So I can honestly say that today I missed my fist practice on accident. Yes, I had missed practices before with the group for “reasons” but this morning I literally slept in. I do remember waking up at 4:50 and looking at my watch and thinking “ok, in 10 minutes”. Well the ten minutes turned in to an hour and some, and by the time I got up I am sure everyone at practice was swimming to their hearts content. I did feel shyt for a sec but turned around hugged Tequila (my dog) and got some shut eye. The practices have actually really been wearing on my body. Sore wise it sucks, but the whole point of me blogging on a Thursday is that part of my reason for sleeping in was that I made it late to bed. I had an amazing surprise yesterday- Jen, one of the loves in my life- and I will explain why - came into Austin and I got to see her. It was only about a two hour visit after track practice and after a long hello full of kisses and hugs and me saying “touch my legs look how hard they are” and her “yeah, I have been going to the gym too, look at mine” … talking about Cadiz, and her having an opportunity to go back to Spain, the peace core and a myriad of other things, she told me she had recently gotten a chance to read through the blog and the triathlon mission I have embarked on. Let me just say that Jen is a shy person when you meet her and for the whole trip in Spain I was lucky if I got a tad bit of affection- we all know I always show and verbalize that I care- to the point I might freak my teammates and coaches out because I say goodbye with “love you” for the simple fact that I actually do, not the way I love my mom or my dad, but a very singular way- the way I love them- it always surprises me that the more I love the more I want to love, it is an amazing feeling. Nonetheless, when we finally got back to the States, besides Amanda and Sarah (my other loves- I love all my past student but they are the ones I stay in more contact with), I have been fortunate to stay in touch with Jen, know how she is and see her every time possible. Well last night while we sat on the sofa at Gingerman and contemplated my wearing long socks with shorts and how they made me look like a grandpa- coincidently being my grandpa’s socks- she told me the story of her being faced with cancer. Not as a patient, but as a spectator and the hopelessness one feels and how she was behind me and rooting. Of course, what she didn’t realize as she told me is that her story has just added more fuel to my fire, seeing her have to look away because she just might cry, (as I openly did) reminds me that this is probably one of the most worthy causes I have been involved in. Cancer took her 17 year old cousin from her, way to early. Although she had previously been diagnosed she was in remission and she was able to go on a trip to Las Vegas with other cancer patients. When she came back home on a routine check up she had what she believed was a pimple above her eyebrow, it wasn’t – it was a tumor. Jen, told me about the day they called and they said come to the hospital. And she thought that she had done this every month and that her cousin, at seventeen, would not go away. She was too young. Jen told me about her mom saying to her “go talk to her” and her thinking she is asleep… but going just the same because she felt she had to. That time her cousin did wake up, and Jen told her she had to fight, get up, get going. And her cousin smiled and looked at her, said she was fine she would be fine. Jen was happy, elated almost, because when things like that happen, when they, the patients you love ,look at you, as my grandpa did, and say- yea, we will be fine- you believe it. Her cousin passed away shortly after.
I guess this is a reminder; you have to treasure life as much as possible. Say I love you as much as possible. Make every moment count.
Thanks Jen, for being part of my life. I LOVE YOU!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thomas update and Recommitment
Hey guys!
