I have been silently angry at my IT band for the last month and I apologize for not writing. The last few weeks have been taken very lightly and I may be switching to the half marathon rather than the full. On a positive note, I raised an AMAZING amount of money (still open for donations ;) and our team is ready to ROCK!!! Woohoo!

I'll be coming into town on Friday and leaving Sunday with tired legs and a giant smile for completing my second run with Team in Training. Go team!!

My marathon shoes match last year's marathon shoes. I put them near each other so they could share stories and wisdom. I'm hoping the old ones will pass on secrets of success and live vicariously through the new ones without remorse. I still wear them, after all. No need to be jealous, shoes!

16 Miles

This is my longest run so far! Woo! Every step was delicious. The Bingham quote from last weekend fit well today and I released my stress in each drop of sweat. It was a hot afternoon so the reduction was liberating!

I decided:

1) I am STOKED for my new old shoes. (New pair of the old model)

2) Running is my favorite.

3) I am afraid of geese and groundhogs.

Today I accepted that my legs were meant for distance, not speed, and the leisurely pace I took fit me just fine. What I consider to be a bit slow was damn hard, but I felt terrific. Every time my foot hit the pavement I thought to myself, "I have support. There are people behind me, and I am here for an amazing cause. We will do this together. My cousin's have it right: Curb Stomp Cancer." I had to fight the urge to tell each person I passed that I was running 16 miles to fight cancer because I didn't want to become a Spokane statistic. I sent the message telepathically instead.

I did have a toddler run towards me yelling "Mama!" at one point. I smiled and quickly ran in the other direction.

I've been working on form and function lately, so I must say that I have improved my "deep belly breathing." I also discovered the BEST combination for running snacks: chocolate covered gummy bears, raw almonds, and slightly salted cashews. SO good. The banana before my run also rocked. I love food.

Note to self: find and purchase yummy Powerbar things we sampled in first practices...

That's all for now!

"Our running shoes are really erasers. Every step erases a memory of a past failure. Every mile brings us closer to a clean slate. Each foot strike rubs away a word, a look, or an event, which led us to believe that success is beyond our grasp."

- John Bingham

Okay!! Finals are done so I can get back to writing! Coming soon.. Xoxoxo

My team is organizing an auction in Spokane to benefit our cause and I'm wondering if you can help...

Do you know any businesses in or around Spokane that would be interested in donating products/food/anything to an auction to raise money for fighting cancer?

All proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, of course. Let me know anytime before April 24th.

Thank you for your continued support!

Crystal

Donate today and make a difference:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/rnrseatl10/cgoade