March 29, 2010

I cannot believe nearly a month and a half has passed since Austin's Marathon. Fully recovered, yes. In fact, a good 2-3 weeks is what I needed before I started running again. Today the heat was picking up in Austin. High 70's, but not too bad on the trail as it's been breezy since last week. Tonight I had Max, so a 3 mile stroller run. Really hard to do now that he's 5, but still manageable. So far keeping my longest runs near 7-8 miles just to maintain a platform before I start getting into it in a couple of months again. I am crossing my fingers for some news on my next marathon. Other than that, anyone still running the Chicago Marathon, feel free to contact me, as you can join the team at anytime(also found on cararuns.org). In fact, anyone doing any race can raise money with us. I guess I should have pointed this out sooner. I just like to set goals for myself, and the marathon seems to be the goal I personally have in mind at the moment, and it has generated some generous donations in the past. It's not a walk in the park to prepare for if you have a busy, normal life as a full time employee and parent, so congrats to all those who do! Please continue to email me at runningforryan@gmail.com if you have an idea for raising money with me, or want to run and raise money, or want to make a donation. Thanks so much! Sarah

It's Been Awhile, March 23, 2010

I see that my last post was 20 days ago. Well it's been quite a month. Work picked up again, Max was sick for 4 days with a stomach bug, moved closer to town, and had to prepare my first birthday party for Max's 5th birthday. In between all of that a lot of mind wandering and pondering. I am going to say it right now, that Chicago is probably out of the picture for this year anyway. I really didn't rationalize the decision at all before I blurted it out. I was coming off an extreme high from the Austin Marathon and wanted to have another goal to focus on right away. So, I just picked a fall marathon. And because it is a part of my life forever, I have to bring up the fact my Lupus triggered again right after the marathon. Though it seems to be leaving again for now, I really have to face the facts that blazing sun on my face and neck will eat my skin up alive this summer if I am not careful. So, I am looking into doing a marathon in Nov., as it will give me an extra month to train in less extreme Texas heat.


But most importantly I don't want to quit this challenge. For the past 3 weeks I haven't written a thought or focused on the fundraising at all. I had to take care of personal things, and get Max settled in our new place and adjust to our new surroundings and decide if this was going to work again like the Austin Marathon did.


So without promising just yet, I am still committed at this point. I just don't know which event I can/want to do next. What I do know right now is Ryan's spirit has started to surround me again and I had an awesome, sweaty 7 mile run tonight. Doing about 4 days a week of running right now to keep in the swing of things and to do alright in the Capital 10K coming up in a couple of weeks. I feel the adrenaline starting to kick in again, and I look forward to knowing where the next challenge will take me. I have faith an answer will come soon.


Take care.

March 3, 2010

Please visit www. cararuns.org

if you are looking to join a marathon training club and want to Run For Ryan and raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Email runningforryan@gmail.com for more information.

Thanks!

March 2, 2010

After writing the blog below, it got me thinking about how lucky I am. I wrote the soldier I was talking about an email today to say hello. I had to take a minute and realize it's okay to feel a little off, but that the focus needs to go back on keeping Ryan as my guide to running and to raise more money again for the Wounded Warrior Project. Maybe he wasn't the one to enter my dreams this time around, but dreaming about someone I know over seas made me snap back into my zone. It's actually the unknown part about this journey that makes it so much more special and exciting. I really can't wait to go to Chicago and do this marathon. Thanks A.S. for being there and inspiring me to be a better person.

