Oct. 15

Spent most of today running around getting last minute items for the trip...more recovery drink, vitamins, food items, plastic bags for ice packs for the car on the way back, etc. I'm fairly overwhelmed with getting my gear ready along with everything else...lots of details. Today was my last training run...and it was AWESOME...not because I did 3 miles in 46 min (15.3 min/mile)...but because on that 3rd mile today...I hit 450 miles of total training since I began this journey!! That is just hard to believe...especially knowing that the first mile I walked, I had to ice my knees and take ibuprofen! So 450 miles is almost walking to Denver...or almost walking to Madison, Wisconsin (Joy)! Wow! Sweet!!

Oct. 13

Leo and I went up to the oncologist up in Omaha at the Med Center for a second opinion today and it was good news…he agrees with the doctor here that he should just wait for a PET scan in December to assess things then. So that just verifies things and is really good to know. We didn’t get back from Omaha til around 4:00 so I went for a late run…and it was pouring rain the whole time. I was supposed to do 4 miles but gutted it out and did 2 miles in 30 min (15 min/mile). I was soaked when I got back. I was close to wimping out as I sat in my car waiting for it to stop raining, but I had a talk with myself and decided to go for it. I skip training tomorrow and only have one more run before heading off to Des Moines on Saturday. It’s hard to believe that the marathon is in 5 days!

Oct. 11

Went on the usual Sunday morning run with Leo…he kept up a really good pace today and did his usual 2 miles. I did 3 in 45 min (15 min/mile). Went up to Omaha late tonight to pick Sara up from the airport in Omaha…she had a great time on her bike ride and the whole weekend. It was great that Andy, Darcy, Delia, Matt, Joy, and Laura all drove up from Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina to cheer Sara on…she called them her posse…or entourage!

Oct. 10 (continued)

The geese flying overhead had it right today...they were heading south!



This is a picture of my shoes...or one of them...covered with ice from the run. It didn't even melt off by the time I drove home...15 minutes with the heat on in the car!

Saturday, Oct. 10

Ok…I guess I really have lost my mind! I woke up at the usual 5:30 AM to go on the final team run and guess what….I woke up to snow on the ground and snow still coming down!!! AND…it was 24 freakin’ degrees!!! So here’s what it looked like as I drove to the Mopac to meet Rachel:


When I got to the trail, I bundled up with gloves, 180 ear muffs or pods or whatever they are called, buut wearing them didn’t work out so well because I couldn’t hear my pace watch with them on…so after a few miles I took them off and my ears were just cold. The trail was covered with snow at first but we just plowed through. Here’s a picture of the start of the trail a bit later when the snow had melted some:

It was a beautiful run with the snow covering the cornfields and trees….but it sure was brisk! Another view from the trail:

Even with the snow I had a decent run of 10 miles in 2 hours and 38 minutes (15.8 min/mile). Boy…my hips felt it today…I guess it was the cold weather. It was sad that it was the final training run with Rachel, but we’re going to get together after the marathons…she is going to the San Francisco marathon the same weekend as the Des Moines one. So I came home and took another ice bath…not exactly what you want to do early on a Saturday morning after running in the snow for 2 ½ freezing hours! I sat in the ice tub with a sweatshirt on, drinking some hot apple cider, and doing a crossword puzzle (it helps pass the 25 min. in the tub). After that, I had to work the rest of the afternoon. Leo came to work with me and it helped pass the time. We were waiting to hear how Sara did today on her 100 mile bike ride and SHE DID IT!!! TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Oh…and last week she was named athlete of the week with Team in Training!! Way to go, Sara! And…she was the 6th highest fundraiser of all the TNT participants in the Century Ride, thanks to all of you who have donated to the cause!!
I can only include 3 photos per post…so I’m going to add 2 more pictures on the next post…but they are pictures of today’s run.

Oct. 8

Did 4 miles in 59 min (14.8 min/mile)

Oct. 7

Did 4 miles in 60 min (15 min/mile)

Oct. 6

Did 6 miles in 91 min (15.2 min/ mile)

Oct. 5

I called the director of the Des Moines marathon and told him I had heard that Des Moines was a walker-friendly marathon…I wanted to know just how friendly it was…and it turns out they don’t have any freakin’ buses….yay! So I won’t have to be drug off by the police and hauled to jail when I refuse to get on the bus…again, yay! That was great news. Now I just need to keep a good pace and cross that finish line!

Oct. 4

So when I’m a bit bent out of shape and a tad irritated, I tend to try to prove a point. I really pushed my run this morning. Leo came along and did his 2 miles in good time. I did my 3 miles in 43.47 minutes…for an all time low of 14.5 min/mile…oh yeah. I’m back!

Saturday, Oct. 3

I went to the team run and met Rachel at the Mopac. I did a full 10 miles and I was very proud of that even though I didn’t have the best time. I walked the first 4 miles and then got into my usual pace of 2 min. walk and 30 second run for the remaining 6 miles. My time was 2 hours 42 min (16.2 min/mile). We started at 6:30 AM and it was still dark…and chilly…I think it was around 39 or 40 degrees, but the important part is that I did it! Coach Rachel had sent me an email yesterday telling me that she was tossing out a suggestion for me to think about. She said that if it would help me feel less stressed about doing the full marathon since I’ve missed out on a bunch of training, that I could consider doing the half-marathon in Des Moines and then she would take the extra time afterwards to bring me back up in my training and then she would do a 26.2 mile marathon of our own even though it wouldn’t have the excitement of all the people in a marathon. I really appreciated her offer of this and I will consider it if I feel the need to cut down to a half. That was so nice of her to offer to spend extra time with me to get me back to full training and then run it with me. This just shows what a great person she is. I know I’ve said it before…but I could not have asked for a better coach anywhere on earth!! Of course she followed her offer by saying that she was pretty sure how I’d feel about cutting back to the half-marathon….yay! she really knows me now!! ..but I will keep that in the back of my mind!
Later that afternoon I went to a workshop out on the prairie that dealt with creativity and we ended the session with a bonfire out on the prairie and besides listening to the crackling of the embers, we heard the coyotes and their pups howling close by under the full moon. When I hear coyotes howling during the night under Nebraska skies, it tells me all is right with the world.

Oct. 2

I decided that I was going to get back to training come hell or high water…and so I did. I did just a walk to ease back in…no running. I did 3 miles in 48 min (a pace of 16 min/mile)…not bad for being out of commission for 10 days.

Sept. 28

Leo’s 60th birthday and the focus was the office visit with his oncologist doctor and the results of the recent PET scan. We were a bit on edge even though we were trying to maintain the positive factor. The doctor entered the room and said “good news…very good news” and that’s about all we heard! The relief and joy we felt were immeasurable! The doctor did say that the original PET scan had a factor of 30 with active cancer and it was now down to 1.5 with 1 being perfect and he was not concerned with the .5 part. The tumor was gone and he was declared in remission…sweet words! He suggested we get a second opinion from a doctor at the Med Center in Omaha and then said the follow up would be another PET scan the very end of December to make sure all was well. So they pulled out Leo’s picc line and he got a hug from a favorite nurse there!...and he was a free man! Boy, did we have lots to celebrate!! We had packed a picnic lunch and off we went to Nebraska City to have a celebration picnic complete with wine…for Leo’s birthday and his new birthday!! We had such a happy day…so thankful for everything! It was a very emotional day for Leo as he talked to all of the kids telling them of the great news. Their support has been nothing short of fantastic throughout this whole process. It was just one sweet day!

Sept. 23

Got up early and went with Leo to the hospital where he had his follow up PET scan. This will tell the results of the chemo treatments. We’re hoping for good news. We won’t hear until next Monday on Leo’s birthday. While Leo was having the PET scan I got a cup of warm milk with some vanilla flavoring and about 1 hour later I had another gallbladder attack that lasted for about 30 hours…not fun at all. I think a stone must have been stuck in a duct. I’ll condense this down to one day as an entry in the blog…but actually I was out of commission (training) for 10 days…dealing with elevated liver function numbers, elevated bilirubin, had blood work done several times and had another ultrasound. In the end, all turned out ok and I have chosen to postpone any gallbladder removal surgery that has been recommended by my doctor & surgeon. One disappointing thing…I had to cancel out of running the half-marathon in Omaha because I was not able to run at that point due to doctor’s orders. I really would have liked to have done that…and I felt bad because Rachel was going to run with me…but I had no choice at that point.

Sept. 22

Did 5 miles in 75 min (15 min/mile)

Sept. 20

Andy decided to go on my Sunday morning run with me and Leo gladly volunteered to watch Delia. Andy had already given me the high compliment that I walked fast enough now to keep up with the DC folks. So we started the 3 mile walk/run and off we went. When it came time for my pace watch to beep…and time for me to break into a run…I thought I would leave Andy in the dust…but no. Andy not only kept up…but he didn’t even have to break into a run…his long legs just moved faster…at a fast walk pace for him. I thought, Oh, I see how it is! Anyway, we enjoyed the 3 mile walk and did it in 47 min. (15.7 min/mile). We had a fun rest of the day by all going up to Omaha to visit Laura and John and then head to Iowa to pick apples at an apple orchard. Delia had fun carrying her own bag of apples. They head home early tomorrow morning…it has gone by so fast!

