Ok, well here are a few numbers for you:
3 - the number of times I have run in the last 4 weeks.
36 - the number of days until I leave for Guatemala.
39 - the number of days until I run the Coban Half Marathon (or attempt to).
1,511 - the number of dollars raised by friends and family for my trip (this number was confirmed today by Habitat staff - I've never been good at math, so I pride myself on the fact that I used a calculator and email notifications to keep track of this on my own).
I know I haven't been very good at blogging lately. I clearly haven't been very good at running lately, either. However, I saw the facebook status of a friend yesterday that was Romans 5: 3-4. He had a portion of this up, but then entire scripture reads "Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces endurance; endurance, character; and character, hope." Now, I know that most people don't think of running as suffering. As one of my friends put it, running is "pain with a purpose" (I'm working on overcoming the pain - thanks ChiRunning). As of right now, running / training is an obligation for me. I didn't go about this the right way, which was to build a foundation of simply running and then decide to work toward the goal of a half-marathon. Nevertheless, y'all have contributed your hard-earned money and support to get me to Guatemala, and I will not let you down. I know the purpose of the trip as a whole is not the half-marathon, but the building of houses, the building of friendships, the spreading of God's love - the "mission" in "mission trip." But, the race is half the reason I signed up for this trip, and by golly, I'm going to run it. I'm not a quitter.
So, I am going to "suffer" through 6 am wake-up calls (because I simply cannot find the motivation after a long day at work) to build my "endurance" up to 10 miles the week before the run - this trip will build my "character" and I will continue to place my "hope" in God - now and always.
Wish me luck.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
THANK YOU!!
Well...
As you may have guessed, or if you can read my thermometer to the left, I have reached - nay, exceeded! - my goal! Thanks to each of you, my lofty goal of raising $1,500 was reached on Friday of last week. A very, very big THANK YOU to each of you who donated to help this cause. I know you won't regret it. As for me, I could not be more excited about this, and the realization that this is actually happening! I leave for my trip in a 8 weeks and 3 days - until then, I will keep y'all interested in my basically starting over training. As unfortunate as it is, some major setbacks have caused me to get way behind in my half marathon training - the way it stands right now, I doubt I will be running the Nashville half. I will keep you up to date with the goings-on of that. For now, the 33rd Annual Cooper River Bridge Run is this weekend here in Charleston, and 2 very dear friends are coming to town for it - Boe from ATL and Beckecky from Charlotte. So excited for their visits!!
Stay tuned :)
As you may have guessed, or if you can read my thermometer to the left, I have reached - nay, exceeded! - my goal! Thanks to each of you, my lofty goal of raising $1,500 was reached on Friday of last week. A very, very big THANK YOU to each of you who donated to help this cause. I know you won't regret it. As for me, I could not be more excited about this, and the realization that this is actually happening! I leave for my trip in a 8 weeks and 3 days - until then, I will keep y'all interested in my basically starting over training. As unfortunate as it is, some major setbacks have caused me to get way behind in my half marathon training - the way it stands right now, I doubt I will be running the Nashville half. I will keep you up to date with the goings-on of that. For now, the 33rd Annual Cooper River Bridge Run is this weekend here in Charleston, and 2 very dear friends are coming to town for it - Boe from ATL and Beckecky from Charlotte. So excited for their visits!!
Stay tuned :)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
So close!
Donations continue to keep rolling in - I'm now only $353 away from reaching my goal! I have 20 days to collect all my money - roughly $18.50/day. In other news, my plane ticket is officially booked!! It seems really real now, doesn't it? I leave at 7:30 Thursday morning, May 13th and arrive in Guatemala City at 11:45 am. The team leader, Mark Scully, will be meeting us at the airport and we'll all be traveling together - we were supposed to book our flights to arrive around the same time frame. My departure flight leaves Guatemala City at 12:45 pm on Sunday, May 23rd and I arrive back in Charleston at 9:30 pm. I am so excited about this trip, and so incredibly happy that things are falling into place so nicely! Spread the word to your friends that I'm begging for money :)
An update on the running - went to my ChiRunning workshop, where I learned some depressing news. Apparently, I am a very aggressive "heel-striker," which is what is causing my shin splints. It's going to take a lot of work to re-train my body and mind to "relax my ankles" (how do you even do that?!?!) and land with a mid-foot strike, putting MUCH less pressure and impact on my shins. I am committed to making this happen, because I really do enjoy the running, but I've been so hesitant to get back out there recently because of the pain. I have 6.5 weeks until Nashville, and am planning to start this weekend at 4 miles and work my way back up on my long runs. Bridge run is coming up in 2 weeks and Boe is coming to town! So excited, and it lines up perfectly with my 6-mile run :)
This weekend I am going out to a Habitat build with the Clemson Young Alumni and the Clemson Women's Alumni Council on Johns Island - should be a great time! Update on Sunday! Thanks again for all the support! Oh, and keep JAM in your thoughts and prayers - he and a missionary group are on a trip to Nicaragua this week - returning on Saturday. I'm sure they're doing some great work down there!
