Ok, so I took a break...

Nothing exciting has really been going on since the last time I wrote a post.  I ran a half marathon.  Whoopdy Do!  I really have been more focused on my coaching and getting my kid through school instead of racing or blogging.  I have been running every few days, but racing was put on the back burner.

However, I did do a fair bit of racing on the Labor Day weekend.  I have to get my race reports out, so hang tight while I gather my thoughts and photos.  It was fun!

Later Gators,

Liz

Er, yeah. I went for a run today.

When someone is paying you money to run with them, you run.  I can feel my effort now, and I am sure I will feel it tomorrow, but it shouldn't be too bad.  I have felt worse.

I did feel guilty the evening after the Dopey stuff ended when I saw plenty of people shuffling and having trouble getting in and out of the shuttle buses and on stairs at Downtown Disney.  I wasn't sore. Should I have been sore?  Crippled?  I can say that I was dog tired.  I still am today.  I want to take a nap all the time and I have even found myself getting loopy tired in the car as I am driving home and I have to guzzle a bunch of water to have to go to the bathroom to stay alert.  And I'm getting 6+ hours of sleep a night.  I guess I need more sleep than I thought.

The only place that I was sore after the race was my left foot.  On the bus back to the resort after the marathon, I was doing some ankle rolls and and ankle and toe flexes and found my left foot to be sore and tight.  After I found some food and got back to the resort room, I pulled off my shoes and socks and found this…

HOLY $#!%

How in the heck did that happe…..oh, wait….DANG!!! I forgot that the day before when I was in Epcot at the aquarium watching a dolphin demonstration that some goofball kid was swinging on a railing between to levels on the observation deck and swung through and landed on my left foot.  At the time, it hurt like hell and I yelled when it happened.  The kid, nor the parent, said anything and I just kept on moving.  After riding Test Track and having a beer at the Biergarten in the Germany pavilion, I had forgotten about my foot.  What is really sad is that I cannot find this beer in Houston.

After my shower, I slathered Traumeel on my foot and wrapped it up with some stretchy Kinisiotape.  It didn't hurt to walk around on and it almost felt better wrapped up.  After taking the tape off the next morning, the bruising was gone!  I still had some swelling so I reapplied the Traumeel, Kinisiotape, and compression socks for the flight home and after 24 hours, my foot was back to normal and no swelling or pain!

I had a tough CrossFit workout my first day back that involved LOTS of running and squats but I got through it.  I have taught two spin classes this week and they were tough, but I got through it.   The run today was good, but I stuck with a run/walk interval.  I don't want to wear the machine down because it still has to go out there and perform.

I still have to run for Josh.

I can see that there are about 50 people that are reading my blog posts each time I slap one up.  All it would take is for each person to go to this link...

https://my.reason2race.com/LIZGARCIA

and make a $25.00 donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for me to hit a base goal of fundraising for Josh.  I really want to go beyond $2,000.00 and be able to help him and his family, as well as the research doctors LLS supports here in the Texas Medical Center.  I wouldn't do all of these stupid human tricks just for kicks.  I do them for others.

Help me help Josh.

Later Gators,

Liz

It Was Like the Movie, Groundhog Day

The alarm rang again at 2:15 am.  I hauled myself out of bed and put on a purple Team In Training singlet.  I got on the bus at 3:15 am.  I walked across the Epcot parking lot.  But wait, it was cooler this morning than the day before.  I was now in a long sleeve t-shirt and I had a Disney World rain poncho wrapped around my legs and shoulders to stay warm.  I made the same mile long walk out to the corrals.  I stood in the same long line for a port-o-can.  I stood at the same spot at the back of the corral and looked at the other participants and wondered if some of them had spent more time putting together their costume than actually training for this marathon.  Really, Mrs. Potts, what are you doing up in corral F standing near the Clif Pace Team member holding up a 4:00 hour pace card?  If Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Ursula the Sea Witch, and some strange pink and blue furry monster from Monsters University were going to be running faster than me then I was going to throw myself on Capt. Hook's peg leg.

Our Corral got moving fourteen minutes after the wheelchair division and unlike the day before when the fireworks did not go off for our corral start, they lit up the dark sky and sent us on our way.  I kept to my 5 minute run/ 5 minute walk interval and felt bad having to stop on the side of the road and start my walk interval while everyone was dashing around me through the grass. "SORRY!!!  I have to stick to the plan!"  I finally ditched my long sleeve shirt around mile two and had the cold air hit my sweaty arms.  If I wasn't awake before, I was after that.  I thought that I had taken all the pictures that I needed to for the first half of the race because I had taken them the day before and then I run into the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's Castle was lit up with extra lights like I have never seen it before.

 AWESOME!!!  I made a much needed pit stop in the TomorrowLand bathrooms.  All I am going to say is that I have learned that I will avoid eating beets the day before a race.  Those of you that eat beets know what I am talking about.  I was only about 5 minutes off the half marathon pace when I ran through Cinderella's Castle, but that was the bathroom break.  I kept the fluids and salt delivery on schedule.  I was really feeling good.  I would always pull over to the far right to power walk.  Yes, I probably looked like a complete idiot with my arms swinging and my hips wagging, but I was passing other walkers.  At times I wondered when my Nike+ gal was going to tell me when my 5 minutes of walking was up and I could run again.  I always picked right up and fell into good form on the run intervals and passed people up.

Each year that I have run the WDW marathon, there have been small changes to the course and this year was no exception.  At mile 8, the course took us onto the Petty Speedway race track!  There was a local classic car organization or two that had come out and had their classic cars parked on the track and the owners were out cheering for us.  The cars took up more than a third of the track.  When we exited the track we headed out to Animal Kingdom and before we entered in the back I saw some of the keepers with goats, lambs, pigs, a miniature pony, and a donkey all on harnesses and leashes out to great us.  Very cool.  When we exited Animal Kingdom out the back of DinoLand, there was an aid station and I decided that I needed another pit stop.  At least I was staying hydrated.  There were lots of people cheering for us at Animal Kingdom and I took the opportunity to get a picture with the official Mousecot of the Marathon since there was no line at all for photos.

