ASICS rock! First time, 2 hour run, no blisters!

So Saturday morning was my first long run in 2 weeks (as I climbed the Columbia Tower in Seattle last weekend and was nursing a hip injury). As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was time for me to get myself a pair of road running shoes for the marathon and to break them in. I do not know if it is just the fact that my feet are now "callused runners feet" or that I happened upon a marvelous shoe, but after wearing them for the first time on a 2 hour run in continuous rain showers, I could not feel nor find a single blister on my feet! And my feet were wet the entire time! I love my trail running shoes but as I began to run longer, I developed bruising on my toes and blisters. I just totally am amazed I did not develop any wearing these shoes for the first time!

By the way, my shoes are the ASICS GT-2140 from REI.

Although I got up at 6:30 am (an hour later than intended), I did not get to the paved Sammamish River trail in Redmond until 10:15 am. Being my first long run in 2 weeks and my first run on pain medication after my hip became severely painful after some shorter runs earlier in the week, I was sort of hesitant to get out and a little anxious. As a result, I procrastinated getting ready on time and drew out my prepping process.

The run was rather fun! Surprisingly, there were many runners out even though it was a wet day! I felt priviledged to be out among the "real and serious" athletes. whenever I used to see people running out in the rain I thought they were nuts and also very dedicated. Now I am one of them!

One thing about running in the morning is that provides you with the opportunity to say "Good Morning" cheerfully to everyone you pass by. Bikers, runners, walkers, and dog walkers.....I said good morning or hi to all of them. If you make it a goal, it helps you to strive to keep positive.

It is rather neat being a "runner" now because you become part of an exclusive club just as being a scuba diver or motorcyclist. Back in the days when I rode a motorcycle for a brief period of my adult life, you become connected and one with each other. On the road, motorcyclists wave to each other as they pass by even though they do not know each other. It is a culture of understanding and reaching out to like beings. The same applies to runners! I guess I had not experienced this as much before because I often trail run by myself and not in the rain! hehe But being out there and seeing others you connect and there is this understanding between each other with what you are doing. So everyone, the runners in the rain, greet each other with common respect by giving a wave/hand signal as if you know each other and belong to a secret society.

The goal was to run 10 miles but I went longer. Part of the reasons is that I did not think there were mileage markers on this trail so I just decided to run 2 hours to ensure I reached 10 miles. On the trail run with mileage markers, I ran a 10 in under 2 hours. So this was just to be safe. I am going to try to run all pavement for the rest of my training to get used to it for my road race (the half marathon).

But anyhow, as I was running, I figured out these posts with numbers on them were mileage markers. I remember running past a 7 but cannot recall for how long. On the way back I ran past 6, 5, 4. 4 1/2, 3, and two posts which said 2. I never did see a post that said 1. So I ran somewhere between 11-12 miles.

Afterward, I was soaked and had to wear my work out suit (long sleeves and pants) in the sauna to warm up (the temp was 40 degrees in rain showers). Once my body temp was back to normal, I spend a great deal of stretching at the gym and sat in a very freezing cold water bath at home. It is the 4th or 5th cold water soak I have taken since 2006 when I trained to walk the Seattle marathon.

All my methods seemed to work well as I did not feel too bad today (Sunday). I am hoping to feel okay again tomorrow (Monday) as I am scheduled for a 4 mile run. So we will see how it goes. So far so good.

I hope I have another good run in my shoes and that it was not just a lucky break the first time around. It is about time to get myself some new socks too as I have primarily been wearing one pair (believe it or not the right socks make a difference and earlier a different pair bruised my toes horribly).

The Power to Give

This is rather interesting. Lately, we have been exploring the concept and philosophy of giving. Now we have always given amounts here and there but it has never been as tight of a time as now with medical bills accumulated from all of us and the income flow producing drips from a leaky faucet instead of a steady gush. However, there are some very good causes out there that a few friends are participating in and even setting out to accomplish incredible feats. I fully understand the time committment of training and fundraising, dedication to hang in there and strive for personal goals, and even the anxiety of fundraising for something which afflicts you or your family.

So despite bills needing to be paid, groceries needing to be bought, money stolen, and new shoes I direly needed to buy so I can run this half marathon in a month, this week I contributed to some of our friend's upcoming efforts. It felt great doing so! It is very empowering.

In my last post, I wrote about asking and recieving. But the real magic was in the giving just prior to finding such a great deal on a pair of shoes I really needed. I discovered this beautiful reflection by Maya Angelou that sums it up nicely.

From the book Gifts of Beauty for your Soul:

Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later.
Ecclesiastes11:1 TLB

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver......When we cast our bread upon the waters, we can presume that someone downstream whose face we will never know will benefit from our action, as we who are downstream from another will profit from that grantor's gift."

Maya Angelou


Can you believe I just happened upon it in a book this week?

For all of you who have given to my past causes and current, I truly believe good things will come to you. You are a blessing and you will in turn be blessed!

Focus on what IS going right!

I am feeling very positive today.

About a week ago, I had an appointment to review the MRI scan that I had 2 weeks ago. I did not see the report until I was in the appointment. It is kind of frantic and overwhelming to try to understand the terminology within a radiology report, read captioning, formulate questions, and then try to keep up with viewing MRI films which would scare the be jesus out of the normal everyday person and continue to amaze doctors (as it is unbelievable I am the same person representing the cluttered mess they are seeing on the film).

I was not expecting any growth so when I saw that some growth was reported (however big or small), I bit down hard to keep tears from overflowing and freaking out Harley. Alas, I am a horrible lier and failed at hiding my fear and panic from Harley. As a result, I think I kind of freaked him out too and all we could focus on was that there was some kind of growth. But it is really surprising because I feel so great!

Trying to keep up with everything in the appointment and the measurements of the tumor on the computer, I could not clearly comprehend it all and the tumor appeared larger than it actually grew (2 fused together so that is why the measurement seemed so enormous when it was actually a small 4 mm growth).

In the midst of all this, my doctor told me that it is actually the only growth out of several which! (which is rather great - less surgeries or treatments). Anyhow, we left the appointment and decided to just put it away and go out for Indian food. After lunch, I was tired and felt like going home to sleep or cry. Instead, I went to the gym which despite the fact that I had to force myself to go, was just the perfect remedy.

Since, I have reread the report thoroughly and the captioning notes. I feel much better now. I am just not going to worry about it and see what happens when I meet with neurosurgery for followup near the end of April (yes, neurosurgeons at OHSU and Stanford have been sent my films and report for review).

I am feeling great though and I have faith and confidence that everything will work its way out (just like the shoes I needed and my foot and ankle injuries that went away). I see it as more things going right in life than going wrong. So I am going to put my full energy into productive/positive things and "enjoy the moment".

It is so freeing to let go of worry and negativity! What a high!

Ask and you shall recieve

Very interesting!

Near the beginning of my training in January, I discovered I was going to need to invest in another pair of running shoes. This was sort of discouraging news as I had just gotten a new pair of trail running shoes for Christmas. I was not anticipating it in our budget to need another pair so soon! Further, I already owned 2 other pair of trail running shoes of the same brand. It was too late to return my new ones as I had already worn them running in the rain, snow, and mud!

Thus, I became presented with a dilemma. I could not just skip out on any old cheap pair either. It is extremely important to buy the right kind of shoes to prevent injuries and that would be comfortable for very long distances. (A trail shoe is different than a road running shoe. They are structured different and made of different materials designed specifically for the kind of terrain one will be running on. Road runners are made for pavement and lighter. About 90% of my running has been on trails and is the reason why I have trail shoes.)

So back in January I began wondering how in the heck and I going to have the resources to splurge on a new set of running shoes. I decided to envision getting the pair I needed but to not really worry about it at that time until I crossed that bridge. I had faith something would develop because I asked and put the request out there into the universe.

I had in mind the amount I wanted to spend for a pair and could not justify going over that amount(especially seeing as I am not a serious and regular road runner; I just really love trails if I am going to run.) I held on to the belief that when the time came, something would materialize and present itself.

Well it worked!!!! About 2 weeks ago, my favorite "toy" store, REI, and the only place I have purchased shoes since my imbalance began in 2004, had a 20% off coupon for any regular priced item. Seeing that all of the shoes are close to $100 or more, that 20% coupon was going to deduct a fair amount from the cost. Yet, even with the coupon, it would still be over the budget amount I had in mind. So I waited a little longer to think about it.

Then a week ago, our REI dividend arrived (that is the amount of credit the store gives you back based on your previous purchases in the year). The dividend was for $50! Plus, I had another $1 remaining on a gift card. Can you believe it? It all came at exactly the right time when I needed to buy shoes 5-6 weeks prior to the marathon (allowing me time to break them in but not get to worn out).

I was aiming to purchase a mid-range shoe (not the cheapest but not the most expensive either. The range is $85-$140.) I do not know if it was part psychology but the pair I wanted happened to feel rather comfortable on. With the discount and credit, I bought a $105 pair of shoes for $35! It was below the $50 budget I had anticipated and I got a top of the line pair of shoes! (ASICS GT-2140)

It is actually sunny out today and I am REALLY tempted to go out and try them! However, my hip pain flared up again and really had not gone away after I took some rest days from running. I am trying out some anti-inflammatory medicine my doctor prescribed last night. So it may be a good idea to skip the run today and give myself a couple extra recovery days for the 10 mile run on Saturday.