XOXO (Gossip Girl came back yesterday - who's excited??)
An update on the running - went to my ChiRunning workshop, where I learned some depressing news. Apparently, I am a very aggressive "heel-striker," which is what is causing my shin splints. It's going to take a lot of work to re-train my body and mind to "relax my ankles" (how do you even do that?!?!) and land with a mid-foot strike, putting MUCH less pressure and impact on my shins. I am committed to making this happen, because I really do enjoy the running, but I've been so hesitant to get back out there recently because of the pain. I have 6.5 weeks until Nashville, and am planning to start this weekend at 4 miles and work my way back up on my long runs. Bridge run is coming up in 2 weeks and Boe is coming to town! So excited, and it lines up perfectly with my 6-mile run :)
This weekend I am going out to a Habitat build with the Clemson Young Alumni and the Clemson Women's Alumni Council on Johns Island - should be a great time! Update on Sunday! Thanks again for all the support! Oh, and keep JAM in your thoughts and prayers - he and a missionary group are on a trip to Nicaragua this week - returning on Saturday. I'm sure they're doing some great work down there!
XOXO (Gossip Girl came back yesterday - who's excited??)
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Blessed!
Well, as you can see by my trusty thermometer over there to the left, a lot has happened since my last post! My donations have nearly doubled, and I have y'all to thank! I so appreciate all the friends and family who are reaching out to help me reach my goal. I know you won't regret it.
An update on running: over the past months, I seem to have developed what we in the biz call "shin splints." This is painful. When I talked to JAM about it a while back, he said it probably had a lot to do with form, and I should really revisit the basics and think about my form while running. Honestly, I kind of brushed it off (no offense, buddy). But now, weeks later, I'm starting to think the guy who's run marathons and triathalons might be smarter than me...
Enter: ChiRunning.
Before you roll your eyes (heck, go ahead - I did), the cover of the book says "A revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running." Sounds pretty stinkin' awesome, right? Right. So, last week I went to my first Charleston Running Club meeting, where there was to be a panel of speakers discussing common injuries in running, their treatment, and most importantly, their prevention. The first speaker was Scott Smith, a Certified ChiRunning Instructor out of Mt. Pleasant's EcoFitness. I will spare you the details of his particular speech and point you to the website here instead, so you can read about on your own if you choose.
I bought the book on Tuesday and also signed up for an Intro to ChiRunning Workshop, taking place this Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Ideally, I would like to be finished with the book and have tested out what I've learned before going to the workshop - I believe it can be done. The basic principles involve re-thinking your running strategy, as well as teaching new ways to run pain-free. I know it sounds like a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo, but it actually makes sense. Better posture (which we all need anyway!), leaning forward to let gravity pull you, focused breathing and "body sensing" - all core ideas that, when grouped together as one, affect how you run, and how running affects you.
I'm very excited to get started ChiRunning - I have been practicing my posture, my breathing and even my walking for the last 2 days in preparation. Stay tuned for updates after the weekend. The Nashville run is 7 weeks from Saturday!!
XOXO!
An update on running: over the past months, I seem to have developed what we in the biz call "shin splints." This is painful. When I talked to JAM about it a while back, he said it probably had a lot to do with form, and I should really revisit the basics and think about my form while running. Honestly, I kind of brushed it off (no offense, buddy). But now, weeks later, I'm starting to think the guy who's run marathons and triathalons might be smarter than me...
Enter: ChiRunning.
Before you roll your eyes (heck, go ahead - I did), the cover of the book says "A revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running." Sounds pretty stinkin' awesome, right? Right. So, last week I went to my first Charleston Running Club meeting, where there was to be a panel of speakers discussing common injuries in running, their treatment, and most importantly, their prevention. The first speaker was Scott Smith, a Certified ChiRunning Instructor out of Mt. Pleasant's EcoFitness. I will spare you the details of his particular speech and point you to the website here instead, so you can read about on your own if you choose.