Recommitment is around the corner and I need to have most of the donations in by them! If you have not donated I ask, that if it is possible, you donate! You will be helping save lives! This money goes to finding the CURE for Cancer!!For those of you who have THANKS!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntctx/tntctxAMedina
Please forward the information to your family and friends! :D
You can also check out the blog:http://ana-and-team-in-training.blogspot.com/
Here is the latest update on Thomas:
"Great news! The shot Thomas received 11 days ago to help boost his white count has finally started working! He actually has a little bit of an immune system now (although it is still formally characterized as “severe neutropenia.”) One of the side effects Thomas experienced the last time he got this shot was pain in his legs, due to the activity in the bone marrow. So, his legs started to hurt a couple of nights ago, and his response was to laugh with glee and say “Yea! My legs are really hurting so my body must be making neutrophils!!” --- Just one example of the strange, strange life of a cancer patient. His platelets have fallen again, and he will receive another platelet transfusion today, but his hemoglobin is hanging in there. All in all, things are looking up. He is off the blood pressure medication and the IV antibiotics seem to be working on the blood infection. We are hoping to get to go home tomorrow with him taking oral antibiotics. It’s looking like he will still be able to go on the trip to Orlando next week with 5 other cancer patients here his age, as well as one of the oncology docs here, and some nurses. I’m having a difficult time with the idea at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll feel better over the next few days as his immune system gets stronger. As for the next steps in his treatment, he will have another bone marrow aspiration around March 10 to make sure he is still in remission. (I can’t imagine anything surviving the chemo he has had over the past 3 months!) Anyway, the results from the bone marrow will be sent to the Mayo Clinic to look for any signs of residual disease, which will help the doctors determine how the rest of his treatment should proceed. We know there will be more chemo, we just don’t know if it will continue to be as aggressive as it has been. "
Recommitment is around the corner and I need to have most of the donations in by them! If you have not donated I ask, that if it is possible, you donate! You will be helping save lives! This money goes to finding the CURE for Cancer!!For those of you who have THANKS!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntctx/tntctxAMedina
Please forward the information to your family and friends! :D
You can also check out the blog:http://ana-and-team-in-training.blogspot.com/
Here is the latest update on Thomas:
"Great news! The shot Thomas received 11 days ago to help boost his white count has finally started working! He actually has a little bit of an immune system now (although it is still formally characterized as “severe neutropenia.”) One of the side effects Thomas experienced the last time he got this shot was pain in his legs, due to the activity in the bone marrow. So, his legs started to hurt a couple of nights ago, and his response was to laugh with glee and say “Yea! My legs are really hurting so my body must be making neutrophils!!” --- Just one example of the strange, strange life of a cancer patient. His platelets have fallen again, and he will receive another platelet transfusion today, but his hemoglobin is hanging in there. All in all, things are looking up. He is off the blood pressure medication and the IV antibiotics seem to be working on the blood infection. We are hoping to get to go home tomorrow with him taking oral antibiotics. It’s looking like he will still be able to go on the trip to Orlando next week with 5 other cancer patients here his age, as well as one of the oncology docs here, and some nurses. I’m having a difficult time with the idea at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll feel better over the next few days as his immune system gets stronger. As for the next steps in his treatment, he will have another bone marrow aspiration around March 10 to make sure he is still in remission. (I can’t imagine anything surviving the chemo he has had over the past 3 months!) Anyway, the results from the bone marrow will be sent to the Mayo Clinic to look for any signs of residual disease, which will help the doctors determine how the rest of his treatment should proceed. We know there will be more chemo, we just don’t know if it will continue to be as aggressive as it has been. "
Monday, February 25, 2008
It has been more than a week since my last blog. I have been pretty busy working at the gym and working out. –As you can tell my dissertation has not been getting the love it deserves… :S. This past week I only met up with the team Thursday for the swim- got to meet Jeff, he isn’t new but being placed in the same lane I actually got to talk to him. He is a great guy- good swimmer- no ladies, not a crush… :D I also made it to bike practice Sunday where Lauren gave the “mission moment”. She spoke about her mother’s battle with cancer and how she felt hopeless in helping her thus her joining TNT. It was really sweet, I mean, Lauren is super sweet and is always motivating everyone giving a smile and helping us remember that we can do it! Even if our legs, as mine our today, are sore, and core and a run seem more like torture than happiness and smiles…… And it is true, because when you think about it these working-out pains are just making up feel better in the long run, and it is a small comparison to what cancer patients go through every day. We just have tough it out with hope that we will make it happen.
Both of those words (tough, and hope) were used Saturday at the Obama rally, yes I stood for three hours in anticipation of this amazing man… and it was totally well worth it. He is amazing, and I really believe that because he is tough and not afraid of changing things he will take this country down a different, a better path.