I have been asking for my injuries to go away and the problems with my ankle and other foot have! Now I just need to focus my energies on this hip. It is feeling better today (not fully recovered), but I can definitely move better and I am not in as much pain.

The need for Patience

So injury time finally hit after 8 weeks of training. I ended the first week of March with a total mileage if 24 miles, completing the week with a 10-11 mile run in snow showers. Afterward, my hip was a little sore but I thought it would be okay. With plans to snowshoe in the mountains the following Monday, I did what I have never done throughout the training and that is to run on my rest day following my long run of the week.

That Sunday evening it was so nice out that it was a great opportunity to get out for a run. Further, with my snowshoe plans on Monday, it was very unlikely that I was going to be able to get in my run for that day. Therefore, I went out for about a 50 minute run one hour before dark. The run went great and my hip did not seem to bother me too badly. However, I had an uncomfortable pain on my inside ankle and arch of my left foot. At first I thought it may have been my newer trail running shoes that I received for Christmas. It was strange because I had not felt it before when I wore them. I must have kicked my inside ankle on the 10 mile run the morning prior but did not notice it until the next day (I actually get many bruises, scrapes, and injuries and then have no recollection of how they happened).Thus, I just beared through it determined to get in this run. I do not like giving up.

My foot continued to bother me but I tried to shut it out and just deal with it. My hip waw OK, but afterward when I drove home and went to get out of my truck ,I screamed out in pain as a sharp pain jabbed my hip suddenly. I was also pretty sore walking around the house that evening but still managed to go snowshoeing on Monday.

It was clear that I sustained some running injuries and that I needed some time off from running. Every good athlete knows how important recovery is and the need for patience in order to heal. This can be tough because you can be pretty close to an event and be tempted to overdo it, resume training when not ready, or even push yourself to not rest adequately. Worries about missed training sessions and not be adequately prepared creep into the mindset. However, not having the patience to allocate time to heal can cause poor performance and even prevent one from being able to participate. So as difficult as it was, I decided to take 6 days off from running.

Instead, I did lower impact activities such as walking, snowshoeing, stair climbing, and keeping up with my weight lifting. My foot/ankle problem seems to have resolved as I had no pain in my running shoes Sunday and backpacking boots for snowshoeing yesterday. However, after a 10 mile run in the wind yesterday, my hip was pretty painful again.

Yesterday morning I was pretty sore but the snowshoeing was a mild enough activity (with lots of soft powder) that it kind of gave me a rest. Today the hip is not as sore and I feel like I may be able to do a short run. This week was planned as a kind of rest week anyhow as I am resting up for the Big Climb of the Columbia Tower on Sunday (1311 steps-69 floors that I plan to race up).

So over the next 4 days I plan to keep at light 3 mile runs if possible and a rest day on Saturday. When I started the half marathon training, I began early knowing that I had another event planned in the middle. Therefore, I gave myself a couple extra weeks in anticipation of taking a break for the climb and also if any injuries occured. We will see how this week plays out.

P.S. - 2 goals down from my January list:
Read one of the books on my list "The Secret"
and
Raise $100 for the Big Climb event for blood cancers

My next goal I am working toward for is on Sunday and that is to climb the tower in 14 minutes this year.

I will keep you posted!

Happy Saint Patrick's day! May the luck of the irish be with you! ;o)

Motivation

The following words from the "Seeds of Success" newsletter I recieved this morning left me with a "Wow!" impression. So I thought perhaps it could be the fill you need right now in your life also. Therefore, I want to share it with you.


"Choosing Motivation Over Defeat"

Each of us encounters hard times, hurt feelings, heartache, and physical and emotional pain. The key is to realize it's not what happens to you that matters—it's how you choose to respond. You can choose an inner dialogue of self-encouragement and motivation, or you can choose one of self-pity and defeat. Your inner dialogue will be reflected in how you act.

Keith Harrell, corporate trainer and the author of "Attitude is Everything", says there are several steps you can take to improve your attitude.

Here are six to get you started:
1. Repeat affirmations. Words charged with power and conviction, repeated several times a day, can reprogram your subconscious and trigger positive feelings that drive actions.

2. Discover what motivates you to take action to change your life. Basic motives include love, self-preservation, anger, financial gain and fear. Self-motivation requires enthusiasm, a positive outlook and a positive physiology—walk faster, sit up and smile. Believe in yourself and your potential.

3. Visualize positive outcomes to enhance and focus your skills. Peak performers, from surgeons to athletes, use visualization. Now, it's your turn.

4. Be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is one of the most attractive qualities you can have. It's your burning desire that communicates commitment, determination and spirit. Enthusiasm puts you in motion.

5. Laugh. The more laughter in your life, the less stress you will have. There are also health benefits to lightening up.

6. Exercise. One of the best ways to gain a more positive mindset is to exercise.

It's no secret that life seems to reward us most when we approach it with a positive attitude. To read more from Keith Harrell, visit www.success.com.

It is funny that it came to me today after something I have been emotionally wrestling with and which has been eating too much of my thoughts. Basically I let someone else trample on my accomplishments and try to make me feel bad or wrong for what I am doing.

I realized it bothered me and that I was being pulled into the other person's negativity. The only way out was to focus on the postive people in my life, seek out motivation to bring it to me, and envelope myself with those who I admire, respect, aspire to be like, and want to know. I made a decision that I wanted to reach the goal of becoming "motivational" and that I must focus on the things I need to do/read that will help me get there. So the "Seeds of Success" could not have come at a better time!

Touch Down! 24!

Weekly mileage completed - 24 miles

Well I finally did it! I got out on the trail for a very early morning run starting at 7:04 am. Not only did I get out early as I had planned, but I also completed my third longest run of 10 miles! Further, I slogged through the foul weather of rain and snow showers nearly the entire time!

During the run the double vision was actually not too bad but proved delayed as I had a difficult time reading the large bold font captioning at the afternoon meeting I attended.

There was stiffness and soreness in my knees during the run and in my hip afterward. I am genetically predispositioned to both knee and hip problems so I take "Move Free" pills near daily and Glucosamine juice as needed. (Apparently I have needed quite a bit at this juncture.) I have also been having tight calves and leg cramps so a potassium supplement has become a regular addition to my daily consumption also.

For you endurance athletes out there or those training to become endurance athletes, here is my morning supplement/nutrition intake before the long run:

2 ounces of FRS energy with 8 ounces of water

a wheat english muffin - one half with peanut butter and half of a sliced banana, the other half slathered with nonfat strawberry cream cheese

2 FRS energy sport chews

a cup of white tea

an iron supplement

a potassium supplement

2 reservatol supplement capsules

a vitamin C supplement

2 move free pills

and let's not forget my morning dose of Propolis Bio 30 in a tablespoon of naturally pomegranate extract (This is an experimental trial supplement to suppress tumor growth.)

Thanks to my wonderful friends and sponors for encouraging me in this endeavor and suppporting NF2 reasearch (the reason I am running):

Skip Sand
Olivia Hernandez
Janet Stillman
Sally Still
Sandy Perlmutter
Dr. Lo
Melanie Breitbach
Kris Curry
Karen Arney
Sherry Cochran
Paula Titus
Tonna Frederick
Melinda & Chuck Alegra
Karen Arney
Jennette Braeten
Victoria from ALDA

Thank you all! You are the sparkle in my day and my motivation to "keeping on trucking" as one of my NF2 friends say!

I am grateful for you today.

I am especially grateful today for the positive and supportive people in my life. It is people like you that keep me going and keep me on track at times when somebody wants to rain on my parade, complain about who I am or what I am doing, casts their negativity and self pity upon me, tries to bring me down, and when I begin the cave in to seeds of doubt. It is exactly at that time when you offer your words of encouragement, praise, admiration, and show your support. I am incredibly thankful for you and very blessed that we know each other. I am grateful for you and the things you do/say many days, but on this day you top the list!

Rebecca Dufek is Here!

Have you been thinking of something to be grateful for everyday? If you are struggling or going through a difficult time, it is even more crucial to count your blessings and focus on the positive aspects of your life. Discard the negative thoughts and energy that comes with it and replace it with what IS going right to bring more of it to you.

Yesterday (and actually everyday) I am very grateful for my life.

Have you seen the movie "Henry Poole is Here" yet? If not, I would highly recommend it to provide you a good dose of why it is important to have a belief and to learn that you become what you think about. The movies focuses around a very profound concept. (If you will watch it, you will understand the title of the movie and hence the title of my post.)

You see, like Henry Poole, I have faced my mortality at least twice in my lifetime. There were thoughts at first that "Rebecca WAS here" but I had a faith and belief that replaced the "was" with "is".

So back to what I am grateful for. I AM here! And I am able to see, smell, taste, move, run, love, give, and enjoy to name a few. It is 16 years longer than I originally expected. It is 1-5 years longer than I had feared.

I am very thankful to my husband, family, doctors, and friends who have played a part in making that life happen. Quite a bit to be grateful for, isn't it?

