8-10-10

Wow! So yesterday, I had a really great run. If you can believe that in 100 degree weather, with heat index of 105 plus. I was slowly jogging along and wondering how the run would turn out, being the sun was blazing and already tired from a busy Monday at work. But yah, all of a sudden midway through the run, my head was clear and I didn't focus on the sun or heat, rather just the rhythm of my feet hitting the trail. Even that really hot area crossing the I35 bridge and running along Riverside Dr. didn't bother me as much as usual, and I may have even had a smile on my face as I felt like, wow, this will be the first run in a while where I don't need to stop and rest a minute and let my body cool down. I was getting near the finish, about a quarter of a mile away, and I could hear the breathing of a runner behind me. This triggered me to finish off with a strong semi sprint and in the end, a great sense of accomplishment. It's funny because I was quite elated with the run, but almost instantly wanted to cry. I just felt this sense of peace, and it was like Ryan was there to let me know the training sucks in this heat, but it will be okay in the end. But I didn't bust out in tears, instead just smiled to myself and happy that my mental focus got me through a grueling run. My running times are a lot slower than the winter training I did for the Austin Marathon. But, I am okay with that now, just knowing I need to truck along enough to make it pass the finish line for the NYC Marathon. Max comes home tomorrow from summer vacation with his dad, so I plan on hanging out in Austin for the evening, grab some grub, maybe listen to some music somewhere. Max starts kindergarten in 2 weeks! I cannot believe how fast time flys. Less than 3 months from NYC...momentum is building!

I just want to throw it out there that if you are already registered to run the ING NYC Marathon on November 7, 2010 and want to help raise money for a great cause, please email me at
runningforryan@gmail.com

Anyone is welcome to join the team, and you can choose your own goal amount. It's quite easy to join, just let me know!

THANKS!

THE SONG OF THE DAY IS...

Oh, Today it was definitely, Journey's, "Don't Stop Believin". It was actually quite fitting, because today was an odd running day. It was 100 plus degrees on the trail today, and mentally I was like, "Hmmm, don't know how this run is going to go, maybe I will just trudge along". But man, when I think about Ryan, I get in a daze(a can-do attitude!), and just pound away, not even realizing I just made it up a hill without pausing for a second in the brutal heat.
It's also fitting that it was the last song to play on my IPod today, because it helped me finish the last quarter mile hard. Journey is probably my favorite band of all time, and this weekend I got to watch some very old Journey videos/live performances with another huge Journey fan for the first time. And... well... if you ever want to see the cheesiet video ever made, check out "Separate Ways". On the otherhand, "Faithfully" was such a great video and still one of my favorite love songs of all time.
Anyway...just a little random chat about my favorite group.
To top off the great run, I was rehydrating at the water station after the run and some random runner hollered at me, "Man you smoked me the entire way...I was trying to keep up but couldn't" Surprised, I didn't even notice. I was actually kind of shocked, because, yes it was a male, and most guys never have trouble passing me on the trail. But I do know what he means. I too focus on someone ahead of me, and often make it a goal to either stay right at his/her pace, or pass them just to keep a steady pace going. Though, haven't done that much this summer. I always seem to be the one getting passed as I bite my teeth and sweat my way to the finish.

Now, I am in full adrenaline mode, especially after hearing the interview on http://www.purefitradio.com/
I got to talk about Ryan and the Wounded Warrior Project in a way that just made me feel good about this challenge. Bart and Chuck were super sweet, and really Bart Yasso has been a great supporter for the cause ever since we met at the Austin Marathon.

So with this extra dose of adrenaline running in my veins right now, I just want to keep asking anyone reading this to PLEASE spread the word. We need to get $10,000 or so in 3 months. Please help me get this money for our brave and dear veterans.

If you need a little extra motivation, go to http://www.melissastockwell.com/ Melissa is actually the amputee veteran pictured in the photo above on Running For Ryan. I was following the Wounded Warrior Project on Facebook before I ever knew I would start to raise money for the cause, when this picture popped up on a Facebook posting, and that was when I decided to run for Ryan and our soldiers. Melissa Stockwell is an awesome veteran and a great athlete who always seems to smile and keep very positive outlook in life. Along with Ryan, she is definitely a huge motivation to keep 0n running. I have never met her, but you don't need to know someone personally to feel inspired. You just have to know her spirit. Check out her website, the Wounded Warrior Project sponsors her. She's amazing!

