Let the craziness begin...

Distance: 1.3 miles   Time: ??:?? min    Partly cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 83 °F    Humidity: 27%      Pressure: 30.00inches(holding)

The day was fantastic. The humidity was so low!! I tutored inside all day except for lunch with magnetbabe and we realized too late that would should have taken our lunch to go and eaten outside. Why does food always taste better outside? So when I finished with my last tutoring client I couldn’t get to the trail fast enough and yet I laid down on a bench in the shade outside the library just to be outside before the craziness begins.

The craziness is my family!! Not one of them alone is crazy but at a pack they are nuts. My brother and his wife (no sister-in-law jokes…I really have the best one) are coming to FL from NC, They get passed amongst parents this afternoon and end up with my Dad and his wife here in Tampa for dinner. Then tag I’m it. I entertain them for the night and Sunday we do a “project.” In this case It will be to remove an unwanted fence in my yard. Then Mom and her husband come to pick them up and have dinner tomorrow evening!!

The house is sooooooo not ready so I guess running is out for the rest of the weekend. I’m really glad I made yesterdays a good one.

I CAN’T WAIT!!!! ARE THEY HERE YET!!!!

Ran yesterday…run again on Tuesday.

*This all sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan but it took 1.5 weeks of endless phone calls and e-mails to arrange. This is plan #345,792

Short runs on Tuesdays

Distance: 1.66 miles  Time: 19:49 min    Partly cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 84 °F    Humidity: 53%      Pressure: 29.94inches(holding)

It was Tuesday again yesterday….that happens once a week or so. This week I was in charge of dinner so another quick run to get in before the adopted family gets together. It went much better than last week’s (I wasn’t as hungry this time) and I finished the last block with my sprint as always, and still had time to take a shower before I had to start dinner.

Sunday I ran as well. It wasn’t the most productive run but I ran. I went to the trails at USF. That is one of my favorites and where Randy and I always ran so it was good to run it on Sunday. I didn’t keep time or distance I just went for a run.

Quick RUN!

One year ago today....

Some times it's hard to remember our blessings. That I have a roof over my head, food on my table, the three cutest kitties, support in all I undertake from friends and family, and my health. We are reminded of the work it takes to provide food and shelter, and kitties remind you of there existence every time they expect a meal. Friends and family come to visit, go to lunch with you, or call and you are happy to hear from them and support them back. It is health that we so easily take for granted.

I closed on my first home on Friday, March 25, 2005. One of my closest friends, Randy, went with me that afternoon to buy paint, door locks, etc. All those things you need for a new home. Some other friends came that evening to the new place and Randy picked up Pizza to have a picnic in my new home. Over the next several days Randy and other friends and family came and helped me paint the rooms of my home different colors. Finally on April 1, I was preparing to move the next morning when, while talking to Randy on the phone, he mentioned his back was stiff and he might not be as helpful as he would have hoped. The next morning he was as strong as ever and the move was finished in a short period of time. Over the next two weeks we would learn that the sore back that night before and next couple weeks was a symptom of a much bigger problem.

On April 23rd Randy called me in the early afternoon. He was going to the ER because the pain had become so bad he was having trouble breathing. After I joined him there the doctor removed his shirt and asked me where he had received bruises all over his body. I had to say I did not know. As the day turned to evening I found out from the doctors that something wasn't right with Randy’s blood counts. At this point we decided I should call his Mother. A call neither she nor I will ever forget. I told her that we didn't know what was going on yet but we were not looking at a simple pulled muscle in his back.

Randy was diagnosed with leukemia, Acute Leukoblastic Leukemia, to be exact, and to add to the difficulty of this disease it was found that he had the Philadelphia chromosome. Chemotherapy was started, and within a day or so and Randy felt much better than that first night. As a testament to his strength and courage he breezed through treatment after treatment with very few side effects. Hair loss, some insomnia, and the worst to him.... the hiccups.... Leave it to Randy to get the silliest side effect and take it to the extreme!!! At the time of the second treatment all tests showed no sign of the cancer and he was declared to be in remission with 6 treatments yet to go. This was a fantastic outlook. However the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome worried the doctors. The leukemia was expected to return within 3 to 5 months after the chemo treatments finished. When leukemia returns the prognosis is rarely good.