Saturday, Sept. 19

The last two days have been wonderful...we have had such a great time with Andy and Delia. I got up early this morning and was at the Mopac by 6:30. Met Rachel & we headed out. I was supposed to do 14 miles but decided on 12 - I didn't want to be wiped out with Andy & Delia here. Rachel & I went out to the 6 mile marker & turned around. I felt good today on my walk/run - I'm glad I backed off a bit during the week. I feel like my energy is back. Just past the Walton grain elevator (mile 9) Leo, Andy, & Delia came by to say hi. Delia had been practicing saying "Go, Grandma, Go" but then decided not to say it - ha! She definitely has a mind of her own! It was nice for all of them to meet Rachel, my wonderful coach! I did the 12 miles in 3 hours 6 min (15.5 min/mile) so I was pleased with that. I only took 1 bathroom stop.
Sara went on her team bike ride & did an AMAZING 76 miles! Wow!!! She has so much guts to do that after not training much for 5 weeks or so!
I took my ice bath & relaxed a bit and then had more fun with Andy and Delia.

Sept. 16

Went with Leo and he had his blood work done - all looks good - numbers are coming up slowly. I went for my walk/run and again, it felt even worse. My legs just didn't want to do anything...I don't understand...I've been eating good and feel good otherwise...but I just don't have any "oomph" in my legs...it's like they are weighted down with lead. I did 3 miles (instead of the assigned 4) in 48 minutes (16 min/mile). I came home and Andy and Delia were awake and Leo took the day off so we had a picnic with Sara close to her work and Delia got to play on the playground. To say Delia is an amazingly cute, brilliant, personality PLUS, sweet, and cute as a bug little girl...is an understatement (you know this is Grandma talk!). We had so much fun today...every minute was pure delight!! I emailed Rachel and asked her what I should do about my run tomorrow...I don't want to overtrain and I'm wondering if my body has reached it's limits. Rachel said for me to take off tomorrow and Friday and have fun with Delia, and be rested for the Saturday run of 12 miles. That sounded like great news to me! It also gives me more time and energy to spend with Andy and Delia!

Sept. 15

I started off and it didn't feel very good. My legs felt like lead and didn't want to go into the run mode. I was not looking forward to doing my assigned 8 miles today due to the first 1/2 mile. I decided to cut it a bit short and give my body a break. I felt like I was going to be on a horrible pace of 17 min/mile or so, but I finished 5 miles in 78 minutes for a pace of 15.6 min/mile, so it wasn't as bad as I thought...although it felt horrible. I went to work for the day and then in the evening we all went up to Omaha to pick up Andy and Delia. We are so excited about them being here!!

Sept. 13

I'm not sure how I did it but I did my usual 3 mile Sunday walk in 45 min (15 min/mile) and it felt a little rocky in the beginning...my pace felt a little off...but it worked out in the end. Leo came along and did a brisk 2 1/2 miles...he definitely improved his pace today!

Sat. Sept 12...owls, possums, and 20 miles!!!

Woke up at 5:30 and got my gear ready (snot gel...I did 2 flasks today...one with 3 packs of the gel mixed with water and the other with 3 packs of gel with caffeine for the last half of the walk/run). I rigged out the gel flask carriers with Velcro strips instead of clips...one came close to falling off a time or 2 so I didn't want to take any chances. I prepared the electrolyte water flasks, recovery drink, protein drink and put them in a cooler, Cliff bar bites, Kleenex, tp, drivers license, cell phone...I think that's it. Anyway, it was supposed to rain today according to the weather forecast so I wore my old shoes so I wouldn't get my new ones muddy (this turned out to be a mistake because it didn't rain and my feet did not like those old shoes with their totally worn out insoles!). It was still dark when I met Rachel at Walton on the Mopac trail. We met there because there's a porta john (ick!) there and it gave more options for the long run today. It was still dark and when I got out of the car I was greeted by a hooting owl near the grain elevator. This picture of the grain elevator at Walton was taken later in the day:

It was really nice of Rachel to even be there because she had tickets to the Nebraska football game today (her first time going to a game!) and so she said she would walk the first 14 miles with me and then I was on my own. I told her she could leave after the first 8 miles because I was doing fine, but she insisted on staying with me...she's so nice! I couldn't ask for a better coach! It was cloudy pretty much the whole day and we saw 2 opossums crossing the road at different times early on in the run.
From Walton (at about the 3 mile marker) we went east for 4 miles then turned back and came back to mile 3 then went west to the start of the trail and back to Walton. At that point Rachel had to leave so I went back to mile 0 at the start of the trail again and then back to Walton to my car. WOO HOO...I DID IT!!! 20 MILES!!!! I'm not going to say it was easy, but I did it! The first 10 miles I kept a pretty good pace ...about 15.4 min/mile but by the time I got done - a total of 5 hours and 15 minutes...non-stop except for one bathroom break and 2 water fills...my final pace was 15.8 min/mile...a great improvement over my recent long runs...so I was very satisfied with this. I kept my pace of 2 minutes walk and 30 seconds run the whole time...even though I ran out of steam a bit the last 5 or 6 miles (it was the running that was hard!).
The walk was pretty as usual on the Mopac. There were the usual signs of bikes crossing the path and horse crossing signs...



…. and I did see horses crossing the trail today.


But my favorite sight of the day on the Mopac was this sign:

Nebraska…you gotta love it!

Drank my recovery drink and protein drink in the car before heading home. Did the drill at home…ice bath, lunch, and I added ibuprofen today…I wanted to take all the preventative measures I could today. Later on in the afternoon I drove Leo out to the trail and we hiked in about ½ mile so I could show him the tractor sign!
Took it easy the rest of the day except for a trip to the grocery store. My hips and legs were sure stiff this afternoon…especially after sitting down for any length of time. I was ok once I started moving again…but ooooh…that initial several steps after sitting…ouch!!
So total miles walked/run this week= 34 !! Total miles for my entire training period =

371 miles!!!!!!! Wowza dowza!!

Sept. 10

I did 4 miles in 60 minutes (15 min/mile). I have my really big walk/run coming up this Saturday...20 miles...I can hardly believe it! But this time I'm mentally prepared for it...I'm also prepared to be wiped out for the day!

Sept. 9

Leo had blood work done today and it's looking much better...he's feeling better and stronger. I missed my run today but I'm ready for tomorrow.

Sept. 8

Did 7 miles in 109 minutes (15.6 min/mile) and went to work. I'm having to get up in the dark and start my walk just as it's getting light...and then barely have time to get ready for work.

Sept. 6

Did my usual 3 mile Sunday walk/run and it really felt good. Leo came along and did about 2 1/2 miles today so that is great! I really pushed myself today and did it in 44 minutes (14.7 min/mile). Came back and Leo and I mowed the yard for a further work out.

Saturday Sept. 5

Got up at 5:30 to get ready for the team run today with Rachel. As I drove to the Mopac it was really foggy and still dark out. The stop lights looked like Christmas ornaments dangling from the sky as you couldn't see the post it was mounted on because of the thick fog. It was dark when we started at 6:30 and the fog stayed on til about mile 11 when the sun tried to peek through a bit. I did 14 miles in 3 hours 46 minutes (16.1 min/mile) and for some reason it seemed almost as long as last week's 18 miler. ...but I did it. Came home and Leo had hung the banner up...it's football time in Nebraska!

I went through the usual routine of drinking my recovery drink in the car after my run (kept in a small cooler) followed by a protein drink. Then at home, the necessary ice bath followed by lunch= solid food (unlike the snot gels and electrolyte drinks during the near 4 hour run).

Sept. 3

Got up early to do 5 miles. I did it in 80 minutes (16 min/mile) then went to work in the morning until after 1:00 and then drove Sara up to Omaha to catch a flight to Canada. I was half way back to Lincoln when she called saying her flight was cancelled and they were putting her up at the Hilton overnight and then she was flying out at 5:00 the next morning. She was not a happy camper. I went back to the airport and by the time she finished standing in line to get things in order, it was too late for me to drive back to Lincoln so I spent the night there, too, and got her to the airport at 3:45 on Friday morning.

Sept. 2

Leo had blood work done today and it was alright, but his white blood cell count was pretty low, his hemoglobin was low and his platelets were down. This final chemo treatment had a kick to it, it seems. So it's red meat and raw spinach for this week to bump up the hemoglobin and hopefully the neulasta shot will kick in by next week. I skipped my run today...I was just too tired. I did go to the Running Company today and bought new shoes and a new pair of socks since I ruined one on Saturday. My new shoes are the same brand (Brooks) but Ann put me in a half size larger...she said as you run your foot flattens out and gets wider and longer...great! I've got boon docker feet already! Hopefully these shoes will have more room for my poor toes. She showed me a way to lace up these new shoes to keep it tight around the ankle and heels so it doesn't slide (because of the extra half size). When you lace them you make a loop out of the top 2 holes and then loop through that loop and then pull it to tighten it around your ankle and tie it. Well, it's easier if I show you:

The top shoe shows the loop (untied) and the bottom shoe is tied to show how it tightens the top of the shoe.