Rays of Sunshine

What a lucky start to my week of training. Or shall I say a "blessed" start to the week after a very discouraging personal incident on Sunday (over $160 was stolen from me!).

So Sunday evening when looking ahead to my training run days, I saw that the forecast for the entire week called for rain! I had planned to start incorporating more morning runs this week too! It can pretty hard to motivate oneself to run outside in the rain (especially after having it pretty good after 2 solid months of training).

"How am I going to motivate myself?" I thought....on a day which the weather forecast showed a dark cloud with rain droplets and a prediction of 90% rain? (as you recall, all my training runs are outdoors because with my balance dysfunction. I am unable to run on a treadmill indoors.) So the task was definitely going to take a little extra "uph" to get me motivated.

Earlier in training when I was having a difficult time with runs (yet I completed them all!) I would think about the people I am doing it for. Then I further thought of the people who believed in me and that I shall honor them also for sharing their gift. The ultimate reason why I am doing this is to help provide a future for others inflicted with NF2 and to provide peace of mind to those loved ones and friends of those lost to NF2 that their plight has not been forgotten. Someone remembers what happened/can happen and is doing something about it.......helping to find a solution. Therefore, it is my responsibility to all who have supported me by getting out there and following through with what I have set out to do. I determined the moment another person made a donation, that no matter what the weather, I was going to get out there and run.

Well blessed day! My fellow cancer survivor friend Janet brought a ray of sunshine into my morning! And lo and behold, that 90% rain forecast was banished as the skies parted and the sun poured into the windows of the loft near my computer! I guess that was a definite sign to get out and do my 4 mile run.

Harley took the dogs for a walk along the trail while I ran. It was so beautiful out that I wore my sunglasses the entire time! What a gorgeous morning! It was so lovely that I greeting everyone I ran by on the trail with a "Good morning!" which further kept me going.

When I had returned, friends fellow endurance athlete Sandy and our dentist Dr. Lo added more rays of sunshine to the day which inspired me to do my 6 mile run yesterday. Unknown to me earlier, Sandy is actually from Eugene and will be running the marathon too although she is even more amazing and will be running the entire 26.1 miles!

Tuesday called for a 60% chance of rain and no sun. However, by late morning the skies again parted to reveal another gorgeous day setting me up for a fantastic 6 mile run. It was so nice to comfortably run 6 miles and not feel like it was going to kill me as it had when I attempted it last summer!

Upon my return, more dear friends had blessed my day (fellow cancer survivor and also TSNW member Sally and fellow NF2er Jennette down in Oregon).

Thank you all for adding your sunshine to my week and motivating me to complete 10 miles so far this week and to keep up the training! You are the shot of inspiration I needed! :o)

Also, thank you to my dear friend Skip who battles Leukemia and my friend Olivia (also a recent half marathon runner with NF2) for their support at the very beginning of my training. Last summer, while Skip was in the hospital enduring another harsh chemo treatment, he told me that he believed I could run 6 miles easy. I was not so sure but I did end up doing it. Yesterday I felt pretty good after running the 6 miles which was hard to imagine back then! Thank you Skip!

Hey, guess what?

I just ran at least 26 miles this week! I accomplished my longest training run of 12 miles this morning. It wasn't easy but I did it!

I just enjoyed a can of hot soup for lunch with some wheat bread. I also made a mug of hot tea and I am going to try and brave a very cold water bath right now (don't have ice at home). My muscles are pretty sore and stiff. The cold water helps them to recover so I hopefully will not feel it as much tomorrow and this week.

I want you to know and to show you that if you have your health and do not suffer from bad knees and debilatating illness leaving you disabled, YOU CAN RUN A HALF MARATHON. If I, not a "true" runner can accomplish this with poor balance/awkward gait and double vision, then you certainly can too!

My time was slow (2 hours and 9 minutes) but who cares! I am not competing with anybody else. The point is to try and to finish.

Bath time! Enjoy your weekend!

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

- Isaiah 40:31

Preparing for the longest run

Ahh. I am on week 7 of the training schedule currently and a little goof ups. First of all, we finally had a rainy week and on the day it is actually sunny, is my day of rest (figure, eh?). I guess this is a hint that I have to toughen up more.

So with 2 months to go, I need to start adjusting to morning runs instead of late afternoon/evening when the event will have long been over for hours. A week ago Tuesday I attempted my first morning run getting out to the trail an hour later than intended. However, Katie and I did better than I had anticipated and completed an hour and 10 minute jaunt.

"Alright! (smile), I thought. The week prior I had missed a leg work out as I did not want to be too tired for the 8 mile run. Also, one of my favorite water aerobic instructors came back after about a year to teach tuesday night class. So that tuesday evening (after running at least 5 miles in the morning), I attended the water aerobics class and then did a leg weight lifting workout. By the following morning I was dead tired which spilled over to my thursday run in which I just could not motivate myself in the morning and did a 38 to 50 minute run that afternoon on a new trail connecting to an old one in town.

Being tired, the yanking on leash Katie was pulling was not helping matters. I discovered that a crushed gravel pavel that you sort of sink into is not the best substrate for her. She tended to want to run directly behind me where it was more compact instead of to my side where it was softer. The result was the leash hitting the back of my calves and I stressing that at some point my legs would become entangled with the leach. Therefore, for my training when I am with her, I have ruled out the crushed gravel East Lake Sammamish trail. I think the rocks may hurt her paws and so she runs slower causing me to pull her along on the leash (which is VERY irritating when trying to stay at a pace!).

Fortunately but Saturday morning I was all set and motivated for my 10 mile run which took me roughy 1 hour 42 minutes (I could not remember the exact time on my watch when I started but I know the time I arrived the trail and when I got back to the truck). I still got out late (on the trail at 9:30 am) but the run went really well! It was a very crisp morning in the low 30s but an absolutely lovely day! I ran on the Snoqualmie Valley trail which is gorgeous in this area in morning time as there is more sunlight. I have not seen it like that since last summer when I did training walks for our hike.

To fuel up, I had 2 ounces of FRS energy concentrate mixed with 8 ounces of water and an english muffin (one half with strawberry cream cheese and the other half with peanut butter) for breakfast. I also had 2 FRS sport chews before the run and had taken 2 reservatol tablets, an iron supplement, and a potassium supplement earlier in the morning.

This week I have been hindered by the rain and did not meet my morning runs. (well Monday was a different excuse - I was waiting to go with Harley so he could walk while I ran; It turns out after a 39 minute run and walking back to find him, we got caught in the rain and I was getting cold. Therefore, I just ran all the way back to the truck which was about another mile at least. That is okay because I screwed up the schedule and was actually supposed to run 4 miles for short runs this week. At 39 minutes I was just a hair shy so the extra mile made up for it.)

Tuesday morning it was raining pretty constant and I was worn out from getting cold and running in the rain with no jacket the night before. Thus, I waited around all day for it to let up (finally getting out at 4 pm for a 6 mile run). When I first ran 6 miles, I did so in just under 58 minutes. That was when I ran without Katie on the exact same trail. This time I ran with her and it took me 3 minutes longer. While she was better than when we ran on the soft crushed gravel path, she was still lagging behind and pulling on the leash. It appears that 5 may be her limit and 6 is too much. So I will drop back to running with her on short days and walking on fridays and other days off if I feel up to it. With the increased mileage of the short runs, I think 6 is too much to ask of her. If it were only 6 once a week she could do it but with more runs a week, it just appears too much (even though she is very excited to go with mommy; she knows though, that when I leave her home it is for good reason and I am going on a very long one.)

The day I actually wake up early enough to make a 7 am run, it is snowing and there is snow on the ground! LOL While some people may be able to run in the snow, it is not a good idea and can be dangerous for me due to my balance. Plus the idea of snow hitting me in the face sound too appealing. The chances of these conditions happening the morning of my half marathon are VERY unlikely. Hence, I decided there really was not a good reason to put myself at risk of an injury, a vehicle accident while driving to the trail, or getting sick from running my immune system down in such conditions. Therefore, I got out the very LATEST of my entire training at a trail start time of almost 5:30 pm. By that time, most of the snow was melted and the paved trail mostly dry with the exception of a few puddles in low spots close to the river.

As I mentioned earlier, the mileage of short runs this week increased from 3 to 4. On the east lake river trail I am uncertain of my mileage and it is not easy to look down and read my watch. So whenever I run there, I just estimate distance from doing previous training and events. Normally the distance I go out and back takes me 36-38 minutes (my 5 Ks last summer took me 28 minutes). So at a time of 36-38 minutes I am ensuring that I did indeed run 3 miles. This time we just kept running further to another spot I was aware of from when I was in the team in training program to walk the Seattle marathon. By the time I reaches that spot, I had been running for about 24 minutes. When I got back, we had been running continuously at a pretty good pace for 46 minutes. So based on all of this previous experience and knowledge, I ran for at least 4 miles yesterday (I guess I made up for stopping too short on monday).