On a different note, or returning to the working out part of this blog, I have to say that I am sore because Saturday I did the 5 mile loop with Sam- he said he couldn’t run but HE CAN and he made me work extra hard- mostly because I couldn’t let him show me up like that hahahaha, and I needed him to see that the SUPER Shake he made for breakfast was really what made the difference!- Saturday morning my bike and I still having this love/hate relationship we seem to be stuck in, went out on the Veloway and failed the hill the fist time. I have to give my Coach Ken kudos for his patience and his motivation; he stuck with me the whole ride. I was even going to quit after the second turn – I didn’t make the hill that time- since they were getting on Mopac and just the thought of enduring that ride after my fist time there seemed impossible. Well he kinda just nudged me into it and I did it ALL. Can I just say that my fist experience on Mopac was with Krista, and the second with Ken, and they are married and our coaches and I just have to sometimes try to wake myself up because they are both sooo amazing and the fact that they found each other brings me so much faith in the fact that love is out there and sooo possible!
Ok, so now I really have to get going because I am heading to the library :D amen!
Tomorrow before core and swimming :D
So I hope everyone is doing great! I want to update you guys on Thomas- he and his mother wrote-
“Hi everyone, this is Thomas. I hope you’re not worrying about me, because I’m doing fine. Thanks for your support. Thomas
(A man of many words…..)
This is Lisa. We’re still at Dell. Thomas’s immunity is still at Zero, and his blood pressure and oxygen levels are still inconsistent, so we will be here until he has a decent immune system and these other issues resolve themselves. He only has to wear the “senior citizen” oxygen mask when he sleeps now. The good news is he is off all the heart electrodes and able to move around more. We will do another check up on his heart in a month to make sure everything is OK, and he will be on the IV antibiotics until Friday for the blood infection. Yesterday, they unhooked Thomas from his IV pole for about 30 minutes and we all went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We enjoyed the “healing” garden here at Dell. Just below our room, there is a park with a walking labyrinth, statuary of children, some fountains, a maze, and some lovely sitting areas. I guess if we’re going to be in the hospital, this is a nice one to be in, esp. when the weather is nice. Thomas is in better spirits now that he can move around more. He is making bionicles (boy's toy - like a model robot) right now, and even played his guitar some this morning. We will go outside again in a little while. This has been a pretty traumatic episode, and we’re looking forward to getting it behind us. Your prayers and support have made all the difference – Thanks so much! Much love, Lisa”
Please don’t forget to donate and forward the info to those you think might be able to!
XOX
am
Both of those words (tough, and hope) were used Saturday at the Obama rally, yes I stood for three hours in anticipation of this amazing man… and it was totally well worth it. He is amazing, and I really believe that because he is tough and not afraid of changing things he will take this country down a different, a better path.
On a different note, or returning to the working out part of this blog, I have to say that I am sore because Saturday I did the 5 mile loop with Sam- he said he couldn’t run but HE CAN and he made me work extra hard- mostly because I couldn’t let him show me up like that hahahaha, and I needed him to see that the SUPER Shake he made for breakfast was really what made the difference!- Saturday morning my bike and I still having this love/hate relationship we seem to be stuck in, went out on the Veloway and failed the hill the fist time. I have to give my Coach Ken kudos for his patience and his motivation; he stuck with me the whole ride. I was even going to quit after the second turn – I didn’t make the hill that time- since they were getting on Mopac and just the thought of enduring that ride after my fist time there seemed impossible. Well he kinda just nudged me into it and I did it ALL. Can I just say that my fist experience on Mopac was with Krista, and the second with Ken, and they are married and our coaches and I just have to sometimes try to wake myself up because they are both sooo amazing and the fact that they found each other brings me so much faith in the fact that love is out there and sooo possible!
Ok, so now I really have to get going because I am heading to the library :D amen!
Tomorrow before core and swimming :D
So I hope everyone is doing great! I want to update you guys on Thomas- he and his mother wrote-
“Hi everyone, this is Thomas. I hope you’re not worrying about me, because I’m doing fine. Thanks for your support. Thomas
(A man of many words…..)
