The proper update, as promised.

Two weeks in, I'm still going strong!  I had my second long run today- well, "long" run.... about 2.5 miles, but it went great!

So here I am at day 14, and I still have no pain!  Re-injuring my leg at the site of my stress fracture was my absolute worst fear, but so far I've managed to stave it off through a combination of slow build-up, yoga, pilates, and cross-training.  Let's hope it stays this way!

Over the last two weeks, I've logged about 9 miles over the course of 6 runs.  Pretty slow progress, but I couldn't be happier to just be healthy and back on my feet.  This plan for this week is 1.5 mile runs on Tuesday and Thursday, and then a 3-miler on Saturday.  I'll let you know how it goes...

Still no sign of my new running shoes... fingers crossed for Monday!

This is a little frightening...

So I found this map of the race course online, and I found it slightly disturbing.  Look at the size of the course compared to the size of the Disneyland parks!  They're just like two little circles compared to the enormous loop that is the race course.  Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into?!

I'm just kidding.... I'm really excited about it.  I won't say that I'm not nervous (because I totally am) but it'll be a really fun challenge.  Training is going really well right now, and I just ordered a new pair of running shoes, so I'm hoping those get here soon!

I have a "long" run coming up on Saturday; I'll do a proper update after that's all over!

One week down... so far so good!

My first week back to running was a success!  My runs this week were quite short, but it doesn't matter; to have three pain-free runs after coming back from a stress fracture is really exciting!

Like I said, I kept it pretty light this week: one mile on Tuesday, one mile on Thursday, and two on Saturday.  This week, the plan is to do 1.25 miles on Tuesday and Thursday, and then 2.5 on Saturday, plus my usual yoga, pilates, and cross-training workouts.  Fingers crossed...

Now, you're probably wondering what my long-term training plan is, because we both know that I can't keep running these short workouts and hope to magically run a half-marathon at the end of January.  Well, I'll tell you what the plan is!  I found a great 9-week beginner plan from Runner's World, so I'll start following that plan (or a modified version of that plan) around 27 November, which is nine weeks out from the race.  Until then, I'm just going to work on running progressively longer workouts, building bone and muscle strength, and increasing my cardiovascular endurance.  We'll see how that goes!

I think that's pretty much it for now, folks!  The fundraising is going quite well- I'm up to $300 dollars!  Again, thank you so much to everyone who has donated; your support is very much appreciated.  Stay tuned- I'll keep everyone updated on my progress, and hopefully I'll have some race day information soon!

And we're (mostly) back on track!

First of all, I am so excited to announce that I am a quarter of the way to reaching my goal of raising $800 for Lazarex!  Thank you so much to everyone who donated- I am so incredibly grateful for your generosity and support.

So I finally got back to running today after a brief hiatus... my recurring femoral stress fracture had been giving me some trouble, so I took a little time off.  I've been really worried about it lately, but I'm feeling much more optimistic after a pain-free run this afternoon.  Granted, it was only about one mile (I am NOT taking any chances with this injury.... slow and steady, right?) but it still makes me feel better.

I also got to use my short run today as a calibration workout for the brand-new Nike+ Sportband I bought this weekend!!!

I'm seriously in love with it... it measures pace, distance, time, and calories, and it tracks everything for me on the Nike+ website so I can keep track of all of my workouts.  Pretty cool, huh?

I also got a new pair of running pants and some super shock-absorbing insoles for my running shoes to help prevent a recurrence of the stress fracture... hopefully they'll work their magic!

Now you're probably thinking, "Great!  Now she has everything she could possibly need to get back on the road!"  Wrong.  (Disclaimer: This is kind of yucky).  Yesterday during my yoga class, I noticed that one of my toenails is falling off.  It's nothing dramatic, but the big toenail on my left foot (the one that pushes against the top of my running shoes) is separating from the nail bed.  I'm going to see a doctor about it tomorrow, but I pretty much already know the solution: new running shoes, half-size up.  So that may be on the shopping list for this weekend.

Geez, sometimes I feel like an trouble magnet!  Between the stress fracture, fluid in my knees, Achilles tendonitis, and now this stupid toenail, I feel like I just can't get a break.....  I'm too young for this!  But like I said, I'm hoping to make this time different.  I'm building up really slowly, wearing good shoes, running on soft surfaces, and adding in strength and cross-training to help protect my joints, muscles, and bones.  Now there's nothing to do but hope for the best!

I'll keep you updated on my progress..... fingers crossed for no more injuries!

13.1 miles.

That's right, people.... I've decided to run a half-marathon!  Of course, I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, but I'm also incredibly excited!  It's going to be a lot of work (duh), but I really have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy the challenge.  Oh, and have I mentioned it's in Disneyland?!

I'll be running the Tinkerbell Half, a women's-focused RunDisney event which will take place in Anaheim on 29 January, 2012.  From what I've read, the course will go through both Disneyland parks as well as a good chunk of downtown Anaheim.  That's kind of a scary thought.... the combination of TWO Disney parks didn't provide enough mileage.  I'm starting to realize how far 13.1 miles really is!

And because I've decided that simply training for such an event isn't enough work, I'm running to support the Lazarex Cancer Foundation!  So over the next three months or so, I'll be working to raise $800 to support the foundation- and that's where you guys come in!

First of all, let me say that I was really drawn to supporting Lazarex because of their unique mission; they raise money in order to help cancer patients pay for treatments and give them access to cutting edge clinical trials, providing hope even when conventional therapy has failed and they have been told they have no more options.  I won't deny for even a moment that cancer research is of utmost importance and I full-heartedly support the search for the cure, but I also think it's important that we remember that there are people suffering from this disease right now.  They don't have the time to wait, and we need to do all we can to alleviate their suffering until the cure is found.

To read more about the Lazarex Foundation and their awesome mission, check out their website at http://www.lazarex.org/lazarex/about-lazarex.

As I said, my goal is to raise $800 by the time I start running on 29 January.  If you'd like the donate, check out my fundraising page at http://lazarex.kintera.org/tinkerbell2012/kforlenza.  Via the fundraising page, you can make a secure donation using your credit card, but if you'd prefer to make a cash or check donation, just drop me an email and I'll send you a PDF form that you can print out and mail directly to the foundation.  Also, many companies will do gift matching- if yours does, let me know and I can provide you with the necessary paperwork.  No donation is too big or too small, and I sincerely appreciate every penny.

I want to thank you all in advance for your love and support throughout this journey; it really means a lot to me.  If someone had told me I'd be doing this two years ago, I would have said they were crazy.  I hated to run more than anything- I just really didn't appreciate how lucky I was to be healthy.  I think health is one thing that gets taken for granted a little too often, so let's just take a moment to realize how fortunate we are and to help those who are not.  This half-marathon is how I'm celebrating my health- how are you going to celebrate yours?

My Lazarex shirt just came in the mail... how exciting!

Don't forget to check back- I'll be keeping this blog updated with pictures, fundraising info, training progress, race day details, and a general narrative of the trials and tribulations of 13.1 miles!