Rebel Runner

I did it! 

I am a Rebel and I went against what basically everyone said and I participated in and completed the runDisney Rebel Challenge.

For those of you who don't know, I was basically on bed rest due to a torn peroneal tendon from October 14th until January 5th. I was given the okay to go back to work on January 14th (the day I flew to California) but had the race vacation already booked and HR let me go on as planned. 

The title of this post is misleading. I didn't run the challenge. I walked the 5K, the 10K, and the 1/2 marathon. There were tears and a LOT of cursing. I ended up back in a wheelchair for days but was able to return to work as scheduled. 

When I hit the wall during the half and felt like I just couldn't keep going, I thought about my mom. She had diabetic neuropathy and was in agony every time she took a step. She used to say her feet burned and had pins and needles and hurt but were numb at the same time and I didn't understand. Well, now I do. I realized that even when she was at the very end of her life she was in pain and yet she didn't give up and fought so hard to the very end. I knew that if she could have taken one more step she would have and almost felt that I owed those steps to her. 

I was never athletic growing up. I tried, but I don't really like to sweat and I have asthma and fibromyalgia and really really like laying down. My mom was an athlete. She played tennis against Billie Jean King. I always felt like I disappointed her a bit even when I was named captain of the cheer squad.

I don't think she'd be disappointed this time. 

What keeps you going when you just don't think you could take another step? 

"Galloway Runner"

That's me!

If you had asked me 15 months ago if I was a runner I would have laughed in your face.

Then I signed up for a Disney race and learned about this training program that Jeff Galloway developed.

I was hooked. 

His run/walk/run method and magic miles helped me break through my "I can't do this" mentality. I quickly found that I had changed my can'ts to cans and my dreams to plans.

I ran the WDW 10K in 2014. Followed by several 5ks and an amazing first half marathon in October.

I got to meet Jeff at the Expo during the Star Wars half marathon weekend and it was such an awesome experience. He told me he was proud of me and to keep moving forward. I kept his words in my head all weekend (see my next post for details on how I did)

Jeff is just as nice and encouraging as I had hoped he would be. Definitely one of my favorite and most memorable moments of the race weekend.

Are you a Galloway runner? Who inspires you and/or keeps you motivated?

Raffle/Giveaway! Support a Charity and Enter to Win Great Prizes!

I am running the Glass Slipper Challenge in February as part of Team Ronald McDonald House.

For every $15 you donate, you will receive one entry into regular raffle drawings.

Prizes include:

$15 Road ID gift certificates

PRO Compression socks

Paceband of your choice

Energy bits with tin

Fabulous Bolder Band headband

Prizes are added regularly.

In order to enter you must provide your legal name during the donation (you can leave it anonymous when posting) and then forward the confirmation email to fromlazytolady(at)gmail(dot)com

If you'd like to donate without winning a prize you can do that as well.

To Donate/Enter the Raffle please CLICK HERE

Determination

Well, I've dealt with 4 weeks of torture so far thanks to a torn tendon in my right foot. I've been focusing on fundraising for my races in February to keep myself motivated. If you're a regular you know that I designed the shirt in this photo and was selling them to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. 

Well, let me tell you, the universe totally understands me. I have been having a very hard time emotionally dealing with this injury. The shirt came the morning after my hardest day so far. I love it. 

First of all the size small fits me! A year ago I would have ordered the large so that's awesome! 

Also, as soon as I put it on I realized that while I might not be training physically this situation is training me to keep it together and to keep going when the going gets tough. It has also shown me just how important running is to me and how much I have invested emotionally in this journey. 

This is me at the bottom of the first flight of stairs. I live in a third floor walk up... 

Have you had to deal with an injury in the middle of your training? How did you handle the frustration and disappointment?

Proud to be Me Day 1 and Day 2

For the month of November I have teamed up with several of my social media friends in a "Proud to be Me" campaign. 
I will be following the daily prompts and will be spreading out my replies between this blog, my facebook page, twitter, and instagram. I hope you will follow along and tell the world why you are proud to be you. Use #proudtobeme to participate.

Nov. 1 – I love my (personality trait)
Nov. 2 – I’m proud that I ________

I love my compassion for animals. Animals mean so much to me and are so innocent and vulnerable.  I love that I am not the type of person who sees an injured bird and leaves it there. I will do whatever it takes to nurse that bird back to health and if it doesn't make it, I will cry as if it was a well loved family pet. 

I am proud that I keep going. There are days that seem almost impossible to manage. Between my anxiety and depression and low self esteem I often think/feel that I can't do something. I am proud that I have learned to not let these voices/feelings control me. I am proud that I completed my half marathon when others thought I couldn't/wouldn't. I am proud that I can take the bus to work even though it causes a panic attack now and then. I am proud that I fight my inner demons and don't let them win. 