This is Lisa. We’re still at Dell. Thomas’s immunity is still at Zero, and his blood pressure and oxygen levels are still inconsistent, so we will be here until he has a decent immune system and these other issues resolve themselves. He only has to wear the “senior citizen” oxygen mask when he sleeps now. The good news is he is off all the heart electrodes and able to move around more. We will do another check up on his heart in a month to make sure everything is OK, and he will be on the IV antibiotics until Friday for the blood infection. Yesterday, they unhooked Thomas from his IV pole for about 30 minutes and we all went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We enjoyed the “healing” garden here at Dell. Just below our room, there is a park with a walking labyrinth, statuary of children, some fountains, a maze, and some lovely sitting areas. I guess if we’re going to be in the hospital, this is a nice one to be in, esp. when the weather is nice. Thomas is in better spirits now that he can move around more. He is making bionicles (boy's toy - like a model robot) right now, and even played his guitar some this morning. We will go outside again in a little while. This has been a pretty traumatic episode, and we’re looking forward to getting it behind us. Your prayers and support have made all the difference – Thanks so much! Much love, Lisa”
Please don’t forget to donate and forward the info to those you think might be able to!
XOX
am
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
UPDATE ON THOMAS MOLINA
Hey All,
I got an update from Colleen about Thomas so I thought I would share. It is good to be reminded why I was up at 7am and suffered through a spin class!!!
I hope everyones' week is going great!
Hello everyone - Here's the latest on Thomas. He had two really bad days on Thursday and Friday last week. The chemo caused a great deal of inflammation in his eyes and although we had special steroid eye drops to give him, he was still in pain, and could not open his eyes for most of those two days. He also had an upset tummy during this time, and just felt crummy overall. His ANC (immunity) was at 29 on Friday. Anytime you get below 500, it's about time for isolation. He did get a shot to help his white count recover, but it will take until the end of this week for it to kick in. Also, on Friday, he got transfusions of IVIG and platelets. It was a long day. Saturday, he woke up and his eyes didn't hurt anymore, so the weekend went much better even though he was in isolation. Yesterday, the ANC count literally read 0% - a new record for Thomas. So for now, he's studying for tests, playing guitar, reading, and playing video games. This also means Bella gets to take a bath the minute she gets home from school, and there's lots of hand washing going on around here. Please pray that he will not get any infections - this would not be good, and would mean a lengthy stay at the hospital for sure. His platelets were still very low yesterday, so he will probably get another transfusion tomorrow. The good news is his red cells are not that low, which means he has some energy and feels good overall. Yea! He is SO ready for the upcoming trip to Orlando!
I got an update from Colleen about Thomas so I thought I would share. It is good to be reminded why I was up at 7am and suffered through a spin class!!!
I hope everyones' week is going great!
Hello everyone - Here's the latest on Thomas. He had two really bad days on Thursday and Friday last week. The chemo caused a great deal of inflammation in his eyes and although we had special steroid eye drops to give him, he was still in pain, and could not open his eyes for most of those two days. He also had an upset tummy during this time, and just felt crummy overall. His ANC (immunity) was at 29 on Friday. Anytime you get below 500, it's about time for isolation. He did get a shot to help his white count recover, but it will take until the end of this week for it to kick in. Also, on Friday, he got transfusions of IVIG and platelets. It was a long day. Saturday, he woke up and his eyes didn't hurt anymore, so the weekend went much better even though he was in isolation. Yesterday, the ANC count literally read 0% - a new record for Thomas. So for now, he's studying for tests, playing guitar, reading, and playing video games. This also means Bella gets to take a bath the minute she gets home from school, and there's lots of hand washing going on around here. Please pray that he will not get any infections - this would not be good, and would mean a lengthy stay at the hospital for sure. His platelets were still very low yesterday, so he will probably get another transfusion tomorrow. The good news is his red cells are not that low, which means he has some energy and feels good overall. Yea! He is SO ready for the upcoming trip to Orlando!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
1, 2 and then comes 3
So the third week of training is done! This week has been intense. I started working at 24 Hour so I got to start working out there too! :D I have worked out every day! But before getting into this weeks events…. Last week ended on a high with a great Veloway practice on my super bike. I made it up the BIG hill with some help and motivation!!! (Girls, I got to talk to ‘Mr. Tri-Dreamy’ but he is very very spoken for soooo I am moving along the dotted line I call my romantic life :D ).
