Aaron, I wish I could accurately tell you how much you mean to me. Your passion for life was immeasurable. As much as you didn't want to believe it, you were, and continue to be, an inspiration to so many people. This life isn't fair and someday we are going to find out the answers to why. I know you probably heard me as I talked with you yesterday when we got to the hospital, but you are the reason behind my profession and the compassion I have for what I do. I will never stop fighting to help others like you. I know you'll be watching over all of us and I hope that I can make you proud. I feel comforted knowing you no longer have to fight for your own breath, something that we all take for granted. I want you to be comforted knowing we will be ok, whatever "ok" means. You will never, ever be forgotten. I love you, A-dog.
"They were angels in waiting. Waiting for wings to fly from this world, away from their pain. Treasuring time, til time came to leave, leaving behind sweet memories. Angels in waiting, angels in waiting for wings."
On September 18th, a great fundraising event will take place in Durham, NC through the Lung Transplant Foundation. Please check out Aaron's Lungapalooza 2001 fundraising site HERE. Thank you all for your continued love and support. Someday we will find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis so that no one has to suffer from this disease ever again.
1. i have major anxiety attacks over flying. i would much rather drive.
2. i seriously dislike chit chat. a lot of times if i see people from afar at places (ie- grocery store, mall) that i know im going to "run into" and have to carry on some sort of fake conversation (oh hi, how are you, what have you been up to despite the fact i already know since i stalk you on facebook but want you to tell me anyway...), ill walk the other way and make sure this chance happening doesnt happen. sorry, its not you, its me.
3. at the doctors office on that little survey you always have to fill out, i find it easier to write in '2 - 3' for the "how many drinks, on average, do you have in a week" question. week, night, whats the difference really?
4. i accidentally on purpose ended up at the animal refuge league today and fell in love with only two kittens. i swear one of them answered to the name ive weve picked out for our future kitten.
5. i have matching vera bradley lunchbox and checkbook cover.
6. i might be the only person in the entire world who still keeps a balanced physical paper checkbook register.
7. while youre reading this im supposed to be out running 20 miles. dear god please let this be happening. and if you so choose, please text me/tweet me (@RTdanielle09) to make sure im out somewhere in the middle of falmouth/cumberland actually doing it.
8. yes, i will text/tweet you back when im running.
9. when i run early early morning (like were talking 3:30am early. yeah.) i dont wear music so i can really focus on my surroundings. for God only knows what reason, i somehow always end up singing "ma ma ma MY sharona". it is not awesome.
10. i cannot wait until the day starbucks starts selling their pumpkin spice latte. one just might not be enough.
11. i own more hooded sweatshirts and pairs of flip flops than anyone really ever should own.
12. im kinda over facebook.
13. i didnt start drinking coffee until after i graduated from college. i dont know how i ever lived without it.
14. i finally convinced ty to take me to gray animal farm so i could see a real live moose. they were so big!
hope everyone on the east coast stays safe this weekend in the threat of hurricane irene! also head on over and check out katies page later on today as she always has fun friday randomness and a list of others who do too!
1. it drives me up the wall when people dont pronounce their H's (ie: humid --> umid)
2. i barely read 6 books in a year... ive read 10 in the last three months.
3. my coffee intake is on most days almost equal to my water intake.
4. i ate an entire avacado yesterday like it was an apple. this is a common occurance.
5. in the months of july & august i spent more days in a hospital than at my house.
6. even a brand spankin new house still has "projects"
7. i know how to fold a fitted sheet... and now you can too!
8. if i was on this summers big brother season i would absolutely have been the first person kicked off. actually i probably would have asked to go home so i wouldnt have to spend the summer with rachel. shoot me.
9. my brother in law was put on a different ventilator on wednesday. its breathing for him at a rate of 9 breaths per SECOND. thats 540 breaths per minute. dont try that at home.
10. i think people who put ice in their milk are weird. well alright i wont judge. i think the act is weird. you people are probably fairly normal. except for that.
11. two weeks ago i went and switched my piece of shit old/outdated cell phone for an andriod incredible 2. i had fun with the apps, words with friends, a much nicer touch screen than mine... and i returned it and went back to my old phone. i dont need all that crap. but i do miss the little green guy that waves to me when i call people.
