277 Miles....plus some

What started out as a jaunt to Las Vegas by myself....to prove to myself that I could make plans alone....I was capable of being the strong, independent woman my father raised me to be.....became a 277 mile journey...

13.1 down the Vegas strip...

13.1 around a speed skating rink in Wisconsin....

26.2 through the streets of LA and Santa Monica in a monsoon....

13.1 alongside a dear LIVESTRONG friend up and over the three rivers in Pittsburgh....

13.1 into 40 MPH winds with the Big 10 Illini fans cheering me on.....

16 biking as the middle leg of the LIVESTRONG Chics 3rd annual triathlon relay....

13.1 at a black flagged inaugural Summerfest Half in Milwaukee....

45 miles in the rain up and down the hilly Philly countryside.....

20 miles in the shadows of Mt Hood to dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean over 30 hours with 5 new LIVESTRONG BFF's - and leaving behind roadkill.....

13.1 making new friends as I traveled from Illinois to Iowa and back again.....with a stop for the best milkshake I have ever had as my reward....


 65 miles through Texas Hill Country with my incredible LIVESTRONG friend - and fellow honorary sheriff...

...not before I rode alongside Lance Armstrong - a private ride donated to me by some very cool cancer-hating friends

and finally......26.2 rocking a Movember MO through the 5 boros of NYC.....alongside some amazing cancer-hating LIVESTRONG runners.

Since last December....277 miles ran and biked to benefit LIVESTRONG....to honor those who ran out of time and we lost to cancer.....to honor those still putting up a gallant fight to cancer.....and those still at our side as survivors having knocked cancer out.

279 miles if we count the 2 miles I floated through the air after jumping out of a plane above the cornfields in Central Illinois.  And countless more miles training.....

No, I didn't exactly meet my goal of a half marathon each month - I missed February because of conflicts and had one scheduled for June but it was the same day I dropped my daughter off at Camp Kesem - a camp for kids that have or had a parent with cancer.....I think very valid reasons.....but I still surpassed my original goal of 200 miles......TAKE THAT CANCER!

I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough for your support this past year.  The friendships I created throughout this experience - from the two new friends I met on the plane ride to Vegas to the two I met in the corral on State Island...and all in between.  You all inspired me to keep going when times got rough this year.

Oh, and let's not forget the close to $11,500 raised for LIVESTRONG.  WOW!

And to top it all off, I was selected as the Pan The Man SUPERLATIVE winner for the month of July and was honored to be used as a widow that defines thriving in the video created  below by Embrace Life Winner, Michelle Neff Hernandez.

I've been asked quite a bit what's next.  Well, I've taken a few weeks off to rest and back at it this weekend.

Maybe cycle more?  Maybe tackle more local events?  Maybe hula hoop a few 5Ks with the cancer hating red head?

What do you all think?  What should I do in 2012 to support my LIVESTRONG fundraising efforts?  What do you want to see me accomplish??

But what should I do for 2012?

A Much Needed Break from Winter...Has Spring Sprung??

Today I ran outside.

No ovals, circles, ipods, television screens, moving belts, motors, mind games, etc.

I actually ran outside.

....and the sun was shining.

Sure, I had to jump over a few spots of ice and snow......and run through a mud pit (nope, this wasn't a Muddy Buddy race).

Amazingly less than 2 weeks after a major blizzard dumped 20 inches of snow on Chicago and pretty much shut the city down, I was running along the Chicago lakefront path with my two fellow LIVESTRONG Chics.

Who and what are LIVESTRONG Chics you may ask?  Two rather dedicated friends that join me each year to participate in a Triathlon Relay to raise funds for LIVESTRONG.  Dedicated because I refuse to jump in that lake for the swim portion....these two are always willing to don a wetsuit and swim.  I am always more than willing to bike and run, as long as the other two Chics swim....and they do so without any complaints.    
(If you want to support our efforts, please click this link to make a donation to LIVESTRONG) 

The Chics also are my running partners.  We have run with Elvis in several cities, on the Indianapolis Speedway, Churchill Downs, through the streets of Memphis, and through the neighborhoods of Chicago during my first Chicago Marathon for Team LIVESTRONG.  They will be joining me in LA next month to run the Honda LA Marathon - I was already heading that way to run for Team LIVESTRONG and they signed up to join me.  Great friends and running partners!
 
Sadly, one of the Chics recently moved to Chicago.  This was a great opportunity for her but we were sad to see her go.  We have done A LOT of our training for all our previous races together....mostly our long runs.   Long runs with friends make them much more enjoyable.

Training for a marathon requires quite a few long runs and running in the winter is difficult.....even before you throw in a blizzard and sub zero temperatures.

The weather forecast for this weekend was a very welcome surprise.  But in my little town, I would more than likely still need to run indoors.....round and round in circles (or ovals)....since the running path here is still covered in snow and ice.  The Swimmer Chic was going to visit the Chicago Chic  for the weekend, so a plan was hatched to meet in Chicago for a long run.  A two hour drive there this morning....run....then two hours driving back.  Worth it to run with the Chics and the opportunity to run outdoors.

Best plan EVER!  It was a gorgeous day.  Perfect temps, the sun was shining, the city looked beautiful (with the exception of the gray patches of snow).  Running along the Chicago lakefront is an experience I highly recommend for all runners....and bikers....and walkers.

Skyscrapers gleaming in the sun, Soldier Field solemnly empty with the end of the Bears season, children joyfully sledding down a slope by the Field Museum, snow/ice sculptures melting along Navy Pier, a hot dog vendor perfectly located for a quick water break.  Families, walkers, runners, bikers were all out enjoying a reprieve from winter.

Along with running on the lakefront path, we also incorporated two trips around Navy Pier - a fun escape even when you are running.  Music blaring, people watching made it worth the cross wind we encountered as we ventured out on the pier sticking out into the frozen Lake Michigan.

It felt great to run outside again!  I'm sure the temps will drop again, the wind chills will be miserable and snow will return,  but today was a VERY WELCOME and NEEDED break from winter.

Come on Spring......spring out already!