I have been very dilligent about keeping up with the training and not skipping out on any mileage. However, training for the tower climb and keeping up with weight lifting has been really challenging. I climb the tower on March 22nd. During my training, I have only practiced on the stair climber a few times as I did not want to be too tired for the long run at the end of the week. I was able to do it when the mileage was shorter (a stair climb of 15 minutes at level 11- I think that brought me to 81 floors, weight lifting 3 days a week, water aerobics once a week, walk once or twice a week) all while running 4 days a week. As my weekly mileage surpassed 15, I was becoming too exhausted and it seems I have slipped on trying to fit the stair climbing in there. Out of 8 weeks of training, I have missed 3 days of weight lifting and made up 1 the following week and I will try to back up a 2nd one today.

I must say that the first month was rather difficult and I doubted whether I would be able to do the longer runs and wondered how much walking I would have to do. My calves were very tight. My friend Bob sent me some links to check out and I came across an article on tight calves. I discovered I was not doing enough stretching. I was only holding stretches for 10 seconds when they recommended 20-30 seconds. Therefore, I started allocated more time to stretching immediately following a run (about 15 minute worth - each stretch is held for 30 seconds). When I reached my 6 mile run I hit a breakthrough. I was actually getting into a mode and pace of running like I do distance walking where my mind is able to escape and think about other things for peroids of time. Before, all I could think about was the run and finishing it! It was hard to think of anything else but the physical work I was doing. :o)

So depending on how the weather turns out tomorrow, I will be shooting for my longest run of 12 miles. I have to admit a little that the 10 mile I drifted in and out of thinking about the physical exertion. While thinking about motivational chants, the "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" song on the Ren and Stimpy song kept playing over again in my head!

Here is what I have covered so far since the week of January 5th (note my mileage sometimes in a little over because I am estimated distance while I run; only the long even runs are accurate as I am using mileage markers on one section of trail):

MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT SUN WEEKLY TOTAL
week 1: 3 Rest 3 3 Rest 4 Rest 13
week 2: 3 Rest 3 3 Rest 4 Rest 13
week 3: 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 5 Rest 15
week 4: 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 6 Rest 16
week 5: 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 8 Rest 19
week 6: 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 10 Rest 21
week 7: 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 11 Rest 24
week 8: 4 Rest 6 4 Rest 12 Rest 26

Wow! Looking back at the schedule, I can hardly believe I ran 24 miles last week!

I Did It! A New Personal Record

I just got back from a 10 mile morning run. I truly did not even think it was possible until I came up with the idea of doing this half marathon in January. Even as I began my training, I had doubts of whether I would be able to run 10 miles but this morning I determined that I was going to complete it.

I have to cut this short because I have plans this afternoon and I need to get ready.

I want to thank Ani, Wendy, and Anne for the wonderful time we had last night communicating in sign and getting to know each other. I sure wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to discipline myself for training and make sure I had enough sleep for this run.

I REALLY had a pleasant time and the joy I felt from our get together was just the dose of motivation I needed for a good start to my run. I was really happy thinking about it and my mind was fixed on the good time we had with more to come. Thanks! :o)

Alright, I need to get going now. I am starved for lunch! Have a great weekend!

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it and the faith to believe it's possible." - Rich Devos

Purpose

a very fitting quote which I came across this morning:

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye."

Clany Shelley

Half Way - Yay!

This is just a short note to let you know that I have successfully completed the first 5 weeks of my half marathon training of a 10 week preparation program. I am very excited to announce that Saturday afternoon I ran the longest distance non-stop that I have ever ran in my life! I never imagined running 8 miles until I concieved of this half marathon idea last month! As a matter of fact, all week and morning Saturday I was a little anxious and wondering if I could possibly do it.

The previous weekend (the Saturday before Valentine's day) I did my 6 mile run in under 58 minutes. Time is not my goal though, but it was just a bonus to complete that in under an hour. What I have been striving for is to get settled into a pace where I am comfortable and can keep on going. I want to be able to make it to the finish. I will run as much of it as possible and it would be fantastic if I could run the whole thing!

For right now, I have changed my strategy and plan on running more and walking less (my original intention was to use the run walk method and run a mile and alternate by walking every other mile = 7.1 miles running and 6 miles walking). I decided that was too much changing and would make it difficult for me to settle into a pace. So then my thought was running 3 miles and walking a mile and then running 3 miles again for the entire course (running 10.1 and walking 3 miles).
However, now that I know I can run 6 miles, I plan to run 6 miles right off the bat. Then I can walk a mile and in the 8th mile start running again. Doing that method I could break up the run with a 1 mile walk after 6 miles and then shooting for running the remaining 6.1 miles.

I made it 8 miles this past Saturday and felt pretty good doing it (meaning I did not feel entirely exhausted, sore, and tapped out at the finish). Over the past week my body seems to have adjusted and found a "pace" such as when I distance walk. This is really what I have been working toward and I am happy that it has happened for me. For awhile I just was not sure if this was possible for me. I sure hope it is not a fluke and that THIS is indeed real and will continue.

Ok, gotta cut it short because I need to go out for a short run today and want to enjoy the last hour of sunny weather here. We will see how I do today after my longest run and a day of rest from running. The course today is not flat and finishes going up a long gradual hill.

Train on everyone with whatever your endeavors are! ;o)

Gratitude - What are you thankful for?

Over the past week, gratitude is a theme which keeps coming back to mind and has ironically been appearing in books and blogs that I read.

As suggested in the book "The Secret", Harley and I started a new daily ritual of starting out our day by thinking of something we are grateful for. I took it a step further and said everyday we should seek to find something positive. We have started journaling our entries daily and normally at breakfast we ask each other what we are grateful for.

Today I am incredibly grateful that I have life and a quality one at that! I am filled with overwhelming joy for a successful recovery and a year with out surgery as was anticipated. I am higher than a kite to have escaped dealing with surgery/treatment for 2008 and I have nearly been off steroids for a year! (I had to take them until March 2008 post surgery).

This was a really good vibe to start my day. So to add to that, I already picked my positive which is that the sun is shining and I woke up feeling good and "normal" this morning. This is after struggling the previous couple mornings with a bad headache, nausea, and fatigue. It is so wonderful I can actually think this morning. A bonus to this is that I went for over an hour run last night and felt great doing it which is absolutely marvelous!

Yesterday morning I did not feel so well until after I read Stephen Hopson's latest post on Adversity University Blog. What was his theme?

GRATITUDE!

I hope that it inspires your day too! :o)

Adversity University

"WOW! Every single cell, nerve, tissue and organ in my body was tingling with excitement"......(click to read more)

P.S. - Thank you to my dear friends Skip and Olivia (The Fabulous Running Mommy) for being the first donors in my fundraising campaign for NF2 research! You made my week and setup the drive for my last 3 successful runs (and one was 6 miles and the other 5-5 1/2 miles). You both are awesome people and I am so grateful and lucky to have you in my life!

Unlocking the Mystery of Propolis

In the NF community, propolis is the hot experimental topic right now. Studies done in Germany and Japan have revealed NF tumor suppression in mice. Currently there is an unofficial worldwide trial going on. About 100 people are taking the supplement Propolis BIO 20 from Manuka Health in New Zealand.

Patients around the world have only been taking the Propolis within the last year so there are many questions in everyone's minds and those quietly waiting for results while asking themselves "Should I start taking it too?".

Other than the hope that it brings in suppressing tumors and holding off the need for future surgery and treatments, Propolis is very attractive because it is a non-toxic health supplement with almost no risk (I say almost because there is a very small percentage who may develop an allergy to it). Further, the benefits from taking propolis are great and it has been used by many cultures for many ages. So it is a win-win situation worthy of a try if you have NF2.

But before you take the final leap and even if you are already taking it, here is some great information to better understand this supplement. And the benefits are not only applicable to people with NF2, but virtually anyone who meets the requirements (an example of those who do not are pregnant women and possibly asthmatics).

By the way, this supplement is currently being researched for treating pancreatic cancer and HIV.

What is Propolis?

Benefits of Propolis

History of Propolis

Safeness of Propolis?

Propolis Allergy

I hope this information helps answer your questions and also introduces many of you to the benefits of this fantastic health supplement. Remember, THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR NF2 PEOPLE BUT EVERYONE!

I justed ordered a 3 month supply today from Manuka Health in New Zealand and will keep you informed on how I react to it.

By the way, I have been drinking Green Vibrance every morning and really enjoy it! I eat vegetables, but for those who do not, you should really consider drinking the green vibrance mixed in your favorite juice!

Hard Lesson on Deafness

As most of you know, I have been completely deaf since July 2004. When I say completely, I mean that I hear nothing what so ever (not even any environmental sounds). It is challenging at times yes, but I am pretty comfortable and content with my deafness. I was fully hearing until the age of 27 when it was apparent I was starting to experience hearing loss. So unlike so many I have met and know, I was able to enjoy activities in my youth of being a hearing child (dances, band, stereo systems, headphones, concerts, proms , pep rallies, the excitement theater systems in the movies and IMAX, etc.).

It was very emotionally painful at first to face and accept that I was about to lose all of that part of my life and inevitably completely. However, I was lucky to have a period of 5 years during my more mature phase of young adulthood to adjust and adapt to my gradual hearing digression while my hearing self faded further and further away.

