Old News is Still Good News, Plus New News -- Part One

Where to begin?
So much running news!

First and foremost, the latest members of the FRED'S TEAM HONOR ROLL:

JIM SEMMELMAN
ESTELLE NEWMAN
and the winner of the "Who Will Put Me Over $1000" contest:
ROBERTA NEWMAN

So yes, we are over $1,000, with the total now going to the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in honor of my buddy Liam Witt to...

$1,011

Tell you what -- a prize to the person who puts me over $1500. A PRIZE!! A PRIZE!! Who doesn't love a prize??? Click on this link right here to donate a little cheddar and your chance to win!!

Much older news to get through before the new news, but there is one new bit of new news to announce first --

I am going to start a PODCAST.

Steve Runner and all the amazing folks on the Fdip group are always encouraging folks to start one, so by gum, I'm going to do it this time! I mean it! I've got a lot of good audio footage, and I downloaded a few of the popular editing programs, and as soon as I get a little free time, I'm going to put the first couple of episodes together. It will be mainly running and Fred's Team related, of course. I'll take you out on training runs and Team events, get advice from my coaches, share strategies and tips, and provide interviews with fellow runners, Team members, and other cool people. It should hopefully be good to go in a week or so.

Now, onto the news.

First thing I'd like to tell y'all about is a really good idea started by Tavia K of the Pigtails Flying blog, and that was a meet-up of runners who blog! It was great to not only meet some great new people and hear about their training and races and so on, but to also find out about their blogs:

4:30 or Bust
Absolut(ly) Fit
Adventures of Cowboy Hazel
Brandon’s Marathon
Marci Runs the Marathon (that's me!)
NYC in 3:10
NYC Running Blog
Pigtails Flying
Races Like a Girl
Run Ansky Run
Run Westchester
Turfcasts

When I have a few more minutes, I'll add them to the sidebar for easier accessibility. A lot of us want to try to make it a regular event. I hope so! One of the people there was doing two marathons a month (you'll have to read the blogs to find out who!!) She said there's no real running in between. I guess you're always in taper mode. That's got to be strange. I have Teammates who do stuff like that -- the 50 Staters, and a few who can do marathons on the spur of the moment (hmm, it's Saturday, I have nothing to do -- is there a marathon nearby?) I don't know if I can do that. I like the release that running on a regular schedule during the week gives me. As I've said a kazillion times, it's like my yoga. I don't know how I'd feel about running if I did it all in a twice-monthly 26.2 mile push. But I really admire folks who can do that. Almost makes me feel lazy in comparison!

Why did I think I was going to have tons of time to catch you up on everything?

I'll make this a Part One of Two, and continue later today or tomorrow... I promise!!

In the next post:
Brooklyn Half
Rock and Run
my 25th high school reunion (that's right!)
Fred's Team Kickoff
-- and a very special birthday party!!

Marathon Man!

This is an excerpt from Gretchen's post on her blog, "Prince Liam the Brave"

Marathon Man

Liam has a jersey and medal from the 2008 NYC Marathon. They were
given to him by his friend and supporter Marci who has run in the past two NYC
Marathons as a member of Fred’s Team. The money raised by Fred’s Team goes
directly to the pediatric floor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering with a chunk of it
directed to the costs associated with manufacturing 3F8 antibodies. Marci is an
“after cancer” friend who has been so gracious and unwavering in her commitment,
even for a family she doesn’t know outside of the world of cancer. Lately Liam
has taken to running around with the purple and orange Fred’s team jersey on,
with the medal around his neck, and his head popping out of the arm hole of a
t-shirt to act like he has long hair flowing behind him. He runs from one end of
the apartment to the other yelling, “I’m a winner!! I’m a winner!!” with Ella
faithfully following behind.

Don't tell Liam he's wearing the shirt backwards!

Anyways, I've been meaning to post that for a while, because that picture makes me giggle every time I see it.

I also wanted to update you quickly -- my math sucks, the actual total to date I have raised so far is

$825

Who's going to put me over the $1000 mark? Whoever does wins a prize. For real!

Much to tell you, but in the next post.

Woe(fully unprepared) is me, and when is a kidney stone not a kidney stone?

Some quick thoughts before bed -- yes, bed at 7:30 on a Friday night. More on that in a moment.

First, the latest and greatest members of the FRED'S TEAM HONOR ROLL!

Let's hear it for

LEE SOLOMON
EMMA KERINS
and
JANE LATMAN

(all of whom I went to Camp Ballibay with!! Read my previous post for more on our amazing reunion)

bringing the total going to the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research in honor of Liam Witt to

$725

Woo-hoo!!

Please join the Honor Roll and help me celebrate the life of a very special little boy, by donating to my fourth -- yes, fourth -- NYC Marathon effort as a member of Fred's Team. All you have to do is click here, or on the links at the side or bottom of the page!

This weekend I am running two races, and thanks to my mystery condition, which is no longer a mystery, I am not entirey prepared. Tomorrow, at 8am, I'm running the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which I'm super-psyched about, because it was my very first half mary five years ago. This will be the first time I've been able to run it since. Of course I've barely put any miles in this past week. I guess I can call it a taper, but it'll be interesting. I'm not running for speed, and I've already got one half under my belt this season, so I'll be okay. The hardest thing about this race, however, is going to be getting there. Public transportation on a Saturday morning before 8am? Ugh. And once I get down to Prospect Park, it'll probably be about a mile's hike to get to the start line. Good warm-up!

The next morning is the Japan Day run, a four-miler. I don't need this race, I've already got the races I need for the 2010 NYC Marathon (including my volunteer race) but I like the race. There's a neat festival that takes place at the finish line, and -- I'll say it, they have good swag. Since the event also promotes the Tokyo Marathon, there's a lot of little giveaways for the runners -- folders, pens, foot lotion, stuff like that. Last year there was even a nice canvas bag. This year, however, the swag was basically limited to a bottle of Amino Vital and, oddly enough, a box of chow mein noodles. What the...? Just because they're teriyaki flavored doesn't make them reminiscent of Japan. Although the chopsticks do say "Japan Day" on the wrapper...

So, the medical mystery...last time I told you that I was suffering from what I thought was a kidney infection. I did just enough research on the internet to convince myself I had a kidney stone (and went no further, so as not to freak myself out.) I emailed my doctor, who told me to push the cranberry juice and see her on Tuesday. I did both -- and let me just say how much I now loathe unsweetened cranberry juice -- and I even had a CAT scan. It felt like a kidney stone, it hurt like a kidney stone, it had all the symptoms of a kidney stone, but lo and behold -- no kidney stone. What the doctor thinks it's just left over from the bladder infection, which I apparently still have, penicillin and Cipro be damned. I'm waiting to get some new and improved medication.

In the meantime, this will make for an amusing post-Brooklyn half quick-change, as I don't want to take chances wearing drippy drawers all the way home. So if you're at Coney Island Saturday morning, look for me -- I'll be the one wearing a long skirt!