Friday, February 20, 2015

UPDATE on Training, Fundraising, General Craziness



THE TEAM
 
I really love my triathlon training so far. I'm really enjoying the combination of sports and the challenge. I love working out with my team and I have met so many inspirational people.
I did my first open water swim in San Francisco with some teammates. It was a very chilling success! And we swam with some friendly sea lions. Our next one is this Sunday with the entire team. More pictures to come of that! 

My Lavaman race is on March 29th. It is really coming up quickly now. We had our first practice triathlon and it went great. It was one of the stormier days in February that we’ve had. So hopefully that will be the wettest triathlon I ever do! 

I recently suffered a back injury that I’m currently nursing with the help of my family. Everybody keeps asking me what I was doing when I threw out my back. I can tell that they’re expecting me to say it was while doing something very athletic and challenging- like while swimming in the ocean in rough currents, or biking up a gigantic hill, or running a marathon. Sadly, none of these are true…I was loading up my workout gear (bike, bags of clothes for biking and running, wetsuit, etc.) into my car. As I bent down to pick it all up, my back gave out and I was stuck in a 90° angle for a few minutes in my parking garage. Then, being stubborn as usual, I tried to drive to work. I couldn’t look over my shoulder to change lanes; I was crying from the pain (and swearing a little too). I made it to my office, where my mom had to come get me out of the driver’s seat and into the passenger seat. She drove me to my sister’s house in Orinda and I was stuck on their couch for two days! 

I am proud to say that I only missed ONE WORKOUT! I have made some slight modifications, but am continuing with the training schedule. I did wake up this morning with some new pain in a different part of my back. So, I’m going to make sure to keep icing, heating and stretching! 

THE FUNDRAISING

I want to say a huge, gigantic THANK YOU to everybody who has donated and supported my fundraising events. I have almost reached my $4,000 goal for Lavaman! Thank you all for your amazing support! Woohoo! 


My guest bartending event at Tonic in San Francisco was a huge success. And it was so much fun! Thank you so much to those who helped me sling drinks, and those who came and guzzled those drinks!
We raised over $500 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

My event at Patxi’s Pizza in Lafayette was also a success. Thank you to those who stopped by for food. They donated $529.99 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which I am splitting with two other teammates.

I have some more fundraising events coming up!

March 8- One of my teammates and I have found 8 other amazing volunteers to work at Golden Gate Fields’ Dollar Days event! We will be running the dollar concession stand for the entire day. In exchange, Golden Gate Fields will donate $1,000 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! HUGE THANK YOU to Laura Hoover Njaa & Adam Njaa for organizing this for me J

 
March 11- I am hosting a Sports Basement shopping party at their Berkeley location with another teammate. From 6-8pm, shoppers will receive FREE wine, beer and snacks…PLUS 10% OFF OF THEIR ENTIRE PURCHASE! And, Sports Basement will donate another 10% of your purchase to LLS! If you’re around, come stop by to say hi and pick up some sporting gear!


AMAZING RAFFLE- NOW UNTIL MARCH 15TH!
I am so lucky and thankful to have received some amazing raffle donations from local merchants! I have over $1200 worth of prizes. So, I will be holding a raffle from now until the end of March. 

Raffle tickets are only $5 each
OR
Get five tickets for $20

You can buy tickets in person from me, or you can make a donation to my page between now and March 14th:

HERE ARE THE PRIZES! 




















THE CRAZY LADY I HAVE BECOME
Yes, this is correct. I have indeed lost my mind. I have not yet completed my first triathlon, and I have already signed up for my first half ironman race! 

I drank the triathlete Kool-Aid and I liked it!



For the half ironman, I will be swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles and running 13.1 miles on September 13, 2015. 


So, I have pledged to raise another $1800 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with this race. 

Your donations will help fund treatments that save lives every day; like immnuotherapies that use a person’s own immune system to kill cancer. You may not know it, but every single donation helps save a life with breakthrough therapies such as these.

Patients need these cures and they need your support.

Please make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and help get us all closer to a world without blood cancers.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!