I sent out a quick Facebook update to let everyone know that I was at mile 14 and then I kept on walking and running.  I had a few people comment to me that I was really moving with my walk.  I was!  Sure, I was slower than if I was running, but I was still passing other walkers.  I was seeing more of them now and I was also seeing tons of people pulling over to the medical tents to slather on Biofreeze and Vasaline.  My chub rub from the 10K was ok, but I was keeping an eye on it.  At mile 16, I could see the runners on the other side of the road headed to Hollywood Studios and caught a quick glance at their mileage marker.  21.  Dang, ok, five miles until I get there.  Normally it is just an out and back past the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, but this time they took us into the complex, we ran past fields of people practicing soccer, ran on the New Balance running track and ran around the infield and past the scoreboard of the ball field where the Florida Marlins have their spring training games.  It was at third base that I ran into my friend Amy again!  I was so happy to see her.  We exchanged a few words and we both agreed to stay in touch about me heading to Kona, Hawaii in March.  She was on a walk break and I was on a run break, so I headed on.  I found another bathroom that was empty around mile 19 and decided to go, but nothing happened.  Well, stuff happened so that I felt better, but I am sure that is way too much information than I needed to give out.  Mile 20 clicked by.  Mile 21 clicked by.  I was still feeling strong on my run intervals and I was not experiencing any pain.  Right after mile 21 was a steep overpass that I had a run interval on.  85% of the people there were walking and the green Army men from Toy Story were going Sgt. Hartman on everyone.  "YOU CALL THAT RUNNING?!?" "PICK IT UP SOLDIER, HUP HUP HUP HUP!!!"  "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU WALKING."

As I made my way through Hollywood Studios, I picked up my little bar of chocolate that they hand out over by the Tower of Terror and stuffed it in my Fuel Belt pocket.  I have found that trying to eat chocolate at mile 22 of a marathon is like giving a dog a spoonful of peanut butter.  I would save that little gem for later.  I also was handed a package of Monsters Inc. fruit gummies that I stuffed in a pocket.  Park guests were inside the park by now and the crowds were going crazy.  I'm not sure it if was for us or that they were angry that we were blocking their way to get to the Toy Story ride.  Mile 23, now I'm down on the sidewalk that leads from Hollywood Studios to the Boardwalk area.  I pass my resort room.  It never occurred to me to just end there and head up to the room.  I was close to the finish now. Mile 24, I was around the Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts.  It was time to run.  No more walking.  Mile 25, inside the World showcase!

There was no way that I was letting that chick dressed as Ariel, the Little Mermaid, that I had been seeing off and on all morning long, beat me to the finish.  Lime green and turquoise blue tutu chick, you are not finishing in front of me either.  I had seen so many tutus and sparkle skirts over the past four days and they were getting on my nerves.  4:45 Clif Pace Team chick and your pace group, sorry, I have to get by you, NOW!!!  The Gospel Choir at mile 26 had an area that was big enough for me to swing around the pace group.  .2 miles to go and the photographers were all over the course.  I could see the finish.  I felt my throat want to close up and tears coming to my eyes. NONONONO, KEEP IT TOGETHER AND FINISH!!!  I gave Mickey a high five as I crossed the finish and I dissolved into a sobbing mess.  I pulled over to get out of the way and just let it all go.  A race volunteer asked me if I was ok and I nodded yes and tried to pull myself together.

I have been struggling over the past eighteen months with a personal goal that I missed, a shoulder injury that kept me from running for ten months, super low motivation to run when I could, and a serious case of negative self image as an athlete/runner.  I did not feel worthy to wear any of my finisher's shirts or gear from any of my Ironman races or past marathons within the last few years.  I did not tell new people I met what I did.  I told one guy at CrossFit who asked me if I was the gal who had done an Ironman to keep that information on the down-low and that I really didn't want people to know that about me.  I had worked with a therapist/life coach to try to figure out where this was all coming from.  When I registered for this crazy thing nine months ago, I thought I would get motivated and run. It didn't happen.  I was scared going into this thing because I was severely under trained.  My longest run was 12 miles and that was back in September or October.  And then, I was hit with a ton of bricks when my kid came home and told me that Josh had been diagnosed with leukemia.  I had lost sight of why I ran.  I had let running become about trying to qualify for a race, to get faster, to reach another goal.  When I started to run, it wasn't about me, it was about the person who could not run.

I am not able to donate blood or plasma because I have had open heart surgery, but I can run.  And running wasn't going to be nearly as painful as a bone marrow aspiration in the hip or sternum.  I had to run because Josh needed me to.  He didn't ask me to run for him, I just told him and his family that I was going to do it and see if I could get a few people to donate some money to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Sure, no one has any money after the holiday bills have started rolling in and tax season starts.    The economy is bad.  The kids need braces, the dog needs to go to the vet, the car needs a new alternator, the home owner's association wants to be paid.  People get tired of always seeing the same people asking for money over and over again for some cause or another.  I get it, I am fighting an uphill battle to raise a few bucks.

But a $20 a week coffee habit can pay for almost a day and a half of parking expenses down in the Texas Medical Center and Josh's mom, Cindy, has to have him down at MD Anderson a minimum of three days a week.  A $100 evening out at the movies (3D) for a family of four with snacks and drinks can cover the cost of a bag of IV fluids.  Could you make your coffee at home this week?  Could you just go rent a movie from Red Box and buy a $1.50 bag of popcorn kernels and pop your own popcorn on the stove top or in your microwave?  We say we cannot give because we don't have the money, but what kinds of non-essential expenses do we have in our daily life that, for one week, we might be able to redirect towards finding a cure for blood cancers and helping a kid like Josh.

All it take is a few dollars here and there to make an impact in Josh's life.  Insurance doesn't usually cover the cost of teachers coming to the house or the hospital to keep kids with cancer up to date with their school work.  Insurance does not pay for parking garage fees.  Insurance does not pay for experimental protocols that have not been approved by the FDA.  Going to the link below will allow you to help cover some of those expenses and fund 16 research doctors in the Texas Medical Center.

https://my.reason2race.com/LIZGARCIA

If you are unable to contribute, you might know someone who would want to.  Please feel free to pass the link on to others.  I will continue to run for Josh over the next few weeks and keep you updated on how far I go.

Later Gators,

Liz

22.4 Miles Done, 26.2 To Go

It is not easy getting up at 2:15 am, EST when the body is still on CST.  I have done it twice and I only have to do it one last time.  Let me give a quick recap of the Donald Duck Half Marathon and then I have to go to bed.

Yes, we were up at 2:15 and out the door to the shuttle bus by 3:10 am. Today it was quite a bit different from the 5K and 10K pre race set up.  For the 5K and 10K, we had an area that was about 380 meters from the finish line that had five or six lettered corrals for the runners.  This morning for the half marathon the lettered corrals went up to the letter P.  The start was about a mile walk away from the race finish area where gear bags were dropped off and the pre race staging area was.  So this morning there were all the people running just the half marathon, the people that were running the Goofy Challenge of the half and full marathon, and then us Dopey folks who were running everything they could throw at us.