GETTING BACK ON TRACK 7-29-10

(above pic, just emailed to me from David Monti, awesome pic of Ry smiling! Thanks for sharing, David)

Hi there blog. It's been a couple of weeks, but recently mentally re-focused again to start rounding out the last few months of this training and fundraising. I have a couple of amazing runs lately. I got in a great mid distance run on Tuesday, and an awesome tempo run yesterday as the temperature dropped a few degrees in the overcast weather. It's been a roller coaster of a summer, but Ryan's spirit has seeped back into my running workouts, and it's actually been very helpful during the tough moments on the trail when I feel like stopping or even slowing down to a minimal jog. I am starting to visualize the finish line in NYC right now, like I did when I started getting geared up for the Austin Marathon last Valentine's Day. Personally, a few rough patches here and there, but nothing that won't work itself out in the end. It's amazing how training for a previous race can be totally opposite for another race. Undoubtedly, I will feel so much happiness, relief, and satisfaction with the ING NYC Marathon. When I visited Central Park a few times after Ryan's death, near "the rock" in Central Park, the sunlight always seemed to illuminate through the trees and shine down, just enough to feel him looking down on the city. I hope to write more is the training will start to pick up, and fundraising becomes very important in the final days. I continue to feel lucky to have this chance to keep Ryan's memory alive and give back to our troops. My best bud just headed back overseas today, and I found out someone else dear to me will go over for a 2nd tour very shortly. As usual, the realness of their service, and of all our men and women over there is what helps me truck along with Running For Ryan. Thanks for helping spread the word.

A SMALL WORLD

So, a couple of weeks ago I had a message from a guy named Ryan to see a condo we manage in the Austin area. It was the first day back after returning from Michigan, so my desk was swamped, and my energy limited, but I made the appointment to show this unit and the funniest thing happened. Actually, I would consider it a fateful thing.

I showed the two guys the place, they liked it, and so I started the small talk of, "So, what do you do in Austin". Mark told me he was in computer software, or something like that, and Ryan said he helped train professional runners. I was like, "cool, my brother was a professional runner, Ryan Shay." Both of them kind of dropped their jaws, and said, "You are Ryan's sister"? Then they said in unison, "We are Flotrack"(http://www.flotrack.org/) . I was like, get out of town, huh, what a small world. So, we got to talking about Ryan and my younger brother Stephan, and pretty much how funny it was for me to bump into them, neither of us knowing each other, but connected through the common interest of running.

We finished chatted, they got the place, and a couple of weeks later, I got a nice email from Mark about meeting up soon for an interview regarding Running For Ryan. So, I look forward to the opportunity as funds need to start coming in now as we are nearing 3 months before race day. (By the way, I asked Mark if I could bring this story up---as I am not usually one to discuss our clients, but this was a unique encounter indeed).

Well, going to get a 7/8 mile run in later on, and Max comes back, after vacationing with his dad the last 2 weeks, so looking forward to a lot of hugs and kisses this evening from my little man!

JULY 17, 2010

("T" (left), and me)

Ahh, I feel somewhat better now that I have some medication for my 2 week cough that turned out be be Bronchitis. I am going to knock this madness out with some antibiotics and hopefully be on the way to a full recovery in a couple of weeks. I did get in a 4 mile run today, very slow pace, but manageable. Came home, laid on the couch, and started my antibiotics and cough medicine that wiped me out for a bit. Now I am pretty much wide awake in the middle of the night, but hopefully writing a little bit will get me tired again.
I still plan on running while getting through this upper respiratory infection, but I will allow my body to decide how far and how strong.
Got some great news recently that my best bud who is currently serving overseas is on R & R for a couple of weeks and she's going to pop into Austin and hang out with me for a day before heading back home and flying back overseas. It was quite a surprise, but I love her for taking the time to visit, even though it's only for 24 hours. Her friendship to me is unlike any other, and well, I am sure we will have some nice long chats about my current dating situation and her on going sagas as well. I mean what's better than grabbing some good food, maybe some good chocolate and shooting the breeze with a woman I admire so much for her service to the U.S.
The visit is a great boost for my spirit and I hope for hers as well. Okay, now I am getting to the point of maybe catching some zzzzzzzz again. I will attempt a long run around the lake tomorrow and going to bake some banana bread with the rotten bananas on my kitchen counter tomorrow. I have been know to bake some killer banana bread. :)

JULY 15, 2010

Yesterday morning I had the great opportunity to chat with Bart Yasso and Chuck Engle for a Purefit Radio interview. This lead to meeting some ladies of a great online apparel store, http://www.runningskirts.com/. Check them out, as they have befriended me, and may just be able to help out a bunch in the near future for Running For Ryan.