12. when i moved back from phoenix i bought a bike. i never rode it, then sold it to my brother. now i want a bike again. which im sure i wouldnt ride.
now go check out katie, who is my inspiration for starting fun fact friday back up again (i wont copy her and change it to random fact friday, although thats really what these are. but random can be fun.)
ive said it before, but the beach 2 beacon 10k race in cape elizabeth is my all time favorite race. ever. hands down. it was developed by joan benoit samuelson, its in my hometown, its along the ocean, the volunteers/crowd support is amazing... there are just so many things that make this race truly outstanding. im sad it has to be capped at 6000 (up from about 3500 when it first started i think) because a lot of people miss out, but if you are able to get in, you MUST put this on your race bucket list.
ty was out of town for a work golf tournament on thursday and friday, and he didnt get home until about 11:30pm friday night. couple that with his lack of training and someone was not excited when the alarm went off at 5:30am saturday morning. we left our house about 6:15, knowing how bad the traffic has been in the past but had very few issues getting to my parents house, about a mile from the starting line.
my parents neighbor, amanda, walked over and met up with us before my mom drove us to the starting line. it was already in the low 70's and it felt rather humid, so i knew this race was going to be a hot one, although the news said they felt conditions were ideal for a potential course record breaking day. we dropped off our stuff at the baggage bus and met up with some friends, and walked up towards the crowd at the starting line. amanda and i both agreed our nerves were making us feel like we had to pee, so we decided to brave the woods (along with a lot of others not wanting to wait in the line for the bathrooms).
amanda, me, and ty pre race
they coral you in like cattle at the start (see aerial photos below) so it was difficult to get into a good spot, but we found a small opening right around the 8:00pace sign and settled in there. before we knew it the national anthem was being sung, the wheelchair race started, and then the gun went off for the race start. its stop and go for a minute or so, and then we crossed the starting line. weaving in and out of the crowd we settled into a spot and got comfy, running about 7:55s for a few minutes. about a half mile into the race i saw Jen and we chatted for a bit. my goal was to stay around 8s or 8:15s, so i continued on.
i felt great for the first 3 miles, albeit VERY hot and sweaty. i couldnt even keep my sunglasses on cuz they kept fogging up. i knew a PR was out of my reach by the halfway point so i just enjoyed the scenery, the music and crowd lining the streets, and just kept running. i met up with Terri Ann, a woman i met last year at the first race of 12 in 2010, and chatted with her as we trudged up one of the many hills in the last mile. i told her i felt i needed to walk and she said to me "push through it, just like old times"... and push through it i did. she told me just what i needed to hear at that moment, and i gave it my all.
my finish wasnt my best, but it wasnt my worst either, and i smiled crossing the finish line.
i also "ran" into Hollie at the finish line... she came up to me and introduced herself :) the running community through daily mile and twitter has been so awesome!
the following pics are courtesy of Kevin Morris via helicoptor
starting line
finish line view 1
finish line view 2
hoping to run/walk once more next year, make it my 10th beach 2 beacon race :) care to join me?
first of all, where has this year gone?! i cant believe its august already... how have we been married 7 months?! but more importantly (hehe) ITS BEACH TO BEACON 10K TIME!!!!!
i super duper heart this race. its in the town i grew up in (so of course im biased), its a beautiful time of year in maine, its on the ocean... what is there not to love? (according to my husband- "the running part". needless to say he isnt as excited as i am). this will be my 9th year running this race and it still gives me goosebumps and the silly tummy butterflies on race day. this race is just that damn awesome. if youre lucky enough to get in on registration day (in MARCH mind you), give it a try. you wont regret it.
past b2b times: 2002- 1:08:47 (didnt train, still pretty much hated running) 2003- 58:07 (started loving running, trained a lot. to PR a 10k by 10 minutes is kinda sweet) 2004- 55:19 (i think this was the year i went to a bbq the night before... stayed up til almost 3am, smoked and drank a LOT. i still got a 10k PR, but i did not feel well) 2005- 53:02 2006- 52:08 2008- 1:00:29 (i ran with ty for his first b2b... and please note, his time was 1:00:30 hehe) 2009- 47:50 (my current 10k PR... i still have NO idea how i did this. none.)
2010- 49:47
my most recent 10k was on the fourth of july, running 51:31. i think that course is a lot tougher than the b2b so who knows whats gonna happen tomorrow. in no way do i feel like im fast enough this year to go sub 48, but im hoping for atleast 8:15s or even 8's. regardless, im going to have fun cuz this race always seems to go by so fast! (and if I think this race goes by fast... the course record is 27:27 (thats 4:26/mile!) set in 2003 by Gilbert Okari from Kenya. i was a spectator one year, and i think think their feet even touch the ground... im just at the halfway mark when they're done! i.n.s.a.n.e!)
starting line
finish line
portland headlight, cape elizabeth, maine
and after we finish they make us walk up this hill... EVIL!
the shirts are pretty sweet this year...
front
back
and look what i happened to find at the expo!
thanks, bondi band!
and even though this is my 9th year running this race, when my friend amanda asked me on facebook what time our shuttle was leaving for the race in the morning, the following conversation ensued:
amanda: what time is the shuttle leaving Jewett?
me: ooooh i dunno. i figure we will try to leave about 7:15... race starts at 8 right? haha you would think i would know by now. ill check the website.
me: yup, 8am. and ps- this conversation is definitely going in my blog tonight haha. who runs a race and doesnt know what time it starts the night before? especially when its my NINTH time running it!