I got into my corral early enough that I had to end up leaving to find a port-o-can while I was waiting.  I made it a point to sit and relax at the back of the corral.  Of course all of the fast people head right up to the front.  The people in the back made for interesting people watching.  Corral F is not too far down the chain from A and B that house the people who are running at a stupid fast pace and not taking it slow enough to get their money's worth out of the event.  So as I was watching people enter Corral F, I had to wonder if some of them spent more time putting together their costume to run in than they did executing their run training.  Soon enough, we got started and the fireworks were shot off for each corral.  I could not tell how long it was between each one, but it was around two minutes.  The weather was warmer and even though there was a breeze, it was still warm enough for me to only have on a short sleeve toss-away shirt.

As I made my way across the start line near the back of my corral, I kept an super easy pace and just hung back with the people that were around me before the race started.  When my first walking break came at the five minute mark, I will admit that it was hard to slow down and walk as everyone was passing me up.  As I ran through the dark, I stuck to my 5 min run/5 min walk race plan.  It was convenient that I was on a run interval when I passed lots of spectators near the monorail station and again on Main Street USA inside the Magic Kingdom.  It was humid so I had taken care to slap petroleum jelly on the insides of my legs to keep the previous day's chub rub from getting worse.  I felt it the entire way. but it wasn't as painful as having a wild squirrel biting the inside of my legs.

I think that it was around mile 6 that the sky started to lighten a bit.  The clouds and fog hung in there but all it meant was that no one was going to get sunburned.  I did have to dodge in and out of people on some narrow areas of the course, but for the most part, I was able to stay on target with my pace.  At mile 7 I had one of the Team in Training Coaches walk with me for about 100 yards as she checked on me and how I was doing.  It was interesting to see the tail end of the walkers at 8.5 miles as they were at the 3.5 mile mark.  Around mile 9 I saw a girl running in a Speedo bathing suit and then realized that it was one of my friends from Hawaii that I went through Newton Coaching Certification with.  It was so great to see Amy and to let her know that I will be in Kona in March.  She let me go as she was sticking with friends and I headed down the road.  At mile 10 I got to walk with another TNT coach as he checked on me.  At mile 11 I considered grabbing more petroleum jelly to slap between my thighs but I knew that I could tolerate the discomfort.  At mile 12, the spectators were gathered at Epcot to cheer the runners into the park.  At 12.1, I finished my walking and I ran it all the way in.  I was impressed that my GPS was pretty accurate today compared to Thursday and Friday.  I was getting great updates on my pace every five minutes and I knew that I was going to be under my goal of 2:30 using my run/walk interval.  Official results say 2:21.37, or a 10:48 min/mi pace.

I collected my wristband to prove that I finished the race for the Dopey Challenge, got my medal, a banana, and then headed out to get a few pictures before climbing on the bus to get back to the resort.

Breakfast tasted wonderful, the pool was cold for my leg dip, and the walking I did around Epcot today has kept me from being sore.  I think the dorky compression calf sleeves helped as well.  I had a good German meal in Epcot for dinner.  I know that will be the most helpful for tomorrow.

Ok, I am falling asleep at the computer.  Keep me in your thoughts tomorrow as I finish this for Josh.  It is pouring outside right now.  Let's hope this finishes up before 2:15 am.

Later Gators,

Liz

The Stark Realization of What is Ahead

The 10K is in the bag.  9. 3 miles down and 39.3 to go.  39.3 miles.  39.3.  Thirty-nine point three.  HFS.

This morning the race was one hour earlier than the 5K so  my alarm woke me up at 2:15 am (1:15 CST!!!) and I got my gear on and headed out the door to grab a bus before the lines got too long.  Even though the temps were warmer than yesterday, there was a breeze this morning.  Did I take my toss away shirt this morning?  NO.  What a dumb ass move on my part.  I really wanted it to ward off the goose flesh.  When we pulled up to Epcot, we were the first bus there.  I got in and out of a port-o-can quickly, did a little warm up run and some neuromuscular exercises and just tried to move enough so that the breeze would not chill me.

So being in corral A does have some benefits.  You get out on the course early and the on course entertainment is still super fresh.  I was going into this strongly adhering to a run five minute/walk one minute interval.  After the first five minutes, Nike woman tells me that my pace was 7:38.  SHIT!!!  SLOW THE F--K DOWN!!!  I did my one minute walk and pulled over to the edge of the road.  I was the only person walking.  That's ok, that is the plan and I was sticking to it.  I started my run again and got going and started passing people.  SLOW THE F--K DOWN!!!  My mile splits were somewhere between 9 and 10 minutes.  Every time I started to run after my one minute of walking, I was zooming along and passing people.  I was not out to pass people, it just happened that way.  I stopped to drink a cup of water and eat some Shot Blocks around mile three.

I stopped to snap a picture of the World Showcase that was all lit up.  I stopped to futz with my shorts that were starting to chaff the insides of my upper thighs (UGH!!!).  I stopped for photos with Chip n' Dale.  I stuck to my 5/1 interval like glue.  There were some moments that I thought my intestines were going to give me issues, but I figured that it was just gas and I was going to be finished soon enough.   Running up to the finish, the time clock was reading 1:00.23.  I knew that I was going to cross still at the one hour mark and I know that it took me a few seconds to get across the start line.  I started in the dark, and I finished in the dark.

THAT WAS WAY TOO FAST!!!  WAY TOO FAST!!!

Other than the chub rub on my inner thighs, I had no pain during the run but I knew that for the half I was going to have to really rethink my plan on how to run it.  Each day they have been herding the Dopey people into a special chute to get a wrist band.  We have to have a wrist band for each race on Sunday to collect all of our medals.

Next, they give us drinks and food in these nifty little snack boxes.  Then we get our medals and our photos.

I tried to get a massage, but I guess I finished too early because there was no one in the massage tent.  After getting some calories in me and photos with some world known celebrities, I found my roommates and we headed back to the resort for breakfast in the hot tub.  I made sure not to sit in there too long this time.

I decided in the hot tub that I was going to run for five minutes and then walk for five minutes.  The runner's handbook said to walk more, so that is what I decided I was going to do for the half tomorrow.

I got cleaned up, pulled on my compression sleeves, and headed over to the Magic Kingdom to check out the new section of Fantasyland.  I did my Fastpasses, found some lunch and ended up walking around quite a bit from one side of the part to the other, based on where my Fastpass rides were.  On my last ride, the Tomorrowland Transport, I decided to prop my feet up and I had time to think more about my half marathon plan.

