I reached 100% of my fundraising goal for my upcoming triathlon!
$5,100 dollars raised for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!
My race is coming up September 13th and it seems I'm always doing one of three things:
swimming, biking or running
Thanks for being patient with me while I've been away from my blog - there is so much to share but right now my attention is on my family and my race.
I've posted the contents of my Team In Training website here just so I have it saved.
It's been a journey, that's for sure.
16 days to go......
countdown 27 August 2009
Yesterday was my brother's 26th birthday! Today is my dad's 63rd birthday! Next Monday, September 1st will be my parent's 41st wedding anniversary! So much living going on!
I feel ready. My journey with TNT has been emotionally cathartic and physically challenging. I've pushed myself in ways I wouldn't have normally and I'm ready to tackle the final step - the race!
A few days ago my little purple fundraising bar on this website hit 100% and you can not believe how thrilled I was! There were days I didn't think I'd raise the money and I just didn't want to fail. Other days it was the physical training that had me doubting myself. What a relief to know I'm going into the final two weeks of this journey with every loose end tied up neatly in a bow!
I'm swimming no less than a mile every other day - biking on average 22 miles every other day - and running most days 3-5 miles with a few "fun runs" of 7 or 8 miles occassionally. I'm not fast, but I'm steady!
Thanks for following my training and fundraising here on this website! I've had to delete a few of the first posts on here in order to keep on typing new ones, but I've transferred them all over to my personal blog, along with the photos, so I can keep these memories long after I'm done with my race. You can find my blog at: www.artcanthurt.typepad.com
I'll leave you today with a quote from one of my favorite comedians, who fought cancer bravely.
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.” - Gilda Radner
16 days until the triathlon
news 12 August 2009
There are dates and events that you look forward to in life expectantly. Today was one of those days. Mom's test results for her 6-month PET scan came in today. This is the only news that can be worse than the cancer diagnosis itself - we have all been waiting nervously but each in our own ways.
The test results came back GOOD! There is no new cancer growth or activity! Mom is not cancer-free but with prayers and on-going Retuxin treatments her cancer is locked down and dormant right now. News doesn't get better than this!!!!!!
TODAY is why I'm doing this triathlon. I want every family who is touched by cancer to feel the weight lifted and be able to breathe again! Whether it's through treatment or research or patient assistance I know that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is doing their part to use the funds donated to help people reclaim their lives. This morning's 6:30am mile-long swim was worth it - and every dollar you have helped me raise is money well-spent.
Thank you for your support - as of tomorrow I have only a month until the race!
practice round 2 August 2009
Yesterday Doug & I did the LaPorte Triathlon as a team. It gave me the opportunity to practice my swim-to-bike transition in a race setting - which I needed before the BIG race in D.C.
The whole family was there to support us and Doug finished the last leg of the race with a great 3.4 mile run! I was so proud of him and the kids were cheering us along the whole way. My parents were there as well and said that everything makes much more sense now that they've seen the ins-and-outs of a tri firsthand. From the numbers written on our arms to the color-coded swim caps we had to wear which denotes our swim waves, to the ankle band that held the timing chip - it all came together for all of them.
After the race I found my TNT teammate, Carl, who had also done the tri that day. He also felt great about the race (we had incredible weather!) and we're kind of getting antsy about D.C. being so close!
The kids told me they thought I looked like a crazy person running out of the water and ripping off my wetsuit, but when I explained to them that I had to get the suit off by the time I was at my bike in the transition area they understood it completely. They also couldn't get enough of touching the wetsuit - it is so soft it feels like a baby seal pelt.
All in all it was a great experience. The nap afterwards was even sweeter! It all went to show me that I've got just over a month to really push myself that much harder in order to be ready for D.C.
I've got one more practice tri before the BIG one and yesterday was invaluable with all the experience it gave me. I feel really good about yesterday's race and it was extra special to have my handsome teammate there with me!
43 days until the triathlon!
soggy but worth it 30 July 2009
Lately it has been getting harder and harder to find the time to train. I have a regiment that I follow so I'll be ready for the tri in September, but that means that my distances have been increasing steadily. Just means I train longer - I need about 28 hours in my day to get everything done.
That being said I am enjoying how this training is pushing me. People stop me all the time to ask "how's training going?" and my Mom checks in almost daily to see how I'm doing. Your support keeps me going when I don't think I can do it on my own!
