Yay for traditions!

Goodness the people who live in the Cities are a lot more fit than they are given credit for, I think!  On Saturday, as I ran 6 mi in preparation for the half-marathon yesterday, the Ragnar (a relay race) was going on, the 3-day "Walk for the Cure" for the Susan G. Komen people who research breast cancer was happening, and there were generally LOTS of people out moving!  Cool beens.  :)

Yesterday I ran the Minneapolis 13.1, a half-marathon that has been in Minneapolis for 2 years.  It was a blast!  There is something comforting knowing that you've been on the track before, there is an end, and other people are just as sore as you!  ALTHOUGH, I'm not nearly as sore today as I was the day after the race last year - I'm just sick because being married means sharing germs with your spouse and Dahmon was sick last week.

Time for the race: 2:28:09 - not bad, but a half hour slower than last year (which is understandable given my pregnancy).

PLEASE PRAY FOR HAITI - THERE IS ANOTHER TROPICAL STORM BEARING DOWN ON THE COUNTRY...IRENE.  IT NEEDS TO MISS HISPANIOLA (THE ISLAND HAITI SHARES WITH THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)....PLEASE PRAY!!

Oh baby!

Alright, so this running goal thing this summer is going to have to be adjusted.  Dahmon (my husband) and I just found out on Monday that he and I are expecting our first child sometime in March/April.  The nurses aren't sure exactly how far along I am yet - our first prenatal appointment is on September 8 and hopefully they'll be able to tell us then.  We know that we're in the first trimester though.  =)

So this running thing?  The nurse said since I was running regularly anyways and it was not a new stress on top of a pregnancy that it would be fine.  Babycenter.com says that exercise will help with delivery.  10:00 is going to be my bedtime from now on, especially since I want to get up to go to the gym nearly every morning, if nothing else in the last tri to go soak in the jacuzzi at the gym.  =)

BUT I am under orders to listen to my body/baby - I can't push time, if I get uncomfortable then running needs to end.  Baby explains, however, why my timing has been seeing a decline lately.

So excited!  But also so heartsick for the babies in Haiti who are worried about clean water.  Won't you please consider sponsoring my running this summer?  I'm still hoping to get as close to that 300 mile mark as possible!!

Warrior Dash - pics!!

Okay dokay, finally got the pics from the Warrior Dash:

 

                         
 Gotta get over that fire somehow!!  It's amazing how high you can jump when properly motivated .  : )

    

   

 

 

 We had amazing volunteers!!  To the left is a group of gentleman from Theta Chi who came to help out.  Below is a lovely group of people who came from all over MN, IA, and SD!!!!!!!


Do you have pics to share from the event as well!  Let me know!!

Ding dong the storm is dead!!

If you have been paying attention to the news at all lately, you most likely heard about Tropical Storm Emily (one of these days, they will start naming storms with less common names).  This storm made everyone at the World Wide Village office mightily nervous.  Why?  It was headed straight for Haiti!  An island country that has already endured more in the past few years than any geographical region should be allowed to endure was about to get pounded by a natural disaster...again.

Ever heard the phrase "Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!"?  

There is more power to that phrase than you know!

We were nervous.  We checked news reports, blogs of people who were on the ground, checked in with WWV interns who are on the ground, whatever we had to do in order to stay on top of the most current news.

AND we told the storm how big GOD is!  

So here's something to think about - how often do you think "all I can do is pray"?  Oh c'mon be honest, you know you have at some point (I said the same thing to my husband the other day while stressing about the storm).  All I can do is pray.  Why is that an "all"?  Praying is tapping God on the shoulder and saying "Hey, I can't do this but I trust you to."  It is letting the Creator know there is something distressing happening that He needs to deal with.  Praying is telling God "Hey dude, that thing that is breaking your heart?  Well, it's breaking mine to.  Now that we agree, can you do something about it?"

At World Wide Village, one of my privileges is to publish our weekly newsletter.  This newsletter covers many things, from the latest thing we are fundraising for to focuses on individuals impacted by our work, to successes and joys about working with God in Haiti.  This particular week it was hijacked to ask for prayer.

Thanks to Veggie Tales, we all know that "God is bigger than the boogey man".  Well, yesterday we counted on God to be bigger than a storm.

AND HE WAS!!!!  AND HE PROVED IT!!!

There were hundreds of people praying for Haiti yesterday.  The result?  Tropical Storm Emily reached the mountain range of Hispaniola (the island that Haiti and the Dominican Republic share) and fizzled out!  I'm going to make a Star Trek reference here (blame my hubby -- he's been watching "Star Trek: The Next Generation" like its going out of style): it was like Haiti was cloaked!!  The storm got to where it could do significant amounts of damage and then suddenly dissipated. 

I DARE you to explain that without bringing God into it.  Oh sure, the storm hit a mountain and you scientists out there are going to try and say that mountains kill winds.  Sure.  But plenty of tropical storms/hurricanes have gone right over those mountains.  Sorry, but my God is bigger than your doubt too.  

After hearing that the storm had lost its power, I could almost hear God whisper "I've got it handled."  

Now, Haiti did not get off completely free and clear.  Torrential rain still fell and wind still whipped its way across that gorgeous country, but nothing compared to what was expected.  Right now the concern is that the rain that did fall will make cholera spread further (it is waterborne, after all, and extra uncontained, contaminated water = extra cholera bacteria).  