I decided that I needed to walk more of it than just half of it.  I want to have legs for Sunday.

So here is the plan.  I am going to get at the back of my corral and I am going to just let everyone go.  I am going to start out with some running, but I am dialing things way back to where I feel embarrassingly slow.  After 5 minutes, it is walk time.  and I will be walking until I get near lots of spectators.  That should be around mile 4 or so.  Once I get to Ticket and Transportation, I will run and look awesome for the spectators and then walk to the Magic Kingdom.  I will run on Main Street USA and then pick up the walking when I am out of the park.  I will probably run past the Grand Floridian Resort and again as I am coming into Epcot, but if I am not in a park with all the photographers or anywhere near spectators, I am walking.  This is going to be a SLOW morning.  I need to save my legs for Sunday or you might find me in a location that is not so magical.

I will probably still be finished before many of you are even dressed and have had your first cup of coffee.  The start is at 5:30 am.

That means it is past my bedtime.

Later Gators,

Liz

Here's the Plan

I am letting all of you know up front that I am not going to win this Dopey Challenge.  So now that this news is out of the way, I am going to tell you all how I am going to get through this.  Slowly.

Family Fun 5K

I ran about a mile and a half, grabbed some water and then saw Dopey.  I had to stop for a photo.  It was a big FAIL.  The flash washed out the picture.  I got a good 10 minute or more break waiting in line.  I ran to mile 2.5 or so and took a cool pic of Spaceship Earth at the front of Epcot.

I ran to the finish and felt great.  The starting temp was 57 there were a few little sprinkles of rain, but nothing much.  I was sweating, but after getting my medal, snack box and getting out of the finisher's area, I was starting to get chilled.  I found my running friends, we hit the bus to head back to the Boardwalk Inn and I grabbed a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee and I had breakfast in the hot tub.  I have been hydrating all day to make up for it.

Disney Minnie Mouse 10K

I am planning on doing a run/walk program and I will admit that it is going to be HARD to stick to it because I felt great today.  I don't have my Jiminy Cricket who will tell me to stop and walk and really make me do it.  I will have to let my conscience be my guide.  The runner handbook tells the Dopey Challenge participants to take more liberal walk breaks than in the 5K and if the participant has not been running at least three days a week, to walk the majority of the 10K.  !!!  !!!  !!!  Ok, ok, I will take liberal walking breaks.  I get it.  I have to be able to still have legs at mile 18 on Sunday.

I'm in corral A for the 5K and 10K.  HA!  MIND GAMES, I tell you, mind games.  "Go slow, but we are putting you in the fast person corral."

Disney Donald Half Marathon

Again, a liberal run/walk program.  The runner handbook recommends walking as much of the event as possible.  Wow, ok.  I guess I am going to do a lot of walking.

Disney Mickey Mouse Marathon

The plan is to go embarrassingly slow for the first half and then see what I have left in the tank for the second half and if I can negative split.

This event is going to be a challenge for me to be able to reign things in and keep it slow and easy.  I know I am slow, but going slower than slow is going to be a mental challenge as hundreds and thousands of people will be running past me.  These will be the SLOWEST 5K, 10K, half, and full marathons I have ever, EVER run/walked/shlepped my way through.  Do not congratulate me for a great race.  This is not a race.  Just keep encouraging me to go slow and just put the miles behind me.  Keep reminding me that I cannot let this be about me, it is all about Josh.

Ok, off to bed.  I have to be on the shuttle bus to the start line by 3:15 am.

Later Gators,

Liz

The Bar Has Been Set!

So if you read the last post, you might have seen a comment that one of my son's friends was diagnosed with leukemia last month.  That is one of  the most devastating things for a parent to be confronted with.  Every parent wants their child, or children, to grow up healthy and happy.  So I decided that I wasn't going to sit around and not do anything.  If you have been a reader for a long time, I don't think that there are many long time readers left, you might remember the fact that I cannot donate blood which is in great demand by cancer patients.  What I can do is I can run.

And I have set the bar high.

Meet Josh.

Josh is the son of one of my husband's co-workers and we have known Josh since he was a little kid.  Josh is now a senior in high school.

Josh is a member of the band.  To say that Josh is smart is an understatement.  He was able to advance two years in school but his parents advanced him one year so that he would still fit in with the kids in his grade level.  But school is on hold right now.  After spending two weeks in ICU, Josh was able to come home for Christmas but he still has to go to MD Anderson three times a week for his chemo and transfusions.

I cannot help Josh out with a blood donation, but I can run my @$$ off and get people to donate money to help him.  I think that there might be some people out there who might want to see me do a few stupid human tricks and toss a few bucks Josh's way.

Here is the goal:  I am setting my goal to run a minimum of 100 miles by March 1st. for Josh and it started today.

Today I ran 7.2 miles.  But here is the exciting part.  By this time next week, I will have run over 58 miles for Josh.  Yep, this week I am running another 50 miles for Josh.  You will need to stay tuned to how it goes.  If you feel so inclined to help me raise $2,000.00 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, here is a link for you to make a donation:

https://my.reason2race.com/LIZGARCIA

98% of your donation will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for patient aid and research.  Patient aid is money to pay for the things that insurance will not cover such as the $14 a day parking garage fee at MD Anderson or the cost of one hour with a social worker for Josh's parents and brother as they learn how to live life with cancer in it.  The Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of LLS supports 16 research doctors in the Texas Medical Center at MD Anderson and Baylor College of medicine.  Your tax deductible donation stays local to benefit Josh and his family.

Now, I challenge you, gentle reader.  Hit the link above and make a donation.  It is whole lot easier than running.  If you think that you can donate a few cups of coffee money, hit the link above.  If you think that you can donate the cost of a night out at the movies, hit the link above.  If you think that you can donate the cost of the new pair of shoes you were looking at to add to your collection, hit the link above.  If you know that you cannot donate right now but you know three people who can, forward them the link above and tell them that they need to donate to Josh. 

You can make a difference with just a few dollars.

Stay tuned to how I am going to knock out 50 more miles of running this week.

Later Gators,

Liz

Where to start...