He decided to undergo a bone marrow stem cell transplant. The transplant must be done while the leukemia is in remission. A "perfect match" was located and in late November he was given his new donor cells. All went very well and he was home in his apartment for Christmas with his family. On December 31st he was admitted back to the hospital with abdominal pain. In time the doctors would diagnose the problem as Graft vs. Host disease and for the next weeks Randy would fight harder than he had ever had.

Randy lost his fight on January, 29 2006.

Cancer effects everyone differently, the victims, the family, the friends. This is the effect on me. Randy always inspired me to work harder. When things got tough he gave me his strength too so I could get through. I can only hope that I was able to do the same for him.

Now he inspires me to help raise money to find a cure and to spread the information of the effect cancer had on my life and that we should all be careful that we don't take our health for granted.

I was lucky to have shared many things with him, running, movies, TV shows, video games, we did homework together, and defended our theses and graduated in the same semester. He stood by me when I wrote my thesis and helped edit it, and was there to watch as I defended it for my degree as I was there when he defended his less than a month earlier. He taught me about curling, pitched for our department softball team, and helped me with repairs to my new home. More than anyone else he believed (almost more than I did) that I would close on the house I wanted so badly. He took care of my kitties if I went out of town, watched football with me, went to a baseball games with me, and even threw a surprise party for me when I got full time and a raise at my job.

I was lucky to have known a friend like Randy and honored that he called me friend back.

I was lucky to have the all too short time with him that I had, and I miss him so much.

One short year ago today I took my health and my friends health for granted. And this was one of the longest years of my life.


*This post fulfills one of many requests from the american cancer society to place the I fight cancer ribbon on my blog. Please click on the ribbon on my sidebar and check it out.

HEY!! Who put that wall there?!?!

Distance: 1.2 miles     Time: 18:45 min     Sunny 5:00 pm
Temperature: 80 °F    Humidity: 67%      Pressure: 29.87inches(holding)

Note to self….eat something before you run!! I have “family dinner” with friends every Tuesday night and we call it family dinner because we each take turns cooking for the 4 of us and we always call if we aren’t going to make it and this is how we catch up for the week. It’s just a second family in town that I picked.

Anyway….I was squeezing in my run and didn’t want to ruin my dinner. (Which was a HUGE fantastic salad with fresh grilled chicken, romaine, carrots, spinach, corn, cheese, tomatoes, etc… with all the fixings on the side so we could pick what we like!!!) So I was very hungry and didn’t eat before I headed out the door. That’ll teach me. I ran the first .75 miles in ~8 min. For me that would be pushing ~10.5 min mile. An improvement for me. I was fine for another min or so…then BLAM-O!! I ran right into it. A huge section of the planet turned into goo and stuck to my shoes and made me work really hard at everything. A stitch in my side suddenly appearing didn’t help either. Moral of the story….have that snack!!

Eat to Run!! Run to Eat!!

Working back up...

Distance: 1.5 miles     Time: 19:28 min     Partly Cloudy 5:00 pm
Temperature: 78 °F    Humidity: 56%      Pressure: 29.97inches(falling)

I ran a new route that I mapped. It is just in the neighborhood but I liked it. Baseball and softball fields and the cemetery. Might seem creepy but it is one of my favorite sections to run past. It’s one of the really cool old cemeteries with the really big headstones. One is Jewish and those stones and graves are really interesting.

I was stiff when I started out but I loosened up quickly and today I’m not sore at all. I’m very glad. It really seams to be true that you lose your mileage very quickly when you take a break. I think 1.5 once more tomorrow and then up to 3 miles on Wednesday. If I have to walk part of the 3 that will be ok, but at least I will get in all the distance. The 29th is the Draft day dash and I would like to be back up to that again.

Running….not far…but Running

Adventures of RGFL

Distance: ???                 Time: ~20 min          Partly Cloudy 4:00 pm
Temperature: 83 °F        Humidity: 31%          Pressure: 30.02 inches(falling)

I had the best day yesterday!! Including the fact that I got the run in!! I really was getting antsy about not running!!

