Running Update:

Tally for December

12/1  5.0 miles in 43:37

12/4  5.0 miles in 47:29

12/6  4.9 miles in 46:44

12/8  7.6 miles in 1:10:02

12/11  5.0 miles in 45:54

12/13  4.9 miles in 47:36

12/15  7.5 miles in 1:12:45

12/17  4.9 miles in 45:51

12/20  5.0 miles in 46:55

12/24  5.0 miles in 46:69

Tally for 2013

1005.4 miles in 156:19:18!  May still do one more quick run before we head to Canada for the holidays, but otherwise that’s a wrap!

Jane Update:

Jane had a hearing check-up last week and I am happy to report her hearing is stable :)

A sleepy Jane during her hearing test...

...and a happy Jane with her favorite after-testing treat!

NF Update:

Was touched to receive a phone call out of the blue from another NF Mom in California.  She had read about Jane and me in the Children’s Tumor Foundation End of the Year letter, then had looked me up and called me.  She wanted to share her daughter’s experiences with NF (she has very similar tumors to Jane’s) and her experience with the medication Gleevec.  It is contacts like these that make everything that I am doing for the Children’s Tumor Foundation worth it!  It makes living with NF so much more tolerable to know we are not alone.  On that note, I’d like to thank the members of the NF Mom’s Rock! support group for their daily comfort, advice, and encouragement.  Thank you also to the hardworking ladies at the CTF NF Endurance team—you are amazing and your efforts are so appreciated.

Love to everyone!  See you in 2014!

Running Update:

11/8  5.0 miles in 42:57

11/10  7.6 miles in 1:12:23

11/13  5.0 miles in 45:11

11/16  7.1 miles in 1:03:33

11/18  4.9 miles in 44:47

11/20  5.0 miles in 43:29

11/22  5.0 miles in 45:08

11/24  3.1 miles in 27:54

11/28  5.0 miles in 42:00    

Happy Thanksgiving!  Today I was gently reminded by a friend that I haven’t posted since the beginning of November, so here is the tally.  Less than 50 miles to go to 1000 for 2013.

It was a bright though chilly and windy morning at the Madison Turkey Trot, but I ran a personal best!  Even better, my husband Todd ran today, too, his first road race in many years—and beat me, of course :)

Jane Update:

Jane, Alec, and Helen all got into the act, too, walking the Turkey Trot two-mile Family Fitness Walk with our dear friend, Marcia.  Had to warm up with hot chocolate once we got home.  No pictures from the event as we were all participating!

NF Update:

Jane and I are featured in the Children’s Tumor Foundation holiday letter!

www.ctf.org/item/hope-for-the-holidays.html

Running update:

10/23  5.0 miles in 44:42

10/25  5.0 miles in 43:25

10/27  7.6 miles in 1:07:49

10/30 7.2 miles in 1:05:29

11/2  4.7 miles in 41:58

11/5  5.0 miles in 46:07

Have cut back quite a bit since the marathon, but want to maintain some level of fitness as training for Boston begins again in December!  Am still planning to run the Madison Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving—our family tradition—despite trying to rest an injured shoulder.

Am at 903.1 miles for 2013, hoping to make 1000 by the end of the year!

Jane update:

Just some fun pics of Jane from the last couple of weeks.  Soccer season winding down.  Here’s Jane and her teammates on a particularly blustery fall day:

A triumphant Halloween.  Jane’s math homework that night was to tally her five favorite candies from her haul:

NF update:

Have scheduled our return trip to Indiana University for the beginning of February.  Jane has tolerated Gleevec remarkably well this year—hope it’s doing some good.

Running update:                                      

10/12/13  The Hartford Marathon!  26.2 miles in 4:10:00!

It was a gorgeous day in Hartford!  We couldn't have asked for better weather—sunny, breezy, mid-60s.  (Last year it was freezing--28 degrees at the start!)  I had a great run, felt strong.  I faded in the last two miles so didn't set any personal records, but finished faster than I did in Boston.  I was sore for a couple of days, but not as much as I remember from previous races.  (Getting stronger?)

NF update:

The best news of all:  we raised over $17,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation this year!  Thank you to everyone who supported us!  With your help we will find a cure for NF!

Jane update:

Jane received a postcard from her principal today!  Had to share it :)

Alec update:

Have to highlight another athlete in the family!  Alec’s soccer team got to play a short game under the lights on the turf of the new playing fields in Madison.  Look at that kick!

Running update:

9/25  5.0 miles in 45:43

9/27  5.0 miles in 43:49

9/29  14.8 miles in 2:24:27

10/2  5.0 miles in 45:39

10/5  7.6 miles in 1:11:57

10/9  5.0 miles in 46:39

Last run before the Hartford Marathon!
Hoping for weather like today:  sunny, dry, mid-50s.

