Oohhhh We're Halfway There!

Oohhhh! Livin' On a Prayer!

Thanks Bon Jovi! You are correct. I'm HALFWAY to my race, and I'm certainly doing a lot of praying to keep me moving! : )

Can you believe it? I can hardly believe that I have trained for almost THREE months (!!) and that I have now reached the halfway point for both the time to my race and my goal mileage. This week I ran (...DRUMROLL, PLEASE...) SEVEN MILES!! And the best part... I ran them consistently without walking or stopping. What amazing things the human body is capable of! I continue to believe that this journey is not nearly as physical as it is mental. Persevering through my 7-mile run on Saturday was tough. In the beginning, I kept thinking "Maybe I'll just walk for a moment..." but I kept going. Before I knew it, I was in my final mile! And while that final mile was SO HARD to complete, I had beautiful incentive.

This past Saturday was "Mission Day." We invited family and friends to join us as we celebrated the mission of Team in Training. THANK YOU to Aunt Sandy and Uncle Dave for supporting my on this day!! And thank you to Mason for joining me as well! ;-)

As a began my final mile, I saw signs ahead. They showed photos of people who have battled Leukemia or Lymphoma, gave inspirational quotes, or described a loved one that TNT teammates are training for. How exciting it was as I approached a sign that said "Alexis Kollay is running in honor of her uncle Wick Flower."

HOW WONDERFUL A FEELING! I threw my fists in the air and shouted excitement with my teammates who I was running with. I am happy to say that I am training in honor of my Uncle Wick, who fought Hodgkin's lymphoma five years ago. After treatment, he defeated the cancer and has been in remission since! I'm grateful that he is in our lives, and I'm so excited to be showing my support for him and cancer patients everywhere who endure far worse pain than I ever can in through this journey.

I LOVE YOU, UNCLE WICK! In honor of you...

And in honor and memory of cancer patients everywhere...

Pride!

WOW! I am loving this!! Today, I ran SIX MILES at group training, and it felt awesome!! Truly, I never knew that my body could do this. I have always loved to run. It's exhilarating. I feel energized and happy to be working my entire body. However, years ago I didn't think that I could run more than two miles at a time... Now, I'm running 6!! I won't stop there, though.... 13.1 HERE I COME!! And what is better is that as my body becomes stronger and healthier, I am noticing my pace and stamina increasing! How cool this feeling is...

While I am feeling stronger and healthier every day, I am also experiencing my first shin splint. OUCH! It has been pretty rough at times, to the point where I couldn't walk well on it. I'm able to tough it out during runs as the pain generally subsides during workouts... Only to return in FULL FORCE the moment I stop moving. I'm doing my best to treat it (icing the shin/ankle for 20 minutes each evening, taking Ibuprofin to reduce swelling and relieve the pain, stretching the shin). However, the true fix, I believe, will be investing in a new pair of shoes. A number of coaches and shoe experts have encouraged me to find a fit that truly fits me. SO...

Today I invested in a new par of shoes! It was so much fun to have an expert spend time learning how I walk/run and show me shoes that will support me in the best way for my own body. That was a great experience! Did you know that when you purchase running shoes, you should do so at the end of the day or after a workout because this is when your feet are swollen most? In fact, one should generally purchase running shoes one half to one full size higher than regular/dress shoes. I ended up with a pair of Mizuno "Wave Nirvana" shoes, and I can't wait to begin wearing them! THANK YOU to Fleet Feet Sports on Wade. Ave. in Raleigh, NC for their exceptional quality and service. I highly recommend them to anyone seeking an excellent experience in purchasing shoes and other running gear!

In other news, I have completed all of the set up for my raffle! I'm so excited to begin selling tickets!! My wonderful Aunt Sandy and Uncle Dave are even helping by taking the sale to work/church/activities. I'm so thrilled to begin raising funds for Team in Training!! : )