yes. this is my life. good luck to all racers this weekend!
confession: i havent been following my marathon training plan quite as accurately as it is printed in this nifty neato little book ive got here.
excuse #1: sometimes the book gets lost in the midst of moving boxes and random crap scattered around the new house
truth: i might sleepwalk and hide it so when my alarm goes off in the morning i dont know where it is and just figure its probably only a 5 miler, easy pace
actual truth: its sitting on my table. with a book mark.
excuse #2: my legs are tired.
truth: i dont stretch as much as i should, i work 12 hour days and its tough to get long miles in, etc.
actual truth: im lazy.
excuse #3: i just dont think i can do it.
truth: i really just dont think i can run this much.
actual truth: im scared.
ive done the maine marathon twice. both times the training has gone out the window for one reason or another. the first year it was ITband isues. and i ran reach the beach two weeks before. i was very injured but i still ran the marathon. in 4 hours 43minutes and 13seconds. not smart. recap here.
last year i nearly got heat stroke and never got a long run in longer than 16 miles. i figured "hey ive done a marathon before, i can do it again". false. you still need to train. this marathon provided a personal worst. recap here. 4:43:30. are you joking me 17 seconds?! damn you elizabeth and your jello shots at mile 25.
i know i can run a marathon faster than that. i did sugarloaf in 4:15:25. i even had a week of training where i logged ZERO miles. (seriously, who does that?! oh yeah, me.)
so here i am. a little over 10 weeks into training, a little over 8 weeks left to go. lets really look at what the hell is going on.
total should be: 385 miles
total really is: 163.28 miles
longest run should be: 20 miles
longest run really is: 16 miles
w.t.F. seriously. how are those 50 mile weeks treating me?
i just feel deflated. i guess a 4.45 mile week is better than a 0 mile week, but still. a lot of my runs have gone really really good, and many have gone really bad. i know i have speed, i just lack the endurance to use that speed for 3 hours and 59 minutes.
im not going to quit reaching for this goal. july was the hardest month i think ive ever had. life absolutely threw me curve ball after curve ball. God surely tested me, and i felt knocked down. but im gonna get back up. im not going to quit. will i get my sub 4 hour marathon goal? we'll see. am i upset with the way my training is going? yes. do i hold anyone else accountable except myself? no.
pain is temporary. quit is forever. regardless of what happens ill still know that on october 2nd i will again accomplish something that not everyone can say they've done. and for that i will be grateful.
disclaimer: i know running in extreme heat/humidity isnt good for you. i know that it makes your heart work harder/beat faster. i know i dont always make the smartest decisions, and im ok with that. i wasnt trying to prove anything with the death run track workout last week during the heat wave, i just think the following comparison that occurred among a few runs showed some interesting results.
july 21
5:30pm
93 degrees (aka death run)
5 miles (one of the miles is warm up laps)- this hr based track workout is as follows (especially for you Jeri, since you left the comment asking about it... which i now realize i never got back to you about):
warm up lap to get hr to 130 (for garmin users, turn off your auto lap option before running and press lap after this first warm up lap). run one mile keeping hr at/around 130, press lap. 90 second rest, press lap.
warm up lap to get hr to 140, press lap. run one mile keeping hr at/around 140, press lap. 90 second rest, press lap.
warm up lap to get hr to 150, press lap. run one mile keeping hr at/around 150, press lap. 90 second rest, press lap.
warm up lap to get hr to 160, press lap. run one mile keeping hr at/around 160, press lap. 90 second rest, press lap.
warm up lap to get hr to 170, press lap. run one mile keeping hr at/around 170, press lap. 90 second rest, press lap.
well, just walking around the track had my hr at 131, so i decided to say screw it to the 130 attempt. during the 140s laps, my heart wanted to beat closer to 150... during the 150s laps, my heart wanted to beat closer to 160... i just couldnt win. (and whats the deal with my 150s laps being slower than the 140s and 160s? weird).
so yeah, this is how it turned out....
mile 1: 11:37 (avg hr 146)
mile 2: 12:20 (154)
mile 3: 11:51 (165)
mile 4: 10:25 (175)
and lets compare it to 6 weeks ago when i did this track workout on a much cooler/slightly rainy morning:
dear maine marathon, once again im begging you please please please, low temps. k thanks.
and back to a cooler run...
july 26
3:00pm
72 degrees
5 miles 43:49
mile 1: 8:40 (avg hr 147)
mile 2: 8:51 (165)
mile 3: 9:08 (162)
mile 4: 8:43 (164)
mile 5: 8:24 (169)
still glad i live in maine and not any middle of the US hot humid gross sweatfest all summer long places.