The Veloway practice was actually one of the best ones yet since we learned a lot of practical things- how to drink while riding, how to turn, how to shift gears… all the necessary things to actually make it through the ride : D
This week’s practices have also been amazing! I finally did 25 minutes straight at track practice and this Sunday we I got up to 36! It has been incredible! Swimming has been awesome! And I have also started spin with Rob at 24HF! I am pretty sure I lost five pounds of water in 60 minutes of intense biking! Hahaha….
Also, through the gym I have met some other tri people and they love giving pointers! Perfect for me since I am a real newbie! I must say the gym job was a great idea and the people I have met there have also been super cool! Plus I am learning a lot! And I get a lot of perks! :D
Monica also came into town and after morning swim Thursday I went to San Antonio, we went to the Rodeo and it was a lot of fun!
Today we had our Mission Run, this consists in all the teams (marathon, tri and bike) meeting up and doing a silent mile in honor of our heroes. Tom was there (we are lucky to have him on our tri team) and there were some other survivors. Out Tri Manager Colleen mentioned Thomas Molina, a young boy currently in treatment.
His mom wrote us a letter Valentine’s day:
“Hi everyone. We got home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Thomas received the same chemo drugs he had last week, and again, he did fine and did not experience any fevers. Whew!! He was given IV benedryl this time along with each treatment, so he was pretty groggy and slept most of the day. The treatments from last week have also hit his blood counts by now, so he was fatigued from a low hemoglobin. His white cell count (immunity) is so low at this point (below .5), it can't even be counted, and his platelets (for blood clotting) are also very low. He did get a transfusion of red blood cells yesterday, which helped him to have more energy, and he will receive a transfusion of platelets tomorrow at the clinic and also a shot of neupogen which should help his white count recover eventually. Since the chemo he received this week won't hit him until middle of next week, Dr. Sharp said to plan on isolation for the next 7-14 days. Thomas is bummed about having to be in isolation, but has already made a wish list of things to do once his counts recover. He wants to go have lunch with his friends at Small Middle School, go to the rodeo, have a picnic on the grounds of the Capital, and go walk around 6th street. He has also been invited by the staff at Dell Children's Hospital to go on a trip to Orlando with 4 other cancer patients, some doctors, and nurses for 3 days in early March. They will go to Disney World and attend the Houston Astros spring training. I'm sure he will have a great time. I think that's about it for now. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and know that you are in our hearts, and thank you for keeping Thomas in yours.”
The letter really touched me and it makes me feel really special to partake in helping him get better- in any way possible. During that mile I thought a lot about grandpa, I always make a point of wearing something of his during practice. It is a way of feeling him there with me, and that is nice. After they had some nice treats and we got to mingle. Let me just re state how awesome my teammates are! I promise I will have pics soon!
Ok, it is Saturday night and although the plan was to go out and meet Sam, I have to go work tomorrow and then practice so I decided to let you guys know how this adventure, I call life, is going.
The Veloway practice was actually one of the best ones yet since we learned a lot of practical things- how to drink while riding, how to turn, how to shift gears… all the necessary things to actually make it through the ride : D
This week’s practices have also been amazing! I finally did 25 minutes straight at track practice and this Sunday we I got up to 36! It has been incredible! Swimming has been awesome! And I have also started spin with Rob at 24HF! I am pretty sure I lost five pounds of water in 60 minutes of intense biking! Hahaha….
Also, through the gym I have met some other tri people and they love giving pointers! Perfect for me since I am a real newbie! I must say the gym job was a great idea and the people I have met there have also been super cool! Plus I am learning a lot! And I get a lot of perks! :D
Monica also came into town and after morning swim Thursday I went to San Antonio, we went to the Rodeo and it was a lot of fun!
Today we had our Mission Run, this consists in all the teams (marathon, tri and bike) meeting up and doing a silent mile in honor of our heroes. Tom was there (we are lucky to have him on our tri team) and there were some other survivors. Out Tri Manager Colleen mentioned Thomas Molina, a young boy currently in treatment.
