#18 Ellie's Run For Africa HERO

Today's post is something that is so near and dear to my heart and something that I have supported for the last couple of years.  It combines three of my favorite things:  education, running, and Africa.  Settle in, folks.  This will probably be a very wordy post...

I had lived in Nashville for about ten months when B and I went to Sweet CeCe's for some frozen yogurt.  This is something we do a lot, but because of that day, I am changed.  There is a bulletin board in there that always has upcoming events that I always take a few minutes to peruse.  On that particular day, I was instantly drawn to a picture of Africa (like always).  I read about Ellie's Run For Africa on the flier and I told B that we HAD to do that 5k!  A couple of weeks later, I was wearing my sarong and beaded bands from Nairobi at the run.  After being at that event, I knew I wanted to take a more active role in Ellie's Run.

My first Ellie's Run!

Ellie and I!

Last year I signed up to be a Hero where I raised money through donations from my amazing family and friends.  I had purposely set my goal amount low because I didn't think anyone would really want to donate money and I didn't think I would be that good at asking for money.  I've never been good at face to face confrontation so I took to Facebook and email to just throw out there this idea that I had to help these kids in Nairobi get an education and some food and to help pay a teacher's salary.  I had surpassed that goal within a couple of days!  I was shocked!  I even won the adult Hero prize of a Kindle Fire for the money I helped raise!  It was an honor to wear my Hero t-shirt on race day with my sarong and beaded bracelets...and I'm doing it again this year!

B was working last year so E had to run with me.  It was her two month birthday that day. :)

I love getting to wear my Kenyan stuff!!!

Normally, I don't post one of my Thirty's until it is completed but since this is a fundraiser and I want to raise awareness along with money, I'm going to jump the gun a bit.  Below I have posted the link to what I have written on my Hero page and what was recently posted on the ERFA Hero blog that I was featured in last week.  Please take a moment to read about my heart. 

The Heart of a Hero  <------click there to read my story!!!

 

If you want to help out by donating money, GREAT!  Go to my Hero Profile HERE to do that.  If you want to sign up for the 5k if you live in the Nashville area, go to the website and sign up HERE.  The cost is only $30 for an individual with couple and family deals if you need them.  If you want to sign up to be a Hero, PLEASE DO!!!  Not only will you get an extra shirt with your first, non-personal, donation but you will help change lives!  You don't even have to live in Nashville to be a Hero.  There is a 12 year old girl (see her video HERE) that lives in Belgium that is kicking butt at collecting donations for New Dawn School.  Please take a moment to watch her video; it is awesome!  I don't even care if you donate to her Hero page instead of mine. Ha!  If you want to sign up to be a Hero, go HERE.  If you don't have the money or the crazy-passionate-about-this heart that I do, then please send prayers.  That is a huge way that ANYONE can help out and is always appreciated.

I know that there are a lot of links on here, but they are all worth the few minutes it takes to look through them. :)

For more information, go to https://www.elliesrun.org/

#16 & #17 Country Music Half Marathon

 


Again, I'm using a race for one of my thirty's. this race actual went to benefit TWO things which is why it is #s 16 & 17.



First off, the race itself sponsors St. Jude. There is a St. Jude in Memphis and they do some great things for kids. However, being the wife of a physician at the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital here IN NASHVILLE, I kind of wish they would support locally. Either way, kids are being helped out and in the end, that is all that matter. :)

 

The second thing I ran for today were the people of Boston and everyone touched by the devastating Boston Bombings. I donated some money per mile ran to wear the Boston Angel. This week leading up to the race, I read a lot of accounts on the Runner's World website and that really fueled me to RUN ON. We were even given commemorative bands to wear in honor of that tragic day.







 

 On the left was what I had planned to wear in honor of Boston. The right is what I ended up wearing because it was raining so hard. This wasn't a nice Northwest kind of raining. It was a good ol' southern down pour. If you've been in the south, you know what I mean. Flash flood warnings were happening and the whole bit! Ugh!

 

I found my friend among 35,000 people and she's in the running club I'm in. We ran together to hit PRs for both of us. :) She was who I ran with a lot of the time after I had Elie because I had to push myself to stay with her. I credit a drop in 26 minutes from my first half marathon to keeping up with this lady!

 

My watch doesn't show the hour, but that is 1:56:36. My goal for this race was 1:55:59 but because of the rain, I'm good with my time. Especially since it beat my best half time of 1:57-something, IN THE RAIN!

 

Overall, a successful day! A better run than I had hoped for in the rain and helping out two great organizations in the process. :)

****CORRECTION****I started my watch at the wrong time apparently! :) Goal accomplished!

#15 Autism Speaks

I wasn't planning on doing any of my Thirty's while I'm on "vacation" (I have yet to relax), but when we stopped by TJ Maxx to get B a shirt and tie for his work picture they asked if we wanted to donate to Autism Speaks. Of course I said yes!

My nephew has Asperger's Syndrome which has made me become more sensitive to autism issues. April is Autism Awareness Month so find out how you can help with this issue today!

Learn more at autismspeaks.org

#14 Girls On The Run Practice 5k

"Girls on the Run is a transformational learning program for girls in 3rd-8th grade. We teach life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness." GOTR website http://www.girlsontherun.org/

When I first heard about Girls on the Run, I immediately knew I wanted to help out in some way.  I really would have loved to have been one of the coaches, but I just didn't have the time and never   know what B's schedule is going to be like.  I decided that I would sign up for the Practice 5k.

