Fundraising Goal

I have exceeded my minimum fundraising goal for the National MS Society! My goal was to raise $550 by February 27th and as of today I have raised $640. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to my generous family and friends who were willing to help me meet this minimum. Donations will be accepted for another 68 days so there is still time to contribute if you have not done so.

I was talking to my mom the other week and she was telling me about the online courses the MS Society offers. She mentioned a course she was taking that was focused on self-employment. At first she thought it was odd that the materials kept going back to the idea of being able to start your own business in your home, never really mentioning starting a business outside of the home. Then she realized that many of the people taking the course have MS that has progressed significantly, meaning they may be confined to a wheelchair, suffer vision loss, or experience intense physical pain. Individuals with advanced MS may need to rely on homebound, self-employment because they are unable to work outside of the home. It was a reminder of how fortunate I am to have the ease and ability to move around as I please. I also felt incredibly lucky that my mom has not suffered significantly since her MS diagnosis in 2003.

This is why I'm running, this is why I'm fundraising.

31 for 31

Last week was my birthday and I decided to run one mile for every year I have been alive. I am glad to say, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Not only was I able to run 31 miles last week, I completed my 10 miler the following Sunday in under 90 minutes! Given that time, I may actually complete my half marathon in 2 hours. My goal when I started training was to finish the half in 2 hrs and 2 minutes. Shaving 2 minutes off of my goal time would be pretty incredible. Of course my long runs don't have any hills, but I keep hearing that the Pgh course had changed yet again to eliminate as many hills as possible. This week has gone pretty well: 20 miles down, 10 to go. Plus, I got new shoes! You can't have a bad week with new shoes - it's science...or something.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I turn 31! To celebrate I ran 6 miles this morning. I only need to run another 11.5 miles between now and Saturday to make my 31 mile goal for the week! Tonight I will celebrate with libations, an array of fancy meats and cheeses, and artisanal bread :)

In lieu of gifts

Tomorrow is my birthday! I am one of those annoying people who really, really loves birthdays. However, if you were planning on getting me a gift or even just a card, STOP. I would much rather you donate the money you would have spent to the MS Society. You can use the handy link that's just in the top left corner of this page! See how I've made it so easy for you to donate to an incredible and deserving cause? You're welcome!

This week I am going to try to run 31 miles because I am turning 31. This goal will also help compensate for the "it's my birthday" mentality I will have towards food for the entire week :)

Hot Yoga

Tonight I am going to hot yoga for the first time since November (YIKES!). I am really excited though because 1. I think I will feel awesome afterwards and 2. it is part of a new monthly series called I <3 Music Yoga. Usually the classes are accompanied only by the sounds of people breathing loudly and the instructions from the teacher, but tonight the class will be set to the music of Tori Amos. Hooray! So to re-cap, I am spending my Friday night driving in my Subaru wagon to my hot yoga class where I will pin back my very short hair and sweat to the soothing sounds of Tori Amos. I don't want to sterotype, but it sounds like I am having a lesbian start to my weekend.

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday's run was warm and sunny. Today's run was cool and cloudy. Now all I need is cool and sunny - the perfect combo!

European Youth Hostel Shower

Today I celebrated the first day of February by going for a lunch run and then treating myself to a chocolate covered pretzel for a post-run snack. It is another unseasonably warm day here in Pittsburgh, 52 degrees and sunny. I was dressed for a 40 degree run so it got a little hot. My husband thinks it's gross that I go on runs in the middle of the work day since I don't have access to a shower. I admit that it is not an ideal situation but I do have a clean-up routine. I like to call it the "European Youth Hostel Shower System." Anyone who has stayed in a hostel in Europe (and perhaps other places, my experience is limited to Europe) may have a good idea of what this involves. Most youth hostels have showers but there are several problems in terms of using them. 1. Most shower facilities are co-ed. As a young woman backpacking through Europe with some other ladies, nothing was scarier than the thought of using a co-ed shower. Boys are disgusting. Boys that are strangers are creepy and disgusting. 2. Most facilities are dingy. Youth hostels are dirt cheap, that's why young people stay in them. There is not a lot of money invested in the upkeep of the bathtub that someone attached a shower hose to. Furthermore, getting a comfortable temperature for a consistent period of time is almost impossible. No youth hostel owner wants to pay for your hot water bill! 3. No towels. Again, youth hostels are cheap. They are not about absorb (WORD PLAY!) the cost of providing towel service. Thus, if you want to dry off, you must bring your own towel. Towels are a pain to travel with and therefore better left at home. Alas, showering in the conventional sense was problematic. The solution to this shower situation was simply to take a washcloth (the small size makes it travel-friendly) or a paper towel, get it wet and soapy, and wipe yourself down. After cleaning all the necessary parts, add baby powder to stay fresh, deodorant, and perhaps some kind of perfume/cologne. When I go for my runs at work I replicate this process except I substitute the washcloth with body wipes (they are basically baby butt wipes). Again, it's not ideal.. However, I don't sweat a ton and I only have to get through 4 hours of work and then I can go home and take a real shower! I wonder if my co-workers have an opinion on this...