When all sound went out, I have to admit it was nothing I could have imagined nor fully prepared for. It was an entirely different world than being hard of hearing. When you are hard of hearing, you are still in some way part of the "hearing" by whatever little you can hear. That can mean just being able to hear the siren of an ambulance or firetruck speeding closer behind you. (A dear friend of mine felt just horrible that it took so long to notice the ambulance speeding up behind him as he was unable to hear it).

So the past 4 and a half years for me have been an exploration of what it is to live "truely" deaf, how to cope, and how to adapt. My first BIG lesson was to NOT start adding water to the sink in preparation to do dishes and then walk away only to forget about it! LOL Thje result an hour later was to come downstairs and discover the area around the sink of my kitchen flooded!

This happened only within the very first months of my deafness and for the most part, I was able to keep myself from repeating that mistake (I may have slipped a couple times). I did go through a phase of leaving the water running in the bathroom for hours at a time which did not make Harley too pleased. By now, I am pretty good at reminding myself to look at the faucet and make sure I turned the knobs ALL the way off before leaving the room.

Yet, after all these years of adjustment and just when I thought I might have it down pat, a new thing to learn arises. Why it did not happen earlier is because I made a fiarly recent change which one would not expect to have any impact. Maybe about a year and a half ago I bought a tea kettle for the stove. Now I never used one when was a hearing person and that is why I would not think much about it. For hot water, we always just zapped it in the microwave. But as my husband and I became more serious tea drinkers and started using "loose leaf" tea, a need grew for a tea pot for the stove.

Also with the deafness, came a change in the way of communication. No more yapping on a cordless phone while doing things in the kitchen. When it is kitchen time, it is just that and nothing else (well I suppose I could sit down and read which sometimes I do but not usually while cooking). Instant messenger and email have almost entirely replaced using the phone (unless the need is immediate and I have to contact a business, doctor's office, or the health insurance company).

I am sort of a computer addict. LOL I just can't seem to help myself. There is always something there to entertain my mind and it all changes so fast (and trying to keep up with several emails a day). If you look at my monitor, you find it burdened heavily with several open applications at once. I LOVE to multitask on it and be doing several things at a time (none of which are games or watching a movie).

Too impatient waiting for the water to boil in the tea pot, I ran upstairs to my computer to return to whatever I was so enthralled in or distracted by. While doing so, I engaged in an unexpected IM conversation with a friend and then also a family member at the same time.

As a half hour passed, I completely forgot about the few cups of water boiling away in the tea pot downstairs. I looked down from the loft and saw Katie running back and forth on the deck and wondered what she was doing. A few minutes later and right when Harley walked in the door, I remembered the tea pot and told my friend I had to run. Harley comes up the stairs and signs to me "What is going on?!"

The kettle must have been whistling for a very long time as ALL the water evaporated and the kettle melted to the burner of the electric stove! Imagine that, eh!? Harley was not too happy with me for leaving the kettle unattended and creating a potential fire hazard. The above photos are the destroyed kettle which resulted from my lack of attentiveness.

Think I would learn the lesson after one time? Well no, it is not that easy. We now have a gas stove installed so it is probably even more important not to leave something unattended. Again, I put the new kettle partially filled with water on the burner and went back upstairs to the computer. Luckily, I remembered after some time that I was boiling water and I returned before all the water evaporated and ruined the new kettle! Phew!

So now I have to come up with a routine and way to remind myself not to walk away from the stove. One of my added goals for the year is to read a list of 5 books that I have. Perhaps I can make it a practice of scheduling "reading time" at the kitchen table for whenever I am cooking or boiling water and need to wait.

On to the Next Phase

If you have not gathered by now, my life with NF2 has become a series of phases over several years. I often consider this rebirth as occuring in late 2004 after the radiosurgery. That is when things really became serious and I was confronted with making a treatment decision due to very substantial growth of one of the tumors. The radiosurgery that I held so much promise for did not go as smoothly or as easily as planned unfortunately. As a result, I was left with some devastating side effects I had to learn to adjust/adapt to.

But when reflecting back on it deeper, my transforation dates all the way back to July 1999 at my diagnosis. Even though though the events since 2004 dealt me a heavy blow, initially there were the phases of acceptance and learning to survive being different (as I lost my hearing).

All this has been emotionally and physcially taxing and have taken their own time to heal. With a good handle on the physical and mental challenges now, I am able to focus on the next steps (fundraising for research and alternative treatments).

So I have tried out both radiosurgery and brain surgery. What else is there?

I am not to the point of desperation yet where I feel the need to try out drugs in clinical trials or chemotherapies. Call me selfish, but I am doing well enough that I do not want to offer my body for experimentation. Having gone through cancer treatment years ago and having experienced difficulty with different medical drugs, I just do not want to put myself through anymore for a reason which would not benefit me personally. I know that sounds bad but I rather run a marathon than be a martyr.

The other option which has come to light over the past year is a supplement from New Zealand which a researcher has discovered to suppress NF tumors in mice. (Propolis Bio 30)

I first read about it back in 2007 around the time of my surgery. Since then, at least 50 people in the country have been giving it a try and have not experienced any side effects. The only reactions have occured in patients allergic to bees.

So to play it safe (as I have seen the result of horrible allergies and have had negative reactions to certain drugs), I scheduled a bee allergy test which was performed yesterday. I was tested for different strengths of 5 different bee venoms. My prayers were answered as I did not have a reaction to any of the venoms. Therefore, I am very happy to report that I can also begin taking the Propolis Bio 30.

There is not enough information yet to know if the supplement will actually shrink the tumors (although in some of the mice that did happen). The point in taking the supplement is to keep them from growing further and thus protect my quality of life by keeping the tumors from compressing critical structures (resulting in negative side effects). It could very well be like every other option.....What works for one person, may not work for the next.

Yet at this point where I stand, I have nothing to lose (except money ;o) ) if there are not any serious side effects from the supplement. What I have now is worth preserving! It sure puts life into a proper perspective. So currently, I am on a path to be as healthy as possible. I just gotta kick the sugar habit like the chocolate chips I ate today! LOL At least they were dark chocolate which has antioxidants that are good for you. I gotta stop using that excuse now that I get a healthy dose of antioxidants in actual "good" things for my body (berries, purely pomegranite juice, green vibrance drink, and FRS liquid and sport chew supplements). I don't NEED the chocolate now but it sure tastes fine!

For more information on these supplements, visit the following links:

FRS energy

Green Vibrance

Purely Pomegranate

Propolis Bio 30: Manuka Health Industries

Announcement/Implementing a Goal

I am 99% committed now. The final step is to work with Deb Hanlon of NF Inc. to get officially registered for the Eugene half marathon on May 3rd.

http://www.eugenemarathon.com/

I completed the first couple steps already:

a) to write it down on a sheet of paper posted next to my computer

AND

b) to commit myself to a training program and to write/report about each run

I tell Harley each time I successfully complete a run and I have also been reporting it as my status on facebook. So those are 2 big things to help commit you to a goal (writing it down where you will see it and be reminded of it everyday & getting started on the project and reporting your progress).

To be completely honest, while I am running I get determined to finish and complete it because I don't want to report that I failed. It is empowering to be able to say that you followed through. When you commit to other people, it holds a lot more weight than if you only committed to yourself or kept it secret. It is a HUGE motivator.

I was exploring some more half marathon tips/training (geared to the first timer) and I came across some great advice from www.DailyRuns.com.

Here are the tips which I have begun implementing:

"Staying Motivated"

"Speaking of goals, write yours down. Why are you running this half marathon?"

"A few more tips for staying motivated:"

"1) Chart your progress. Sign-up for a free online tracker where you record your workout, speed, time, distance, energy level, heart rate, and even the mileage on your shoes.

2) Sign-up for your race. Why wait? Go online today and sign up for your race, confirming your commitment to make it happen.

3) Tell everyone you know you're running a half-marathon. There's a two-fold advantage to this strategy. One, people will be impressed. That's always fun. And two, now you're on the line to report how you did in the race. Extra laps, anyone?

Running for Charity

4) Another motivator is to make your race about more than just you by participating in a charity drive."

Today I officially announced on facebook what I am doing. Up till now, I had only mentioned going on training runs but did not say why.

I also discovered an online training log through active.com where I can document my progress and keep track.

My final step is to actually get registered (which NF Inc. is helping me with) and to setup my fundraising page this week. That is a big one. The physical training is one part but the actual fundraising is another which can be emotionally and mentally demanding.

I have taken a short break for the past month and a half - 2 months to re-energize in this area. I am a person who cannot be "on" 24-7 and I need to ease back for a little bit before taking on the next project.