Now I've run in a lot of 5ks and this was by far the most fun I've had doing one. I met my girl D who is a 3rd grader. While running/walking/having fun, I learned about her family, her favorite subjects in school, and why she loves running. I could tell that she felt a little awkward being with someone she didn't know so I told her funny stories about my baby and made up a rule that we had to do a mini-dance party at every mile mark to celebrate how far we'd come. D really enjoyed that and was very intent on counting our laps to see when we would do another dance party. Luckily, I have no fear of looking ridiculous in front of other adults as long as it puts a smile on a kid's face.

I had so much fun that I confirmed being D's running buddy in the big 5k that will be at the Titan's stadium downtown on May 4th! Woo hoo!

I gave a lady my phone number to text me some photos so hopefully I can post some of those later.

#13 TOMS

If you know anything about fashion trends, I'm sure you know all about TOMS. About two years ago I was watching the Ellen show and this guy named Blake was a guest and he talked about these shoes.  Since he can explain it so much better than I can, watch the video:  TOMS on Ellen

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people have forgot about the "one for one" idea of TOMS and just buy them to be in style.  That's really sad to me and to be quite honest, I don't think they're all that cute of shoes.  I know that there are tons of high heels or running shoes that would look better on my feet!  I bought a neutral color that I could wear with anything and secretly my heart longs for a red pair or ones that are doctored up to support University of Oregon.  However, this pair was bought with the whole "one for one" idea in mind.  To give someone in need a pair of shoes is pretty awesome.

Learn more about TOMS here.

#12 Bake Sale for Dravet Syndrome

I know, I know...two posts in one day but it has been a BUSY day!

A lot of things are happening in Sylvan Park today!  Not only did we have the Richland Creek Run this morning and have the normal event of the farmer's market, but there was a bake sale going on at Local Taco!!!

A couple of months ago when I was planning out some things to do for my Thirty, I came across an advertisement for this bake sale that the proceeds go to help research for Dravet Syndrome.  I had no idea what this was so I looked it up here and basically it is early onset epilepsy.  Kids that have can be behind on developmental skills.  As I'm writing this I realize that I should have had a little interview with my friend that is a peds/neuro resident...silly me!

Anyway, you can click on the hyperlink above to learn more about it.  I baked some chocolate chips cookies and pumpkin-chocolate chip cupcakes for them to sell.  Yes, I know that pumpkin is a fall ingredient but I'm moving in two months and have some things I need to get rid off.  I was also planning on my making my beloved Special K Bars (really just so I could have some) and realized when I started making everything that I forgot to get Special K cereal!  Oy!  Oh well, I didn't really need to eat them anyway. :) 

I hear E up from her nap so there is no time to edit.  Bear with me!

#11 Richland Creek Run

One thing that I really like about running is that usually the races go to support some bigger cause.  As much as I like to complain about how much it costs to enter races, I know that there are a lot of behind the scenes things that go on and that you're not just paying for a ridiculously expensive t-shirt.  I've debated on whether or not my runs should count as some of my Thirty, but I've decided that it should; at least the ones that support something I believe in.

Today I ran in the Richland Creek Run.  It is a 5 mile run/walk that loops through Sylvan Park and connects to the Richland Creek Greenway.  There are a couple of reasons why I love this race.  First of all, I live in Sylvan Park so my running warm up is to go up the street to the start line and my cool down is to walk home from the finish line.  I don't have to worry about parking and maneuvering around closed streets other than I move my car a block over the night before to clear the roadway for the race.  It is also a family friendly race which was perfect for me today since B was working and I didn't have a sitter lined up.  Here are E and I right before the race when we met up with some of my pals from Sylvan Park Urban Runners (SPURS).  This running group has literally watched E grow up from week to week and helped me become the better runner that I am since I had E.  E is wearing her "Future Running Partner" onesie that a dear friend and former neighbor of mine sent to us.  :)

Why am I counting this as one of my Thirty?  Well, some of the proceeds go to the Nashville Greenway Project which helps keep the greenways such as Richland Creek maintained.  I live about two blocks from two different trailheads of this greenway and I have literally ran hundreds of miles on it since I moved here almost three years ago.  It is both B and I's favorite thing about where we live and is something that we will sorely miss when we move back to Idaho in a couple of months.  Richland Creek has some low-laying sections that are affected every time there is some flooding.  In the 2010 Flood, part of the protective fence from the golf course and one of the bridges had been wiped out.  I don't know who, but someone worked really hard to get the greenway in running order again.  I'm okay with spending some money for a run that helps maintain something I love so much.

Here is a picture of E and I post-race.

E really enjoys the post-race food.  She was really mad when her banana was all gone.

If you follow my Goal: Fit 4 Life blog, Facebook page or on Twitter, you probably know that I'm training for some half marathons coming up and I'm going to combine these two blogs for a moment.  I haven't really ran with the stroller for a few weeks and I had done a very intense cycling class and 5 mile hike yesterday so I didn't know what to expect for this run.  I even went in thinking I would walk quite a bit of it.  I was so surprised by how good I felt and how well I actually did.  My results are below.  I did five miles in 45 minutes and 7 seconds which translates to 9 minutes and 2 seconds per mile!  That's HUGE for me while pushing a stroller!!!  I finished 52nd overall, was the 41st female to cross the finish line and finished 12th in my age group!!!  I am very proud of this and it was so nice to have people come up to me afterwards and say that I inspired them when I went by with the stroller.  I guess my take away for you for this post is that you should enter a walk/run that supports a cause you really believe in.  Not only are you helping out, but it is also motivation for some extra exercise.  Also, you never know who is watching you and being inspired.  Inspire someone with your actions today.  :)