I took a nap in the afternoon and ran out of daylight for my run.

Sept. 1

I skipped Sunday's 3 mile run because I was just too sore to think about it. So after a 2 day rest I was ready (well, mostly..I was still sore !). I got up early today & did a 7 mile. Sometimes it's hard to grasp what 7 miles is - so for those of you from Lincoln - here's a visual: I parked my car at Shopko on Hwy 2 & 27th st & my walk/run started there. I went from there to Old Cheney & 16th (by Heidelberg's) then back to Shopko (27th & Hwy 2) then east (parallel to Hwy 2) to 40th St - then back to Shopko (27th & Hwy 2) - then north past Sheridan Blvd to Van Dorn & then back to Shopko = 7 miles. I did that in 1 hour 49 minutes (15.6 min/mile). Went home - ate breakfast, fixed my lunch, took a shower, and went to work for the day.

Saturday August 29

Got up early & had my usual 1 C. granola with soy milk & headed out. It was still dark (6:15 am). I met Rachel and Sherry at the Mopac Trail for the big 18 miles. We kept up a good pace & we went all the way to Eagle Nebraska before turning around. It seemed like it went on FOREVER! But here's the good part - I DID IT!! I finished in 4 hours 50 minutes (16.1 min/mile) with only 1 quick bathroom stop. Let's see - I blew out the toes of one of my socks,

I got WORSE black toes (toe nails),

but it was a huge mental landmark to know that I can do that distance! I feel very triumphant!

I came home & Leo and Sara were running the garage sale & Leo greeted me with his usual big hug. He had bought me a bag of ice so I slammed down some food & got into the bath tub & filled it with cold water & ice & stayed there for about 30 minutes this time - I was hurting! My quads hurt so bad...the last time they were that sore (well, not as sore as today!) was when I did the alligator at Sandy's Escape (a dance place) back in the 60's...some 40 plus years ago!

Sometime during the middle of the night I woke up with major thigh muscle cramps...not fun.

August 28

Had a garage sale today with all proceeds going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - thanks to many donations from friends Deb, Joan, Judy, & Rachel. There were quite a few people at the sale & the weather was decent so that was good. I assembled all my things for the big walk/run tomorrow - electrolyte water, snot gel diluted with water in a flask, Cliff bars, toilet paper, kleenex, pace watch & Garmin watch, visor hat.

August 27

I did an early 4 miles today in 60 minutes ( a flat 15 min/mile). I'm still stewing about the 18 miles on Saturday. I just wish it was over with!

August 26

Well, as they say - when it rains, it pours- & that about says it all. Leo had chemo today - his last round of a series of 6. So I decided to do my 3 miles early this morning & be done with it. So I took off & it was misting a bit. I started to see little flashes of lightning & rolling thunder in the distance & then it quickly started to POUR & the lightning was closer. This was just about at the 1 mile mark & close to a street that intersected with the trail so I called Leo to ask him to come pick me up & take me to my car. So as I was under a tree waiting for him & wondering what was taking so long, I get a phone call from Sara who is crying & telling me that Leo crashed into her car. Of course, my main concern was one of if they were both OK. When I got that out of her, then I asked for details. It appears that Leo had about 20 minutes prior to my call taken his mega dose of prednisone (100 mg) in preparation for his chemo this morning. So he was just experiencing the effects of true 'roid rage. He was all concerned about me in the rain & lightning & so he took off without a jacket, but took a huge umbrella (he can't get his picc line wet). He had a heck of a time getting into his truck trying to stay dry & folding up the gigantic umbrella that he grabbed. His truck was parked in front of Sara's brand new car that she had recently bought. It was pouring rain & Leo wasn't dealing with a clear mind & so he backed up, crashing into Sara's car. So Sara was upset not only about that, but about the fact that this would upset Leo which wasn't good when he was going in for his chemo in about 1 1/2 hrs. So I'm trying to calm Sara down & then when Leo picks me up, I'm trying to calm him down. When we got home I told him that everyone was fine & nothing else mattered & then told him to sit down & lower his blood pressure by taking some deep breaths & meditating so that his blood pressure wouldn't prevent him from getting his chemo treatment. So he did & by the time we got to the oncologist's an hour later, his blood pressure was 117 over 70 & so he was good to go with his treatment. Amazingly, he got along fine & even did some work on his laptop during his treatment in the afternoon.
Sara came over for lunch which was really nice of her as always to do that & it helped pass the time a bit

August 25

Got up early & had to wait for daylight - the days are getting shorter now. Did 7 miles in 109 minutes ( 15.6 min/mile) & then got ready & went to work. I'm so short of time getting to work that I have to head out the door with wet hair (from my quick shower) & then I take my curling iron to curl my hair at work! Just not enough hours in the day! This upcoming Saturday is a big walk - 18 miles - yikes! I'm struggling with this one mentally (& probably psysically!) I think because I missed the 16 mile one 2 weeks ago when Sara was in surgery. For some reason this 18 miler has me doubting myself, but I have to suck it up & just get through it.

August 23

Did my usual 3 mile Sunday morning walk/run & it always feels good to loosen up after Saturday's longer ones. Leo came along to do a walk, too & he went 2 1/4 miles - pretty sporty! Came home & we mowed the grass.

Saturday August 22

Got up early for the Saturday team run. It's back to the Mopac trail - yay! - flat! I tried my new pace today - walk 2 minutes/run 30 seconds - and it's much better. Four minutes was too long to walk & 45 seconds was just a bit too long to run - so this new pace suits me fine & I have plenty of time to recover with the 2 minutes walk. The walk/run today was very scenic - we went out so far we saw cows in the fields!

Here's a typical scene from the trail:

And here's the half-way point...the 6 mile post:

I did 12 miles in 189 minutes (15.7 min/mile). Total miles this week = 30. After my usual ice bath & breakfast, I taught a cooking class for an hour or so. No rest for the weary!

August 20

I got up early and did 5 miles in 77 minutes (15.4 min/ mile). In the afternoon I went to Deb for a reflexology session...ahhhh...so wonderful!! And she again donated the money from that to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Deb, thanks so much for your amazing generosity! This evening Sara and I dropped off our recommitt forms to the LLS (Leukemia/Lymphoma Society) that says we are in this til the end...and if we don't make our goal of $6,100, we have to pay for it ourselves...yikes! So tell all your friends to please help us out and chip in $5 or $10 or whatever. It's getting close to crunch time! When we dropped off our forms, Rachel was also there and had a recliner in her car that she gave us for our garage sale. It is a nice comfy one that I'm sure some college student would love to buy! That was really nice of Rachel to donate that...along with a Christmas tree & microwave, etc!!

August 19

Went with Leo to have his blood work done. All looked good...again...good news! He's ready for his last round of chemo next week. I came back and did 4 miles in 61 min (15.3 min/mile)

August 18

Got up early (6:30) and did 6 miles using my Garmin! It was awesome! I did the 6 miles in 92 minutes (15.3 min/mile). I went to work & in the afternoon I met with the surgeon who (of course) thinks I should have my gall bladder removed - but there's no rush. I said I'll think about it.

August 17...my birthday!

My birthday...the big 6-0 !! I woke up to a wonderful 2 page typed letter from Leo (that he wrote) that was the nicest thing I've ever read - I'll keep it forever. I talked to all my children today & so that made it a good day, too. And I got a great birthday present from all - a Garmin GPS watch.

It's a GPS system & it tells you the distance you've gone, your pace, time elapsed & then you download this data onto your computer & it stores that info. It does all sorts of other things, too (and I don't have a clue as to what they are!) & it has a foot computer chip to put on your shoe to wear when you're inside walking/running...at the YMCA on a track (so you don't have to count the 352 laps!) or if you're walking inside a mall. It's perfect for me since it gives the EXACT distance walked/run. I charged it tonight so it will be ready to go on my walk/run tomorrow morning (if I can figure out how to turn it on & get it started! ) Also today we had a webcam with Andy, Darcy, & Delia & Delia (finally!) sang happy birthday to me and then Leo got a candle & lit it & told Delia (who's 1,200 miles away!) to help me blow the candle out. She came right up close to the screen & blew & of course, I blew it out, too! She thought that was so great that she wanted to do it again...and so we did!