So tell me, what do you love about yourself? What are you proud of?

6 Weeks of Torture

It seems that I have come face to face with a runner's worst nightmare. No, not missing the race because I wrote down the wrong day (although that is a frequent nightmare of mine). I have an injury. An injury that has me sidelined from all weight-baring activity including but not limited to walking, running, and planking.

I partially tore my peroneus longus tendon.  This along with tendonitis and a neuroma has me in an Air Cast walking boot for 6-8 weeks.

My next half marathon is in 12 weeks. It' not just a half marathon. It's a 5k, 10k, and half marathon back to back over three days. I am scheduled to repeat the same thing minus the 5K a month after that...

Devastated was the word that first came to mind when I got my diagnoses. I felt like all of my hard work over the past 10 months had been for nothing.

A week in bed has made me think differently. I have had a lot of time to reflect on the past year. On my training, on how far I have come physically and more importantly how far I have come emotionally.

Running has become my therapy. It's become the tool I use to measure my strength and it helps me persevere. When I feel like I can't possibly deal with something, when my anxiety or depression gets to be too much, I think about how I've felt about a mile or two from the finish line. I have felt like I can't possibly go on, I can't make it to that finish line, I need to stop and quit and yet... I keep going. I keep going and I finish strong and I earn that medal and I earn that pride.

I ran my first race less than a week after being released from the hospital. I finished. I finished strong and the next day ended up back in the emergency department because apparently I also had the flu on top of everything else.

I am not going to let this stop me or hold me back. I am going to rest and recover and then I am going to run or walk or crawl my way to those finish lines.

"She turned her cant's into cans and her dreams into plans."
#sixweeksoftorture on Twitter @ladynwonderland and on Instagram @LadyHill

Running for Charity - Fundraising Projects for Ronald McDonald House Charities

When I signed up for the runDisney Glass Slipper Challenge I chose to register through a charity. I did this because running has given me so much, and I wanted to give back in some way. (To be honest, I also wanted to avoid the stress that is runDisney registration day lol) 

I knew that reaching my fundraising goal would be a challenge, but I don't think I was ready for just how difficult it could be. 

These days everyone seems to be doing something for charity. This is AWESOME. It also creates some bumps in the road since everyone is asking for money and most people I know can't possibly donate to every one they know who's doing a fundraiser. I understand this and know that I need to get creative if I want to hit my $750 minimum goal. 

I post my fundraising link at least once a week, but I am careful not to post it so often that it starts to annoy people. I like to thank people that have donated so that other people can see that their friends or family are supporting me, so maybe they will too. Most of my donations so far have come from this process. In fact, my largest single donation was $100 from a total stranger on Twitter. I love the running community, so much support!

I also sent out an email to some close family and friends letting them know what I'm up to. I received a reply from one of those people with a nice note and a check in the mail the next day. I was humbled by this person's generosity. 

While the direct donations are wonderful and greatly appreciated, I am still quite far from reaching my goal. So, I decided to try and sell some shirts. I had a friend design them for free, and another friend who owns a printing shop offer to print them with the proceeds all going to my fundraising page. AWESOME, right? In theory, yes. In reality, no. Only two shirts were ordered so we cancelled the campaign and refunded the buyer. 

I was bummed, but decided to give it another go via another company.
Right now I have two shirts for sale, if I sell less than 9 of each they will not be printed. Hopefully I can get at least 10 of each by the end of the month.


Click the link under each image to be taken to the website where you can purchase the shirts. The sweatshirt is $35 and the v-neck tee is $20. 

http://www.tfund.com/princessintraining

http://www.tfund.com/princesstraining

I didn't stop there though. I also have a friend who is a Scentsy consultant and she is running a fundraising party for me. Click the link below the image to be taken to the online party and be sure to choose Kerri Hill's RMHC Fundraiser at check out. 20% of your purchase will be donated to my fundraising page for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

https://mariadebruin.scentsy.us/?partyId=257107437

I have an Avon party going on right now too, but it is not online. If you're interested in making a purchase you can reach me on Facebook.com/fromlazytolady and I can place the order for you. 20% of purchases will be donated as well.

                                       
Do you want to hear the best part of my fundraising efforts? Some really great companies have donated products for me to use as raffle prizes! Everyone who donates $15 or more directly to my fundraising page will be entered into drawings to win some awesome prizes. Some of the sponsoring companies are:

Keep coming back for more information on my fundraising efforts and for updates on new companies added to the sponsor list!