Sweet Day

What a day!  I got up this morning and hit the bike for 1 1/2 hours and some core work.  Tonight, ran the last leg of the Tussey Mountainback in reverse and parts of legs 10 and 11 as well.  The road was pretty snowy, but I saw absolutely no one and the footing was like running a trail.  That is a good thing. I felt great and am certain to be tired tomorrow.  For those not familiar with the Mountainback, the last leg is 4.2 miles downhill if run frontwards, so it was completely uphill.  Tough going up, but it was awesome coming back :)

I am going to be on WRXV, Rev FM on Saturday night at 8:30 PM.  The show is called Centre Topic.  You can find Rev FM at 89.9, 99.9, or 102.7 depending on your location.  Check out the website for exciting news about upcoming expansions.
I got an encouraging email from Anna Hughes at Ultra Running Insights.  She is based in Switzerland and her website is a great resource.  

With more days like this (just longer), things will be as good as they can be.  It's really going to be a good time.  

Don't be bashful, get involved!

3 months

Three months to go!  I am getting really excited!  The actual event just around the corner.  When I think about the taper at the end so that I am not too tired at the start of the run, I am getting down to the edge of my preparation.  I had a really nice day on Saturday.  I got in about 2 1/2 hours on my own and then Pat joined me for another hour or so.  I then ran another 20 minutes to finish up.   It was the perfect pace for me and I felt better and better as the run went on.  I still have to get in runs more than twice as long - which is pretty ominous - but I feel good about how things are coming along.
I'm sleeping really well and waking up ready to go, I just have to get my butt out of bed and go.  The weather is actually getting better.  Not quite so cold and the snow is plowed back away from the road edges.  I feel a lot safer than a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks to all of the donors! I am over $2000 !  Some days things seem to be moving slowly, and then folks come through with more donations for JDRF and I feel good about what I am trying to do all over again.  I really appreciate the support so many of you have shown me over the past few months.  What am I saying (typing)?  I have had huge amounts of support all of my life.  I like to dream and I haven't been any reason not to do so.  I'm so blessed to have great people around me who believe in me and are not afraid to help me make my dreams come true.

I've had two runners come forth through the Nittany Valley Running Club that would like to run with me.  Coincidentally, both are named Steve.  My hesitancy in asking asking others to join me is that I will not be going fast enough for those folks.  Runner friends keep telling me that speed is not what I am to be worried about, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about it.  I have strayed away from any sort of speed at all, but have enjoyed going further and further.  I suppose it is just another stage of life.

Oh well, I'm going to watch the team nordic combined and then hit the sack.  It would be good to get in a couple of hours in the morning.  God Bless you all.

Olympics and Inspiration

Wow! I can not even imagine the dedication of these olympic athletes.  The ones who are at least close to being amateurs, anyway.  They put in years of practice, hours a day, sticking to the plan.  I just shake my head when I think of it.  Honestly, there was a day, long ago, that I can remember considering that I might be able to dedicate myself to a goal like that.  I think I took the easy way out, always finding an excuse to avoid the long term commitment.  I had a couple of coaches in high school that seemed to be able to get me to push.  Thanks, Coach Smith and Coach Murdock.  I wish I could find the guts now to do the things that you got out of me during the early part of track season.

Thanks to my latest donors - April, Bobbi Jo, and Amy.  Amy makes this awesome fudge and had a sale that she donated a portion of each sale to donate to JDRF. Cool!

I spoke with a writer from the Centre Daily Times for about a half hour last night.  She asked me some good questions that really got me thinking.  I know I am doing this thing to try and make a difference with financial donations, but I think the understanding of type 1 diabetes is at least as important to me if not more so.  I watch Molly and others try to deal with the day to day fluctuations in blood sugars, trying to figure out the reason it is good one hour and bad a few hours later with what seems like the proper insulin dosing and physical efforts.  The endocrinologist sent a letter to the insurance company today explaining to the powers that be how proper monitoring and treating of blood sugars now avoids costly treatments and results later.  I would have to say that a CGM now is really cheap compared to the cost, monetarily, physically and mentally of blindness, amputation, heart disease, kidney failure.  Seems an easy call to make, but that's probably why I am not in charge.
I had a nice couple of hours on the treadmill this morning and hope to get something similar tomorrow.  I usually like running outside in the winter, but the amount of snow we've had makes it too dangerous.  I have been really happy to be able to do some long efforts on the treadmill.  It has to be good for the mental training as well.
Thanks to everyone for the kindness, donations, and words of inspiration.
More again soon!