I slept in, I get to do that on Fridays when my first tutoring client is at like 11:00. My tutoring was really ON for both subjects I did. Lunch with the Physics Boys was good. My last client of the day called earlier in the week and said he had Good Friday/Easter stuff going on so he would see me next Friday. Fine by me for an easy day once in a while.

Since I had time (and I had thought ahead to bring clothes) I went to the trail at USF to run. I had decided that since it had been a little bit I was going to run ~20 min rather than a distance. Then I’m not so stressed about how I’m doing I just go till time is up. I concentrated on picking up my knees more so it was really 20min of running and not just running at the beginning and more “jogging” by the end. That was apparently something I need to do more often. (Like from now on) My thighs were burning by the end and today they are stiff. That is the only part of me sore, so that was the part that really got the workout.

I then went and got a hair cut (I was looking a bit shaggy) at a little place near the University. I just wanted a walk-in appointment. The girl was the best ever!! I HATE!! I mean H A T E ! ! haircuts because they always pull my hair. I have long hair and lots of it so they pull a lot!! Well she didn’t make it hurt. NOT EVEN ONCE!! It was the best, and she did a good job so I will be back!!

Then I went home and got ready to go to a movie with a friend. We saw “Lucky Number Sleven.” It was good I really liked it. Also I saw a preview for a movie of the type that MagnetBabe usually sees with me. So I’m sure that will be a good movie trip in the future.

I went home late and slept well and continued the good day by getting up when the kittens were hungry enough to wake me and then headed off to the Tampa Museum of Art, which is free on Saturday mornings, and saw the WILD THINGS: The Art of Maurice Sendak Exhibit. Where the Wild Things Are is one of my favorite books so this was really cool!!!

If I make it to my Mom’s in time for dinner tonight it is Meatloaf with rice pilaf and then egg dying activities…. Sunday is Church, Lasagna for Easter Dinner (YUM), Back to Tampa for a run, and finally some geeking out with the football boys for some gaming.

I think I’m doing OK.

Running with the WILD THINGS!!

Success!!

Yesterday was the First Annual Miles for Moffett Event, and many of Randy's family and friends walked together. Everyone had a great time!! The mile went really fast and we all walked as a big group. People found us from our shirts and we saw people we knew in other groups walking for friends or family of their own. It was a huge turn out I hope the Moffitt people know what a fantastic event they put on.

As for our little group I think everyone had a fun time!! We hopped and walked and skipped and monkey walked and giggled and bounced and walked backwards to take pictures all the way along. The brunch afterwards went well and everyone stayed and visited for hours. It was very nice. I’m ready for next year!! I will post pictures as soon as I have them.

Now I need something else to think about...hmmmm...well I’ll come up with some big scheme I’m sure.

Next up the Draft Day Dash...

Running into my self at this point (am I comming or going)

Wide awake!!!

Well here we go!! It is the night before the Miles for Moffitt walk/run and I am up late!! I mean it is only a mile and it is only a walk but then everyone is coming to my house after the event for brunch. I hope the house is clean enough, I hope the food is enough, I hope everyone likes the food, I hope the kitties are good, I hope the people are happy, I hope…. Well you get the point.

I don’t usually worry about people coming over and I guess I’m not really worried about any of these things all that much. I do want everyone to have a nice time since this is the first time we are participating in this event together. I want to do this every year, and I have been sooooo excited to spend time with friends and family of my friend Randy that I guess I’m just up.

This is it….this is what all the fuss was about. Let’s make it a good one.

We have a nice size crowd and I am very proud of our group and how we have stepped up to do something for cancer awareness and research during a dark period for all of us. I am sure Randy would be honored and would know how much he is loved.

Walking for the greater good

Super Slacker

Well I have been Pathetic haven't I. I haven't taken a whole week off from running yet!! Aren't I the biggest slacker EVER!!

I have some ideas up my sleeve and some firming up of plans that I will be doing over the next couple days and then I will start on Friday. I’m very excited that with the time change I can run later into the eve.

I wanted to go on a run tonight but traffic took longer than I thought so I have to wait. That is part of my new plan. I’m going to pack clothes on some days so I can sneak in the run, or try mornings again…..(well It’s worth bringing up again even if it never happens)

So for today….I’m a slacker!!