August 16

Had a good walk this morning...3 miles in 44 minutes (14.7 min/mile). Sara did pretty good last night - just some problems with pain in her upper shoulder area...from the surgery...or from them pumping air in her abdominal cavity to do the surgery. Since I was not able to fly to Denver...and Leo certainly could not get on a cooty plane with his immune system compromised...so Matt volunteered to fly out to Denver to be with Sara after Laura was to leave this afternoon. That was so so nice of Matt to do that...we are so grateful to you, Matt, for stepping up to the plate and doing this. It made it so much easier to accept the fact that I couldn't go out there (which was upsetting)...but knowing that Matt would be there eased my stress level...and Leo's too. So today there was the "changing of the guards" as Matt arrived this morning in Denver and Laura flew home in the afternoon. You both are wonderful! Sara got discharged from the hospital in the afternoon & Matt helped get her to a motel suite with a kitchen so they can fix food since Sara's on a post-op diet that would be impossible to do eating out.

Saturday, August 15

Sara did OK through the night. Laura stayed in the room with her to help out if needed & to be there when the doctor came through this morning. Laura we love you! I woke up early for my team run (5:30 AM) but it was lightning & thundering. I called Coach Rachel & because of the lightning we called off the run today. Instead, I went to the YMCA to use a treadmill. I called the downtown Y & they have a track, but when I asked what the distance is of the track, she said 22 laps = 1 mile. And I needed to do 16 miles today. Holy crap! That would be 352 laps!!! Ich don't think so! I asked if they had counters & they don't. I figured I would have gotten dizzy doing that many circles so I decided to go on the treadmill - which I had never done much of before. I had to get this guy to show me how to turn the thing on, etc. and I was all set & then looked up & the TV set in front of me - that the guy said you can't change the channel - was on Fox news (noise) - nooooooooooo! So I had to move down the row to another treadmill and set that one up all over again...one with something other than Fox.
So I started the treadmill, cranked the elevation to 1.5 & began. It was a fiasco. When my watch went off (time for my 45 second run) I'd have to push a button about 20 times to get it up to speed & then push it back to get to the walking speed. And I had to stare at a whole row of TVs - and I hate even just ONE TV! And..I couldn't hear my alarm go off because of the whir of the machines, AND I got dizzy when I dropped a sweat towel & bent over to pick it up, AND I was hot & sweating up a storm - I missed the outdoors and the fresh air, AND everybody stunk in there - because it was hot & stuffy with stale air. So I lasted all of 3 miles and couldn't stand it any more...I was out of there. It had cleared up a bit so I decided to do the other 13 miles outside so I took off. Now kids, some things don't go together - like drinking & driving & like walking/running - trying to get a decent time & texting on a cell phone...just doesn't work. Sara was texting me & I was trying to read the miniature text without my reading glasses on & then responding. My pace was off, I was tired, I felt like hell - so after 5 miles outdoors, I wimped out & called it a day. My gut/gallbladder was acting up a bit & well, I didn't really want to poke the bear. So my cumulative & horrible time for 8 miles was 136 minutes (17 min/mile) - nasty! But that's the way it goes. I had other things on my mind that day anyway.
Went home (no need for my Saturday ice bath) & waited for info from Sara & Laura. Sara's pancreas count (lipase) went down significantly & they got her into an OR around 1:00 & did the surgery. They were able to remove her gallbladder laproscopically & all went well, thankfully. The doctor estimated it would take 1 1/2 hrs & was done in under an hour. Laura did a superb job of keeping us updated on things. It turns out Sara had 2 golf ball sized stones, 4 ping pong ball sized ones, and then another 13 or 14 smaller ones - so it's good she got that taken care of.

August 14

Sara had a bad gall bladder attack during the night last night (in Denver) & went to the ER. She has some very large gall stones (the size of golf balls) & some enzymes are very elevated with her pancreas. They think she will definitely need surgery. I really wish I could fly out there to be with her, but I need to find out my situation first.
I had to fast from midnight last night - no food and no drink. I went in early to the hospital this morning to have the ultrasound - the technician took lots of pictures & I had to hold my breath a lot - good thing I've been training so I was in good shape to do that. I watched the screen, but didn't know what I was seeing. It looked like a few gallstones but I have to wait for the results.
Afterwards the technician told me I wouldn't get the results til next Tuesday so I called my doctor's office & told them I needed to know today whether I could travel to Denver to be with Sara for her surgery. The doctor called back & said I should not leave town because it looks like I have some stones & "sludge" in my gallbladder & will probably need surgery myself. Boy, this family is ringing the bells on medical bills!
Sara didn't get into a hospital room (none were available) until after noon (over 12 hours!) & waited to see the floor doctor til early evening. They said she would need her gallbladder out but had to wait for her pancreas to settle down. So they have her on IV & pain meds & oxygen - no food & no water. She's been throwing up from the pain meds. Laura has been so great and helpful & her medical knowledge is amazing! Sara is very lucky to have a friend like her & to have her there to help her through this. Sara sounded OK on the phone, but just in a lot of pain - even with the pain meds.

August 13

Got up & did 4 miles in 61 minutes (15.3 min/mile). I went to the doctor today and had bloodwork done. He's saying it looks like my gall bladder or pancreatitus. He's sending me on Friday to get an ultrasound on everything in my abdomen

August 12

Leo had blood work done this morning & it all looks very good - good news again! I didn't do my walk today until late in the afternoon & it was hot out - about 95° so I was really sweating. I did 3 miles in 48 min (16 min/mile). This evening I checked my email & noticed that an announcement came from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training in Omaha & I have been named "athlete of the week"!! The article said I have been "so diligent" with my group training attendance. Holy crap! I've never been anything of the week...in fact, I've never even been an athlete! I was flabbergasted! I better not gloat over this, though...or else my shoes might fall apart or whatever. I'm reminded of when I won 1st place in a local newspaper recipe contest. I thought that this was just the cat's meow & so I laid down on the living room floor with the newspaper open, reading all about my win - with my picture in the paper, too!...and while I was gloating over this, I burnt my own dinner on the stove (I had forgotten to stir it)!! Leo was reading the paper with me and we laughed so hard over that when it happened...we could hardly catch our breath!!

August 11

Got up early & did 6 miles in 94 min (15.7 min/mile) then went to work. This afternoon Leo drove up to Omaha with me to take Sara to the airport - she's going to Denver. I hope she gets along OK with her gallbladder problems she's been having. On the drive back to Lincoln, I had some gallbladder issues. I need to get this checked out I guess.

August 9

I did an early 3 mile today and it felt really good (other than my toes!). I did it in 45 min (15 min/mile)

Saturday August 8

Yesterday was my day off of training so I went to the Running Co. and bought a little gel container/dispenser. It's to hold several packets of the snot gel...that way I don't have to mess around with tearing the top of the packet off and squeezing and trying to get it all in my mouth (you sort of have to treat it like eating artichokes...using your teeth to squeeze it into your mouth). So this little bottle sits in a holster-like thing that clips to my water belt. It will be easier to show you a picture:

It holds 4 packs of snot gel... but here's what I did today: I put 3 packs in and then added some water to dilute it down...and it worked fantastic! I don't even need to call it snot gel now! It's actually tolerable! Understand, it's no treat, but it's tolerable...a huge improvement!
So I left for our team run this morning at about 6:00 AM and it was already hot and humid...ugh! We started about 6:30 and it was fairly miserable the whole time. At about the 4 mile point I started internally whining...it was going to be a very long 12 miles I could tell! I also had gotten some new insoles for my shoes yesterday and my feet started sliding and hurting around the 5 or 6 mile point...again, not so good. I didn't think I needed to break in insoles but apparantly I should have. It was so hot today...I don't know what it got up to...maybe 95. Rachel was so nice to have 2 buckets of ice water and sponges at 2 different points so I stopped twice to sponge myself with the cold water. The second time I just stuck the cold, wet sponge down my back and wedged it into my sports bra and just ran with it.
I tried to keep up a good pace but I could tell I wasn't going as fast as usual, but the good part is that I finished....or came close. I borrowed Rachel's GPS watch and when we got back to the cars it was only 11.4 miles, but Rachel and I agreed that that was enough...with the heat and all. I did the 11.4 in 3 hrs. and 18 minutes...well actually it was 4 minutes more...but those minutes were for sponging...and so I didn't count them. So it came out to an average of 16.8 min/mile...not great, but I was just thankful that it was over! My feet were killing me...and my two big toes were really sore...they were jamming against the toes of my shoes the whole time...ouch! I came home and Leo had bought me a bag of ice and this time I actually welcomed the ice bath!! I had my recovery drink on the way home again (that works so good) and also a protein drink. I was thinking it would be nice to take a nap today (Rachel and Laura, another person who is training said they take naps after early morning runs) but the day managed to slip by without me taking one (something is wrong with this picture...when I think of how much older I am than them!!)

August 6

I felt about the same today and so just gutted it out for my walk/run. I did a 5 miler in 77 minutes (15.4 min/mile). It didn't feel great, but it didn't feel awful either...so I guess that's good.
Leo had a crazy busy day at work...non-stop phone calls and deals...good thing he was hopped up on the roids! He is amazing to be doing that the day after a chemo treatment! And he's expecting tomorrow to be just as wild at work!