I bought the book on Tuesday and also signed up for an Intro to ChiRunning Workshop, taking place this Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Ideally, I would like to be finished with the book and have tested out what I've learned before going to the workshop - I believe it can be done. The basic principles involve re-thinking your running strategy, as well as teaching new ways to run pain-free. I know it sounds like a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo, but it actually makes sense. Better posture (which we all need anyway!), leaning forward to let gravity pull you, focused breathing and "body sensing" - all core ideas that, when grouped together as one, affect how you run, and how running affects you.
I'm very excited to get started ChiRunning - I have been practicing my posture, my breathing and even my walking for the last 2 days in preparation. Stay tuned for updates after the weekend. The Nashville run is 7 weeks from Saturday!!
XOXO!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The best things in life are(n't) free!
The time has come for me to impose on all my closest friends and family - and their closest friends and family. My Habitat money is due 45 days before departure, which means I need to have my fundraising completed ONE MONTH from YESTERDAY! Literally. It's due on the 23rd of March. 27 days. So, here's my plea:
My trip to Guatemala with Habitat for Humanity is going to be awesome. Not only are we (currently the team has 26 participants) helping to build affordable housing for the citizens of Guatemala, but before we begin our work we will be running a half marathon in Coban. That's what makes this trip extra special, and this is also the reason I picked it. As most of you know, I'm currently in training for the Music City Half Marathon in Nashville on April 24th. A mere 3 weeks later, I will be running the Coban Half in Guatemala, and then working alongside the recipients of the Habitat house we are building. Below is a picture of Coban. Looks hilly, huh? Also looks tropical - I believe I saw the word "rainforest" somewhere in the description of the run...yikes.
The total trip cost is $1,500 - so far, I have raised $488 - to the left you will see my handy dandy fundraising "thermometer." I will update this tool after every single donation I receive. Here's where you come in! I am asking for everyone to donate $13 - this represents the number of miles in a half-marathon. Well, actually, if we want to get technical, you can each donate $13.10, but beggars (literally!) can't be choosers. I figure if I can get 100 people to donate $13, I'll be all set! Feel free (very free) to donate more, but any size donation will be so greatly appreciated.
Ways to donate:
1) Give me your winning Powerball lottery ticket, valued at $24 million - trust me, your money will be well-spent;
2) Visit my fundraising page here - if you choose this method, the money goes straight to Habitat (and not to my next vacation in Hawaii) and is also tax deductible (score!), or
3) Check (made out to Habitat for Humanity International) mailed directly to me - for mailing address, please email me at jennifer.m.waller@gmail.com
Please pass this website and/or blog around to anyone you think may want to help - I'm 32.5% of the way there, with only 27 days to go! Remember to check back often for updates on my progress in both the world of running and fundraising...and ps - my legs hurt, but I'm still trucking along! Another 4 miles tonight :)
XO!
My trip to Guatemala with Habitat for Humanity is going to be awesome. Not only are we (currently the team has 26 participants) helping to build affordable housing for the citizens of Guatemala, but before we begin our work we will be running a half marathon in Coban. That's what makes this trip extra special, and this is also the reason I picked it. As most of you know, I'm currently in training for the Music City Half Marathon in Nashville on April 24th. A mere 3 weeks later, I will be running the Coban Half in Guatemala, and then working alongside the recipients of the Habitat house we are building. Below is a picture of Coban. Looks hilly, huh? Also looks tropical - I believe I saw the word "rainforest" somewhere in the description of the run...yikes.
The total trip cost is $1,500 - so far, I have raised $488 - to the left you will see my handy dandy fundraising "thermometer." I will update this tool after every single donation I receive. Here's where you come in! I am asking for everyone to donate $13 - this represents the number of miles in a half-marathon. Well, actually, if we want to get technical, you can each donate $13.10, but beggars (literally!) can't be choosers. I figure if I can get 100 people to donate $13, I'll be all set! Feel free (very free) to donate more, but any size donation will be so greatly appreciated.