Ok,

Life has gotten in the way.  I neglected this blog and I have probably neglected myself in the process.  Here is a brief follow up from the last post I made seven or eight months ago to get you caught up on what kind of mess I have been dealing with:

1. My secret project was learning how to play the violin.  I had my first concert in November.  It is humbling and exciting.  I sound awful.
2. The kid failed Algebra I and took summer school and made an 86.  His comment, "It makes so much sense now, that it is easy."  We had a bad teacher.
3. Three walls of our dining room were torn out to replace studs eaten by termites.  What a mess.
4. July saw the resignation of the band director and things were up in the air for summer band to start in two weeks.
5. The kid got an AWESOME band director.  He has done great things with the kids.
6. My dad finished his chemotherapy and started his slow recovery back to normal and cancer free.
7. I started CrossFit and I kind of like it.
8. School started and my stress level jumped up at least five notches.  
9. October. Meh. The kid fails World History AP.
10. I start coaching again and get a nifty job as a virtual coach.
11. I think I ran a few times in October and November.
12. My kid's friend from band is diagnosed with leukemia.
13. December left me stressed out to stay on top of the kid to get his work done and help keep him on track for finals.  I think we passed.  I'm too chicken shit to look at the online grades.  It is what it is.  I cannot change the past.

And now it is 2014 and do I have anything to show for it other than stress tics in my left eyelid and a jacked up neck?  Personally, no. However, my dad is back to doing the things he enjoys.  My kid made Region Band. I haven't killed anyone with my cooking or burnt the house down trying to decorate the Christmas tree.  

BUT NOW IT IS 2014:

I started today with a CrossFit workout that, at the end of the day, I was able to get the fastest time out of eight groups at the prescribed workout.  I have someplace to go to next week that is starting to excite me.  I have not had a vacation since that crazy Carnival Cruise last January.  I am in need of a vacation.  Bad.  

There is a shimmer of hope that this year will be much better than last year.  Let's see if I can make more than one post for this year.  I am back to being slow but I am still determined.

Later Gators,

Liz

Epiphany

OMG!!! She wrote a post for her blog.  Where are the flying monkeys? Did the Venezuelan government get their act together? Has Kanye West stopped being such a douche bag? What in the name of Colonel Sanders prompted this???

Well, I got a little nostalgic this morning standing with my hand over my heart as the national anthem was being sung just before the start of the 2013 Ironman Texas this morning. I looked up in the sky and the clouds were blocking out the sun just like it was two years ago when I was standing at the same edge of the lake ready to jump in and start the process of having the most amazing race of my life.  I did that! I did it well!  It is within me.  It may be hiding right now or may just be possible that I misplaced my race self in my mess of a house (just like I have misplaced one of my Mom's necklaces) and when I clean my shit up and get my act together, I will find it and I will hear my Mom telling me, "If it was a snake, it would of bit you."

I have been plodding along for the past few months.  I have felt like I have been shackled to some heavy kettlebells that I have been dragging along behind me.  This morning, the light bulb went on and I realized that all I had to do was pick up the damn kettlebells and carry the load rather than dragging it along. By carrying the load, I would have to get stronger, no?

I started off January with a good run on New Years Day, I took a cruise to Cozumel on the doomed Carnival Triumph two weeks before it decided to run afoul in the Gulf of Mexico, and I was loving my cooking school lessons so much that I signed up for the second phase of classes. I got a new mountain bike and did some riding around the trails behind my house.  Most importantly, I gave up dairy to see if it would end the intestinal problems. There were only steps backwards.  One was having El Esposo witness one of the kid's seizures. That freaked him out. My dad had his surgery to remove the cancer from his colon. That was kinda stressful. And, I still did not have full use of my shoulder back.  That was aggravating. To top it off, I had one of my athletes go Coo-Coo for Co-Co Puffs and make some pretty wild accusations against another athlete to deflect the attention off of him for a serious financial crime involving missing money from a fundraiser.

In February, out of nowhere, I won my age group at a local 5K.  I felt out of shape and almost barfed at the finish line, but I felt like I was starting on the way back. Then I hit a brick wall.  The kid failed Algebra again and failed it hard. He also had another seizure while he was with El Esposo on an out of town vacation.  Let's just say that there were so many rules, limitations, and unreal expectations that were laid down that my poor kid felt like he was being punished.  I had to keep my mouth shut on most of it so I would not endure the Wrath of Khan.  El Esposo means well, but he has never been in town when we have had neurologist appointments so he is going on his on theories that he can glean from the Internet and his own beliefs.  I was working on dropping gluten out of my diet along with the dairy because I was having leg swelling, five pound weight swings in a 24 hour period, hives, and an overall poor mood.  It is not fun going gluten-free.  It is hard.  To top it off, I had one of my athletes go Coo-Coo for Co-Co Puffs and make some pretty wild accusations against some of the other athletes to hide some really horrible financial disasters that he was responsible for. 


March was busy getting all of my athletes squared away for their races in Oceanside, California and Galveston, Texas.  They all did amazing!  I was very proud of all of them and so appreciative of my assistant coach, Audree, and all of the hard work that she put into the season to make this TEAM the best that it could be.  The rest of March was kind of a blur with work, school stuff, and my dad's long recovery from his surgery that I really did not take time for myself.

April was a little better and the main high point was that i was able to get back in the pool and start swimming again.  I had really missed the water.  My shoulder was back in action!  No one has any idea what was wrong with it, but now I have full range of motion back and I had to get my cellulite back in a swim suit and start the process of rebuilding my fitness.  I also signed up for an event.  A big event.  A crazy event.  A Dopey Challenge.  Yes, I have registered for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend's Dopey Challenge.  A 5K on Thursday, a 10K on Friday, a half-marathon on Saturday, and a full marathon on Sunday.  I did the Goofy Challenge in 2010 so tacking on an extra 5K and 10K should not be that bad.  I do have to start running again.  I ran a 5K after the Boston Marathon bombing in support of the runners and i was sucking wind big time.  It is only going to be harder and hotter as the days go on, I need to HTFU and just go out and do it.  I don't have a running partner and I need one badly to keep me accountable and to push me.  It is hard when all of my runner friends live on the complete opposite end of town from where I do.

May came with some challenges in the form of unexpected house guests, termites eating all the wood around one of the front windows of the house, and so other slights.  So, I got mad.  I was really inflamed.  I didn't quite stick my head out a window and yell, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" like in the movie Network, but I got mad as hell and I decided that I was going to take on a project that I have wanted to do for a very long time.  I am not ready to let the blog-sphere or the vast majority of my friends or family know about this, because I want to keep it for myself and not share it.  Pretty damn selfish, huh?  I only let four people know about my secret project and these four people were helpful in giving me some guidance and direction, as well as support.  In time, I will let the cat out of the bag, but not right now.

