruz to sing on Pacific Avenue. So if any of you who read this are from the area you can see me singing my little heart out to raise money for the LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society).

So there are two miracles I am looking for here, one is for me to walk a 13.1 mile marathon. The second is to raise $2400 by the middle of September. So here is the deal, I have a recommit date of September 13, 2011. On that date if I have not made my goal, I must provide the organizers of Team in Training, a check or a credit card number to insure that the money is raised. My individual goal is $2400. Why….because this is one of the ways that the LLS raises funds. If I am unable to recommit at that date, I will have to drop out. So its really important that I do this. My husband and I just don’t have that kind of money to give. I will have to raise this money somehow or quit. Now, folks I don’t want to quit. I want to reach the goal not only for myself, but for all the people it will help. I’ve had cancer and it is not pretty. Nor is it fun.
So…I want to help all those people out there. And to my way of thinking this is as good a method as any.

And please folks:
Please click here to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is a really good cause.

Thankfully Thursday

All of us together

So I am not as trim but I am there. And the amazing part is that I passed the stress test today as well.

I stayed on the treadmill long enough to satisfy the cardiologist that I would be okay.  So here I am with the group tonight.  We went two miles together last night.  All of us, that is.  But they gave me a head start. Instead of doing the exercises with the group, they took me to the trail and told me the way and I started walking so by the time I reached the one mile marker the first group of runners had passed me by.  And eventually after I turned around the walkers passed me as well.  Hey I am not fast, but I get there.  It was a relatively cool evening so I didn’t suffer from heat as much as I did the first time.  And one of the things I do on the trail is singing to keep myself going.   I made it through three songs last night.  Una voce poco fa, Let it be, and an aria from La Boheme as well.

Here is a picture of some bikers that rode by while I was on the trail.

And please folks:
Please click here to donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

After the walk, people did their 30 second moments for how they were going to raise money and there were some excellent ideas.  Someone was going to sell photographs of families and people. Others were going to have a wine tasting at a local vineyard.  And me, well….I am going to drive to Santa Cruz tomorrow and sing on the street.

Plus, I am going to see if I can use the local church to sing a concert with the tickets and donations to go for the Leukemia and Lymyphoma Society.

After the brief pause for commercial announcements the group went over to a local pizza  place, restaurant. And it was filled with people.  And I sat down at the row of tables with the rest of the people.There are clearly groups of people who know each other and have done this before, and last night three groups divided out.  And it is great to see these people talk about what they are doing.

In these harsh economic times I am glad to see a little hope.

Can a 55 Year old Fat woman walk a half marathon?

We are all going to see if I can do it.  On Day One, I walked out to the parking lot. Yesterday.  I made it 2.3 miles walking. And crosstrainng on a bike today, I made 3.78 miles in 30 minutes.  What do you think?

I started this adventure at 242.1 lbs.  Here was my choice then I wanted to do something for other people and not be a leech on society.

The start date was July 28 and then I had six weeks to make up my mind.  I  put in the registration fee because it is for a good cause, but I am not sure I can go the distance, which in my case will be a 13.1 mile half marathon.  I am 5′ 3 ” tall.  I have high blood pressure, sarcoidosis, some kind of blood sugar issues, panic attacks, depression,  high cholesterol, triglycerides,diverticulosis,  and exercising makes my hemorrhoids hurt like crazy. Plus I am just five years out from a hysterectomy for uterine cancer.

When I was 40 years old, I gained 75 lbs in three months. Before that time, I was merely chubby.  I weighed about 135 to 145 lbs most of the time.  But something happened that year and I gained weight.  I had always studiously tried to avoid it by running up to 4 miles a day, jazzercise, country partner dancing, hiking, and water rafting, but something changed and  I just began adding the fat and soon I left all of my regular sizes behind and ended up in Lane Bryant and the plus size departments.  Mostly Lane Bryant, because I was ashamed to shop in a regular store.

At any rate, I am now 55 years old and nothing has really changed except my health is going further down the tubes, and I truly don’t know what to eat any more.  I had just about decided to go to the MacDougall fat camp for 10 days to change into a vegetarian. Then I got the notice about Team in Training and well the price is the same.  Plus I can give myself six-weeks of personal fund-raising  to figure out if I can do this.

Can I do this thing? Tomorrow I am going to have a stress test to insure I won’t stop my heart doing this.  The thing is I miss getting out and moving around.  I miss riding the rapids, climbing cliffs, hiking down mountain trails.  Just seeing this stuff makes me thrilled with being alive.   Back when I first came to California,  I went to get an eye check and also in addition to all the things above, found out I have vitreo retinal degeneration and I had retinal tears all around both of my eyes.  The specialist told me it was a miracle that I still could see.  So then I went for about 2 months of weekly trips to him and he took a laser and ran it around the outsides of my retinas. Oh wow that hurt. It felt like someone was driving knives into my head.  But let me tell you, every sunset became special to me. I wondered whether each one was my last and I wanted to see them all.

Folks there are people out there who may have seen their last sunset and we can do something to help these people survive.  And that is why I am doing this. I have learned that life is precious and the little things do count.

Help me reach my goals folks.

And as always:
Please click here to donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.

The Why of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

THE CAUSE
CONNECTING WITH THE CAUSE: Did you know…? The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was born out of a family’s grief following the death of their teenage son. Robert Roesler de Villiers (left), son of a well-to-do New York family, was only 16 when he quickly succumbed to leukemia in 1944. Five years later, frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for what was then considered a hopeless disease, parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers started a fundraising and education organization in their son’s name. Headquartered in a small Wall Street office, the Robert Roesler de Villiers Foundation had only a few volunteers and a tiny budget. The task was daunting. Most leukemia patients, especially children, died within three months. Even by the mid-1950s, when the first generation chemotherapy drugs began appearing, the disease remained a stubborn challenge. The Foundation reported in its 1955 annual report: “As of this date, Leukemia is 100% fatal. This is almost a unique situation among the many diseases to which man is susceptible.” Driven by the de Villiers’ nearly boundless belief that leukemia and other blood cancers were indeed curable, the Foundation grew steadily, opening its first chapters in the New York City area. The organization, after changing its name to The Leukemia Society, was renamed The Leukemia Society of America in the 1960s to communicate a broad, national reach. In 2009, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) celebrates its 60th anniversary and its commitment to curing blood cancers and helping patients and their families. Read more about our history and share your story on http://www.lls.org/innovation.

And as always:
Please click here to donate to my goal of $2400 for the Half Marathon at Big Sur.