Ways to donate:
1) Give me your winning Powerball lottery ticket, valued at $24 million - trust me, your money will be well-spent;
2) Visit my fundraising page here - if you choose this method, the money goes straight to Habitat (and not to my next vacation in Hawaii) and is also tax deductible (score!), or
3) Check (made out to Habitat for Humanity International) mailed directly to me - for mailing address, please email me at jennifer.m.waller@gmail.com
Please pass this website and/or blog around to anyone you think may want to help - I'm 32.5% of the way there, with only 27 days to go! Remember to check back often for updates on my progress in both the world of running and fundraising...and ps - my legs hurt, but I'm still trucking along! Another 4 miles tonight :)
XO!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I've gotten behind in updating. So sorry about that.
This week my schedule had me running 4 miles Monday and Wednesday, 2 or cross on Tuesday (I did it on Thursday instead) and 6 on Saturday/Sunday. A couple of things came up for both me and RB, so I ran 10 miles on my own this week (4, 4 and 2). All went well until this weekend - Southeastern Wildlife Exposition was this Valentine's weekend, and we were pretty busy with that, so my running fell by the wayside until tonight when I was finished at 6 pm. Oh, also, Friday night we got SNOW!! About 2 inches, and it was awesome - Pookie, Curly and I had a snowstorm sleepover and it was awesome. So the long run. 6 miles. FAIL. I don't know what my deal is, but I got 2 miles into the run and just quit. I really don't have anything to say about it other than 6 miles felt so daunting after the weekend full of work that I had. So, tomorrow is 4 again (with RB, yay!) and I will pull it together and have a great run! If you want to send some encouraging thoughts my way , please do!
Had dinner with JAM on Thursday night, and as usual, it was awesome. He's one of those people that I have such a great time with, and everytime I see him, I wish it was more often. We go way back - all the way to 8th grade. He's a great guy, and an excellent "coach/mentor" for me right now. In other news, got an email from my Run and Build team leader today to see who of us was actually planning to run the half in Guatemala. Participants are scattered all over the east coast, it seems - Boston, NYC, D.C., Canada - should be a great group! Something that caught me off guard is that our fundraising goals must be met by MARCH 23rd! That's so close! I need to get on the ball. Hopefully later this week there will be information on how you can help me reach my goal to run a half in Guatemala and volunteer with Habitat! If you have any tips on fundraising, send those on over, too!
Just about bedtime...
This week my schedule had me running 4 miles Monday and Wednesday, 2 or cross on Tuesday (I did it on Thursday instead) and 6 on Saturday/Sunday. A couple of things came up for both me and RB, so I ran 10 miles on my own this week (4, 4 and 2). All went well until this weekend - Southeastern Wildlife Exposition was this Valentine's weekend, and we were pretty busy with that, so my running fell by the wayside until tonight when I was finished at 6 pm. Oh, also, Friday night we got SNOW!! About 2 inches, and it was awesome - Pookie, Curly and I had a snowstorm sleepover and it was awesome. So the long run. 6 miles. FAIL. I don't know what my deal is, but I got 2 miles into the run and just quit. I really don't have anything to say about it other than 6 miles felt so daunting after the weekend full of work that I had. So, tomorrow is 4 again (with RB, yay!) and I will pull it together and have a great run! If you want to send some encouraging thoughts my way , please do!
Had dinner with JAM on Thursday night, and as usual, it was awesome. He's one of those people that I have such a great time with, and everytime I see him, I wish it was more often. We go way back - all the way to 8th grade. He's a great guy, and an excellent "coach/mentor" for me right now. In other news, got an email from my Run and Build team leader today to see who of us was actually planning to run the half in Guatemala. Participants are scattered all over the east coast, it seems - Boston, NYC, D.C., Canada - should be a great group! Something that caught me off guard is that our fundraising goals must be met by MARCH 23rd! That's so close! I need to get on the ball. Hopefully later this week there will be information on how you can help me reach my goal to run a half in Guatemala and volunteer with Habitat! If you have any tips on fundraising, send those on over, too!
Just about bedtime...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
One....is the lonliest number
Hello again!
Well, I am almost 1/3 of the way done with my training - and what a ride. Today I had my long run of the week - my RB had to study for a test, so I went solo (hence the title). I decided that since I don't know any great 5-mile routes, I would try my luck at the track behind the police station on Ann Edwards Lane. I figured, yeah, it'll be boring, but I can count down my laps and that might make 5 miles seem more manageable. Last time we were scheduled for a long run, I was a little "under the weather" and then last week I really was under the weather. So this was my longest run to date. 20 laps. It was pretty boring. But, I got through it, and only walked 3 times, about 1/2 a lap each time. My time was not great, but you know what they say: slow and steady wins the race! Although I'm sure I won't be winning any races at a pace of 12 minutes/mile.