BUT hundreds of people DID NOT die from flooding. Children were NOT ripped out of their mother's arms by huge waves.  Mud slides did NOT take out huge swaths of tent city.  Tropical Storm Emily (I have a coworker named Emily, hence I cannot just say "Emily" here) hit a wall of prayer and God's power and was stopped.  One thing I saw said it might reform on the other side of Haiti, but that very little damage is expected.  Take that, weather.  God created you, God can stop you too!  [insert appropriate kung fu reference/sound here]

Now, please excuse me while I very gracefully go do a happy dance.  = )

Attitude/Goal Adjustment

At the start of this summer, my goal was to run 300 miles.  Then I tacked on an extra month and thought, what the hay - I'll do 400 miles.  Um, so to slightly misuse an analogy, my eyes were bigger than my legs...in that meaning that in order to accomplish this task, I need to run 5 miles every single day between now and the big Twin Cities Marathon.

This girl is whooped.

I've only been running since last summer, and school is starting again soon (I'm in grad school), couple that with work and some of my volunteering commitments, and 5 miles per day for the next two months is a little too much.  As much as I hate to admit it, there is no way that I can get another 300 miles logged between now and the Marathon, particularly as there is a nagging injury in my leg that is making running really painful.  Now, pain has never been something to stop me (except when my tonsils were removed two years ago, then pain kind of put me right in my place for two weeks), especially when I'm raising money for the kids in Haiti, but realism must take its place.

So, the gist of this message is that I am going to have to drop my goal back down to its original level - 300 miles between June 1 and the marathon in the beginning of October.  For all of you who think it should not be a problem to run 300 miles in four months, consider that you have to build in rest days, and remember that I'm still a relatively new runner.  And took a week out due to lost toenails.  Murgle murgle murgle.

So yeah.  A goal that is actually achievable...for this summer anyways.  There is another goal in mind for next year, but I'm not yet releasing that info.  Too valuable.  : )

Warrior Dash was AWESOME!!!!!!!

"You are far too excited about this."  Here I quote my hubby, Dahmon, in something he said while we were driving to the Warrior Dash in Hastings this past weekend.  In complete fairness to the very patient man, I was happy dancing/bouncing in my passenger seat as he drove.  Warriors can squee, right?  = )

In case you couldn't tell, I had an ABSOLUTE BLAST at the Warrior Dash this past weekend.  Got to hang out with the 27 World Wide Village volunteers - a fabulous group made up of people who have gone to Haiti with us, Theta Chi gentleman from the local Beta Kappa chapter, and people affiliated with those mentioned.  It was absolutely amazing to be able to spend time with all of them - thank you thank you thank you to all of the volunteers!  You guys rocked!   AND our volunteers had a pretty sweet gig--most of them were manning obstacles or handing out water and bananas to race finishers.

AND we got to talk to a bunch of people about Haiti and meet all kinds of people from all over the place (there were even some people from Italy who flew in just for the race!!).  World Wide Village had a booth at the race, and Ali Funk, Emily Cargill, and I had a grand time interacting with people, giggling over the more hilarious costumes, watching the shoe pile next to us grow (a group was there that collects old shoes and refurbishes them), and making sure the nutritious sodas we were giving away didn't disappear too quickly.  It. Was. Awesome!!

My time was 39:33.  murgle murgle murgle...for someone who can run 3miles in 28ish minutes, I was a little dissappointed - but I blame the intense humidity that day.  = )  We had true MN weather, clear one minute and then they closed down the course for a little bit because lightening isn't an obstacle approved by race coordinators.

You should totally do the Dash, whichever one is closest to you!  You will get muddy...oh just you wait for the pictures that will follow as soon as I get permissions and pics from everyone.  More details about the race (and some favorite costumes) will follow.

Mud was the word of the day.  Everyone got mud on them--participants and onlookers alike...it was AWESOME!!

Just a reminder why I'm running 400 miles for a cause this summer, this article almost made me start crying (please consider clicking the "Donate/Sponsor" link above and helping send water purification units to Haiti) :


http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/186008/20110724/cholera-haiti-epidemic.htm

Warrior Dashing!!!!!!!

The race that got me into adventure racing...the Warrior Dash....is THIS WEEKEND!!

I am so beyond pumped, you have no idea!  Oh sure, I love the adrenaline rush of overcoming obstacles in a race, and races themselves, but there is another reason I am super excited...

World Wide Village is sponsoring the Warrior Dash!  We will have a booth and everything at the event! WWV will be there the entire weekend, talking to people about what WWV does and trips to Haiti (both our regular standard trips and our ADVENTURE TRIPS...more details forthcoming at a later date).  We have a group of people who are volunteering between 12:30 and 8:00 on Saturday, the 23rd and helping WWV raise money for Haiti!  You see, event organizers have said that they will give WWV a $1000 donation if we bring 25 volunteers to help staff the event.

Volunteering has rarely been more fun!  Volunteers for World Wide Village at the Warrior Dash will be responsible for overseeing obstacles (calling in medics if someone gets injured, bandaging boo boos, etc), helping in the parking lot, staffing the information booth, etc. It is going to be a blast!!


Have you gotten the hint yet?  We are still looking for volunteers!  If you are interested in volunteering and having a great story for your coworkers on Monday, let me know: nromness@worldwidevillage.org.  


Event organizers have also told me they are seeking people to volunteer 6:00-1:30 on Sunday...we'll get an even bigger donation in addition to what they are giving us for Saturday!!  DEFINITELY LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN DO THIS!  Yeah, I know it is super early, but I also know that a coworker and I will also be there at that time.


So yeah, come find us, say hi, volunteer at the event, and try not to laugh at racers too much when they splat face-first in mud!  =)

By the way, I promised pictures from the Go Commando race.  I've ordered my set, it isn't here yet, but I was able to locate this picture in the Facebook albums for the event -->

See what I'm wearing?  That's right--its a World Wide Village jersey!  The lovely people at PK Strong can print these jerseys for you for less than $30 (including shipping and handling).  They are awesome...I wear mine every time I run outside!