As you know, I am also a patient of what I am advocating for and to be effective I must get in touch with the realities and possiblities which are part of this disorder. For the most part I have been pretty lucky (lucky that my face is not badly disfigured, I can still see out of both eyes, I am able to eat normally and can eat what I want;no feeding tube, I am able to do physically demanding activities still and am not dependant on a cane or need a wheelchair, aside from some memory loss I am still a pretty smart person and my brain pathways have continued to improve since the radiosurgery in 2004, I have only had 1 brain surgery so far, I have not had a spinal surgery, I have only had 1 surgery overall and I am the amazingly late age of 37, and I did not begin losing hearing until my late 20s and became completely deafened in my early 30s). Yet, others are not so lucky and the NF2 community has had to deal with some deaths over the past few years (one as recently as Dec 26th, 2008 of our beloved web master who was only 33). Further, someone is always going in for a surgery or treatment and the anxiety is high for everyone. It happens so often that it is hard to keep track of everyone who is having surgery! So believe me when I tell you that I am extremely blessed and lucky make it this far with only 1!

All this really wears on the soul and morale. I think I can speak for many when I say that the question repeatedly pops inro our heads "Is the same thing going to happen to me? What more is to come and how long before it happens?"

But I am getting off of topic now. The issue I wanted to bring forth is about the steps to actually implementing a goal. I hope my marathon training provides you an example of how to get started and I would be honored to have you follow along with my progress.

Why am I running a half marathon by the way? (I never really mentioned it.)

A) May is NF awareness month and I felt responsiblity for representing us in the NW. The Eugene marathon in Oregon is the only NW marathon in May where I could get this kind of exposure (I will be wearing the green run4NF running jersey.) Thanks to Deb Hanlon of www.run4NF.org for notifying me about the event. I am the first and only person with NF2 in the NW region to do this (a few of us throughout the country who are able have been taking on marathons for our cause over the past few years).

B) Since I walked the full Seattle marathon in 2006 with Team in Training, I had been approached to complete a marathon as a fundraiser for NF. So I had been thinking about it since 2006 but building myself up over the years. (I had brain surgery in fall 2007 so I had to hold off of a major endurance event.)
I did not know back then that I was going to try running one. I could only run for about 10-15 minutes at a time. In May 2006, I ran 3 miles around a high school track in the Relay for Life and collapsed from weakness. My legs gave out and I could not stand up. It was rather embarassing as the paramedics rushed over in front of the everyone attending at the stadium and track.

C) I really like the spring and Eugene is a nice area that my parents live near. I can take a weekend trip to visit them, raise NF awareness, and pursue an ambition all at the same time! (hehe I guess I like to multitask!) ;o)

Alright! Enough taking about it now! I gotta go out and DO!

The"supreme" health drink

Earlier I was discussing white tea and I did not really get into explaining why it is so beneficial. Of all drinks, white tea is highest in antioxidants which are important in fighting "free radicals" in the body which contribute to disease, cancer, and aging.

In order to acquire the white tea with the highest concentrations of antioxidants, it is critical to purchase the most recent harvest and to store it correctly.

The following site which I included in my last post is absolutely fantastic and explains all this in detail. If you are interested in becoming a white tea drinker, this is the perfect place to start learing about it.

http://www.whiteteacentral.com/

Little Changes - Shooting for the Optimum

I am on rest day today of the second week of half marathon training. My 2 runs this week went pretty well but I have been tired and stiff in the morning. As such, I opted out of water aerobics this morning. I am not that exhausted but the frost on the ground and a chilly house was enough to deter me from jumping into a cold pool today.

To warm up and get my energy levels fired up this morning, I am drinking a mug of winter spice white tea. I am not a coffee nor caffiene drinker but there are certain healthy exceptions (white, red, and green teas).

To learn about the health benefits of white tea (considered the "supreme" health drink), visit these websites:

http://www.teabenefits.com/white-tea-benefits.html

http://www.whiteteacentral.com/healthbenefits.html

Another couple health rituals I starting trying are the "Whole Body Cleanse" system by Enzymatic and consumption of "Green Vibrance" by Vibrant Health.

I tried the Whole Body Cleanse system for a couple days this summer but it did not work out too well as I was deep into my distance walking training for the 31.5 mile hike in September. I discovered it was not a good idea to start it when you plan to walk many miles and be far from any bathrooms for hours at a time! hehehe

But right now is early in my training and I have decided to keep to week 1 of the schedule to ease into running several times a week so that my body can adjust. I am only running 3-4 miles a day which takes me 30-40 minutes. Therefore, right now seems like the most ideal time to try it out (2 week program). I felt I needed it because last night I bloated up like a 3-4 month pregnant person for whatever unknown reason! Could it be that I just put too much junk into my system from the holidays? Then I topped it off with almost daily consumption of 2 extra dark fine chocolate truffles, a couple pieces of carrot cake last week and then black forest cake this week because I thought I could "afford it" with my increase in weekly running?

In any case, that was not too fun blowing up like a blimp last night! I actually topped the scale over what I have been at for the last 3 years or more!. So something had to be done and something was definitely wrong. I am hoping this cleanse will get my system back on track and a fresh start with a healthy body.

For over a year now, Harley has been trying to get me to drink "the green" powder and I have refused. I like to eat vegetables but that is different than drinking a cold green vegetable. I don't know. I just felt turned off by drinking something green. (chuckle) It smells like a vegetable too which makes it even more of a challenge to change your mind about. But we discussed it last week and he mentioned that he puts juice in his to make it palatable. "Hmmn" I thought. "In that case I can give it a try."

So Monday night I bought a carton of Peach, Mango, Orange juice to try it out this morning. It still was not incredibly appealing but I was able to gulp it down. Unfortunately, I put the powder in first and then the juice (in an old washed out smoothie container) and half of the powder stuck to the bottom. I did not discover this until I had almost finished the drink. So I added about a quarter cup of water, replaced the cap, and gave it a good shake to loosen the powder and mix it up. Now the concoction was almost all water and the green powder. It was not at all flavorful but I managed to swig it down quick. I DEFINITELY will be trying out different juice combinations to produce the most pleasing cocktail. Light Strawberry Banana V8 is my favorite juice so I think I will give that a try.

Green Vibrance by Vibrant Health:

http://www.vibranthealth.org/gv.html

Why am I even considering drinking this green stuff? Well, regarding the training for the half marathon, I need the best possible energy levels and endurance I can achieve. Regarding NF2, I need to maintain the best overall health possible to ward off any ailments that compromise my system and to be ready with the greatest level of immunity for further surgeries or treatments. Really, my goal and what I would like is to hold off ny surgeries as long as possible or forever.

So who will win....me or the NF2? I will fight and even drink the "green" juice to maintain the quality of life I have been given back.

Addtional Note about the NF2:

Monday I finally consult with an allergist to see if I have an allergy to bees (I have never actually been stung!). The reason is to find out if I can undergo a trial with a supplement which was been shown to suppress NF2 tumors in mice. The supplement known as Bio 30 Propolis is made from honey bees in New Zealand.

Apparently the flowers in New Zealand are more "pure" and concentrations of the bioflavinoids are higher than those harvested throughout the rest of the world.

To read the October 2008 release of the article "NZ firm's dollar-a-day bee compound halts tumour growth in cancer trial patients", Visit

http://www.manukahealth.co.nz/main.cfm?id=4&nid=16

1 week down, 15 more to go!

I past the first week of the half marathon training of an intensive and fast 10 week schedule. That was the test....to see if I could at least make it through one week. Surprisingly, it went pretty well and I still made it to water aerobics class one day and kept up with my 3 day weekly weight lifting.

I completely forgot to stretch (or rather was running short on time) Friday night so I worried about really feeling sore yesterday and today. So far I am a little sore (more like getting old kind of stiff in the morning) and a little tired but not bad.

Yesterday was rest day so there was nothing rigorous and just really mild leisurely walking along Alki when we visited West Seattle.

When I got up in the morning I started to get the weakness episode again which feels sort of like a cross between a head rush and a passing out where you collapse. By now, I have become accustomed to this feeling and can kind of control it. It is similar to when you are aware that you start getting narced while scuba diving. The few times that has happened to me while diving, I could feel it coming on and knew the signs. Therefore, I was able to stop what I was doing, focus on something, and ascend.

In the case of the weakness episodes, when I feel it starting, I usually grab onto a wall or stationary object while trying to focus on something straight ahead in my visual field. After the feeling seems to peak, I try to get myself into a position of rest such as lying down or sitting. My legs seem to give out during the episode so getting the pressure off of them seems to alleviate it and help me recover more quickly.

So this happened to me yesterday morning and I have concluded over the years that this is from dehydration. On my rest day (Wednesday) after water aerobics, I went to soak for about 8 minutes in the hot tub. I got very warm and when I got out, the same thing happened to me but more intense.

Luckily, I knew what was happening so I was able to hold onto the sturdy hand railing of the tub until I could make it over to the wall. Once I was confident it had passed, I worked up the bravery to move over to a chair to sit and rest for a few minutes before walking to the locker room.

Anyway, these incidents seem to occur when I may have not had enough water intake. So when I felt it coming on yesterday morning, I immediately lied back down and as soon as it passed, I drank the glass of water I had waiting for me on my dresser.

Seeing this occurred twice in one week, I can predict that it will happen again or maybe even more often during the training. I determined it would be a good idea to always have a glass (plastic) of water waiting for me next to my bed for when I awake.

This fist week has been an experimentation to see how I feel, test if I could run regularly (13-14 miles in a 4 day week), try out different clothing layers and my new running shoes I got for Christmas, monitor and make little adjustments to nutrition and supplements, evaluate how my body responds to repetitive running added to my weight training, and test my comfort and form while running with Katie.

