Weekend Warriors (and Warrior Poses 1, 2, and 3)

Since my last post, I have run 40 miles through Fresno, Clovis, Millerton Lake, and even Santa Cruz. All those miles mean new shoes for me soon, since you're supposed to replace them every 350 miles (approximately) that you run.

Have all of these runs been easy? Heck no! While running with my Teammates makes every run an enjoyable one, the last few weeks have brought on some serious mental battles against heat, fear of not meeting my fundraising goals for the Leukemia Society, and even worse, disbelief that I can run a marathon.

However, every time I've started to get discouraged, I've had some little confidence boost come from one of the incredible people in my life that has been supporting me through this process. Where all of this support has come from has been a big suprise to me, and I never cease to be amazed at the generosity of people.

To Anna Tarka, for making one of the most generous donations I've received yet when I was feeling my absolute most discouraged, thank you so much. To Joanne Bazarian and Giovanni at Perfect Balance Yoga, thank you so much for supporting me so much and holding a really fun yoga fundraiser at your studio. And to Rebecca Ault, Theresa Berry, Megan Gatzka, Sarah Soghomonian, Amanda Halvorson, Jeanette Camera, Grama, Mom, and Dave Kurtzie - thanks for coming! (Dave's wife Cheryl is on my Team, too) I hope you all had as good a time as I did!

Also thank you to Kitty McManus and Jim and Dodie King for making donations this past week. You are all such awesome people!

So, onto the run stuff!

Today I had quite the little adventure with the good folks of Sierra Challenge Express - Fresno's very own, very fabulous running club. My friend Theresa (above with my in our race numbers) invited me to join her on the bus with the club to Santa Cruz for today's Wharf to Wharf 6-mile race from Santa Cruz's boardwalk to Capitola. It was SO gloriously foggy and cool, and so fun to run along the beach and listen to lots of bands and see lots of cute dogs.

Now, when I Sierra Challenge Express is fabulous - I mean it. Those folks took home several top 50 finishes, including my friend Theresa was placed 30th for the females. Out of 15,000 people!!! I didn't exactly place 31st behind her or anything, but I did have a pretty good morning myself, finishing my 6-mile run in 55:34. Afterwards, I got a neat new t-shirt, and then I got lost. But, it was a good lesson for Nike, because I realized when you are running with more than 30 people, it's a good idea to establish a meeting place. Not that Theresa and I weren't super brilliant for deciding to meet at the finish line in a crowd of 15,000, but there might have been a better one. Anywhoo, I found some other folks in Sierra Challenge Express yellow, so I made it back to Theresa and our bus soon enough.

Once we got back on the bus, I was so impressed to hear how well everyone did in the race. If I wasn't motivated to train hard to become a better runner before, I am definately looking to improve my mile time now. I am looking even more forward to training than ever!

And speaking of training for a cure - FUNDRAISER NOTICES!

Thursday, August 6th - 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ the Valley Animal Center

"Cupcakes, Champagne, and CUTE JEWLERY!"

Come support the Leukemia Society while we enjoy yummy cupcakes, champagne, and every girl’s favorite, jewlery!

Throughout the evening, Rebecca Ault of Silpada Designs will have goregous jewlery available for purchase, and 30% of everything you buy will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training Program. If you would like to come, please RSVP to Rebecca Ault at aultpa@sbcglobal.net. You may also RSVP to Brittnee Maxfield at brittneekao@yahoo.com, or simply RSVP on Facebook! We hope you can make it!

Can’t make it, but still want to support? Shop online anytime before August 6th, and let Rebecca know you’re shopping for a cure!

Saturday, August 15th from 5:30 am to 12:00 pm & Sunday, August 16th from 7:00 am to 11:00 am

Yardsale Fundraiser!

I'm working hard to raise money for a cure, and I need your help! Well, mostly, your old stuff!

I am having a yard sale to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through their Team In Training program. I would greatly appreciate any donations of furniture, clothes, household items, or whatever for my yard sale that I will hold on August 15th and 16th.

I am also going to be selling baked goodies, so if you want to help by baking some treats, I'd love that, too! If you have anything you can donate, please send me message or leave a comment. Or, if you want to come enjoy a pastry and shop for a good cause, come visit me at the sale!

So, that's the end of my blog post about the past two weeks. Next time I won't let as long go by between posts, because that was long, and I am missing out on Red Velvet cake with Dan while I am blogging about being a better runner... Ironic.

TTFN,

Brittnee

"Racing for a cure!"

Love (of running) is a crazy thing.

Hi everyone!

It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of hopping on my blog to share all about my Team In Training experience. Mainly because we have been working our tails off at the Valley Animal Center (you know you loved that pun) to prepare for our Cool Cats and Doggie Divas event this past Saturday, which was fabulous, and lots of fun. Thanks to all of my friends and loved ones who came to the party, especially our baby puppy Atlas, who was a smashing model in his hula gear.

What does that have to do with Team In Training? Pretty much nothing, except I am using this to show you how dedicated I am to my training program, and to helping raise money to find a cure.