August 5

Today Leo had his 5th round of chemo. We met with the doctor beforehand and he gave us the results of the CT scan on Monday. The doctor said it was good news...that the tumor had shrunk by 70% or so and the other lymph nodes in his neck and groin looked fine. He said that some of the remaining tumor could be just structural..non-cancerous material that is just there to support the tumor. We'll have to wait to know about that until Leo has another PET scan which shows activity in the tumor. That was all very good news! So for now, he completes round 5 and in 3 weeks has his final round 6 of chemo. Then he rests for 4 weeks and then has the PET scan and the results of that determine what happens next.
So Leo got along fine with his chemo today. His blood work was good again. The chemo took about 6 hours plus the doctor's visit. Leo dozed for a bit in the morning after receiving the benedryl, but after lunch he wanted his laptop...so I got it out of the car for him and he worked on some business stuff until the last bag of chemicals had dripped into him.
I hadn't felt great for the last few days...stomach problems...so I didn't do the usual walk/runs yesterday or today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel well enough to get back on schedule.
Now for thankyou news: Big thanks to Michelle W. for her donation! That was very nice of you, Michelle, and good to hear from you! We look forward to further comments from you on the blogs!
And also big thanks to Joan who donated tons of items for another upcoming garage sale with proceeds going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Joan, thanks for your great generosity!!
Also, for those of you who are just starting to read this blog and Sara's..be sure to go back to the beginning and then read to the present...there's a lot of posts to read before this page.. it will give you a better idea of what's going on. Just scroll to the bottom of the page to "old posts" and click on that, then continue clicking on that on each page until you reach the beginning.

August 2

Sunday, and I slept in embarrassingly late...so missed my morning walk/run. It was warm today so I did my walk/run after dinner and a bit later than usual. I didn't get back until it was almost dark. Along the trail the crickets had started to chirp, the fireflies were floating around the path all lit up, and the cicadas were putting in their 2 cents worth, adding to the cacophony. Trying to hurry it up, I did the 3 miles in 45 minutes (15 min/mile).

August 1 - Saturday - 14 miles!!

The mist hung heavy to the ground this morning as I headed out for my team walk/run. It was as if the clouds dropped from the sky for the night & settled in low to the open fields, waiting for the sun to come out to make their exit. I got up at 5:30, had a small bowl of my usual organic granola with soy milk, & out the door by 6:15. I met Coach Rachel at 6:30 at Pioneers Park and miraculously did a 14 mile walk/run. The walk/run felt ok…about mile 8 I started to feel it, but pushed on. The hills weren’t so bad the first time around, but the second lap and I was really feeling those hills (yes, there are hills in Nebraska!). Of course at every hill, my watch would beep and it was time to run…right when the hill was the steepest! Rachel walked/ran with me most of the time so that was good to help keep me on a good pace. I completed the 14 miles in 3 hrs and 36 minutes (15.4 min/mile) so that is quite an improvement on previous long distance Saturday team runs. Here’s what my times were (in minutes per mile) starting 6 weeks ago. Total miles walked are in parenthesis.
6/20: (7 miles) – 16.6 min/mile
6/27: (8 miles) – 16.5 min/mile
7/4: (10 miles) – 16.2 min/mile
7/11: (10 miles) – 16.7 min/mile
7/18: (12 miles) – 16.8 min/mile
7/25: (6 miles) – 17.5 min/mile (this was my messed up day, disregard it!)
8/1: (14 miles) – 15.4 min/mile
Back to today – so after I completed the 14 miles, I did the usual stretching before getting into my car and heading home. I felt pretty good, but after 15 minutes of sitting in the car to drive home, when I opened the car door in our driveway and took that first step to the house…ouch! I hobbled to the front door! Leo was there to give me a big hug. He had done his usual Saturday routine…went to the recycling place and deposited the recycling items and then stopped off and bought me a bag of ice – yay!
Let me describe that wonderful ice bath I take after long runs: Let see…I put a towel in the bottom of the tub, put on a sweatshirt, sit in the tub, plug the drain, turn on the COLD water, and wait for the tub to fill. When that cold water starts to reach the calves of my legs, it takes my breath away for an instant, and then I start swearing like a sailor! Luckily I have the upstairs to myself so no one hears me (you don’t hear me downstairs, Leo, do you??). So I sit with my legs extended waiting for the water to get about waist deep and then comes the pièce de résistance to this masterful presentation: I dump a large bag of ice cubes in. Again, more swearing. Damn! That’s just plain cold! I start timing it from there…10 more minutes…then mercifully pull the plug and wait for the water to drain out before getting out of the tub. Then in my hypothermia state I go through a warm shower and by the time the sliding shower doors slide open to release me, I feel human again.
My recovery meal after my run was tofu and quickly stir fried veggies (sweet potatoes, cauliflower, green pepper, raw spinach, fresh ginger…yes, I know I’m weird…but it was very colorful!) and also some fresh fruit: pineapple, blueberries, tangelo.
Sara got back a bit later and we heard about her adventures with her 54 mile ride to the Czech festival today. Be sure to check out her blog, too! http://blog.cyclingsawatzki.com/
I relaxed for a while and then Leo & I went up to Omaha to a wedding reception party for (good friend from college) Jayne and husband. It was very nice and relaxing in her backyard and we stayed til about 10:00 and then had an hour drive back to Lincoln.
On the drive back, I was noticing some mileage signs along the interstate and at one point we were way out in the country and the sign said 18 miles to 27th street exit…which was only 4 miles more than I did today. We drove and drove until finally reaching 27th and I was amazed how far that was (linear lines seem much longer than loups!)! Then we looked at the odometer at the 27th street exit (we were still on I-80) and going past that exit, taking the downtown exit, going through downtown Lincoln all the way south to hwy 2 and then to Old Cheney and east to our house…and the total miles were only 11…holy cripes! I couldn’t believe it! That 14 miles was a lot longer distance than I thought. Well, that made me extra tired!
Oh…miles walked/ran this week: 29
Total miles (from beginning of training): 205 !! -woo hoo!!

July 31- day of rest

My day off of walking & I went to water aerobics & afterwards into the hot tub to loosen up a bit. I tried to get some things done today, such as bill paying, etc. This whole training thing is really starting to take up a lot of time – which is OK, I just have to adjust. Between the walks/runs (which are gradually increasing in length each week), to getting ready for the walks, to recovering from the walks, to eating before the walks, to eating & drinking after the walks, to planning my routes & mileage, to working on the fundraising aspect – figuring out how else to get us to our goal (talking to places to ask for donations, sending off more emails, etc.). It all occupies a good part of the day – but it’s definitely worth it!



I’m including a photo of my shoes (or one of my shoes)– to show how the toe looks with the stitching out.

It gives my toes a bit of wiggle room & hopefully will prevent further toe nail damage…from those toes consistently pushing against the toe of the shoes. I just figured out that I will need a new pair of shoes before the marathon – so I’ll need to get them 3 or 4 weeks before, to break them in. Each pair of shoes will last for about 400 miles & I’ll pass that by the second week of September.

Also, here’s a picture of my water belt (that I wear whenever I go for a walk/run):

I fill it with water and/or electrolyte powder mixed in the water for longer walks. Even though they have stands along the marathon route, I’ll take my own to have in between miles. I’ll take along some electrolyte tablets or powder to mix along the way, too.

I went to bed a bit early tonight to be rested for my Saturday morning team walk tomorrow…it will be 14 miles. We’re meeting at Pioneers Park early tomorrow to get a jump on the heat so I got my things ready tonight…that means mixing up my water bottles with electrolyte powder, packing my “snot” gels and Cliff bar, mixing a recovery drink for afterwards when I finish the walk/run ( I need to have it in the car to drink right away…it really helps the muscles recover better), mixing a protein drink for afterwards…again, it’s important to have protein within ½ hour of completing a run…it helps repair torn tissue from the run. I keep the recovery drink and the protein drink in a small cooler in the car to drink after I finish the run and after I stretch before heading home.

Here’s a picture of getting ready for my morning run:

Left to right: electrolyte drink, recovery drink,4 "snot" gels (carbs) & (long package) of shot blocks (chewable carbs), cliff bar (missing: protein drink mix). Like I say, this walking/running business is a science!!
Went to bed listening to rolling thunder and rain and lightning…a wonderful Nebraska summer storm…great sleeping weather!

July 30

Did an early morning 4 miles in 60 minutes (15 min/ mile).

July 29

Leo had blood work done this morning & it was all very good. His hemoglobin was up 2 points so it looks like the organic spinach, organic raisins & raisin bran, & extra meals with red meat paid off! I did a 3 mile walk a bit later in 47 min (15.7 min/mile). This afternoon I had a reflexology appointment (ahhhhh! So wonderful, as always!!) with Deb and again she donated the amount I paid her for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society…Deb, you are amazing! Thank you so much again!!