Right now, I have work to do.  I have to take the derailed train and get the cars back on the track.  i have to get the engine stoked with fuel to start moving it down the tracks.  With movement, the laws of physics says that there will be momentum.  I need to overcome the friction that is keeping the wheels from turning.  I have to polish the brass bell.  It is so much work that it seems overwhelming, but I know that I have to do it because if I don't, the moving parts will rust up and things will get beyond repair.  The first item to work on is not the engine, but the control panel.  

Things might not be terribly exciting to read about, but at least I will start having some things to blog about.

Later Gators,

Liz

The Highs and Lows of 2012: A Year in Review

2012 has been a series of highs and lows all year long.  The highs have been really high and the lows have been really low.  It has also been a year of big changes.  Change is always hard, but for the most part as one door closes, another one opens.  Work changes, school changes, coaching changes, and the changes that come with having pets have kept me in a constant state of adaptation.  Athletically, 2012 was a year of huge gains and huge losses.  I am still struggling to come to terms that most of my fitness that I worked years to achieve has basically disappeared in the last five months. Maybe I was overtrained, maybe I was over reaching, maybe I really needed the break to heal, recover, and start the process of rebuilding.  We will see what happens in 2013.  So here is just a year in review.  

January:  High

Ran the Houston Marathon in sub 4 hours and took 17 minutes off of my previous marathon time. 

February:  Low

Dealing with the sad fact that I made less money than a member of an office cleaning crew at my job.  My W-4 arrived in my mailbox and I knew I had to dump my job that kept 60% of what people paid to do personal training with me.  But how could I just leave and abandon my clients, some who had been working with me for twelve years, and move to another gym that they were not a member of?  Calf muscle issues that popped up in the Houston Marathon are keeping me from running too far without pain. My hives flare back up.

March:  High

I went to California and attended a fitness business conference and gained the confidence that if I moved to a new location, my clients would move with me.  I had a great run in California.  The hives are still bothering me.

April:  Low

My kid had a grand mal seizure in the back of my parents car on the way to a fishing trip while I was in Galveston with my athletes I had been coaching for the Memorial Hermann 70.3 Ironman.  After many CT scans, MRIs, and doctors visits, he is diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.  Calf muscle issues are keeping from running very far.  I’m not getting my miles in to train for my next race. The hives are pretty bad this month.  My doc cannot figure it out and he thinks it is tied to my kidney function.

May:  High

I get to go to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands with my athletes that I have been coaching for the St. Croix 70.3 Ironman.  Frankie selects me to be his dog-mom and take him to his forever home.  I leave my job at the “Big Box” gym when they sell to a no-name company that doesn’t know how to run a gym.

June:  High/Low

I run the San Diego Rock n’ Roll marathon and take six more minutes off my marathon PR.  I miss qualifying for the Boston Marathon by 2 minutes and 8 seconds, my time spent in the port-o-cans.  My right calf is so jacked up, I am unable to walk without pain for almost two weeks.  My son turns 14 and gets to go to swim camp and band camp. The hives are still around.

July:  High/Low

My kid gets to attend a brass band camp and meets his private lesson trumpet instructor.  I begin working for myself out of a great fitness studio less than 3 miles from the “big box” gym.  Many of my clients follow me to my new location.  I try to get my running going again after five weeks off and my calf gets jacked up again.  I cannot run further than 5-6 miles without being in a lot of pain.

August:  Low

I injure my right shoulder on a cable machine doing chest presses.  I am in incredible pain until I trip in my kitchen and pop something in my back and the pain suddenly goes away.  I am not if pain, but I am unable to raise my right arm. Driving and keeping my hand on the steering wheel is exhausting.  The air conditioning unit in the attic leaks bad enough to go through the master bath and come out of the ceiling of the first floor.  We discover where the leak that caused the mold in the master bath came from.  The master bath will need to be gutted and repaired.  The hives are bad again.

September:  Low

I still cannot raise my arm and running is painful.  I am unable to run further than two miles without being in pain and feeling like a python is wrapped around my chest.  My dad is diagnosed with stage 2 colo-rectal cancer. 

October:  Low

My back is always tight and sore.  I cannot raise my arm.  It feels like I have no power to raise it up.  I cannot run further than a mile and a half without feeling like someone is driving a knife down between my collar bone and shoulder and up under my shoulder blade.  I have an MRI on my shoulder that comes back clean.  No answers on why I cannot raise my arm. The hot water heater in the attic leaks and overflows.  The master bedroom ceiling needs to be pulled down and repaired.  My dad begins his radiation and chemotherapy.

November:  Low/High

My kid fails Algebra.  I have to make the hard decision to give up on training to run the Houston Marathon.  I get to go to Cozumel, Mexico to watch one of my coached athletes take two hours off his Ironman time to hit a new PR.  One week of beach therapy.

December:  Low/High

I return home to learn that I need to open up my heart for two more abused animals.  Lil’ Sis and Kitty gain a new home and learn all about having a forever home and a new big Greyhound brother.  I start cooking lessons that I received for my birthday and I love my Thursday evenings. My kid is still failing Algebra and other classes are in danger.  I am sweating my ass off to learn Algebra to help my kid learn it and to pass the semester.   Bud makes 4th chair trumpet in the Freshman Region Band, third chair in his school Symphonic Band, and passes Algebra!  I have an MRI on my cervical spine to figure out why I still cannot raise my arm over my head but I have more range of motion.  No results yet.  I have not been running, lifting weights, cycling, or swimming in months. 

So here are my resolutions for 2013:

1. Participate in more events for fun than I did last year.  That shouldn’t be too hard since I only did two events.
2. Regain my health and fitness.  I have to see what is up with my neck before I make solid plans.  I at least want to be able to raise my arm over my head with ease.
3. Fix my nutrition.  I will be cutting out refined sugar and refined grains out of my diet for five to six days a week and then, only small amounts on the other days.  Other things will happen, but I will start with those.
4. Be more involved with my kid’s grades.  I was focused on other things and did not keep up with his grades and he failed Algebra.  It was living hell trying to get him back on track and passing for the semester.  It won’t happen again.
5. Give myself a break.  I will be taking some of the pressure off of myself to be perfect because I really am not good at being perfect and it just sets me up to disappoint people.  I’m just going to focus on doing what I can do within my limits and learning to say “no” to requests of my time and service.
6. Repair the master bath and bedroom.  Get rid of stuff.

Thank you to those people who have been a great support to me even if you don’t think that you had an influence in my life whatsoever.  Robin Campbell, Sylvia Harris, Kim Orr, and Andrea Ward, you ladies have such powerfully positive attitudes and posts or phone calls have helped put a smile on my face or buoyed my spirit when it was low.