This is the bracelet my oldest daughter, Helen, made for me to wear in the marathon.  She said, “I made it with NF colors!”  So proud of her :)

Jane Update:

Jane had her three-month Gleevec check-up and blood work with our hometown pediatrician last week.  The appointment was first thing in the morning, and we had planned to bring Jane straight to school afterwards.  I remembered to bring lidocaine cream to numb her arm prior to the needle stick, but forgot one key item vital to blood drawing success—Puppy!  When Jane was in Kindergarten she had brought her favorite stuffed animal, Puppy, with her to school every day, so I never had to think twice about Jane having him with her.  But now that she’s a “big” first grader, she no longer carries Puppy in her backpack.  On our drive to the lab Jane asked, “Where’s Puppy?!”  When I told her I’d forgotten him, she said, in a small, resigned voice, “It’s OK.  I’ll snuggle with my jacket instead.”  So brave and resilient!

NF Update:
I attended my first Children’s Tumor Foundation fund-raising dinner last week!  I'd never actually been to an NF benefit (or any kind of benefit, for that matter) before--it was wonderful to meet some other families and individuals with NF, and to see so many people supporting our cause!  I was thrilled to meet the president of the Children’ Tumor Foundation, John Risner, too!  He thanked me for my fund-raising efforts :)

Running update:

9/6  5.0 miles in 43:01

9/8  18.0 miles in 3:00:09

9/11  9.6 miles in 1:32:47

9/13  4.7 miles in 44:17

9/15  10.2 miles in 1:34:24

9/18  7.6 miles in 1:12:45

9/20  3.1 miles in 30:44

9/22  22.2 miles in 3:42:05!  Whew!  It’s time to taper!

Running-inspired songs from my playlist, volume 2:

(To see volume 1, go to my original blog, and read the post from 3/22/13.)

The Killers “Runaways”

Key lyrics:  “Maybe I’ll just run…”

The 1975 “Chocolate”

Key lyrics:  “We're building up speed as we're approaching the hill.” and “No, we’re never gonna quit…”

Biffo Clyro “Black Chandelier”

Key lyrics “We’re always running…”

Daft Punk “Doin’ It Right”

Key lyrics:  “Everybody will be [running].”

Fitz and the Tantrums “The Walker” 

Key lyrics:  “Crazy's what they think about me, ain't gonna stop cause they tell me so, ‘cause 99 miles per hour, baby, is how fast that I like to go.”

Matt & Kim “Cameras”

Key lyrics:  “Don’t forget to breathe now.”

Dan Croll “From Nowhere”

Key lyrics:  “Every now and then I fall a bit behind.”

(Oops!  Not the last one...)

Jane update:

I recently signed Jane up with the NF Registry, a database of individuals with NF that has a goal of better understanding NF as a disorder.  One of the questions asked was “Have you ever suffered from itching?”  Oh my goodness, yes!  Jane is always itching!  I thought it was just dry skin!  I dutifully slather her with moisturizer after every bath, in all seasons, with only marginal effect.  I couldn’t understand why Jane’s brother and sister don't experience the same—I had no idea that itching could be a side effect of NF.  I confess, I was pretty disgruntled to learn of the association.  What, disfiguring tumors aren't bad enough?

NF update:

Some inspiring news regarding the generosity of strangers:  Those who read this blog regularly know I was in our local paper a few weeks ago as "Person of the Week" (link here) and got to talk about NF and my fund raising.  Well, a kindhearted gentleman who I’ve never met saw the article and called me last week saying he wanted to help!  He owns a condominium in the Cayman Islands, and four times a year he donates vacation time there to a different charity for auction.  I was amazed!  It will be part of a silent auction during the Ladybug Annual Benefit Night for the Children’s Tumor Foundation on October 3rd on Long Island.  (If anyone would like to attend and/or bid, more info is here:  http://grow.ctf.org/Ladybug2013)

Will end with a happy photo from our friend Olivia, who spent yesterday afternoon with the kids at the Madison town beach :)

Sisterly love!

Running update:

9/2/13  12.6 miles in 1:59:44

Had our first race of the season today!  It was a very hot and wet 20K New Haven Road Race this morning—amazing how many people still came out to cheer us on.  Thanks to Todd and the kids, my Mom and Aunt Anne for waiting in the rain to see me run past!  I was two minutes slower than last year, but at least I squeaked in under 2 hours…

Me at the start (in the blue CTF shirt, waving)

Me at the finish!

Alec update:

Alec lost another tooth this afternoon!  Tooth Fairy comes tonight :)