At this point this is what I discovered:

My body felt OK with the first week of running 4 days a week. The final day of running, my mileage was increased from 3 to 4 miles but I ran 4.5 or 5 miles because I did not see the mileage marker and passed it. I actually felt really great on this run and better than the previous 3 running days which is really promising. Hopefully that means my body is already adjusting and adapting to the change and will be able to keep up!

The temp varied from 46 degrees to 39 degrees. I have no need for wearing thermals at these temps. On 2 days, 3 layers on the top was too much and I had to stop to peel off a jacket. What worked best on the coldest day (Friday) was a pair of running tights with a thin moisture wicking long sleeve shirt under a fleece jacket accompanied by a running ball cap. This was the most comfortable ensemble at 39 degrees. The Salomon waterproof trail running shoes are working great but I will most likely need to change to a running shoe for pavement to use in the marathon.

Lunch has been light and mostly just snacks such as a V8 and cheese stick and maybe a yogurt. Breakfast has been cold cereal (sometimes with a banana) and a graham cracker slathered with fat free strawberry cream cheese.

For supplements I am trying hard to remember to take my vitamins (multi, C, Iron, and calcium). In the morning before I eat, I try to take 3 collagen +C supplements. I drink an oz of glucosamine joint juice with 6-7 oz of low cal fruit juice. Depending on how I feel the next day and if my hips are sore, I may take 2 "Move Free" tablets. On occasion I will add in a potassium supplement as needed (such as the day of or after my long run). Lastly, FRS (promoted by Lance Armstrong) makes a wonderful line of products that I am really pleased with. Normally I will have one or two sport chews before a run or workout. On the day of my long run, I tried the juice concentrate a half hour before my run and then a sport chew. I REALLY believe these work! Before training, there was one evening I did not have a chew before lifting and it was most worst workout! I was really tired and had to lift less and even do less reps!

I was able to maintain my weight routine with the running this week. I did not decrease the amount of any weights and even added 5 lbs. on a couple exercises. I realize that I will most likely not be able to continue this as the weekly mileage increases. I really hate to drop it all together for the 4 months leading up to the marathon. I REALLY need the constant weight training in order to have stability and be able to do some of the things I want to do. I think as the mileage increases, the amount of weight will need to decrease until after the event. I may eventually change to actual "toning" exercises to keep the muscles in practice than serious "strength training". This is something I will have to figure out as I go along.

When I trained to WALK the Seattle marathon in 2006, I did not do any regular weight training. At that time, I was working on building up my endurance again and started to run in little short spurts. I was unable to do any more strenuous/elevation hiking or diving yet. I was still using a walking stick to walk in many areas (the marathon helped me build up and eliminate using the stick).

Originally I had planned to take Katie on a run once and MAYBE twice a week. She has done very well though and seems to be adjusting nicely. I still am a little nervous that she will trip me as has happened in the past. We changed to a longer and lighter leash which really seems to help the whole tripping and yanking on the leash. Our last run was the best which was our 4th for the week and she was excited to go! I know however, that I will have to run by myself as the mileage increases because when we trained to hike 31.5 miles last year, the high mileage days and weeks became too much for her.

Today is supposed to be a 3 mile run day but we might go diving. I don't want to mix a strenuous training run and dive on the same day (such could contribute to decompression sickness). Missing one run day is not worth getting a major medical complication over. If I miss it today (Harley is off work today and it is his birthday), I will try to see if I can make it up on Wednesday. Doing so however, would cause me to run 3 days in a row without a rest day for recovery.

The plan is to run 4 miles on the second day this week but I may keep to the week 1 mileage as I am ahead of schedule in the training program (it is now 15 weeks pre-marathon and the training program is for 10 weeks). This gives me a little more time to adapt to regular running and also a rest week before the tower climb in March.

Until the next report, have a wonderful week! :o)

New Event/New Training

Yes. I am at it again. Training never stops for me as I have mentioned before. I and many of us with NF2 train to just function as normally as possible. It really helps keep me motivated by having a variety of events to accomplish with a cause attached.

I will again be racing to the top of the Columbia Tower on March 22nd as a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which I have been involved with since 2006. This will be my 3rd year and I hope to scale the skyscaper in 14 minutes. Last year my time was 14:16 and the year prior was just over 15 minutes.

Of course I have been mildly training for it since I finished my long distance hike in September. I thought I was going to have another brain surgery so I was concerned about keeping fit and being able to bounce back right away in time to do the tower again.

Fortunately, I did not need another surgery last fall. So I was able to just carry on (lifting 3 days a week, water aerobics once a week, 15 minutes on the stair climber once or twice a week, and a weekly run 30-50 minutes in length.)

I have pondered it for quite awhile and Sunday I finally made the decision to actually run a marathon now (a half marathon in Eugene, OR near my parents).

I still need to register (for both events) but I labeled yesterday as the official start of my 10 week half marathon training.

Am I scared? Heck yeah! LOL As I mentioned before, I really am not a "runner". Running has always been something moderate for me and a means to supplement training for something else or a small part of keeping in shape.

Running this distance will be a HUGE challenge for me...the greatest by far (more than walking a marathon or 31.5 miles). First of all, I have not really talked about it, but I get double vision within the first 10-15 minutes of running that STAYS with me the whole duration and there after! I found out in September that it is here to stay and something that I need to learn to deal with and compensate for. I do this by looking down at the ground about 3-5 feet in front of me most of the time. When I look ahead to the trail the double vision is worse and it is hard to calculate my footing and not get disoriented. I can only make quick glances to see where I am.

The second issue is that I am unable to run indoors on a treadmill. Therefore, all of my training runs must be done outside which proved to be a challenge at the end of December when we had lots of snow followed by lots of rain and flooding.

There were a couple weeks when it snowed that I just could not do my weekly run. One day it was just too icy and within 5 minutes I tripped over Katie's legs when we were trying to avoid another large patch of ice. After that, I determined it just was not worth getting injured and would wait out the couple-few weeks until the snow and ice were gone (afterall, I cut up my knee again).

The week before Christmas I did try running on the treadmill hanging on to the handle bars. Wow! It is just not made for that! After 10 minutes my shoulders and arms ached terribly from all the jarring! So I hopped off and rode the cybex machine instead.

Now the snow is gone and it is starting to dry up. My usual path on the Snoqualmie Valley trail is most likely flooded right now or muddy. Last I walked on Redmond Ridge, the trail through the woods had quite a few puddles. Fortunately there are some paved trails around for me to run on.

I never imagined I would ever run in a marathon. Yet, it just feels like it is the next step for me. This summer I was able to make it through a 10K. a 10K = 6.2 miles and is almost half of a half marathon. I have read over the past couple years of a technique where people run for a few miles and then walk a mile. The walking helps them recover and re-energize. In fact, people who have done this technique resulted in better running times than had they ran continuously the entire course.

So my strategy is to try this technique and run every other mile. That way I am doing what I know I can accomplish which is to run a 10K and I know I can certainly walk it. I am going to pursue the regular half marathon training and see how it goes for me. In any case, I will finish the half marathon somehow. I am committed to it.

I am going to try my best to journal my training here so keep checking in!

Here is the half marathon training schedule I found online:
The marathon is May 3rd so I am just a tad early into training which is good.

10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule
Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total
1: 3 Rest 3 3 Rest 4 Rest 13
2: 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 5 Rest 15
3: 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 6 Rest 16
4: 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 8 Rest 19
5: 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 10 Rest 21
6: 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 11 Rest 24
7: 4 Rest 6 4 Rest 12 Rest 26
8: 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 9 Rest 22
9: 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 8 Rest 18
10: 3 Rest 3 Walk 2 Rest 13.1 Rest 21.1

Revisit of My Goals

When I came home from surgery in the fall of 2007, Harley and I talked about goals. I felt kind of corny but he wanted me to tell him and write down my goals. Although they started out kind of simple, my goals grew throughout the year.

Here are the 3 goals I wrote down and posted next to my computer that I wanted to achieve in 2008 (and yes, I accomplished them all and added to the list as the year progressed)

1. Improve handwriting and learn to write again.
2. Climb the Columbia Tower
3. Run a 10K

Within the last hour and after reading the newsletter by Mac Anderson, it reminded me to write down my new goals for 2009.

Here is the list I have written in blue ink posted next to my computer monitor which I see every morning and several times a day.

1. Lose 7 lbs.

2. Finish painting the entire main floor of the house. (I got a start with a trial run on 2 walls and I restored an area downstairs and made a pantry in 2008; so far since my balance began improving, I have taken on 3 painting projects in the house. The first was really a challenge because I had not built up enough strength yet for stability which makes painting really difficult.)

3. Climb the columbia tower and raise at least $100 for LLS (the requirement is $50 so I doubled it, last year there was no requirement and my sister and I raised about $1900).

4. Run a half marathon in May/raise $5000 for NF2 research (in May I decided to do a 31.5 mile hike to fundraise for NF2 research. My initial goal was $3800 which I raised to $5000 and reached over $5200).

5.Complete 20-30 dives for the year (scuba).