Thank you to my coach, Anthony Humpage, for pushing me further and making me run faster than I ever would have thought was possible and then being understanding when I couldn’t run.  The train might have derailed, but the cars are being uprighted, the spill is being contained, and the cars will be put back on the tracks.

Thank you to my kid for providing me with so much joy as I got to watch some amazing swimming and attend some spectacular concerts. I am very proud of you.

Thank you to my assistant coach, Audree Begay, for reaching those athletes that I cannot reach and helping me get everyone physically and mentally ready for their 70.3 race.  Oceanside is going to be a blast!

Thank you to my personal training and Pilates clients for being willing to change as I moved to a better work situation.  It may not have been smooth at times or convenient, but now it feels like we are back on track and moving forward.  More great things are to come in 2013.

Thank you to my husband for letting me have the pets to bring excitement into the house, for the cooking lessons that I really enjoy, the opportunity to have some beach therapy when I needed it, and the times when you are home and clean up after my messes in the kitchen and around the house.  One day I will clean out the house and get rid of everything so that we can live like monks.  Be patient.

Thank you to my good friends Cathy Breig, Rachelle Little, Kendall Gray, and John Vigil for the fun adventures, the hugs when I needed them, the extra cowbell after my (or my kid’s) victories, and letting me moan and whine while I figured out my next move.  Even though we don’t see each other as much as we used to in the past, when we do get to chat or see each other, it is like we just saw each other last week.  Here is hoping that I get to make a trip to Denver, Vegas, or to a race we will both be doing in 2013.  

And not to be forgotten, thank you to you, the reader, for taking the time to sit and read this.  I know that I have been really bad at updating my blog this past year, but there was not much that I wanted to write about.  Who wants to write about their crappy run workouts that have to be scrapped after two miles?  Not much at all has taken place in terms of triathlon or cycling, but hopefully there will be some running adventures in 2013.

Happy New Year!  Let’s see what 2013 has in store for me.

Coach Liz

10/2 and My Life With Cancer

10/2 is not just another day for me.  10/2 is not just the day that Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer fifteen years ago.  10/2 was the day I found out twenty years ago that my mother had cancer.  I became a care giver over the next ten years and I also began my involvement with Team in Training.

Until you have sat with a person while they receive their chemo, you really cannot appreciate the care that the doctors and nurses give to cancer patients.  Until you have driven a person home from a bone marrow aspiration, you really cannot appreciate the volunteers at the hospital that wait with your friend or family member as you go run to get the car.  Until you have had to make the decision to allow Hospice to transport your friend or family member from the house to the Hospice Center, you really cannot appreciate the compassion that the Hospice team has for your friend or family member and also for you.

I know what it is like to clean a long line.  I know what it is like to have to suit up in a special gown, gloves, and face mask to enter a clean room.  I know what it is like to walk laps around the floor with the bags of magic juice hanging off the IV pole.  I know what it is like to help someone with their wig.

There are also a lot of things that I know that I wish I could forget.

And for the last ten years of the past twelve, I used those things to drive me to fundraise money and race for those who could not.  I used those things to inspire other people to fundraise money and to get out of their comfort zone and do something that they thought was impossible.

And just when I was almost ready to throw in the towel and back off a bit, to cut myself some slack about the bad run workouts and the nagging shoulder pain, I found out that cancer is back in my life like a malignant tumor that was found in a screening.  I found out that my dad has been diagnosed with colon cancer.

We are taking it in stride.  It was caught early.  The chemotherapy and radiation will only last six weeks.  The oncology doctor is close.  The surgery will take place around the holidays.

My aches and pains are minuscule to this.  I have no room to whine or complain.  I just need to HTFU and go run.  And I did run.  I ran 5 miles on Sunday and it felt better.  My calves were tight, but they were not sore the day after.  I lost a pound, possibly two and I was able to wear a skirt I bought last March, and had yet to wear, out to the symphony over the weekend.  I was even able to eat a small meal and not bust any seams!  I even was able to resist the free frozen yogurt at the deli tonight where I enjoyed a huge bowl of chicken soup instead.

Cancer sucks.  It really does.  It sucks.

So, cancer is a part of my life.  It has shaped me into the person that I am today.  Frankly, I think that I am better off today than I was 12 years ago or 20 years ago before cancer.  It won't go away and neither will I.

Later Gators,

Liz

Good, no one is reading this...

HA!

It has been so long since I have been posting on a regular basis that no one is reading my blog anymore.  Dose anyone even read blogs anymore?  I know that people read Speedo Steve and DC Rainmaker because they give away cool crap and post cute baby pics or have killer gear reviews.

But who cares about seeing pictures of a goofy greyhound or reading about some chick who is a middle of the pack runner/triathlete/mom?  NO ONE.

That means I can write whatever I want on my blog now and no one is going to even look at it.  That is kind of cool.  It is almost liberating.  That means I can skip the spell check and no one would call me on the carpet for forgetting that the letter i, comes before e, except after the letter c.

Ok, so I started swinging the kettlebells around again.  I am weak.  Between the shoulder injury, not being able to run for several weeks, and a general lack of fitness I am sore and flabby.  It sucks.  But my goal is to loose those 5 lbs. that have crept back on my hips over the past three months.  To all of my friends who, if they would just lay off the alcohol for a few weeks, could drop ten pounds in one moon cycle...you suck.  I love you, but it kills me that all you would have to do is lay off the sauce and the weight melts off.  I have to increase my workouts to 90-180 minutes, 6 days a week, cut back on my portions and servings and I struggle to loose two pounds.  Oh yes, I heard you.  I know I look fine and that no one can tell I have gained weight.

But I know I have gained weight.  My clothes don't fit right or don't fit at all.  And I am slower than I was when I was 5-7 pounds lighter.  Running paces that were once easy are now challenging.  That sucks.  Really sucks.

I could blame hormones, the injury, or not working as much now teaching classes versus doing personal training.  But that would be a cop-out.  It boils down to just being lazy and unmotivated.

OK, here is the deal.  I have 8 weeks until I hop on an flight to go to Cozumel with one of my athletes that I have been coaching.  I have to be able to fit back into my favorite board shorts.  I have to eat better.  I have to stay away from the foods that screw up my system.  I have to stick to my training plan.  At that point I will be 8 weeks out from my marathon and by that time I had better be running better than I am now.

It is all out there.  Well, only for me.  No one else is reading this so the only person who is going to hold me accountable is me.  **GULP**  Ok, time to swing the kettlebells around again.

Later,

Liz

OMG, I'm posting!