July 28

Went for an early morning walk/run today & did it in 78 minutes (15.6 min/mile)...then I got ready and went to work. I forgot to mention on Saturday during the 5k race - I think I mentioned that a lot of people standing around the race area were cheering people on & they were all nice with the usual "way to go" "you can do it", etc. But one woman clearly stood out. As I approached her she looked at me and said "You're looking strong! You look like a woman on a mission!" I thought, "Boy, you've got that right!"
Oh, and I saw the official results of the 5k...so here it is: I came in overall 238 out of 242. In the female overall I came in 142 out of 145. In my age group category I came in 6th !! - yay!! ....ok...that is 6th out of 6 ! But here's the best part...I was the oldest female in the race! There was one other my age, but since my birthday is less than a month away, I'm going to say the odds are that I am the oldest!! ...and...I'm on a mission!!

July 27 - many thanks!!

Today is my rest day and now that I have my blog all caught up, I’d like to thank the many people who have donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through our website. Your support means more than you can know. Your words of encouragement to all of us & your generous donations have overwhelmed us! So here goes:
HUGE THANKS TO:
Jason & Shanna, Andy, Darcy, & Delia, Matt & Joy: our children, daughters-in-law, soon-to-be-daughter-in-law, and granddaughter – your support and concern has been so wonderful – and thanks to those of you who have also spread the word to friends & other family members – that has helped our fundraising immensely! We love all of you lots!!
Tom & Muriel – Joy’s wonderful parents and our soon-to-be-extended family (or whatever in-laws and in-laws are to each other!) We really appreciate your concern.
Marti & Herb – Darcy’s great parents and already extended family (or again, whatever in-laws and in-laws are to each other!) Thanks so much for your support!
Brad & Terri – Joy’s awesome brother (& Tom & Muriel’s son) & Terri, his girlfriend! ...that was so nice of you to contribute, too! Thank you!
Ann E – our friend from Chapel Hill and mother of Matt’s best friend from high school. Also Ann is the photographer that took the most amazing picture EVER of 4 boys one winter! Ann, your generosity is amazing and it is so nice to reconnect with you! Thank you, thank you!
Ryan & Summer – Ann’s wonderful son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Again, Ryan, it was good to reconnect with you…thank you so much for your generous donation…it means a lot to us…and we’re looking forward to seeing you in June!
Adam & Lauren – Matt’s friends…thank you so much for your donation…that was very kind of you!
Paul H – another friend of Matt’s. How nice, Paul, of you to send your support! Thank you!
Sharon B – our very special friend from our favorite Canadian island (and our favorite place on earth!). Thank you so much for your very generous donation and your friendship...you are so special to us! We will see you next year!
Tim & Deb C – Leo’s business associate /friend & wife – thank you so much for your donation…that means so much to Leo and all of us.
Terri & Dave V. – another of Leo’s business associates & husband – Thank you for your kind donation and continued concern for Leo.
Sharon & Nick K – a business associate & friend of Leo’s and her husband. Sharon, thank you for your wonderful donation and overall concern for Leo…we all really appreciate that!
Jeff B. and AeroVision International –another business associate and friend of Leo’s - wow! What can I say…your donation has blown us away! How very very generous of you! We are truly touched with your kind words, concern, and amazing donation! We just can’t thank you enough!
Deb F.- my amazing friend and joy group sister. Thank you so much, Deb, for your many many donations to the garage sale and your multiple cash donations. You are so kind and we appreciate your generosity so much!
Joan – my good friend. Thank you, Joan, for all your amazing generosity and your very generous donation including money that you took the time to also collect from business associates. We really appreciate what you have done!
Carleen – my college buddy and fellow backpacker-across-Europe back in ’72 and overall great friend. Thank you, Carleen, for your generous contribution AND for letting Sara and I stay at your place before our competitions last weekend. Leo, Sara, & I all appreciate you!

July 26

I did my 3 mile Sunday morning walk/run & it actually felt good. I did it in 45 min (15 min/mile) so I was pleased with that. And ya gotta love Lincoln! - along the trail today someone had put a little table beside the trail with a sign that said "free" on the side & on the table were home grown cucumbers & tomatoes and a plastic bag taped to the table with more plastic bags to put the veggies in! I was impressed.
Just to prove there really IS a 91 year old man named Clarence who ran in the 5k race last night...check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j9chBdOEFI It must have been filmed last year...because he is 91 yrs old now! He's awesome!
Also I forgot to mention yesterday as I started my walk/run out in Elkhorn, I heard a voice behind me and looked back and there was one guy running and singing as loud as he could...not just humming! I visited with him a bit... he was doing 28 miles that day...and must have been in his 40's or so. As he took off ahead of me he was belting out "Amazing Grace"! It was quite entertaining.

July 25 5 k race

Well, yesterday Sara and I arrived at Carleen's place and had a nice visit with her. Her place is so nice and peaceful and comfortable...it was great just to relax there. We scouted out where Sara needed to go last evening (where her 50 mile bike ride started this morning) so that was good to know. We made some dinner...pasta (high carb dinner!) and then Sara went to bed in good time and Carleen and I stayed up a bit late....around 12:45 or so...talking and having a good time, as always.

So Sara and I got up at 6:30 this morning and I took her down to the starting point for her 50 mile ride. I came back to Carleen's and no sooner did Carleen get dressed and ready and we went to the end of her long driveway, prepared to sit on the edge of the back of my van...and Sara was already almost right in front of us...on the race trail! I barely got my camera turned on to get a picture of her! She was really moving!

Carleen and I came back to her place and visited for awhile and I got a late start doing my walk for today. I had planned on a certain route, but changed to plan B because I knew Sara would be done before I finished my 10 miles and I needed to go pick her up. So I decided to just walk/run on the same road that she had just passed us on...that way she would pass me when she was going back and I would know when to turn around and go back to my car at Carleen's to go pick Sara up at the finish line.

So I called Leo as I was walking and tried to talk him through that route planning link (from July 23) and that took awhile because I couldn't hear well because I was huffing and puffing from running and then cars would go whooshing by on the highway that I was walking/running on. But Leo kept at it and finally was able to tell me a turning point on the highway that I decided to go to. But all of this took time...I had to stop along the way to read a map as to Sara's route..and it really slowed my pace down because I wasn't concentrating on my walking/running

I did about 6 miles and because I got a late start, I didn't think about sunblock...so instead I put on my long sleeved jacket (black polyester...ick!) so I wouldn't get a sunburn. It was REALLY hot out there in the blazing sun and on that asphalt road...I thought I was going to have a heat stroke!...so again...I didn't push my pace and even skipped some of the 45 second runs because of the heat. Also slowing me down was the fact that I was taking a bunch of pictures for Sara to post on her blog...and then towards the end...I kept turning around to see if Sara was coming up behind me ...I wanted to get more pictures of her going by. So the bottom line is that my "Mom" duties overpowered my training assignment...but...oh well! I just was looking at my morning walk as a warm up for my 5 k tonight.

Sara finished the race in a great time...50 miles in less than 4 hours!! She did a super job and finished strong...and she got a medal!! We went back to Carleen's, had lunch, rehydrated, took a shower, and then headed back to Lincoln. I took a 1 hour nap and then got up and had some quinoa salad (high protein, high carb), got my running gear back on, and Leo, Sara, and I took off for my 5 k race which was at the baseball park.

I got there and understand that this was all new to me...my first competition of anything athletic...EVER...in my life. I got my number to pin to my shirt and a chip to attach to my shoelace to time me. I didn't have a clue how to put either one of these things on...so I had to watch other people putting them on. There was time to spare so Leo, Sara, and I sat down in the seats for awhile and then about 1/2 hour before the race I took off to try to find the starting point. I tried to be towards the back since I was walking and I assumed the others there were walking, too.

The race started at 8:00 and everyone took off like bats out of hell! I looked around and the only other walker was a 91 year old man, Clarence, and he was keeping pace with me!! I thought "oh no! I'm going to not only be beaten by a 91 year old man, but I really am going to be the last one over the line!". So Clarence and I walked along (he was actually jogging) and he told me that I walked really fast! About that time my alarm went off for me to run my 45 seconds and I didn't see him again until after I crossed the finish line (I did cross the line before him!).

I saw the whole pack of the other 300 or more runners off in the distance and I only hoped that I would figure out which route to take. I had planned on following the crowd...but they were really far out in front now. I passed Leo and Sara cheering me on...and all I could say was "I thought there would be more freakin' walkers!" About 1/2 to 2/3 of the way around the first lap (the first mile) a group of guys lapped me! Cripey! Now I knew what was going to happen...I was going to be the one that got the pity applause at the end...NOOOOO! But I kept up my pace and didn't do anything stupid like running a bunch extra like I did the other day. I kept a strong walk and my running felt good. (I had taken one of those snot gels (as I call them) just before the race started). All along the race people (specatators and runners) were supportive...saying "good job, you can do it, keep it up" and they were really nice. And I just smiled and kept up my pace, pushing myself as best as I could. Of course Leo and Sara were there cheering me on at each lap.