6. Wake up early and go to bed early in order to maintain a consistent sleeping schedule.

7. Blog every week (you may have noticed I let it slide over the last couple months). The key is to be consistent.

8. Help organize and clean the garage (a task we have put off for 5 years).

9. Finish putting together the glass and wood curio cabinet which we have been carting around for years and has been collecting dust in storage.

#10 I need to do some more thinking about. I know there are other things I wanted to accomplish this year but I have forgotten at the moment.

See what happens when you don't write them down!

Be A Serious Goal Setter

I recieved a great newsletter from Mac Anderson this week which was just in time. I do not really believe in New Year's Resolutions. Rather I believe in goals.
What's the difference?

New Year's Resolutions for many people are just sort of a fad...like a fad diet. It does not last. Sure. I am certain people approach their New Year's Resolutions with whole hearted enthusiasm and drive. But all too often the spirit and energy to acheive the resolutions fades or they get forgotton.

If you do make "New Year's Resolutions" modify your thinking of them as "goals" and write them down some place where you can see them everyday and be reminded of what you set out to achieve. Then when you see them often, you will think about them and ask yourself how close you are to obtaining it and if you are doing what you need to in order to pursue that goal.

Below is a wonderful discussion by Mac Anderson of Simple Truths on goal setting from his new book "The Power of Discipline":

Why are some people more successful than others? Why do some people live happier lives and accomplish more in the same number of years than the great majority?

If I had to pick one answer to these questions, I wouldn't hesitate ... my answer would be self discipline.
Albert Gray said it best, "The common denominator of success - the secret of success of every person who has been successful - lies in the fact that they formed the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do."
Gray "nailed" it!
Why?

Because self discipline affects so many facets of your life. It affects your ability to reach your goals; it affects your personal health, your time management, your ability to manage your finances and even your character.

Brian Tracy is one of America's leading authorities on the development of human potential. He speaks to over 250,000 people a year, and is also a best-selling author who has written 25 books.
I'm honored that Brian has written a book for Simple Truths titled: The Power of Discipline...7 Ways It Can Change Your Life.
Take a quick look at the table of contents...

Introduction 5
Self Discipline and Goals 8
Self Discipline and Character 26
Self Discipline and Time Management 40
Self Discipline and Personal Health 50
Self Discipline and Money 64
Self Discipline and Courage 76
Self Discipline and Responsibility 92

Today, I'd like to share a brief excerpt from Brian's chapter on Self Discipline and Goals. Enjoy!
An excerpt from The Power of Discipline
by Brian Tracy

Your ability to discipline yourself to set clear goals, and then to work toward them everyday, will do more to guarantee your success than any other single factor.

You've heard it said that, "You can't hit a target you can't see."
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."

Wayne Gretsky said, "You miss every shot you don't take."

It seems that only 3% of adults have written goals and plans, and they earn more than the other 97% put together.
Why is this? The simplest answer is that, if you have a clear goal and a plan to achieve it, your focus is fixed on a set course of action. Instead of becoming sidetracked by distractions and diversions, your time is focused on a straight line from start to finish. This is why people with goals accomplish so much more than people without them.

The tragedy is that everyone thinks they already have goals. But what they really have are hopes and wishes.
A wish has been defined as a "goal with no energy behind it." Hope is not a strategy.
Goals that are not written down and developed into plans are like bullets without powder in the cartridge. People with unwritten goals go through life shooting blanks. Because they think they already have goals, they never engage in the hard, disciplined effort of goal setting, the master skill of success.

USA Today reported on a study a couple of years ago. First, researchers selected people who made New Year's resolutions. Then they divided these people into two categories: those who made New Year's resolutions and wrote them down, and those who made New Year's resolutions, but neglected to write them down.

Twelve months later, they followed up on the respondents in this study. What they found was astonishing! Of the people who made New Year's resolutions but neglected to write them down, only 4% actually followed through on their resolutions.

However, among the group that took a few minutes to record their New Year's resolutions, 44% followed through on them. This difference of more than 1100% proves the simple act of crystallizing resolutions or goals on paper increases likelihood of success.

In my experience of working with several million people over the past twenty-five years, the disciplined act of setting goals, making plans for their accomplishments, and then working on them daily, increases the likelihood of achieving your goals by ten times, or 1000%.

This does not mean that goal setting guarantees success, only that it increases the probabilities of success by ten times. These are very good odds to have working in your favor.
Click here for more information on The Power of Discipline.

Epiphany About Life

"Your life is an occasion Mahoney." Mr. Magorium then cups his young apprentice's face gently in his hands, "Rise to it!"

- Dustin Hoffman as Mr. Magorium in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium


Whoever you are, where ever you are, and whatever you do, life is not to be feared but lived! As Mr. Magorium said, "It is an occasion". Now go on and savor it, pursue it, and make the very best possible occasion you can muster! After all, "anything is possible". :o)

Want to Recycle Old Cards?

Feel good cleaning out while helping a cause that will only cost you to mail a box of used cards.

This does not directly deal with NF2 but applies to everyone. However, last year I read an article through an MS society newsletter about how important it is for people with disorders of the brain to eliminate clutter in order to have efficiently functioning lives. So this definitely applies to people with NF2 also.

I am a HUGE packrat and save WAY too much! I have saved all of my cards for years and have had a difficult time letting them go. Some are just so pretty or too cute that I cannot bring myself to throw them away. As a result, I have an overflowing, heaping pile of cards people have given me crammed in my cabinet.

What good are they doing in there? LOL Like I ever look at them until I find it is time to try organizing and doing some spring cleaning. Still, I just cannot bring myself to throw them out. I don't really have the time or patience to make new cards of them either.

So what is the solution of not wasting them and feeling good about offloading them?

DONATE THEM!


That's right! You understood me correctly!

St. Jude Hospital for sick children has a wonderful program where the kids make new cards out of them to sell as part of the fundraising efforts for the hospital. Isn't that fabulous?

Here is the info and website:

BETTER HURRY BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY COLLECTING THEM UNTIL FEBRUARY 28TH!


We are accepting used, all-occasion greeting cards from November 15, 2008 thru February 28, 2009. You can mail your donations to:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005


To learn more about St. Jude's Ranch and their card recycling program, please visit the website: http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php

Brain Tumor Survivors and our Caretakers Taking a Time Out

Pictured to the right: Rhianon and I "NF2 babes"

Pictured to the left: Karen and Sam Stueland, Harley and I, Rhianon England

Oops! Back when I tried to upload a photo for this post, I had a problem with my computer locking up. This was supposed to be a draft until I could fix it and I did not realize it posted on my blog.

Last month was an extremely busy month for us and we even had a snowstorm and a foot of snow at the house during Christmas! With the New Year and things settling down now, I am back and my blog has not died out.

The picture (which I am finally now posting) is from our Halloween Party this year which we used to hold annually but have not for the past 3 years due to travel and of course I was recovering from surgery in 2007 and certainly did not have the energy to throw a party.

I was feeling so good within this last year and we were elated that I did not need to get surgery again this fall, that we felt like finally throwing our halloween party again to celebrate. It is always fun and we like to decorate the cabin really cool.

I am pictured here with 2 other brain tumor survivor friends and our caretakers (my husband Harley and Sam's wife and my good friend Karen who incidentally is a sign language teacher at the Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center in Seattle).

Rhianon and I are afflicted with NF2 whereas Sam had something similar (Acoustic Neuroma). With Acoustic Neuroma, one also has a tumor on the auditory nerve. However, fortunately for Acoustic Neuroma patients, they only have one. Tumors in acoustic neuroma patients are easier to remove and treat unlike those of us with NF2 who have tumors on BOTH acoustic nerves as well as many other tumors in the brain and spine.

For Sam, his battle with his tumor was finished years ago when he had surgery to remove it. It has not and will not grow back. For Rhianon and I, only part of our tumors were removed and it is very common for them to grow again. In addition, there are other tumors that we will watch with our doctors throughout the rest of our lives and try to enjoy our lives as much as we can before surgery is needed again.

All of us have been left with many issues to deal with as the result of damage inflicted by the tumors. Our caretakers have a tremendous amount on their plate in dealing with our disorders. We are truely grateful for them! It is important for all of us once in awhile to have fun and take a break from all this brain tumor stuff and the things that go along with it.

This Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet Frank, Rhianon's caretaker, who goes to all her doctor visits and appointments with her.

Happy Belated Havest Time

Above are a few photos from when my sister and I visited the corn maze and farm here in Redmond. To see a slideshow of the rest of adventure go here: http://picasaweb.google.com/RebeccaDufek/HarvestTime2008#slideshow


This year the corn maze was nice and lots of fun for me as my balance has improved greatly! Last time we went to a corn maze together was in Bosie, Idaho in Sept 2005 when my balance was still very poor. I had difficulty walking on the uneven ground and needed to use a hiking staff. The fun and games all ended when I got poked in the eye with corn and could not see well. No eye poking on this trip! The maze had a question game about agriculture. Guess the right answer and you went the correct way! Guess wrong and you hit a dead end!

Yeah, we did hit some deadends but made it all the way through to our prize of a mini pumpkin at the end! :o)