His mom wrote us a letter Valentine’s day:
“Hi everyone. We got home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Thomas received the same chemo drugs he had last week, and again, he did fine and did not experience any fevers. Whew!! He was given IV benedryl this time along with each treatment, so he was pretty groggy and slept most of the day. The treatments from last week have also hit his blood counts by now, so he was fatigued from a low hemoglobin. His white cell count (immunity) is so low at this point (below .5), it can't even be counted, and his platelets (for blood clotting) are also very low. He did get a transfusion of red blood cells yesterday, which helped him to have more energy, and he will receive a transfusion of platelets tomorrow at the clinic and also a shot of neupogen which should help his white count recover eventually. Since the chemo he received this week won't hit him until middle of next week, Dr. Sharp said to plan on isolation for the next 7-14 days. Thomas is bummed about having to be in isolation, but has already made a wish list of things to do once his counts recover. He wants to go have lunch with his friends at Small Middle School, go to the rodeo, have a picnic on the grounds of the Capital, and go walk around 6th street. He has also been invited by the staff at Dell Children's Hospital to go on a trip to Orlando with 4 other cancer patients, some doctors, and nurses for 3 days in early March. They will go to Disney World and attend the Houston Astros spring training. I'm sure he will have a great time. I think that's about it for now. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and know that you are in our hearts, and thank you for keeping Thomas in yours.”
The letter really touched me and it makes me feel really special to partake in helping him get better- in any way possible. During that mile I thought a lot about grandpa, I always make a point of wearing something of his during practice. It is a way of feeling him there with me, and that is nice. After they had some nice treats and we got to mingle. Let me just re state how awesome my teammates are! I promise I will have pics soon!
Ok, it is Saturday night and although the plan was to go out and meet Sam, I have to go work tomorrow and then practice so I decided to let you guys know how this adventure, I call life, is going.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Update Número Two
Ok, so before starting this latest blog I re-read my last one… and no… none of you have ever officially bought me a bear- hahahah what I meant to say is beer. So yeah, if you haven’t donated please recall that I have gone the dry route and every beer you would have bought me will now go to saving lives!
- Oh and my birthday is next month and I am trying to think of ways of making it a fund raising party- please respond with any ideas. :D
So yes, this is before Sunday, but I figure, what the hell I have a whole afternoon to kill- ok yes I have my dissertation to work on, and yes I have the article I have read over a hundred times and need to read and edit about a hundred more, but I must rather talk about this last week and about the training that has gone down. I will skip the details about every single practice but I will tell you this- when Thursday came around- my one and only rest and recovery day- I was sooo happy it was here!!!
The week physically/exercise wise was a great one. I ran, swam and rode my super duper new bike (financed my uncle and the parents)- I will tell you about my bike experience later- till my muscles were sore and the scale said 5 pounds less. No I promise, I am not ever going to look like an Ethiopian. I have had a whole lot more energy and my days have been more productive- this happens when you are up and swimming by 6am. One thing is for sure, for those who call me after 10: I am usually crashed out. So my life has had a turnaround for the good, working out, exercising, and managing time with precision….
I have also met some cool peeps that are training for the triathlon. I have to say, just for gossips sake and for all my girlfriends that are reading this- there is one guy that is outstandingly gorgeous and seemingly very sweet. I can’t verify on the sweet part because when I was introduced to him I almost passed out, and then continued to not be able to say anything, but smile and look at him with longing eyes. – sad, very sad, yes I know. Nonetheless I shall continue to look at him from afar until I have the courage to say hello. Hahahaha
So about the bike, as you can see in the pics it is awesome, but I don’t know how to ride it and in my attempt to change the years I, your dear young friend with the broken neck, almost munched it soooo bad. I thought mom, who was in the car behind me, might have a heart attack. Don’t stress though this Sunday we have a clinic that is going to teach me everything I need to know :D
So although I want most of my blogs to be perky and upbeat I have to make mention to the fact that Seth, our white cocker, passed away this wed. It was extremely sad for all of us since it was entirely unexpected. However, I have to say that I think he knew because that night he kept me up coming on to my bed and giving me kisses and then leaving to go to mom’s. I think he kinda liked the fact that I was in bed early because he got to come get some Ana time. I did go to run practice that night, and cried most of one of my laps (it was a night run with not much light) but decided that his going to the next level made it possible for him to run the race with me, just like grandpa and all those other people watching over me from above.
