Today marks the beginning of Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As such, I was trying to think of a way that I could raise money for Caleb’s Crusade and also offer something in return. Well, something you may not know about me is that I have a ton of ribbon.
Seriously. I know it’s weird, but I collect the stuff. Don’t believe me?
I told you I had a lot. 
Truth is, I like to scrapbook and other crafty stuff, so that’s why I have it all.
Anyway, since I do have SO much ribbon on hand, I was thinking that for a small donation,
I will custom make two ribbons. One that I will attach to my race shirt when I run in the Disney Half Marathon in a few months and the other I will send to you to keep!
I will write whatever you want on these ribbons…your name, your blog address, your favorite quote, a loved one’s name…whatever! I can even include a small picture if you want (I will crop it though, to be about the size of Mickey’s head in the following picture). Here are a few I made tonight to give you an idea (though I only wrote on one):
I have just about every color and pattern you could possibly want (see above, lol), and will write whatever you want (that will fit).
Maybe you know someone who’s been affected by some form of cancer and want to pay homage to them.
Maybe you want to put your blog name/address.
Maybe you just want to put “Run, Josie, Run!” (just kidding ) The possibilities are endless.
I’ve never felt comfortable asking for donations for anything. Salesperson I am not. But this is a cause I feel very passionate about. I have not had a child affected by cancer…I do this so that hopefully one day NOBODY will!!!
So, if you’d like a couple of ribbons, you can go to my fundraising page on the Caleb’s Crusade website or just click the “Chip in” widget over in my right sidebar —–>. Once I get notified of your donation, I will send you an email asking for the details of what you want me to put on your ribbons!
I was going to set a minimum donation of like $5, but really, I’ll accept ANY donation…no amount too small!
ALL proceeds go directly to Caleb’s Crusade a 501c3 charity whose mission is to:
Provide funds for Childhood Cancer research and to help children and families affected with Childhood Cancers to cope with their everyday expenses incurred during treatment and relocation.
So if you’d like your message to adorn my sweaty race shirt during the Disney Half Marathon (and really, WHO WOULDN’T? hehe), will you consider making a donation today?
THANK YOU!
263.0 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
55.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st.
Catch up time. There are a few things I’ve been needing to share here and haven’t yet, so here goes the laundry list of everything including the kitchen sink. 
MIRACLE MILES 15K
I know at first it might seem like that’s a typo and that maybe I really meant to type “5K”, but it’s for real! I’m going to be running my first 15K four weeks from now! I can hardly believe it myself, but it’s no joke.
My Caleb’s Crusade running coach, Dana, was talking about this race after practice a couple of weekends ago, and even though the most I had ever run prior to that was just under 6 miles, for some reason I was really intrigued by the race. So was my friend Lynne. So, we talked it over with Dana because we were concerned about the distance being too much for us and Dana said she would adjust our training calendar for the next month to better prepare us for it. So instead of running 5 miles this past Saturday, Lynne and I ran 6. And next week we’ll be running 6.5 or 7 depending on how we feel and it will increase each week until the race. I’m SO excited! Just the idea that I will be running 9.3 miles in a matter of weeks is exhilarating!
It gets better though….This race is in Orlando which is about 4 hours away, so at first, Lynne and I were just going to drive up early that morning, run the race, and then drive home. She invited her aunt to come with us who generously offered to get a hotel room for the 3 of us. It’s a BEAUTIFUL historic bed and breakfast in Orlando! The best part is it’s my birthday weekend and I can’t think of a better way to spend it!!! Speaking of birthdays…
NO MORE 35 AND SHRINKING?
I started this journey on my 35th birthday almost a year ago. For months now, I’ve been thinking about the name of my blog and whether or not I would change it once my birthday came around and I’d no longer be 35. I’ve went back and forth on different names and I keep going back to one in particular, based on a quote that I absolutely love. So yes, the name of my blog will be changing. I started this blog as a way to journal my weight loss, and although it’s become so much more than that over the past year, it’s still -at its core- my weight-loss story. Anyway, I don’t want to say too much yet, I just wanted to give you all a heads up that the name (and theme) will be changing soon and I’m REAL excited about entering this next phase of my journey!
RAGNAR
Remember when I told you that I’d be running the Ragnar Relay this November I just didn’t know which team I’d be on? At first we were trying to get a team together through Caleb’s Crusade, but it was just too much of a short notice (maybe next year). So, instead I’ll be joining Team Jello! It’s an already formed team of people I’ve never met before, so this should be fun! I’ve been talking with the team captain, Amy, via email for a few weeks now and am super, super excited about joining her team and running my first Ragnar!
CAKE!
We had a Casino Night fundraising event for Caleb’s Crusade last night, so I decided to make a cake for it. What do you think?
The event went SO well. The best part was the long talk that Lynne and I got to have with Rob, the founder of Caleb’s Crusade and Caleb’s dad. Here’s a picture of the three of us from the event last night:
We talked a lot about the Disney marathon, fundraising, and training. But mostly we talked about precious little Caleb. And his love of Spiderman. And how a stupid thing called Hypodiploid Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia came along and turned their lives upside down. And how childhood cancer research needs more funding so that families don’t have to go through what they did.