I continue to be amazed at how my swimming is coming along! A month and a half ago I was winded after a few hundred meters and now I spend roughly 1 1/2 hours every other day in the water. No amount of shampoo or bodywash can get the smell of chlorine completely off me at this point!
Today I went my farthest: 2300 meters (more if you want to count my warm-up an cool-down). To break it down into layman's terms that means I did over 92 laps in the pool. It's over a mile and 1/4! Much longer than I'll have to swim in my D.C. tri, but I want to build up my stamina since swimming in open water with other people is much harder than in a pool.I saw other lap swimmers come and go out of the water I was there so long. The lifeguards have got to think I'm crazy! If all goes well I'll swim in my wetsuit on Friday and be ready for the sprint tri this Saturday that Doug & I are doing as a team so I can get some experience in the transition stages. The kids are stoked to see us race!
Cycling is steady and running will be fine as long as my right knee holds up - it's been giving me some pain lately.
Just want to thank all of you supporting me in this race and for this cause! There is still time to make a donation if you haven't already - every penny counts! We'll make it!
45 days until the triathlon!
tick tock 20 July 2009
A few days ago Doug and I were up visiting with Mom and Dad at their camper. It was a gorgeous evening - the perfect temperature and nary a mosquito in sight! As Mom and I prepared dinner side by side I mentioned to her that I had come to a realization: this summer I am half the age she is which means I am the same age she was when she had me...many, many years ago. We kind of stopped what we were doing for a moment, looked at each other and said "WOW!"
I am right where my mother was 31 years ago.
It's like for a second some time-warp thing happened and in a single 'blip' of a moment I came into my own and was more in-the-present than I had been in a long time. It just makes you THINK.
How many blessings have been bestowed upon me in the past 31 years because of my parents and their love, their strong faith and belief that our God is good - all the time. No matter what.
Seriously...my cup runneth over.
The day we are born each of us is given a finite time on this earth. There is a number of days that exists with my name on it - and yours. What we do with this time together is what matters.
"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."--Edith Wharton
**************************************************
Time is flying by. Summer is more than halfway over and I'm only 55 days away from competing in the triathlon! **big gulp**
Plane tickets have been purchased and my spot in Wash. DC is set.
I'm continuing to press onward with training: I'm in the pool at least three times a week and cycling much more easily thanks to my brother who loaned me his Trek roadbike! THANKS JONATHAN!!!
And my running...well...I am continuously being blown away by how much this cross-training is impacting my running. I feel stronger and healtheir while running - and my mile times keep getting better and better!
I'm going to be ready for this race. It's the beast I'm preparing to meet in battle. And with your help I'm going to beat it.
55 days until the triathlon!
good time 7 July 2009
Just thought I'd share that today I ran my personal best time for 3 miles ever! And it was AFTER I had just done my 500 meter swim for the day, so my muscles were a little tight. I ran 3 miles in 25:00 minutes! That might not seem fast to you but at the beginning of training just two months ago I was running 3 miles in 30:00 minutes. Big difference! Looks like the training is really paying off! Whoo hoo!
69 days until the triathlon!
Never forget your Little Girl dreams 6 July 2009
I have a beautiful sterling silver necklace that I wear. It was a gift from my husband a few years ago. Made by a local artist, each letter is stamped by hand into silver clay and then fired under intense heat. The clay burns away a reveals the sterling silver underneath. It reads 'Never forget your Little Girl dreams'.
As the mother of two little girls I wear this necklace often. Each time I put it on I think to myself 'what were my dreams? what ARE my dreams? what are my little girls dreaming of today?'. I know I used to dream of flying and of what it would be like to be a mermaid. I remember being ten years old and dreaming of having a shop where I could sell the art that I made. I remember dreams that were fantastical and those that were within my grasp. I never dreamed my mom would get cancer and that her time with us might be cut short and I would feel alone.
The reason I'm training for this triathlon is real for me every day. It's not just about fundraising to get the minimum amount needed. It's not all about wearing the right athletic shoes or eating the yummiest protein bars. Often when swimming and I've inhaled more than my share of water or I find myself running alone down a long road I think of what each person who has been diagnosed with cancer has had to face. It's intense, like the heat forced on the clay to reveal the silver of my necklace. Those with cancer have to face something they never dreamed of - and they don't have a choice about it. I think about the dreams my mom has and those I have for her and for us as a family. The other day I overheard my eight year old ask Nana if she would be there on her wedding day. My mom said that she would be no matter what. It took everything for me not to break in that moment.
