6 weeks...

Yes, just 6 weeks until I complete half marathon #2. 

I will be running once again in The Chicago Half Marathon on September 27, 2017 with Project HOPEFUL's Team TRUTH. 

Project HOPEFUL is a non-profit organization with a mission for "educating, encouraging and enabling families and individuals to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS and other of the most overlooked children for adoption."  

If you would like to donate, I would certainly appreciate any amount that you are able to give. My fundraising goal is $1000. Just click the Team Truth banner below to go directly to my fundraising page. Thank you in advance for your support!!

I'm at it again!

Taking the plunge and running the Chicago Half Marathon on September 27th, 2015!

Once again, I'm running with a purpose, to raise funds and awareness for Project HOPEFUL.

Two years ago, I ran with Team TRUTH in Chicago, and I'm pleased to run again. I took last year off from running, and cheered for Team TRUTH from the sidelines. No, I'm not a fan of running, but I do like to support good causes, and I hate to be on the sidelines, so I will run with a smile on my face. 

Life has been hectic this year, and I'm not in the same shape I was in two years ago when I started training, but, I love a good challenge! I have two goals, raise at least $1000 for Project HOPEFUL and cross the finish line in Chicago. Will you help me with the first goal by donating to http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/LeahKing/team-truth-run-for-one-2015?

One week from now...

...I will be in Chicago, on the starting line, warmed up and ready to run!

I can't believe the half marathon is almost here. Tonight is night number three of six, half-way through my overnight work week. Taking it easy this week on the running, just easy 3 milers every other day or so. 

The weather has not been nice to me this week in Yuma. Yesterday's run was absolutely ugly. I got spoiled last weekend with 78-80 degree weather and intermittent shade while running. But at least I know I run better in cooler temps, even if the humidity is higher. Chicago weather, don't fail me now! Forecast shows a Saturday night low of 65 and a Sunday high of 79, perfect running weather!

I have one week left to make my fundraising goal as well. I have reached 90% of my $1000 goal, just $99 more to go! Woohoo! Click here if you'd like to donate. 

I'm so excited, I don't know what to write! Til next time...  

29 days 12 hours 47 minutes...

...until I make my feet and legs carry my body 13.1 miles in Chicago, IL. 

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little scared, but I'll be okay. Maybe scared isn't the right word, overwhelmed maybe? I don't know. I am positive I will start and finish, I just don't know how much time will be in between the start line and the finish line. Only time will tell...and well a couple of practice runs over the next few weeks. 

It's my weekend off and I spent last night with my mom and step-dad celebrating my step-dad's birthday (and mine too) with a nice dinner out. I love it when I don't have to cook. It was a quick trip to San Diego, as I've had plumbing issues at home, but I also needed to restock my baking supplies so I can finish up my bake sale orders. Remember a couple of posts back I mentioned the bake sale? Well, I baked 6 dozen chocolate chip cookies and 3 dozen cinnamon raisin cookies last time. This weekend I will bake 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies and 5 dozen cinnamon raisin cookies! Yes, that's 17 dozen cookies! Special thanks to Dr. Dan, Rita, Julie, Nichole and Jen for supporting me in the second round of baking!

With the bake sale proceeds and direct donations to my fundraising page, I have raised over 50% of my goal for Project HOPEFUL, NFP! :)

OK, enough writing, time to get something done this weekend. Besides baking, I need to prep food for work next week and take care of some clutter in my house...it's going to be a long weekend...I may need to treat myself to a movie at some point as well.

Until next time...

Life, loss, and beyond...

Five years ago, my life, my family's life, my sister's life, my niece and nephew's life, changed forever. I remember the day I found out, which was actually the next day, August 4, 2008, with great clarity, well, the beginning of the day anyway. It was one of the most exciting days of my life, the closing of my first home purchase. Okay, so I had a lot of help to buy the house, but, nonetheless, it was a crazy, great morning. I picked up the keys from my realtor and then left town as quick as I could, as I needed to drive to Joplin to take my Granny (mother's side) to the podiatrist. As I drove up I-44, I still remember exactly where my phone rang, and the sound of my dad's voice on the other end. In that moment, my heart sank, I knew something was wrong, but never in a million years would I have been prepared for what he was going to tell me. He asked where was I, when I said headed to Joplin, he asked me to pull over, he needed to tell me something. I did as he said, and he asked if I was somewhere safe, as safe as you can be on the side of the turnpike, I remember telling him. That's when he told me, we've lost Tory. I was speechless, immediately I asked if it was her heart, and then he said that she had drowned in Elk River. I was torn, as I needed to go to Joplin to help my Granny, but I desperately wanted to be with my dad and family as well. But, before I could even say anything, my dad told me, go to Joplin, take care of Granny and then come home. I said okay. I don't really remember the rest of the drive to my Granny's house though. I told my Granny the news and she was shocked as well. I took her to the podiatrist and back home, then I was on my way to my dad and stepmom's house.

You can still find the news report online.

My nephew was in school, my niece was on her way from college in Edmond. I remember my niece handled herself amazingly through everything. My nephew was his quiet reserved self as well. The rest of the week up to the funeral is now a blur. I must have gone back to Tulsa to get clothes and such, but I don't really remember exactly when I went home. I remember my dear friend Shelly was there to help me. I also remember when I returned from Tulsa to my parents', after getting clothes, that they had my sister's dog and two puppies. I remember that my cat was already at my parent's house, as I had just returned home from Houston that weekend after spending a week at a compounding course, and they had planned to keep him until I moved into the new house. I don't remember when our other sister arrived, but I remember we re-bonded after the funeral. I was never as close to Tash as I was Tory, but she is my sister and I love her dearly. 