This week we bump things up a big - 4 miles Monday and Wednesday and 6 on Saturday. On Tuesday, I have a work meeting until 6 and bible study at 7, so I am going to get up in the morning and run my 2 miles on the treadmill. I used to do this a lot (I say a lot, but it was probably like 10 times total), so it shouldn't be that difficult. Stay tuned.
I know I promised some info on the new bible study - my sister and I had been trying to find a church down here for a while now - we grew up Methodist, but were not limiting ourselves to a Methodist church, although that is what we tried at first. Then we went to a Presbyterian church that we really liked, but didn't have a whole lot of young people like us - definitely some high schoolers, but no college age or young adults. We had both heard good things about St. Andrews church in the Old Village, so we decided to try it out. My running mentor, JAM, goes there, and we were going to tag along with him, but he was running late, so we just snagged a seat in the back, where we ran into an old friend (and former junior tennis doubles partner) of mine, Tyler. She and her friend had just started there as well, and were joining a bible study that same week called "Girls on the Run" - made up of girls mostly our age, and with very active and busy lifestyles, who meet once a week downtown.
So Pookie and I gave it a shot, and it was awesome! We start out with about 20 minutes of worship time, which involves turning the lights down and the music up - some people journal during this time, but most of us just sit quietly, eyes closed, and clear our minds for the lesson. This past week, the playlist contained one of my all-time favorite songs, Grace. It was a version I'd never heard before, but it was great just the same - I even sang along! We are studying John and learning about the kind of man Jesus was. At the end, we all take a Post-It and write our name at the top and our specific prayer requests for the week, then put them in a pile and pick a new one and pray for that person. Its really great, and we're meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends.
I promise some new info on Habitat in the next post - maybe Tuesday? Y'all come back now, ya hear?
XOXO
Well, I am almost 1/3 of the way done with my training - and what a ride. Today I had my long run of the week - my RB had to study for a test, so I went solo (hence the title). I decided that since I don't know any great 5-mile routes, I would try my luck at the track behind the police station on Ann Edwards Lane. I figured, yeah, it'll be boring, but I can count down my laps and that might make 5 miles seem more manageable. Last time we were scheduled for a long run, I was a little "under the weather" and then last week I really was under the weather. So this was my longest run to date. 20 laps. It was pretty boring. But, I got through it, and only walked 3 times, about 1/2 a lap each time. My time was not great, but you know what they say: slow and steady wins the race! Although I'm sure I won't be winning any races at a pace of 12 minutes/mile.
This week we bump things up a big - 4 miles Monday and Wednesday and 6 on Saturday. On Tuesday, I have a work meeting until 6 and bible study at 7, so I am going to get up in the morning and run my 2 miles on the treadmill. I used to do this a lot (I say a lot, but it was probably like 10 times total), so it shouldn't be that difficult. Stay tuned.
I know I promised some info on the new bible study - my sister and I had been trying to find a church down here for a while now - we grew up Methodist, but were not limiting ourselves to a Methodist church, although that is what we tried at first. Then we went to a Presbyterian church that we really liked, but didn't have a whole lot of young people like us - definitely some high schoolers, but no college age or young adults. We had both heard good things about St. Andrews church in the Old Village, so we decided to try it out. My running mentor, JAM, goes there, and we were going to tag along with him, but he was running late, so we just snagged a seat in the back, where we ran into an old friend (and former junior tennis doubles partner) of mine, Tyler. She and her friend had just started there as well, and were joining a bible study that same week called "Girls on the Run" - made up of girls mostly our age, and with very active and busy lifestyles, who meet once a week downtown.
So Pookie and I gave it a shot, and it was awesome! We start out with about 20 minutes of worship time, which involves turning the lights down and the music up - some people journal during this time, but most of us just sit quietly, eyes closed, and clear our minds for the lesson. This past week, the playlist contained one of my all-time favorite songs, Grace. It was a version I'd never heard before, but it was great just the same - I even sang along! We are studying John and learning about the kind of man Jesus was. At the end, we all take a Post-It and write our name at the top and our specific prayer requests for the week, then put them in a pile and pick a new one and pray for that person. Its really great, and we're meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends.
I promise some new info on Habitat in the next post - maybe Tuesday? Y'all come back now, ya hear?
XOXO
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