its summer. its hot. the past few days we had this so called "heat wave" in maine. apparently a "heat wave" is technically when the daily maximum temp exceeds the average maximum temp by 5 degrees celsius for a period of 5 consecutive days. im pretty sure 5 days of 65 degrees in maine could be termed a "heat wave"... ha. but in all seriousness, it was freaking hot. mid to high 90's with high humidity. one day was 102 (see 5.1 mile run below, smart stupid decision). im from st louis so i know what "hot" is... but for maine, it was wicked hot. yup, just said wicked. so of course, why not run a virtual half marathon during these days! i mean, it is called the "hotter than hades" virtual half marathon for a reason!!
run #1: 5 miles- a nice easy pace on a cooler/yet humid morning. i dont like to leave my neighborhood before the sun starts coming up, and since i leave for work at 6:15, i need my runs to end by 5:30. runs starting at 4am leave only one option... laps around the block. 5 miles on the map look like a continuous figure 8. booooooring.
run #2: 5.1 miles. on the hottest.night.EVER. at 7pm it was still 93 degrees. holy sweatfest. i thought it was a good idea to do a track/heart rate workout. the goal was to run a mile at HRs 130, 140, 150, 160, 170. yeah, that didnt happen. i think my resting hr was in the 90s, so even walking got me to 130ish. the 140 mile took over 12 minutes, and that was a fast walk at best (and the hr wanted to stay closer to 150). the 150 mile was about the same in minutes as the 140 mile. the 160 was a little better and a little faster, but not by much. and the 170 mile, which felt great (and should ultimately be about my marathon pace)... was a pace of 10:25.
f.a.i.l. i KNOW the heat isnt good to run in and i KNOW my heart works faster/harder to do the same work. im not worried about that. but i find it interesting just how much it does affect it (i did this same workout 6 weeks ago and my pace at a hr of 170 was 8:54). dear maine marathon gods: PLEASE pretty please im begging you, 60 degree temps and overcast. xoxo
run #3: just a light jog with ty. humidity was high but the air was cool.
thank you to fitness collaborative for putting this event on! and thanks to their sponsors:
~RoadID (love love LOVE this product and everything they stand for. wear it!!)
im not really sure how to write everything i want/need to... i dont even know i really understand how i feel at this moment in time, but i felt like i needed to write something... mostly for myself, but also for everyone who has been so supportive with their emails, texts messages, thoughts, and prayers who may or may not understand what exactly is going on. for anyone who has ever gone through any sort of family medical emergency, you know how much it means for even the littlest bit of hope. i truly appreciate everything you all have sent me more than any of you will ever know.
a lot of people have been asking questions, seeing friends of theirs asking for prayers for me and my brother in law, so i thought this might help answer some of them and allow you all a little deeper into my world right now. if i cant be honest on this blog, i wouldnt have it in the first place.
back in 2006, i started taking classes while i waited to get into nursing school. i was currently doing social work with teenagers in the juvenile justice system and really, i just couldnt do it anymore. i knew it was a good place for me when i had started doing it, but long term it just wasnt going to be something i could do for the rest of my life. i needed to help people, that i did know. so i felt nursing was a better choice for me.
shortly after starting school (quite literally a week into it), i met my husband... pounding beers around a beer pong table in the basement of his fraternity house. class class class. our relationship continued to grow throughout the next few months, and i soon met his family. for a brief moment, i spent some time with his brother, aaron. i learned he had a lung disease called "cystic fibrosis", and had already had a double lung transplant. ty had already told me about the transplant shortly after dating, but the whole story was complete once i met aaron.
aaron was diagnosed with CF within the first 3 months of life. he was in and out of the hospital throughout his childhood for this treatment and that treatment, constant issues with his breathing, build up of mucus that he couldnt get out with normal coughing, etc. ty, as a younger brother, was always sticking up for aaron... ty now standing 6' 7", aaron a much smaller body frame and only 5'10", he is quite literally the "big(ger) brother". growing up, aaron was constantly bullied by other classmates for being so small, and ty really played the role to make sure aaron was protected. but aaron still showed he was the real big brother... he once steered tys tricycle straight into a tree and then told ty the doctors were going to stick a huge needle into his eye when he went to get stitches in his forehead. one year he got tys tooth brush ready before bed for a whole month prior to april 1st so that on the night of april fools day he went up and put garlic paste on the brush. anyone whos had an older brother knows aaron fit the role pretty well.
aaron was once bigger than ty...
but it didnt last too long
(holy huge head)
cystic fibrosis is a progressive disease, where thick, sticky mucus builds up in the lungs. overtime the body just cannot absorb the mucus, the body cant cough it out, it takes over the areas where oxygenation and gas exchange takes place, causes infection in those areas, and essentially the lungs become unusable. early detection of this genetic disease is essential in order to start on proper medications, and in the state of Maine it was recently made a law that every baby born is tested before they leave the hospital. both the mother and father must be a carrier of the CF gene in order to have the 25% chance of their unborn child to have CF, so you can also get tested before having a baby as well.