Had I lost my mother at the age my niece did, I doubt I would have handled it as well. My niece has always been pretty responsible. She's an awesome big sis to her little brother. I know there's not a day that goes by that she doesn't think about her momma (because there's not a day that I don't think about her at least once either). I only wish that my sister could be here to see the wonderful woman, wife, and mother, her firstborn has become. I wish my sister could be here to see the amazing young man her baby boy has become. 

Over the last five years so much has happened. I graduated from pharmacy school and moved away from home yet again. I remember my sister had attended my white coat ceremony when I started pharmacy school in 2007. She was so proud of me. She used to joke that she needed a bumper sticker that said "Your kid may be on the honor roll, but my sister is in pharmacy school!" I went to the 2010 white coat ceremony of a friend and recalled the memory of my sister being there just few years earlier for me. It was a good, but hard day. One of the puppies left behind made her way into my heart as well. My little Ellie Mae was definitely not what I had in mind when I was dreaming of getting a dog for my new house. I wanted a medium to large dog, a dog that could protect me and my house. Well, as The Rolling Stones song goes...you can't always get what you want...but...you get what you need. I needed that little dog as much as she needed a home and I wouldn't trade her for anything. 

My niece married a wonderful and loving man, and they now have an adorable almost one year old. My sister would have made an excellent grandmomma. My great nephew is pretty lucky though, he has plenty of aunts and great aunts to dote on him and tell him about his grandmomma that passed before he was a sparkle in his momma's eye. My nephew just recently married his best friend.

Life goes on, but we don't forget. I can talk about my sister and what happened without crying now, but she will always be in my heart and I will think of her often. I miss you, Victoria Marie Ross, you will always be my Tory.

In memory of Victoria (Tory) Marie Ross, October 8, 1968 - August 3, 2008


        

41 days...

Time is ticking away...41 days until the Chicago Half Marathon!

Training is slow, but I'm working on it. I'm still babying this ol' knee of mine, but I will make it. 

I decided to do a bake sale to help boost my fundraising efforts. Of course, due to the nature of the cookies, I had to limit it to my local area only. To date, I have made 6 dozen chocolate chip cookies and 3 dozen cinnamon raisin cookies. A quick shout out to those who have supported my bake sale: Julie, Kim, Kimmie, Juan, Candace, and Enid! Thank you so much! If you're wondering what kind of cookies, they are based on the Giant Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chunk Cookie by paleOMG.com. I use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips instead of the chunks in the chocolate chip cookies. For the cinnamon raisin, I use almond butter instead of sunflower seed butter, raisins instead of chocolate chips and add a little extra cinnamon. I like to think of it as a pseudo-oatmeal raisin cookie.

In case any of my local peeps are reading this, you have until August 3rd to request cookies...

In other news, I managed to go to Texas Roadhouse and not eat one of their rolls that they bring out when they sit you at the table. Gasp! I know, I don't know how I did it either. I had just had a cheat meal two nights earlier, so I guess the bread craving just wasn't there. At any rate, I was very pleased with myself. It was probably due to the fact I was explaining my eating habits to my friend that I was having dinner with, as I had yet to eat a meal with said friend. You can't really say "I eat Paleo" and then pick up a grain based roll and slather it with cinnamon sugar butter, can you? I try to eat clean/Paleo, whatever you want to call it, 80-90% of the time, but once a week I still feel I need a treat. If I allow myself more than one treat/cheat meal a week, I fall off the wagon and it is ugly. I have such a love-hate relationship with food. One day at a time... Wondering what I did eat for dinner? I had the 6 oz sirloin-medium rare, with steamed vegetables and a plain sweet potato. YUM!

Also, special thanks to my friends and family for your generous contributions! Hugs and love to you all!

Before I really start rambling about nothing, I will close for today. Thanks for reading!   

Why I run...

It was asked on our Facebook team running page to post: why do you run?

Initially, I decided to run the half-marathon because my coach was running it, and I have wanted to run a half for a long time. But then, as the days went by, more reasons came to me as to why I run and why this organization means more to me than I would have ever thought.

As I reflect on those who have been part of my life, I realize that I know more people who have adopted or are going to adopt a child than I would have thought. Several people I went to high school with have adopted, I don't know the situations, or if any of the children have "special needs", only that they have been able to provide a loving home to a child that needed one. One of my friends from high school is in the process of adopting. She has a very special story of loss and love. You can read about her story here. Of course, my CrossFit coach and her husband (also my CrossFit coach) have one adopted child and are working on bringing home twin boys. I also know someone who has adopted an HIV+ child, whose virus load is now undetectable. Yeah! :)

I look back on my childhood and while it wasn't perfect, I had parents that loved me. I had two sisters that loved me, even if we didn't live in the same household. Had it not been for my family, I wouldn't be where I am today. I cannot imagine living life in an orphanage or foster care. If I cannot provide a home to a child needing one, the least I can do is support an organization that supports adoption.

So, why do I run? I run for my health, to see just how far I can push my limits, to check off a bucket list item, and to raise awareness for Project HOPEFUL, because all children, no matter their HIV status, or other health issues, should have a family to call their own.