So, tomorrow we run again and Sunday I dominate my bike… who doesn’t have a name yet… any ideas?
Till next week,
Love you all, am
- Oh and my birthday is next month and I am trying to think of ways of making it a fund raising party- please respond with any ideas. :D
So yes, this is before Sunday, but I figure, what the hell I have a whole afternoon to kill- ok yes I have my dissertation to work on, and yes I have the article I have read over a hundred times and need to read and edit about a hundred more, but I must rather talk about this last week and about the training that has gone down. I will skip the details about every single practice but I will tell you this- when Thursday came around- my one and only rest and recovery day- I was sooo happy it was here!!!
The week physically/exercise wise was a great one. I ran, swam and rode my super duper new bike (financed my uncle and the parents)- I will tell you about my bike experience later- till my muscles were sore and the scale said 5 pounds less. No I promise, I am not ever going to look like an Ethiopian. I have had a whole lot more energy and my days have been more productive- this happens when you are up and swimming by 6am. One thing is for sure, for those who call me after 10: I am usually crashed out. So my life has had a turnaround for the good, working out, exercising, and managing time with precision….
I have also met some cool peeps that are training for the triathlon. I have to say, just for gossips sake and for all my girlfriends that are reading this- there is one guy that is outstandingly gorgeous and seemingly very sweet. I can’t verify on the sweet part because when I was introduced to him I almost passed out, and then continued to not be able to say anything, but smile and look at him with longing eyes. – sad, very sad, yes I know. Nonetheless I shall continue to look at him from afar until I have the courage to say hello. Hahahaha
So about the bike, as you can see in the pics it is awesome, but I don’t know how to ride it and in my attempt to change the years I, your dear young friend with the broken neck, almost munched it soooo bad. I thought mom, who was in the car behind me, might have a heart attack. Don’t stress though this Sunday we have a clinic that is going to teach me everything I need to know :D
So although I want most of my blogs to be perky and upbeat I have to make mention to the fact that Seth, our white cocker, passed away this wed. It was extremely sad for all of us since it was entirely unexpected. However, I have to say that I think he knew because that night he kept me up coming on to my bed and giving me kisses and then leaving to go to mom’s. I think he kinda liked the fact that I was in bed early because he got to come get some Ana time. I did go to run practice that night, and cried most of one of my laps (it was a night run with not much light) but decided that his going to the next level made it possible for him to run the race with me, just like grandpa and all those other people watching over me from above.
So, tomorrow we run again and Sunday I dominate my bike… who doesn’t have a name yet… any ideas?
Till next week,
Love you all, am
Friday, February 1, 2008
Team in Training KICK OFF
Yesterday was officially the first day of team in training, I am lucky that I had Amanda here and we got to share the experience together. It was absolutely amazing - no we didn't run or bike or swim- we became inspired. As corny as it sounds it was exactly what I needed from a first day meet up. The event took place in a gym and walking in there was a good crowd with smiles beaming from their faces and girls dressed in eighties wear.- loud eighties music in the background. Quite the spectacle. The energy was there. The laughter, support and caring from others was there also! It was fantastic!They introduced the meeting with the video about team in training (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVfoeLqgsA8) and then we got to see some of our honored heroes. Amongst them was a little girl that was full or laughter, a mother, a young man and a girl that was a formal UT basketball player. The latter, actually spoke to us about how cancer came in to her life. She was absolutely amazing and brought me to tears more than a few times. At 22 she was misdiagnosed for four months, she finally had to check herself in to the hospital because she knew she would not make it another day- it turned out that the inability to breathe (the docs blamed it on austin allergies) and her swollen face (the docs blamed it on food allergies) was really because of a stage four tumor she had un her chest that was cutting off blood to an artery and pressing on her trachea. She made it through eight treatments of chemo after and is now a participant in team in training. She is amazing! It made me realize how amazing this organization is and how lucky I am to have come into contact with it. I also think that the 3000 goal is something that can be reached. If everyone that would buy me a bear while we are out - gives that money to charity we are set. I left the meeting invigorated and ready for our firts team run on saturday yes at 8am! I will definitely keep you updated on the progress of the workouts!!
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