And then Rob took out his wallet and removed a stack of pictures…we got to see Caleb dressed as a mummy (which was his wish!) and as Spiderman. And other pictures of him just being a kid. It’s just so wrong, ya know? So every time I want to complain that my shins hurt, or that I’m too tired to run, I will remind myself of little Caleb, who has etched a serious mark on my heart. He should be out playing ball, or riding his bike…not immortalized in his father’s wallet. Stupid cancer. 
…and THAT is why I run now. I may have started running in January as a way to help shed pounds, but it’s about so much more than that now.
and last, but not least…
WEEK 48 WEIGH-IN
Time for this week’s weigh in! I weighed in this morning at 199.4 lbs which is a .4 lb loss for the week. This brings my total weight loss so far to 56.6 pounds.
Hey, it might only be 4 tenths of a pound, but at least I’m still in Onederland!!! I’ll take it! *happy dance*
259.5 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
55.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st.
So far I am loving this new challenge I joined called Drop Dead Gorgeous by December! You can join anytime, so if this is something you want to be involved in, Contact Jess to join the movement!
The basic rules are to have fun, weighing in is optional, and everyone’s a winner. Every week we have to email Jess a weekly report of 5 things, including a picture of us holding a positive sign. Here’s mine for Week 2:
1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.
2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
My weight this week was 199.8 Pounds. and my starting weight for this challenge was 202.9 lbs. (Net loss of 3.1 so far)
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
These will stay the same for the course of the challenge (unless I add a new one…):
- Run the entire distance of the Miracle Mile 15K in September (blog post coming soon about this!)
- Run in Ragnar in November
- Launch new blog (Not really a new blog per se…you’ll see!)
- Run the Thanksgiving Day 4 miler in less time than my 5K last Thanksgiving
- DON’T QUIT
4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
This week I am most proud that I’ve maintained my Onederland status. The past 2 times I got under 200 I quickly gained weight and went back over…so I’m really focused on trying to stay under 200 this time and achieve my next goal of 75 lbs lost.
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.
The thing I can improve on for next week is to ride my bike at least once. It’s gotten to where the only exercise I get anymore is running, and I know I need to cross train to prevent injury and be a better all around athlete. Besides, I have a biking goal to reach this year and as you can see below, I have a ways to go…so I’d better get to riding if I intend to reach it! (and I do!)
255.5 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
55.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st.
I weighed in this morning at 199.8 lbs which is a 3.1 lb loss for the week. This brings my total weight loss so far to 56.2 pounds.
This also means that I am once again traveling in that sacred territory we like to call “Onederland“.
This isn’t my first time crossing the 200 mark. Hell, this isn’t even my second time. YES, somehow I let myself get back over 200 pounds…TWICE!!!
I’ve thought long and hard about why I let myself do this, and there are probably a dozen reasons. I have noticed a pattern in all this and that is that I tend to self sabotage. As I read back over my blog, I notice that some of my worst weeks fell right after a week where I hit a pretty big milestone. I don’t know why that is. Fear of success, perhaps? All I know is that I’m trying to break that cycle this time, so I’m trying to just nonchalantly treat this weigh-in like any other. Nothing special to see here folks! I‘m more focused now than I have been in MONTHS…I certainly don’t need to start self sabotaging again.
So, instead of congratulating me…tell me something else. Anything that might help me stay focused and on track. Tell me something that you did this week that you’re proud of. Tell me about a milestone you’ve recently hit. Tell me something inspiring, motivating, or just plain funny….anything other than making a big deal over my weight starting with a 1 (once again…LOL).
I’m sorry if this doesn’t make sense to you…it does in my warped head!
245.5 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
55.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st.
It’s been a while since I participated in a challenge, but you know what? That’s EXACTLY what I need right now. I look back at the first 6 months of my journey and I really feel like the challenges I was a part of heavily contributed to my early success. So, imagine my excitement when I read that Jess was hosting her own challenge called “Drop Dead Gorgeous by December” starting today!
The basic rules are have fun, weigh-ins are optional, and everyone’s a winner. Haha, could there be anything better? Seriously though, we have to email Jess a weekly report of 5 things. Here is my Week 1 Report:
- A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.
- Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
My official weigh-ins are on Mondays (tomorrow), but these reports are due on Sundays. So for this challenge I will give my weight as it was the Monday before. My weight this week was 202.9 Pounds.
- Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Ahhh. Goals. Mine are simple.
- Run the entire distance of the Miracle Mile 15K in September (blog post coming soon about this!)
- Run in Ragnar in November
- Launch new blog (Not really a new blog per se…you’ll see!)
- Run the Thanksgiving Day 4 miler in less time than my 5K last Thanksgiving
- DON’T QUIT [see #1]
- ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
This week I am most proud of my Saturday run with Caleb’s Crusade. I ran 4.5 miles in exactly an hour which is a 13.3 minute mile. That’s my best pace for any distance greater than a mile, so I was very stoked about that!
- ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.
My goal for next week is to keep my eating under control. No evening snacks unless it’s fruit, no fast food, no sweet tea, etc. etc. I did good last week, I just want to continue this week.
241.5 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
55.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st.