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I woke up this morning with a jolt of energy. I had a very deep sleep for once since the Austin Marathon.
It's true, I got the post race blues. I know why. I was so focused and organized, scheduled, and mentally in the running zone that it made me feel comfortable. I totally forgot about being divorced and the fact that I have not allowed time for a relationship in my life over the past 3 years. But, it didn't bother me. I was so focused on the goal, work and trying to be a good mom that I didn't think too much about other relationships.
But after the race, a feeling of loneliness swept in, and took over for a bit. My mind and body were not occupied with anything to achieve other than my normal duties as an employee and mom. Single parents, and maybe single moms in general can probably relate? I was a stay at home mom, then semi stay at home, then full time working mom and caregiver while his dad was away for military duties. I felt like in order to be a good mom, I couldn't strive too hard with work (ie:cooporate 80 hour workweek) or anything else because I might take away from what I would be giving to my son.
When I decided to start running again after Ryan came to me in a dream, I didn't think twice. At first it was a way to get back into exercising on a regular basis. But when I decided to raise money for veterans, it became a mission. After the Austin Marathon I didn't want the mission to stop, but I was a bit overwhelmed and imagined another marathon and fundraising drive would be pushing it. But, then I started to think about how it felt to be healthy and give back to a charity close to my heart.
I had a dream last night. I was having such a great sleep and it carried into a dream that I vividly remember. I was on a train. It was going very fast, but we were high up, like we were riding around some mountain top. The sky was violet and glowing, very mystical and calm. The view was great, and next to me was a friend who's over in Iraq right now. I looked at him, and asked, "What are you doing here." He said he had some time off and wanted to go for a train ride. I was like, "uh, okay". So, we sat on the train together, looking out at the sky and talked for a bit. When the train stopped, he headed back to Iraq, and I ended up a Max's school where there was a buffet of never ending food. So, I grabbed Max and made him a plate and sang songs with the kids. It was a random dream, but a nice dream.

"To dream that you are on a train, symbolizes your life's journey. It suggests that you are on the right track in life and headed in the right direction. Alternatively, you have a tendency to worry needlessly over a situation that will prove to work out in the end. " (maybe my dream was trying to tell me something)
So, now that I think the post race craziness is easing up and floating away, I am ready to Run For Ryan again, and for our troops.

MARCH 1, 2010

Well, haven't written in a few days. It's been really crazy lately. Still on a little bit of a post marathon blah, after running the Austin Marathon on Valentine's Day. Seriously considering if I am able to do this. But being stubborn, I don't feel like I can change my mind now. I have only ran 3 or 4 times since Austin Marathon, and I think that has made me a little blue. So, I am going to try and get back on a good running schedule, just to feel normal again.

We have added Chicago Area Runner's Club (CARA) as a partner in the Chicago Marathon. Just email me for details. They will train you, and you can run for us on race day while reaching your personal fundraising and running goal.

Biggest worry is can I do it again. But I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I think if I just relax a little bit everything will come together like it did in Austin. I have one Austin team member going out with me, as he was the only marathoner on the Austin Team. So, it will be nice to have a friend make the trip with me.

It was a great journey and a great team while doing the Austin fundraising and training. Please contact me with any questions. Also, if you know anyone who would like to make a donation to our cause, point them in the direction of our web site.

Thanks so much! Look forward to meeting new runners!

New Challenge

(snow in Austin 2-23-10-edited photo so you can see snow on my hat:))

(70 degrees in Austin on 2-21-10, crazy change in temps!)

2-23-10

Great news on next fundraising goal. Running For Ryan for Wounded Warrior Project is going to team up with the Chicago Area Runner's Club (CARA). This is another non-profit org. that will train you for a marathon, and in exchange you can run for a charity. There is a fee for this training, and I will give the details as soon as we have it all put together. But basically they will be your training club and you would pick a charity to run for, like us!:) You don't have to be a part of this club to Run For Ryan, but this is going to be a great option for someone who wants to run the Chicago Marathon and lives in the Chicago area and needs a running club. I had a great 7 mile run today around Town Lake. No one was out in the semi-snowy weather, so I enjoyed a private run and the snowflakes that brushed my cheeks. It feels good to be out and getting some miles in again. I definitely needed this after taking a week off.

2-22-10 Post Marathon Emotions

First official day of this next challenge. I took a week off after the Austin Marathon, and maybe that's my problem. I cannot sleep. I have been an insomniac lately. First couple of days I was probably living off the excitement of finishing my first marathon. Then, I came up with the idea to do another race/fundraiser, so I thought about that. Then, the anxiety crept in, what if I fail, and ruin the high spirit of what we just accomplished in Austin? Since I am being so open with my feelings, I balled my eyes out last night (Sunday). In the middle of all this I also had a riff with someone close to me. It has nothing to do with Running For Ryan, but it was something extra to throw into the potpourri of emotions I felt after my first marathon. So, I called a friend up and told this person, I am going nuts. This person, said, "no it's normal, it's the post race blues".