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I know.  It has been four months.  I'm sure you thought that I had written off this blog, no pun intended.  Maybe you thought that I had, oh I don't know, gone off and become a circus clown.  Now that would have been something to write about.  Most of my dealings have been rather dull.

Oh sure, there was that marathon PR in June that was only 2:08 off of a Boston Qualification.  Too bad I had to make several port-o-can stops.  And of course there has been life with Frankie.  If you follow me on FB, you have gotten to see more pictures of him than Prince Harry at the Las Vegas blow out.  And who can forget about the start of high school for The Banana?  There have been lots of exciting things happening in this neck of the woods.

There has also been a whole lot of pain, set backs, and discouragement.  I really did not want to write about that.  I did not want to write about going an entire year with out racing in a triathlon.  I did not want to write about injuries that kept me from training, water pouring out of my ceiling, or getting fat and slow.

No one wants to read about that stuff.  The reader delights in tales of adventure, love, and a fair bit of comedy.  All of those have been lacking, with some severity, over the past four months and even for the last year.

But now I am writing.  I ran 10 miles this morning.  It wasn't spectacular, but the pace was under 9:00 per mile and it is a starting point back to peak fitness in 16 weeks.  My shoulder is healing and I was able to do a strength training session on Friday without much soreness.  And, there is still someone out there who thinks I am amazing.  Even if I don't feel amazing, I'm going to take the advice of Billy Crystal's Fernando Lamas character: "It is better to look good than feel good."  So it is time for me to put my best face on, use a little smoke and mirrors, and possibly even wear some pink.

It is time to crawl out of the shadows.  Fake it until you make it.  "You look marvelous!"

Thank you, Fernando.

And Then There Were Three...

Hi, my name is Frankie.  I'm the newest athlete to take up residence at La Casa de Coach Liz.  We met back in March or April and I was still pretty sick back then, but I knew that I would be one lucky dog if I got to go home with Coach Liz.  See, Coach Liz is an athlete and her boy, Buddy, he's an athlete, too.  So Coach Liz and Buddy know what athletes need.  We need exercise, a good support system, quality food, and plenty of recovery time.  But there was something special about Coach Liz and Buddy that made me want them to be part of my Forever Home.

I guess that I should tell you a little about my life before coming to live at La Casa.  I was born in January, 2007 and I come from a long line of successful racers.  I was one of six Greys in my litter and my Brood Mom had a total of 35 offspring.  All of my brother's and sister's names begin with Backwood + their name.  My registered name is Brownlee.  I don't know why I did not get the Backwood part added to my name.  I really cannot remember what happened when I was at the farm or at the track, but I did not get to race.  All I do know is that my owner let me go and live with some humans.

I am not sure what happened to the humans, but one day last September, they let me out in the back yard and they never let me back in.  It was so hot outside.  I am sure that I scratched at the door to get the human's attention, but they did not let me in.  It was hot at night too.  We Greyhounds don't normally bark, but I had to find my voice to tell the humans that I needed to come in from the heat.  But the back door never opened.  After many days without food, and just a little water, another human heard me barking and looked over the fence.  They must have seen how hot and hungry I was.  I heard the new human knocking on the door of the house.

Soon, the human found a way into the back yard and put me in their car.  I was scared.  I did not know where this human was taking me, but they had water and the car was cool inside.  The human took me to a place where there were other dogs and some cats and more nice humans that gave me food to eat and some blankets to lay down on.  I think I was told that this place was called the Bay City Animal Shelter.

The humans gave me shots and took some of my blood, which really hurt, and then let me rest for a few days.  On Friday, October 7th, 2011, I had an evaluation done by a doctor who works with dogs.  October 7th is kind of a special day for me.  It was the day that I got a new name, the one I have now.  The new humans named me Frankie because I was rescued from the backyard of my old house on October 4th.  That is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.  October 7th is a special day for Coach Liz as well, because I found out that it is her birthday.  I guess we had a special connection.

Well, I was pretty sick.  Being stuck out in the backyard for many days, I had received many mosquito bites and as a result, I developed heart worms.  Greyhound Pets of America picked me up from the Bay City Animal Shelter and took me to their kennels where I got to meet lots of other Greyhounds!  It was like being back at the track.  But I too tired to play and have fun.  I had to start treatment for the heart worms.  They gave me arsenic which is poison that kills the heart worms, but I had to be careful and rest so that the arsenic would not kill me as well.  Then I had to take Prednisone.  That made me so sick.  I lost over 20 pounds.  My first round of arsenic was in February and the second one was in March.

When Coach Liz first saw me, I probably wasn't much to look at, but I put my best paw forward and offered her and Buddy a kiss and then I had to lay down.  I heard Coach Liz comment on how thin I was and that when I was standing in the sunny doorway, she could see the sunlight shining through my skin around my tummy and my legs.  I hope that I had made a good impression.  I still had to get well and that was going to take some time.

Well, it seems that time was on my side.  My Foster Mom, Aunt Sandy, had been taking care of me and helping me get my weight back up.  She had been to Coach Liz's house with her Greyhound, Roo and she said it was a real nice place.   Mrs. Pat from GPA made sure to bring me back to the kennel because she said Coach Liz was coming to see all the dogs and to see who wanted to go home with her.  Oh, I hoped it would be me.

I got to go in first and I made sure to offer up some kisses to Coach Liz, Buddy, and this big guy who looks like Buddy and has the same name.  I remember that he was nice and gave me cookies and I heard him say that he could not believe that the other humans left me the way they did.  Some of my kennel mates got a chance to go in and see the family, but they are all kind of young and goofy.  I heard that Hummer tried to increase his chances by offering up his belly for a good rub.  I was secretly concerned that Coach Liz might ask to see Starsky again, but I got called back instead!  Oh, I was so happy!  We got to go for a walk and I made sure to use my best leash manners.

Soon, I had a new collar and I was on my way to La Casa.  It was kind of scary at first not knowing where I was and seeing all the new things, but I tried to be very respectful of Coach Liz's stuff because I did not want to be sent back like Paulie who only got to stay his new home for a month before he ate a squirrel and freaked out his new owner with some crazy behavior.  Coach Liz, Buddy, and El Esposo had all sorts of things ready for me and even let me come up and sleep upstairs so I can be close to them and not feel lonely and afraid.  It has been hard when Coach Liz has to go to work but she said that she is going to be able to spend more time with me after this week.   Coach Liz has been taking real good care of me and I am doing my best to be a Greyt dog for her.

I think that I must be the luckiest dog of all!

Frankie