Happy New Year

Use the end of the year as a perfect opportunity to send out a fundraising letter to encourage friends, family & co workers to donate to the cause. Still having trouble with your letter; fundraising? Feel free to borrow any of our sentitments below:

Dear Friends, Family and Colleges,

As most of you know we are now officially called "runners." We didn't get here because we were trying to get fit or loose a few pounds. We are here because we can be. We are running to raise money for the Leukemia & Lyphoma Society; so that they can do the research necessary to find a cure for Cancer! We aren't just "runners" we're "fighters" and we'll continue as long as we are able to get out there, feel the ground beneath our feet and breath in the fresh air. Something most of the people we are trying to help are not able to do.

For the past two years we've been running for Vanessa. She was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2003 when she was just 5 years old. This little girl has withstood so much pain and treatments that would make any grown man cry. Vanessa is now 8 years old and her courageous Mother is now very excited to report that Vanessa will be in remission for a full year on January 19, 2007. If she remains free of cancer for 5 years she will be considered an official cancer survivor.

But unfortunately there is always someone else that is hoping for that diagnosis. Brenda, 34 years old, wife and mother of 2 spirited young boys was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in 2005. She went into remission for a full year only to have the cancer reappear and kept her at UCSF for 40 days!!! She had now recently had a bone marrow transplant from a courageous donor and is doing well. She has been such an inspiration for all of our team to train and run a 1/2 marathon. She and her boys have attended many of our training workouts to let us know how much she appreciates all that we are doing.

So Ian and I ask you for your help. To help keep people like Vanessa and Brenda alive with research, treatment and a cure. We are at the end of the year. The holiday season is almost over but the giving spirit is still alive in all of us. If you were able to enjoy the holiday with friends and family; healthy and well then please help out those that were not so lucky. Your conscience will thank you, we will thank you, your accountant will thank you (tax right off) and most importantly Vanessa & Brenda will thank you.

Please join us in helping find a cure by making a TAX DEDUCTABLE donation of $75.
All you have to do is go this link http://www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/ianandamy in order to make a donation.
Please do it now, not later. Thanks in advance for your support.

Gobble Gobble

This we decided to sign up for a "Turkey Trot" for Thanksgiving Day. A good way to get in some miles before we gorge ourselves on stuffing, mashed potatoes and drinks galore.

However, we didn't think it all out before we signed up. 6:30 am wake up on a day off, driving all the way to ocean beach from Oakland for a very cold 8:15 am start..and then..what's this?? We have to run 3 miles in the deep sand along the ocean!!! Crap! It was hard. It was brutal. Then on the turnaround you had to literally climb a hill and just when you thought it was smooth sailing to the finish you realize the path is 1/2 sand 1/2 path all over again...ahhhh. I now hate sand.

But I guess we'd do it all over again to spend time with our friends (see Michelle & Matt in middle of turkey sandwich pic!!

Happy to say our times weren't too pitiful ..check it out
AMY 347(place) 58/172(age group place) 1:00:08(time) 10:02 (pace)

5:50 WHAT!!

Our first 5:50AM track workout was this morning. This is the gorgeous view of the city you all missed (it actaully wasn't even this bright yet..stock photo)
I am proud to say of the 8 people there 4 of them were from our Mentee group. Good job! Coach gave some valuable form / technique demonstrations. Taught us how to breath and keep good rhythm. Let's just say this is as easy as the track workouts are EVER going to be! And just wait when it starts to rain...ahhh what fun we'll have.

Swim.Bike.Finish!

Why is it you are always excited..anxiously awaiting those race photos and then once they are posted you proudly type in your bib number..the page appears...and you are like "do I really look like THAT". No one said triathlons are a pretty sport; but you're kicking some serious ass so who needs to look pretty right? Me and my favorite running girls took a break from running to train for the Sprint distance Treasure Island Triathalon in November.

We swam for 500 meters..in the bay, Cycled for 12.4 miles and then ran for 4.1 miles. This was my second attempt at a triathlon. My first one was over 4 years ago..an Olympic Distance at Wildflower. My crazy business partner, Mary Beth had talked me into that one. This time around is was easier. Granted it was half the distance and absolutely NO hills or heat to deal with..let's just say I didn't want to die at the end.

Let's compare my times from this year with those from Wildflower...shall we.
Treauser Island : Swim (500 meters) BIke (12.4 miles) Run (4.1 miles)
Wildflower : Swim 1.5k (.93 mile) Bike 40K (24.8 miles) Run 10k (6.2 miles)

final time
01:31:09 (treasure island)
04:40:13 (wildflower)

Swim time
0:14:35 TI (still not happy with this : (
0:50:15 WF (started to hyperventilate and nearly drown)

Swim transition (how long it took to get that damn wet suit off)
0:04:09 TI
0:13:16 WF

Bike Time
00:43:07 TI
02:06:19 WF (ps. wildflower bike course will kill most people!)

Bike Transition (take off helmet, put sneakers on, etc)
00:02:11 TI
00:09:15 WF

Run Time
00:27:07 TI (had to pee on run..should deduct 1.5min: )
01:21:08 WF (peed on this race too..but then nearly died of heat exhaustion


Run Min/Mile (left this stat on here because I impressed myself!
8:44 TI

Cue Ball Party

***cover your eyes if easily offended...This blog contains profanity***
Yas made the mistake of offering to shave her head if she reached her fundraising goal...which she did in a matter of hours thanks to her "friends" at work. (see hunky guy behind Yas..aka friend). And let me be the first to say that Yas looks absolutely gorgeous as a Sinead impersonator!

Her sister, Meena, sporting the mohawk is celebrating her 1 year anniversary of being cancer FREE!! Yeah BABY!! So the sign is very very befitting. (sorry for the foul language mom ; )

So if you are struggling for fundraising ideas; consider this as an option! Your hair will grow back..right Yas?

Nike 1/2 Marathon 2006

Two years running the girls (and squeaky Lee) have run Nike together. Odessa and I decided that the 1/2 is more than enough for this race. Perhaps we'll do the full again in 2010!! Of course I'm sure you all have heard that the only reason to do this race is for the schwag. A firefighter in a tux at the finish line holding a tray of perfectly wrapped tiffany blue boxes with a sterling necklace inside...awesome. Better yet I was able to actually focus at the end of the race to pick the cutest guy to take mine from.

After the race we made our way to ocean beach to give our knees, hips, etc a dip in the cold cold cold water. It actually feels really good. Champagne made it all better.

This is a race I will do every year. It has some challenges but the views and the friends you can't miss.