I can't fix this 'cancer thing' but I'm doing what I can. Each step is one step closer. Each tight muscle and blister is worth it. Each dollar raised is that much more research there will be funds for and down the road I might not feel quite so helpless knowing I'm doing this not for myself but so others can have dreams too.
70 days until the triathlon!
Who is LAUREN (SMITH) HODGES? 8 June 2009
There seems to be some confusion as to WHO I AM as people receive my fundraising letters....apparently the names are the glitch.
I was born Lauren Smith to Larry & Susan Smith some 30-odd years ago. I married and took the name Hodges which is the last name of my two daughters, but then we divorced. When Doug Hertel and I married I opted not to take his name - I know...I know...it's confusing to you!
Basically I wanted my daughters to know that nothing about me changed when I remarried, so I kept my last name the same as theirs. We all have 'H' last names anyway so we're still The H Family!
Besides, I didn't need to have the name Hertel to be part of the family (Hi Hertels! Love you all!) and the idea of going about changing everything legally with my business was just plain daunting!
So HODGES I remain! Woohoo!
Sorry if this confused some of you (Hi Penny!) but I'm glad we got that cleared up.
97 days until the triathlon!
Daily Training 7 June 2009
So I'm already two weeks into training and I. AM. LOVING. IT!
It's pushing me to my limits and it feels great. I have really been able to evaluate what priorities are and my eating, sleeping and daily activities in general have changed.
No more soda. Very little bread. Lots of fish and chicken and the fresh veggies of the season are keeping me going: asparagus, tomatos, zucchini, etc.
I remember last summer, Mom was in the middle of her chemo and her counts were so low she was labeled "nutrapenic" (can't guarantee the spelling on that) and the worst thing about it for her was that she couldn't eat any fresh produce. No salads, no fresh cherry tomatos picked off the vine in the garden, not even blueberries or strawberries! It shocked me to learn those foods could be dangerous for her. I didn't know that even mild natural bacterias carried by produce could make her sick - it was a rough time for her. She also wasn't allowed to garden or do yard work - not that she had the energy to do that, but it still wasn't an option for the same reason: bacteria. Thankfully Mom can happily enjoy the fresh foods this year - she just reached six months in remission!
The kids have been getting into my training with me - it's been such a joy! Trev bikes with me on some of my runs and just the other day he and Mamie biked while Heidi ran with me all the way to Grandma & Grandpa's house. It's almost 3 miles! Such troupers and they're super exicited that what I'm doing is helping to raise money to make life better for Nana and others with blood-cancers!
I'll try and update this page frequently throughout my training to keep you up-to-date. If you want to see more photos of my progress check out my blog: Art Can't Hurt
Thanks for joining me in this journey - your donations make all the difference!
98 days until the triathlon!
Doing What I Can 24 May 2009
Welcome to my Team In Training home page.
This is all so new to me. I just signed up for this late last week but I'm ready to go and push myself for this cause!
On May 22, 2008 an event occured that changed my life. My mother, Susan Smith, was diagnosed with cancer. I remember the very place I was standing when I heard the news - I was holding the phone, shaking and couldn't breathe. I thought that this couldn't be happening. If this is what I experienced can you imagine what my mom was feeling? In truth, nearly every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease or myeloma; we have to fund the research needed to find a cure for these cancers.
Nearly a month after her initial diagnosis my mom was told she had Stage IV Mantel Cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was everywhere. The words were not encouraging and the doctor's urgency was frightening. Within just a few days she was in for her first round of chemo. The next 8 months were a balancing act emotionally. Mom was so brave! Watching her go through her battle I knew there was something I wanted to do to help. Something tangible and physical. Yes, donating plasma and platelets is one way to help. Do it! And helping with chores around the house that she no longer had the energy for - but I though maybe I could do more.
So here I am. One year later.
I'm training to participate in an endurance event, the Nations Triathlon 2009, as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor my mother and all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!
Any donation you can make to help me raise money is special. Instead of buying that new shirt you could donate $25, or put off getting a new golf club and donate $50. Even a $1 donation puts me closer to reaching my minimum goal. You and I together can know we are helping make our future cancer free.
Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. I give you my word that I will do my part on September 13, 2009 and swim .93 miles, bike 24.9 miles and run 6.2 miles.
Today my mom is not cancer free but is in remission. Each day is a blessing and she has been sharing her story on her blog: Journey With Sus
I hope you will visit my website often - bookmark it! I'll figure out how to post pictures of my training on here and keep you up to date with things. Thanks for your support!
112 days until the triathlon!