Saturday, I got up at 4 am to meet the Team at Starbucks to carpool up to Bass Lake, where we ran a half marathon. Literally, half of a whole marathon already. One complete loop around the lake. 13 miles logged on my new Garmin GPS running watch.

Yep, this is the loop we ran, according to my watch!

It told me all this good pace, elevation, and mile time stuff, too...

And then I turned the GPS off, and turned back on the time, and realized just how long overdue I was back in Fresno. So home I went for sound check, setup, and a quick shower before heading back to work to run my event, MC the fashion show, and make sure everyone drank enough to have a good time. All this running around like crazy, and not back home til 11 pm. That's a pretty long day, is it not? But for the Team, I'll do it!

The best part was, that even with all of that insane running and running around, I felt GREAT. The run around the lake was so beautiful, and there were so many nice volunteers on hand to provide water, encouragement, and candy all along the way, that I can't image a better way to spend a Saturday.

Now, a better way to spend a Sunday, that I've got covered.

If you don't have plans for this Sunday afternoon, let me help you make some!! From 3 to 5 pm, Perfect Balance Yoga at Shaw and Fresno is holding a yoga class fundraiser, and 100% of the proceeds go to Team In Training! Plus, in addition to a fun yoga class appropriate for all levels, I will bring yummy snacks and fun door prizes for some lucky winners. So, you should come! Just email me at brittneekao@yahoo.com, and let me know you'd love to attend! Feel free to invite a friend, too!

Speaking of friends - I have some thank you's to say to my family, and my new friend through Facebook, Teri! Thanks so much to Duane Kerr, my Aunt Terri, my Aunt Jan and Uncle John, my friend Sarah Soghomonian, and my new friend who donated just because she saw my blog on my Aunt Jan's facebook, Teri Thomas! If that's not way cool, I don't know what is.

If you haven't had a chance to visit my fundraising page - it's not too late! Check it out by clicking this link. Even a teeny tiny donation makes a big difference to me when I am sweating my butt off in the 100 degree weather trying to get ready for my marathon!

Thanks again for visiting - ya'll come back soon, ya hear?

XOXO,

Brittnee

Big Events and My Big Purchase!

Hello Loyal and Deciated Blog Readers (if I have any),

Ok, here's what is new in the land of Team In Training!

IT'S HOT!

This is not breaking news, but it does mean that we are no longer having evening work outs. So, Tuesday and Thursday, you can see us in the Starbucks parking lot just before 5 am waiting to head into the park. It's early, and it's still hot. But I made it on time two times in a row already, so I am pretty excited about that.

Now that it's so hot, we are having some of our Saturday runs off-site at earlier times and higher elevations. Last Saturday, we ran 8 miles at Millerton lake. Truthfully, I was SO nervous, but once we got there it was fun and not horrible! Team In Training and fun friends like Cheryl and Lindsey make it so much easier to run so far! That, and the gummi bears.

Other events... FUNDRAISERS! Some really awesome women from the Fresno Women's Network are supporting my efforts with some awesome fundraisers.

On July 19th, Perfect Balance Yoga is having a beginning yoga class from 3 - 5 pm. There will be refreshments and door prizes, so you should come! The suggested donation for the event is $20, and the studio is donating 100% of all of the money to the Leukemia Society! If you'd like to come (and bring a friend!) please RSVP by emailing me at brittneekao@yahoo.com.

On August 6th, Rebecca Ault of Silpada Designs Sterling Silver Jewlery is also having a party for me, and donating all of the profits to the LLS! More details on that, soon!

Even if you can't come to either of my parties, you still can make a donation to the Leukemia Society on my behalf. I have committed to raise $2,800 for cancer research, and I need your help to get there! I've raised about $800 so far, and would like to thank my newest supporters, Rosa Lozano, Gina Cuttone, Mary Andersen, and Sarah Soghomonian. Thank you for helping me run my race against Leukemia!

Speaking of helping me run my race.... just moments ago I made a major investment in my running future, and purchased my Garmin Forerunner. I have been absolutely lusting for one (just ask my boyfriend Dan... I think we've had the Garmin talk at least 65 times since I joined the Team), and so I finally bit the bullet and bought one at the encouragement of the lovely running machine Theresa Berry.

So anyways.... the Garmin is super cool and tells you more than you ever wanted to know about your running. We're not just talking mileage (it's equipped with a GPS sensor), not just calories burned, not just how long you've been running,
but all kinds of crazy crap. It saves your mile time automatically so you know how fast you ran each of your eight miles from start to finish. It's even got a computer program for you to plug the watch into, and see graphs of your running progress. I am beside myself with excitement.

That's it for this blog... but expect a longgggg post when I get my new Forerunner!!!!!!

Thanks for reading and being my friend!

Brittnee

P.S. Fourth of July edit: Good job to everyone who ran the "Freedom Run" this morning, especially my running partners Lindsey and Mary! I finished my 4 miles in like 39 minutes, which isn't horrible since it was so hot by the time we started I pretty much was dehydrated walking from the car to the start line... and especially after we ran our two-mile warm up. So now that those 6 miles are down - time for pool party! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!