It's been about 10 months since I first started blogging for Running For Ryan, and in between the hustle and bustle of being a mom, working, running, and trying to get the word out for donations, I managed to squeeze in some dating. I must admit, I am pretty awful at it, but it wasn't until recently that I met someone I find interesting and well, the first man I have known for more than a couple of dates since my marriage ended 3.5 years ago. But unfortunately, I may still have a bit to go before I know just how to ease into another relationship. I think I pretty much blew this chance, because I still have a hard time communicating what's important to me in a partnership because I am afraid I am not going to like the results/answers I may receive in return. I guess I am not at that level of confidence I need to be, so I will keep on trucking and trying. I am not saying this guy has run away, saying, "get me out of here", let's hope another chance at getting to know each other is in the works, but like running....the more I get out there and do it...the easier it gets.

I have been on day 10 of a nasty persistent cough, but managed to get some good runs in earlier in the week. Looking forward to an easy run tomorrow evening as I gather up energy for a 10-12 miler on Saturday.

Watching Forest Gump (on VHS!) as I check emails/blog and I cannot believe how time has gone by. The movie was filmed in 1995, but the love story is always still great to watch between Forest and Jenny(Forest never giving up, yeah!) , and the resilience of Gary Sinise's character as the amputated Lt. Dan always makes me think of our troops, past and present. It's time to get rolling and pump of the energy for remaining training months. I pray good things come our way for Running For Ryan, and we get this goal met. If you are reading, keep spreading the word, and make a donation---any amount is appreciated!!!

JULY 13, 2010

(Ryan Shay mid-summer night run shirt and medal for July 4, 2010 race in Central Lake, Mi. I ran it in 59:34, going for a 10 min pace, so ok with the time :))

I really enjoyed my time going back home. As I mentioned, it was the first time I had been back since Ryan's funeral. Yah, I know almost 3 years, but with moving from Michigan, to Maryland, and now Austin, it was a busy 3 years. One thing I realized though, was I don't want to go 3 years without a vacation again. I don't mean to say this in a spoiled sounding way, but with the divorce and the death, I was a non-stop working machine, focused on supporting my son and myself, trying to make ends meet, and build on some kind of stable future. But I realized along the way, everyone needs a break! Whatever your budget is, get out and live a little! Before I headed to Michigan, I was having Lupus flare ups, for a few weeks, and I caught something towards the end of my vacation, because I have been hacking and coughing for a week now, so I think my body is telling me to slow down. So, I took a little vacation from my vacation and did nothing this weekend expect spend it with great company and some pretty great running days despite the heat.
I am starting to come to the crucial months of this fundraiser. Due to being kind of worn down the last few weeks, I couldn't put too much time into this challenge. But yesterday my 7 mile run was different. It was like the running I used to do for the Austin Marathon challenge. I was energized mentally, which made the physical challenge of coughing and feeling a little weak feel alright. Sometimes I wish I didn't open my big mouth about doing a fall marathon. I really think I was even a little crazy to think I could train in this heat for the NYC Marathon, but when you make a promise to a cause dear to your heart, there really is no excuse to quit. My brother would never quit at anything, and it wouldn't honor him to put up my shoes now. I am very lucky to have made the trip home, as it reconnected me to loved ones, and to Ryan's spirit. I was a little homesick when I returned to Austin for the first couple of days, but Austin has become my home, and I will continue to kick up dirt around the trail and hope that I can reach out to those who also feel our troops need our support. I am almost certain this will be my last marathon challenge in Ryan's memory for the Wounded Warrior Project. If you are reading this, I TRULY appreciate helping spreading the word and donating any amount you can. Thank you!