So before my mile 2 most everyone had lapped me. One gal said "you're almost there" and I said "no...I have another lap!" As I neared the end of the race I heard the band there playing some song...I forget what it was...but it sounded good...and I started running to the pace of the song. I ended up passsing a few others before the end and sprinted to the finish. Actually, I had to ask Sara if I had passed the finish line...I didn't see it! So I had the chip removed from my shoe and that was it. I did a 3.1 mile in 46 minutes so that was a pace of 14.8 min/mile...so I was really happy with that! And best of all...I finished! Here are a few pictures from the race:

Here's where I'm asking where the other freakin' walkers are!

You can see how the pack has thinned out!

Ahhhh! The finish line (I think!)

July 23

I got a late start to my walk today and it was really hot with the sun out in full force. I was tired this morning (which is why I think I was putting off my run til later...as if it would go away!) so I had a talk with myself before going out the door. It went like this: "so get your act together and push it today. You have this 5 k run on Saturday and you DON'T want to be the last person over the finish line...so see what you can do today" So I left the house thinking "yes, I can do this". I got to the trail and took off at a good pace and for the first 2 miles (of my 4 mile walk/run today) I really pushed it. I did the usual 4 min walk, 45 second run...but also did little spurts of running in between those times. I was huffing and puffing most of the way, but I kept going. At the end of 2 miles I was at 30 minutes flat... 15 min/mile and very pleased with that (although by how hard I was working, I thought it might be at 14 something). But by mile 3 I started to lose steam and did it in a 15.5 minute pace...with running in between...and mile 4 was really bad...I was hurting. My final time for the 4 miles was 61 minutes...only 1 minute better than yesterday and I almost killed myself! So I reset my goal of not being the last one over the finish line at the 5K race on this Saturday...to my new goal of just crossing the finish line! That's a lot less pressure! I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.
So the plan for this weekend is this: Sara and I will go tomorrow afternoon (Fri) out to my friend's (Carleen's) cabin in Elkhorn where we will stay tomorrow night. Sara will ride in the Cornhusker State Games in a 50 mile bike ride on Saturday morning. Amazingly, the ride is right on the road that Carleen lives on!! So on Friday afternoon we'll scout out where she needs to go the next morning and maybe she can see the roads that she'll be biking on. So Saturday morning I'll see her start off on her race and then I'll take off on my scheduled run of 10 miles. I mapped it out on that great website where you can map out your own route and it will show you how many miles you have gone and you can click on the satellite photo to see landmarks as to what you'll be passing by, etc. ...it's great! Here's the link if you want to play around with it: http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/
So anyway, I'll be running on country roads out by Elkhorn going north to Bennington Rd and hopefully I'll be done in time to catch Sara crossing the finish line of her race. Then we'll go back to Carleen's and shower ( a cold one for me!) and grab a recovery drink and some protein and then head back to Lincoln where I hope to have a few hours of rest before I go to my event that evening of doing a 5 k race...where my goal is to finish!! I'll probably gulp down a few carb shots to get me going before hand. So that's the plan.
I forgot to mention tonight was yard mowing time. Leo got on the riding mower and did the yard and I mowed with the push mower doing the trim work and working the edges. Boy, you'd never know Leo had just finished round 4 of chemo...seeing him zip around the yard like nobody's business! The only problem with this situation (of me doing the push mower) is that I'm training for a marathon ...and so I tend to walk very fast...too fast for the lawnmower to do it's thing. So Leo is constantly telling me to slow down...because where I mow tends to look like someone got a bad haircut (or so he says!). It usually involves Leo riding his mower over some of the places where I got carried away with my pace!

July 22

Leo had his weekly blood work done this morning and all looked really good. The nurse commented about how good his blood work is consistently. He was a little low in his hemoglobin so I'll have to bump up the iron-rich foods again for awhile....lots of spinach, raisins, red meat, etc. I went for my walk/run a little bit later and it got plenty warm on my walk. The 4 min/45 second plan is going well. I did 4 miles in 62 minutes (15.5 min/mile) and other than the heat, it felt good.

July 21

It was cool when I started my early morning walk today, so I wore a jacket, but by about mile 1 I was plenty warm so took it off. Doing the 4 minutes walking & 45 seconds running worked out well. I pushed it as best as I could & did the 5 miles in 1 hour and 17 minutes (15.4 min/mile). It rained lightly the last 2 miles, but felt good. Came home, had breakfast, took a shower, and then off to work for the day.

July 19

Did my 3 miles today in 47 minutes (15.7 min/mile). I still felt a little tired - but at least it was only 3 miles. I got an email from Rachel & she had figured out that doing 4 miles of walking & 45 seconds of running would add about 2 more minutes of running per hour - so sounds like a good deal. She said to start training with that now & we'll do that on Saturday & see how it goes. I reset my stop watch accordingly - ready for my Tuesday walk/run. Sadly, it takes me about as long to reset that watch as it does for me to walk a mile!

July 18 addition

Here are the additional pictures from Pioneers Park:

July 18

The sun ws rising over the cornfields as I drove to Pioneers Park for the team walk/run this morning. I left home at 6:30 AM & passed 2 wild turkey hens with their little ones. It was cool enough this morning to start with a jacket, but I took it off after 1 mile. It was just Rachel & myself today so Rachel ran with me the whole time. I cut it back to 5 minutes walk and 45 seconds run & that was plenty (with the hills). I did not have a lot of energy today & my feet hurt - after all the standing I did yesterday...actually I canned until about 11:30 last night. No wonder I didn't have energy today! It was good to have Rachel to help me keep my pace up as best as I could. The important thing is that I got it done! I did 12 miles in 2 hours and 22 minutes (16.8 min/mile) & even though the time wasn't great, I felt really good about doing the 12 miles - that's only 1 mile short of a half-marathon - and that was good mentally for me to do that. The walk around Pioneers park was really pretty - again, I took my camera - and here are some of the sights I saw as I walked through the park. I think I can only include 3 pictures on this particular post...so I'll do a second post for today to include the other 3 pics.

I drank my recovery drink on the way home but I was in a semi-rigor mortis state by the time I opened the car door at home & took the first few steps - ouch! My feet hurt & so did everything else! Leo was kind enough to go buy me a bag of ice while I was on my walk so I could do my ice bath. I ate some lunch & then took my usual 20 minute ice bath followed by about 45 minutes of sit time, then Leo & I ran some errands. I bought some more recovery drinks & some Carb-Boom energy gels. I tried one again today & I think I can tolerate them now and I think they are better absorbed in the gel form instead of the gel blocks. Rachel said it was best to take 1 gel pack every 45 minutes followed by water. It seemed to set fine with me today. So my grand total of miles this week is 27 miles! I had to take ibuprofen today for my feet - nothing else was quite as bad as that. Total miles walked from the beginning of training = 151 miles!! Hot damn! I'm on a roll!!

Julyl 17

My day off and I drove to Omaha to buy some pickling cucumbers at a farm there and then drove back to Lincoln and further southwest to a winery where they let me pick some grape leaves for my pickling and then I was on my feet for the next 9 hours to can pickles...quite an ordeal...and not a good idea for a rest day and for the day before my long run.

July 16

Did 4 miles in 60 minutes (15 min/mile) on the Mopac today. This trail is so pretty. I took along my camera this time and I'm including some pictures from my walk taken from the trail. I think it shows the beauty and serenity of the Nebraska landscape.

July 15

Leo had round 4 of chemo today & did very well. We met with the doctor before & when the doctor examined him & poked around his abdomen, he couldn't feel any of the tumor - he said that doesn't mean there isn't something there, but at least he couldn't feel it...so we were VERY pleased with that news! He set up another CT scan for Leo on Monday August 3 to see how the progress is going from an internal more definitive view. We'll be able to find out the results when we see the doctor on the 5th before his 5th round of chemo. I think the doctor & nurses are amazed at how well Leo is doing with the chemo. Other than the hair loss, the only other thing is he has a little numbness & tingling in some of his fingertips (this is common) - but according to Leo - it's a small price to pay for the benefits.
As usual during chemo, Leo's eyes started to "cage" as he refers to it - about 10 minutes after the benadryl entered his picc line so that's my cue to get changed, grab my cell phone, & go out and do my assigned walk. I walked the trail behind the oncology building (see Sara's blog July 19 titled "Epic Fall" for a picture of the building from the trail). Being a little bit later in the day, it was fairly warm & I was sweating quite a bit, but enjoyed the walk. I did 3 miles in 47 minutes (15.7 min/mile). When I got back to the chemo room Leo was still sleeping so I changed back into my jeans and t-shirt - but I didn't bother switching bras - I left my sports bra on. The reason?...sweating + sports bra removal = battle !! So I just didn't bother. Leo did well throughout the treatment - he even did some work on his laptop for awhile...taking care of business. We had our "picnic" lunch & he was finished around 3:00 or 3:30. That's 4 treatments down and 2 more to go!

July 14

Had to wake up at 6:00 to get my walk in early. Did 5 miles in 78 minutes (15.6 min/mile). I bumped up the pace today - 5 minutes walk & 1 minute run. Yikes! That is a long time to run! I barely caught my breath before the 5 minutes were up. Had a 9:00 dentist appointment & then worked the rest of the day at the antique store.