in 2003, aaron needed a double lung transplant. ty went out on his own and got his blood type/matching capability checked. he was a perfect match. a fraternity brother of ty & aarons dad heard what was going on and also checked out to be a perfect match. they both offered to be live donors for aaron. in december, all three men went into surgery. as they took out tys right lower lung lobe (your right lung is made of two lobes, your left lobe three), his body went into shock on the operating table. his heart was stopped for almost 4 1/2 minutes. they shocked him twice. finally the doctor stuck his hands inside his chest and manually pumped his heart until it started up again. post op his lung collapsed twice. they always say the donor typically has a tougher time in surgery than the recipient.
and just like that, aaron had two new lungs. a new chance at life.
fast forward to 2007. aaron developed pneumonia and then got the flu on top of it. his body is already fairly weak and extremely immunocompromised as it is, so even a cold or the flu that you and i can fight pretty easily, is very difficult for aaron to fight. he was rushed from the hospital in bangor down to mass general in boston and was intubated/put on a ventilator (breathing machine). ty and i packed up and headed down to the hospital (i was in such a blurred mental state... i packed my anatomy book, two pairs of socks, a pair of sweatpants, a hooded sweatshirt, and my tooth brush. no wallet. no underwear. to this day i still havent lived this down). we stayed with him for over a week until he was able to be taken off, but the interim was very very painful. since i was just getting into the nursing program i was very interested in the whole picture, what was going on with his body, with all the meds, and especially with the machines. i watched the respiratory therapist manipulate the vent, explain what it was doing and why. i was intrigued.
aarons condition improved and he was able to fight off the infection. his left lung was in need of replacement, while the right lung seemed unscathed. i went back home and sat with my anatomy & physiology teacher one day after class and told her about why i hadnt been in school, and i mentioned that i was interested in the respiratory program the school had as opposed to the nursing route i was going through. my teacher, jane, told me she was one of the 3 respiratory professors at the school. was this a sign?
i had no idea what all went into respiratory. i knew aaron needed a new lung and i saw one of the respiratory machines that were used, yet on that day i went to admissions and applied to be in the upcoming class for respiratory therapy. i didnt tell anyone except my mother that i did this.
i was accepted into the RT program that summer (2007), and started in september. aaron had another lung transplant in january of 2009, and i graduated that following summer and started working right away. i can honestly say that i really love going to work every day. sure i have my bad days, but i know i am there to help my patients BREATHE. its one of the most important life functions, and ive seen first hand on someone i have grown to love how important it is to be able to do something that the majority of people take for granted.
on this past monday night, we got a phone call saying aaron wasnt doing well. he had been in the hospital for a few weeks fighting an infection the doctors couldnt find. his breathing had gotten increasingly difficult and his oxygen requirements were increasing. they had put him on bipap (a machine that helps with breathing... it doesnt breathe for you but allows you to work less... it also helps to push fluid out of your lungs as well as help to get rid of extra carbon dioxide that builds up in your body when you cant effective breathe it out on your own). tys dad started driving down (a 15 hour drive from maine to north carolina), and ty went with him. i had to go to work. over the course of the day aarons carbon dioxide level continued to rise (normal is 35-45, his got up to the 70's), and the bipap wasnt working to get rid of it. intubation and a vent were the next, and only, step.
aarons mom and fiance had gone home to get a few hours of rest, and aaron told the doctors he refused to be intubated until they could get back to the hospital. debra and kellie rushed in and the doctors showed them aarons recent CTscan compared to the one a week prior... the left lung was almost completely useless, the right lung, tylers lung, the strong/"go to" lung, was now, for the first time in 7 years, beginning to reject. with a carbon dioxide level in the 70's and climbing, they needed to intubate. but ty and his dad were within an hour of the hospital, so they doctor said they would wait so they could talk to him. essentially, maybe, to say goodbye.
i got home from work tuesday and bought a one way ticket to leave in the morning. i specifically made sure i packed underwear this time, but i had no idea what else i needed. i think i cried more from tuesday evening to wednesday morning than i have in the past 10 years. i went through 4 of the 5 stages of grief in about three hours. anger, depression, denial, bargaining.... over and over and over. praying to God that he was strong enough to get through this, although i knew that might not be the case.
i figured i would get super ultra searched at the airport, having bought a one way ticket less than 12 hours before leaving... but they only grabbed my hot pink duffle bag and searched that. how'd ya like my 12 pairs of undies old TSA man? i never carry cash... ever. but i knew my father in law would have been pissed had he knew i traveled without any, so i got $40 out of the atm. i knew i should probably eat something to soak up the 5 beers i downed in about 25 minutes when i got home from work so i grabbed a bagel and a water at the airport. the total came to $7.04... i handed the lady a $20 and 4 pennies. she said "today is the 13th day of july and i will give you 13 dollars in change. may you have much luck on this day." little did that lady know just how much luck i needed indeed. everything happens for a reason.
