Words of Wisdom

Bullseye and I are BOTH injured, as you already know. (I'm actually on the mend and doing quite well now, thank you. No more limping. I was able to jog/walk 4.3 miles yesterday and didn't pay for it with severe pain today, which I feared would be the result. Bullseye has a different story to tell though - she's suffering.)

We are signed up to do the Hazel Dell Half Marathon next weekend. We are BOTH struggling with the idea of doing anything LESS than the half and thought we would just run what we could and walk what we couldn't. Sounds reasonable, right? We've walked many halfs in the past! Well, as much as we WANT to do it and want to tell ourselves to "suck it up", we know deep down inside that we shouldn't. We have been on the "injured list" for weeks now. But we still WAAAAANT to do it! So... Bullseye sent a little note to our Coach stating that she didn't think stepping down to the 8k (4.97 miles) event - as suggested - to do "5 MEASLY miles" was going to be very satisfying. She said she was too competitive (with herself, of course) and knew she could do more but she was frustrated with the pain. (Just as we're both on the same injured list, we have the same mindset too!)

We went to training last night and did well, although we were not up to speed. We decided that since we were walking/jogging without too much trouble and weren't limping with every step, we would just go ahead and do the half next weekend and worry about the outcome later! We know, we're tough!

Today, our fabulous and very wise Coach sent her own little email back to Bullseye and it said this:

"As far as doing the half vs the 8k. What is your main goal for the year? Will doing the half help you reach that goal or will it potentially keep you from reaching that goal?

If your main goal is to RUN the Vancouver half in June, will pushing your body, that is already fighting injury, to go 13.1 miles when you are not trained for it, make it more or less likely that you will be able to safely continue to train towards that goal?

If your main goal for this year is to complete the half on February 24th, then you should do it.

I have no doubt you could do the half marathon on February 24th, but why put your body through that? Do the 8k - RUN the 8k - celebrate your first race that you run. Let your body continue to heal and look forward to the next four months of getting stronger and faster.

That's my advice! Let me know your thoughts."

Damn. Why does she have to be so darn smart?! Not only did she challenge us to THINK about what we were doing, she also left it up to us to make the final decision, which we KNOW shouldn't be to do the half.

Point taken.

We're doing the 8k. We're going to run it, embrace it, and celebrate it!

Thanks Coach! You're awesome! That's why we love you! ;)

Running and Reflecting

I have to brag! Of course I do! It IS all about ME here, you know!

Today was our long run - 6 miles (which really turned out to be about 6.6 miles, by the way). Now the furthest Bullseye and I have been able to run is a little more than 3 miles so today we knew we'd be walking part of the route but that was okay, we would do our best and try to run most of it. At the meeting before the run, our coach said that the long runs were not supposed to be about speed, but instead, about endurance. At that, the speed pressure was lifted from our shoulders and we were happy to "take it easy." As if...

Bullseye and I decided to walk the first 1/2 mile to get our legs warmed up. We found out in training during the week that this warm up period makes a big difference in how we run and how we feel. It's totally worth the time it takes us.

We started running a little before reaching the half mile mark and felt good. We ran right past the point where we had to stop the last time we were on this road, which was a big boost in our confidence! Things were going really well!

We continuously asked each other, "You doing okay?" and each time it was a "Yep!" so we KEPT GOING! We were in awe of our strength and were amazed how well we felt. Neither of us were struggling and both of us felt great! We even carried on conversations from time to time.

We came to the bottom of a VERY LARGE UGLY HILL and decided to trot up it (slowly jogging in little steps) instead of trying to actually run at the same pace we had been keeping. It is a MAJOR HILL - 119th near Thomas Jefferson Middle School for those of you that know the Felida area. UGLY HILL. Anyway, we made it up the hill, caught our breath, and continued on. RUNNING!

We were going to run as far as we could and amazingly, we "still could" and there was no reason to stop! We really couldn't believe it! We chalked it up to great coaches and kept going! I even did a few dance moves along the way because I honestly felt FANTASTIC! (I'm sorry if you were in one of the cars passing us by and had to witness that but really, I was happy!)

We ended up running all the way! WE RAN SIX MILES! Talk about being proud... WOW!

WE DID IT!


I don't think this smile is ever going to leave my face! I can't help but think about how far I have come. I've had seven back surgeries. I was morbidly obese. I've been nearly crippled and nearly dead (seriously) from back issues, surgeries and infections. My spine is fused at two levels. I had to use a walker after the fusion. I was told I was going to eventually be sitting in a wheelchair. I was told there was nothing more they could do for me. I was told, "This is about as good as it's going to get."

Well, those doctors just did not know who they were dealing with! I proved them ALL wrong! Oh, if only they could see me now!

I found my inner strength, my confidence and my will to survive. I found my physical strength, determination and the ability to turn "I can't!" into "I can!"

I am standing on top of the world right now!

Tiny Sparrow Foundation

The Tiny Sparrow Foundation was created by my friend, Lidia. She is a breast cancer survivor and one of the biggest reasons I started walking in the 3-Day for the Cure event. Her struggles made me want to do something... something to help her and others in her situation.

Lidia was only 31 when diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation, hair loss, weight loss, and the loss of both breasts and her ovaries. Lidia struggled to survive. She had multiple issues resulting from the cancer and chemo, had a young daughter who had health issues of her own, and had recently lost her father.

Through it all though, Lidia was and still is a fighter! While lying in bed trying to recover, she spent hours reading a manual and learning how to use her new camera. She had a passion for photography. She eventually started her own business, Oh So Posh Photography. She then started the Tiny Sparrow Foundation because she wanted to use her talent to "give back" to those in need.

You can read Lidia's story here. She is an amazing person with a huge amount of compassion.

The Foundation is a non-profit organization and needs your help! They always accept donations! :)

UPDATE: Shirt sale has ended but I'm sure it will be back eventually so stay tuned!

Right now you can purchase a shirt of "Hope" to support the Tiny Sparrow Foundation by clicking here. $15 from every purchase goes to the Foundation to help them continue giving the precious gift of pictures to families going through some of their darkest hours.