Feeling a little better, I took some advice from this friend, and headed out for a run after work. Max in tow this time, with stroller, I did an easy breezy 3 mile run. Instantly my shoulders relaxed, the cool air felt great, and Max hopped out and ran a mile with me! He seems to like running already. No pressure on the kid, but it was pretty cool to jog along with him. Gotta get him going on the bike, because, at nearly 5, it's a haul to push him in a jogging stroller these days.

Still a little wired tonight, I feel a little more at ease, and very excited to have found a potential solution to getting this team built for Chicago. I will let you know soon.

10-10-10 CHICAGO MARATHON

(be a part of the team)

(CPT Matt Cavanaugh -Army Athlete of the Year!)

http://www.mattcavanaugh-teamwwp.blogspot.com/

2-18-10
Austin
My thoughts are with anyone directly hurt by the plane/building crash today.
Crazy to drive home and see a building slightly resembling the aftermath from 2001.
But it reminded me of our servicemen and women who work hard to protect us/ and or save us when something like this happens.

So today, I am going to stray away from my fundraiser challenge and put the spotlight on a friend of mine, CPT Matt Cavanaugh. He was my inspiration when I first started my WWP challenge, and has a sweet personality and is dedicated to his work and helping out his wounded comrades. He has raised nearly $45,000 for the WWP and was just named Army Athlete Of The Year! Technically, he's my competition, but I don't view it that way. As we are all raising for the same cause, I am happy to put his blog up, so you can follow an active duty Army Captain reach awesome goals, and donate to his page if you'd like.
I almost convinced him to run the Austin Marathon with me, but he decided on Myrtle Beach (financially easier as he lives out East), but Myrtle was cancelled because it snowed! He has several other races lined up, so check out his schedule, and if you are at one of his races, be sure to cheer him on loudly. Maybe we can convince him to do Austin next year:)

Matt, congratulations, and all the best on the rest of your running and fundraising journey for WWP.
You are the epitome of a great serviceman for our country.


2-17-10
GOAL: 26.2 miles around 4:15 time, raise $26,200 for Wounded Warrior Project

Honestly, I don't know how I am going to do this, but , I felt drawn to this specific marathon and this date. Three 10's, it just seems like a lucky day. We were lucky this past Valentine's Day at the Austin Marathon, as we have raised nearly $13,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project in my brother's memory. I finished my first marathon with a sub 5 hour goal time of 4:33, and now I feel like all the support has given me courage to continue.
I had to sit on this a few days before talking about it because it's a lot of work for a single parent, with limited cash flow, and have to take my Lupus condition into consideration this time around. I was diagnosed last summer, and pretty much didn't run for the better part of the summer as inflammation was at its peak. However, I have never been happier in my life, and I cannot imagine stopping just yet as literally hundreds of supporters have been just as happy as I am to keep Ryan's memory alive.
There were moments I was overwhelmed with this last challenge for the Austin Marathon, but my arms were open to anyone who wanted to help, and that's how it was possible to do what we have done so far.
So, I will adapt to running in the sun with as minimal exposure as possible, and start asking for help immediately.
We had a 12 member running team, plus myself for the Austin Marathon. I would like to recruit another 12 member team. I would like to ask anyone who is running the Chicago Marathon and wants to run with Running For Ryan to contact me at: runningforryan@gmail.com
Ideally, you will produce your own entry fee, and fund your own trip. Myself and another team member from Austin will raise money as well before heading out to Chicago, granted we can fund our trip. That's a separate issue, but I am positive with over 6 months to go, we will make it work.
I would ask that you set a goal of $1,000 to raise individually for the cause. I will provide the uniforms through sponsors just as we did for Austin.
When I first started the challenge for Austin, Gary Brimmer and John and Stacey Conley, and Joey Trimyer didn't wince once at the idea as they were the first to reach out a hand to me. So, I need to take this optimistic attitude into the next challenge and hope that we will all succeed again.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you are game, and we will go from there.
Thanks!