until i got to north carolina i had no idea what to expect. my stomach hurt so bad, just thinking about everything. i knew i needed to comfort my husband, and needed to be strong for him... but i was just in shock myself. but when i got to him in the baggage claim of the airport... he was smiling. it was then i learned that aaron was awake. he was not in the medically induced coma. his labs were looking good. his oxygen was looking good. this was not at all what i was expecting, and i felt much relief.
when i got in to see aaron, we brought him a white board so that he could communicate with us... and off he went. writing up a storm, and acting like the same old aaron we know and love. it was like 100 pounds was lifted off my chest all at once, just seeing him smile. lucky #13 was right. over the course of the day he grew tired just from all the interaction with people, and they let him rest again over night on the vent, but when we got back in on wednesday morning the respiratory therapist came in and kicked us out... cuz he was going to take the tube out/take aaron off the ventilator. what?!!!
within 30 minutes, we were back in his room and he was talking to us. it was amazing to hear his voice. overnight that night and last night they put him back on the bipap just to assist him in resting and give his lungs a little rest, but his oxygen has been getting better, his carbon dioxide level is at 44 today, and his chest xray has showed a bit of improvement. the emotional roller coaster from tuesday to now has been crazy, but the power of prayer has been so great. aaron is a fighter. he loves his life, lives it to the fullest, and it shows.
as i write this aaron is still in the intensive care, but he was up for a walk earlier today, and hes currently playing blackjack on kellies kindle, while watching the british open. i dont think were out of the woods just yet, but were hoping for him to be moved to the step down unit soon (which i kinda think is backwards... i would think getting out of the ICU would be a step UP... but i dont make the rules. although i often think i should). no one is still sure as to what caused this sudden episode. there could be an infection somewhere that they still cant find. but regardless, in this moment things are looking good. we are all full of hope and so much love. i cant stress enough how amazing the support has been from everyone around us, and we are all so greatful. i feel so blessed to have met aaron and the sterling family, and now to be a member of their family as well. please continue to keep aaron and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
sam sent me this video on tuesday, and i cant help but cry every time i hear it. aaron really is tylers biggest fan and greatest hero... they have been best friends, and they always will be. ty has truly given aaron the gift of life. aaron is definitely an angel in waiting, but his wings arent ready quite yet.
things ive done in the past month that may or may not be of any interest to you but figured i would play catch up so i can start blogging like a regular person again.
my boss and i measured our calves... please note the difference in mine
(disregard that yes, my calves are ridiculously ginormous)
for about ten minutes, i have access to the internet... so i figured i would just put in a small update for all of you that are totally missing me in the blogger world (come on, just admit it. its ok... support group will meet tomorrow night, at the bar).
ive been running... not great runs, and not exactly what the training plan calls for, but its running none the less. ill really step things up next week. i promise.
were also all moved into the house. i spent my first night there alone last night as ty was in north carolina for work... a few scary noises, and i thought someone was lurking around downstairs when i was up in the bathroom, but other than that things went fine. we still have no cable or internet but im through the entire first season of glee, and many episodes of friends. needless to say ive kept myself occupied.
here is my favorite part of the house so far (well my two favorite parts):
master bedroom time out chair corner seat
wedding montage
hopefully ill be back in the world of internet next week, were off to visit friends in pennsylvania this weekend... including hershey park! mmmmm chocolate :)
"The Reach The Beach (RTB) Relay is the longest distance running relay race in the United States. The relay will consist of (a maximum of ) 12 person teams that will rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the approximate 200 mile distance of the race. This means that each relay team member will run 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16.6 miles. There will also be an Ultra Distance division that will have a team limit of 6 members. In this case, the average distance covered per Ultra Distance Team runner would be ~ 33 miles. The runners will rotate in a set order once the race begins and will be obligated to follow this rotation until the final runner Reaches the Beach!"
so yeah, long story short... we did this last weekend. or a variation of what the above says.
so now for the long story long... im going to go out on a limb here and say that when my kids grow up (wait, im gonna have kids?! me?! I KNOW!), they're going to look back on some of the things our generation did when we were growing up and think we were freaking crazy. which is probably not far from the truth, but i sure as hell am going to tell them we had a great time doing what it was that we did!
one of those things our generation does right now is "twitter". or im sorry, we "tweet". my husband doesnt understand it so he thinks im weird. also probably not so far from the truth.
two years ago i joined twitter, i started this blog, i finished my first marathon, and i did my first ever "reach the beach" relay. i had no idea what i was getting myself into (in regards to all of those things, but since this is a blog about #rtbrelay, ill stick with that). i got hurt mid race (stupid IT band issues), i was sleep deprived, and majorly dehydrated... it was an experience like none other, and yet i had a blast. yay team wicked"!