July 13

My day off of walking. I met my good friends, Carleen & Jayne, out at Mahoney Park & we had a picnic & then walked about 2 miles...not at a fast pace, though. We had a great time together as always! We did manage to get into ticks again so had to have a tick inspection on the sidewalk! I hate those nasty bugs...as the entomologist told me...ticks are from the dark side! (Joy, you understand this!)

July 12

My usual Sunday recovery walk. I went at noon & it was HOT. Did the 3 miles in 47 minutes (15.7 min/mile)

July 11

Today was our Saturday team run. I met Rachel at Pioneers Park and she walked with me for several miles & then hooked up with another runner & then caught up with me later on. I kept a pace of walk 5 minutes & run 45 seconds & with the hills out there for the first time, I felt I did really good, but those hills made a difference! Whew! On my walk I passed a favorite place of Leo's and mine before we were married. It's by a lake & we'd take a blanket & some books & lie down & talk & read & look up at the clouds. It was strange to think that 36 years later I would be not only out there training for a marathon run at age 60, but doing it for my husband to benefit leukemia & lymphoma research. As I ran by, I glanced over and could almost see those 2 young people on that blanket. Oh, the twists & turns that life takes. I also walked past the row of trees where 35 years ago I had my bridal portrait taken. One sunny day in June of 1975 I drove out to this park (because if was our favorite place in Lincoln) along with our wedding photographer & I went behind some trees & changed into my wedding dress while the photographer waited..and had my picture taken holding a single long stemmed red rose. Remember - I was a flower child (bona fide hippie!).

And later on in my run today I passed the wide open space just down from the statue of an Indian making smoke signals & I thought of our kids as toddlers, running in the open field, their hair flying wildly in the golden sunlight. Also, I walked past the toboggan run - a raised metal platform on top of a hill - where we'd bring our toboggan & squeeze the whole family on there - Leo & I & the 4 kids and then roar down the hill & diligently hike back up to repeat the whole scene. This was at night time - they had it lit up with lights. There's nothing better than a lit up snow-covered slope! We'd finish off the evening going to Lee's Chicken for hot cocoa - usually sitting in wet clothes as they thawed in the warmth of the restaurant.

So this particular walk/run was like stepping back in time & savoring every minute. As to the walk - I did just short of 10 miles in 162 minutes - the same as last Saturday's 10 mile - only this one was hilly - so not bad. On the way home I drank a recovery drink - Recoverite - that's full of carbs and protein and some sodium and minerals and I was hardly sore the remainder of the day - a miracle! I need to get more of that!

I rushed home, had some breakfast, took a 20 minute ice bath, gathered my food and cooking supplies, and barely made it to my class in time to teach a "summer cooking" class. I was on my feet the whole time teaching class & it wasn't bad!

Later this evening I signed up for the Omaha half marathon on September 27. It will be a good experience for me to do that before the big one in Des Moines. Rachel said she'd run the Omaha half marathon (13 miles) with me and I was very happy about that! That was really nice of her to volunteer to do that!! My total miles for this week are 25.7.

July 9

Leo had blood work done today & it looks fine - which is great news! I came home after the oncologist visit & again I walked in extra heat at noon...same time as yesterday...4 miles in 62 minutes. Rachel sent me an email today & said she would start our team run on this Saturday a half hour earlier - at 6:30 AM so I would have more time afterwards to get ready to teach my cooking class at 11:30 that morning. That was reallly nice of her.

July 8

Made the mistake today of doing my walk/run at noon & it was really hot. Did 4 miles in 62 minutes (15.5 min/mile). I was really sweating...I didn't realize that you could actually sweat on the tops of your hands!

July 7

Got up early (before work) and did 5 miles in 78 minutes (15.6 min/mile). Went to work and Sara came over at noon for a birthday celebration lunch. Later on today she rode her bike for 25 miles - for her 25th birthday...amazing!! It looks like Uncle John Ash seems to have started a very admirable tradition for the bikers of the family. Not too long ago he rode 50 miles on his 50th birthday - awesome!!

July 5

Walked 3 miles today in 45 minutes (15 min/mile)! Not bad after a 10 mile yesterday!

July 4

Well, I've been sort of looking forward to today's walk of 10 miles and sort of feeling apprehensive of it. I was on my own (no team walk today because it's the 4th) so I created a new and different route, starting off at the Y and going south and east...then heading north. I passed a crane at a pond along the way along with many rabbits. Leo, Sara, and friend, Jon (from Canada) went to the Farmer's Market and about half way through my walk I gave them a call to tell them where I was. Within 15 minutes they passed by in their car, waving and honking. Then as I was going under Sheridan Blvd on the trail I looked up on the bridge and there they were...waving and yelling "Go, Grandma, go!" That made me smile and as I kept walking and went under the bridge, I picked up the pace a bit. Then when I got to the Shopko store area, there they were again yelling "Go, Momma!". Again, I laughed and as I went past, I picked up the pace again. I had about 2 1/2 miles to go and I was getting tired. I realized that 10 miles was a long way! When I got to Essex St. the gang was there...this time shouting a Canadian cheer: "Go - eh!" Well, that really made me laugh. I continued on, again, feeling my feet go just a bit quicker. I was keeping up the rhythm of 5 minutes of walking and 45 seconds of running...with my sports watch alarm going off to cue me. I continued on to just short of Old Cheney and there they were AGAIN ...this time (in "honor"...or NOT... of the fact that Larry the Cable guy was in town tonight) and so their cheer was "Git 'er done!" And so I continued on, picking up the pace as best as I could... considering. As I neared the end of the 10 miles there they were yelling and cheering for me to make it to the end. Leo was there to give me a big hug and kiss. It was great having them cheer me on for the last half of my run!! Sara knew all the stops from her riding the same trail on her bike...so she knew just where to drive to and wait for me each time...it was great!! I did the 10 miles in 2 hrs and 42 minutes without stoppping once! That's 16.2 min/mile...not bad!! And my total miles this week are 25.3!! I came home and Leo had gone to the store to buy me a bag of ice. I took my ice bath and was pretty tired the rest of the day...but I felt very accomplished.

July 2

Leo had blood work done today and all looks good....that's always such good news! I walked 4.3 miles today in 69 minutes (16 min/mile).

July 1

I didn't do my walk/run until noon and it was pretty warm. I tied my shoes differently and it seemed to help a little on my left foot, but my right toe still had problems. I did my 3 miles today in 48 minutes (16 min/mile). I decided I needed to get things remedied with my toe because I have a 10 miler coming up this Saturday...so I went to the Running Company and talked to Ann who said I needed to cut the toe out of my shoes. My first reaction was...that's crazy!...new shoes??? and how much did they cost??? and you want me to cut out the toes???!! And then another thing came to mind...so I asked, "So what happens when it rains...do my toes get wet?" and she just looked at me. You see...I had envisioned cutting out the toes so my shoes looked like semi-sandals...and what she actually meant was to cut the top stitching on the toes of the shoes to allow more "wiggle" room. She must have thought I was nuts! People just don't get the fact that I'm clueless about most of this!! So she sat there on her shoe stool cutting the stitching of my new shoes with a box cutter...I could hardly look! She told me it looked like I had a case of "black toe" and that I would probably lose my toe nail...great!

June 30

I got up early today to do my miles before I had to work all day. I did 5 miles in 1 hr and 22 min (16.4 min/mile). My toes are still hurting. I emailed Rachel and she suggested tying my shoes in a particular way to see if that helps. I'll do that for tomorrow.

June 27

Had our team run this morning at the Mopac trail. We met early (6:30 AM) and Rachel gave a workshop on nutrition. It was very interesting...there is such a science to it all! So here's what I learned: As far as what to eat before run/walks, especially longer ones, (better known as fueling before walk/runs), it should be mostly carbs, a little protein, and low fat...so I've been having a cup of organic granola with soy milk and that seems to work well for me...so that part is taken care of. Next is fueling during walks/runs. Your body can go for 90 minutes of walking/running and then all carbs are spent and you need to replenish them or else your legs won't move very well. This includes carb replacements such as power bars, Cliff bars, gatorade, electrolyte powders to mix with water (to replace sodium lost in sweat), gu gels or shot blocks. The gels are concentrated mixtures of carbs and you need to chase it down with water so you don't get a "goo gut" (I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound good!). Once you start to use the gels, you need to avoid a sugar crash by having more every 1/2 hour to 45 min. of your walking/running time. Finally you have your fueling post walk/run and that's where you need to quickly have a blast of protein to repair torn down muscle tissue and also to replace some carbs. You need to replace the protein within a half hour of finishing your walk/run. Each person is different as far as what will work for them...so it's all by trial and error. There's so much to think about instead of just putting your left foot in front of your right foot!

Back to the walk/run today...I did 8 miles in 2 hrs. and 12 min (16.5 min/mile) and by the end, my second toes on both feet really hurt...it felt like I had just stubbed them...so that wasn't so pleasant, but I felt good about going 8 miles today. My total miles for this week is 22!!