here are some highlights of the tweets that came from me during the relay that year:
QOTD: "she could run the 200 miles by herself, i dont see why she needs a team". Thanks greg haha 5:53PM Sep 17th
"im up at 4 to drive to a mountain where we will run 200 miles in 24 hours without showering and sleep in a van... what is this, the army?"4:04AM Sep 18th
one leg down. Knee hurts. A lot. 4:54AM Sep 18th
37.83 miles down. 280 minutes. Team wicked van 1 is averaging 7.4 minute miles :-) 5:41PM Sep 18th
port-a-potties are awesome. 8:05PM Sep 18th
If the team wicked van is a rockin with flashing lights....8:34PM Sep 18th
"i didnt see that battery operated machine on our approved list" after we hear a vibrating noise coming from kellys lap 8:36PM Sep 18th
Our nap time turned into a coed giggling delerious slumber party like 12 year olds. Quite comical. So tired. 9:08PM Sep 18th
Oh! I forgot all about this... got to raise my hand when asked during orientation"do we have any virgins in the room" he he 10:34PM Sep 18th
Direct quote from Leigh: "this whole thing has been pretty fun except for the whole running part" 2:41AM Sep 19th
Rise and shine! Someone is going to have to literally drag me out. Ugh. 6:18AM Sep 19th
IM DONE! Knee replacement monday should leave me in good shape for october 4th. And i still need to figure out this whole crying thing! 12:25PM Sep 19th
As of right now i have been awake for 40 hours with 2 hours and 20 minutes of sleep. 35 minute drive. Shower. Bed. Oh yeah. 7:57PM Sep 19th
Pretty much just bathed myself in icy hot 2:42PM Sep 20th
Tonight i am thankful for: icy hot, ice, ice cream, and bud light 8:59PM Sep 20th
sounds like fun, right? clearly it wasnt bad enough to steer me away, as i ran it again the next year. there was less knee pain that next year, more water so no dehydration (i guess i learned something), and again very little sleep (our van was full of girls who, at 3am, resembled more of a 6th grade slumber party... you try sleeping during that! haha... of course i had a huge part in that. shocking). go team "run faster, finish sooner"!
despite the many differences, both years were similar in that our teams set out to do one thing: reach the beach. we started at a mountain and ran 200ish miles, through the wind, rain, day and night, until we got to the sand. this year was no different... well, alright. thats a lie. i had a different team (#dirtylittlefreaks), in a different state (MA, not NH), and, well, alright, the experience was nothing, and i really mean NOTHING like the two years before it. BUT we still had the same goal: drink a lot of beer! just kidding...
REACH
THE
BEACH!
and reach that f-ing beach we did. oh yeah, and there was some "tweeting" going on.
i now bring you the 2011 #rtbrelay: a twitter recap via the #dirtylittlefreaks and their supporters
i was running on very little sleep, so i was not impressed we had to sit through orientation
why are we doing this again?
orientation was boring, having had already read the 7,000 page handbook. but since i was a terrible super awesome team captain, i didnt make my team read the handbook pre race so they had to sit through it and learn about runner safety (dont get hit by a car, ie: wear a reflective vest/headlamp/blinking lights from 630pm - 630am), town cleanliness (please dont litter or do things on peoples personal property you wouldnt done on your own property), and the total let down that there would be no beer tent at the end (WTF?!)... but dont worry, youll get a mini lobster roll. sweet, $100 well spent.
our team pretty much almost got kicked out of orientation since we were too busy talking to each other, making fun of people (who us?!), and getting shhhhushed after cracking jokes. it probably didnt help that @gksarahj5 's phone went off mid orientation... and she answered it.
clearly not impressed with orientation, or @gksarahj5 's phone
after orientation we headed downstairs to get our race bibs and tshirts, and had about 10 minutes before kelly started off on our 200 mile journey. we had a gps system, but really all we had to do was follow these reflective arrows. how tough could that be? (we got lost three times.)
after kelly ran straight up the mountain for a little over 2 miles, the rest of us headed to the transition area to drop off @kissing_frogs and wait for kelly. @kissing_frogs was really pumped, can you tell?
there was a bit of miscommunication among volunteers (PLEASE NOTE: im not dissing the volunteers, they did an OUTSTANDING job, better than ive ever seen before... just had a bit of a miscommunication issue amongst the different transition areas)... so i had to wear the vest @kissing_frogs was wearing after her hot/sweaty run (mmmmmmmm). i had a bit of difficulty.
velcro?
theres too many holes (thats what she said?)
wtf?!
k i think i got it now...
lets do this!
being my first leg, i felt great. obviously.
leg 1: 5.91 miles difficulty: moderate time: 50:08 pace: 8:28 hr: high
@swimrjul took off after my first leg for another 6 miles, then i ran again. @fiftyforbilly, who had gotten hurt the week before the race, had re-joined the team but wasnt going to be able to run all the legs. so i picked up her first 3.3 miles. NBD. thats what captains are for, right?
So we just decided our dirty little freaks story is that we are strippers from canada. #rtbrelay#dirtylittlefreaks
perfect.
after i came in, kate took off and he headed to meet up with van 2 at a vehicle transition area. we looked like some dirty little freaks, let me tell ya! while we were there, @semperfi8 came over to meet up with us, which was cool to finally meet him after talking to him many times on twitter.
i might look like a dirty little freak but hes wearing a kilt
(and those ladies behind me are absolutely checking out my zebra print thong. busted!)
van 2 rockin it before they head off on their first legs
we had about four hours to kill while van 2 finished their legs, so we went over to my friends dan and heathers place to relax for a bit. we also badly needed to organize our overpacked van.
heather, dan & lily
thank you all so much for letting us crash!
around 6pm we headed out again for round 2. kate d came running into the transition area and handed off to kelly and we were off again. we stayed and chilled with van 2 a bit before driving out to support kelly. thats the one sucky thing about having two vans... you really dont get to hang out much with the other people on your team. im kinda angry you cant bring a limo...
while waiting for kelly to run by, i snapped a pic with my long lost twin, @kissing_frogs. i swear this girl and i were separated at birth... what, you cant see the resemblance? weird.
incase my kids really do ever read my blog someday i figured i would add this pic in here...
an icon from our generation, macho man randy savage, died while we were out there running (he wasnt out running with us... you know what i mean). there was also this thing going on this weekend called the #rapture... apparently the world was supposed to end on saturday may 21st 2011, so we had that to look forward to. (it didnt happen. phew!)
my night run started sometime around 7ish. the headlamp came in handy for the pre-run port-a-potty run (remember i said "run" right here for later on in this post... i put it in bold. RUN. i RAN to the port-a-potty... we'll just say it was 0.13 miles from where i was. k good).
we woke up late, wasnt able to grab a quick shower like we had planned, and then ended up going to the wrong transition area. #fail. we finally found our way to van 2 and off we went once again.
leg 4: 3.37 miles difficulty: easy time: 29:52 pace: 8:51
hr: didnt wear it, we were fighting
kate ended up getting sick (sad!) and she left, so 4 of us picked up her 8 mile leg, split into 2 milesish each. it actually felt good to get out of the van and stretch out. this was where i decided a 9 person relay team would probably be idea. less sitting around, more miles.
leg 5: 2.14 miles difficulty: hard time: 19:52 pace: 9:16
while @swimrjul was out on her 2 miles, i did some really poor math in my head and realized i would be finishing all my runs with a total of 25.9 miles. #notgonnanletthathappen! so i ran around the parking lot of the transition area with my garmin on, in my flip flops. for 0.30 miles.
leg 5.5: 0.30 miles difficulty: eaaaaaasy time: 3:14 pace: 10:52 (i was in flip flops, i think this is a good flip flop pace)
hr: nah
time for more rest!! and by rest i mean giggling and listening to "despicable me" on @swimrjul 's phone
my next and final run was coming up. this was there things got really emotional for me. i have this little crying problem. its pretty ridiculous.
as i saw @kissing_frogs coming down towards the transition i knew i had to give it all i had. i had captained this team through thick and thin. we had done it, despite the many challenges thrown at us. i was about to head out for a little over 7 miles out of the nearly 200 we had already run. the #dirtylittlefreaks were really going to reach.the.BEACH!
leg 6: 7.45 miles difficulty: moderate time: 1:11:10 pace: 9:33
hr: finally semi under control, minus the freak out on the hill trying to pass a runner
post race refreshments
#yummy
a lonely, foggy finish line
but we reached it with pride
so remember that bad math i did in my head early on? thinking i was going to finish with 25.9 miles so i ran that extra 0.30 miles to have had run a marathon this weekend? yeah... well that math was REALLY bad.
leg 1: 5.91
leg 2: 3.3
leg 3: 7.4
leg 4: 3.37
leg 5: 2.14
leg 5.5: 0.30
leg 6: 7.45
total: 29.87
#whoops
soooooooooooo were gonna say i ran 0.13 miles to/from the various port-a-potties, which means i ran 30 miles! #ultra #winning
needless to say i felt like junk on the ride home. ice baths and carbs helped a lot in the following 24 hours.
i know this blog was long winded but there were so many people that went into making this work and im so thankful to have such a strong community of friends/runners who ran with us and also supported us. a special thanks go out to the following tweeps for all your messages throughout the weekend. you have no idea how awesome it is to have the support! and thank you thank you thank you to all the volunteers and race staff! you all did an incredible job putting this whole thing together, and i hope to run this race again sometime! #butprobablynotnextyear
