It Burns. It Itches.

Oh.Lord.Help.Me!

Let's backtrack 6 miles Tuesday night.

Doug and I head to Shawnee Mission Park to hit the mountain bike/horse trails as we have a 50K coming up next week and haven't been on the trails in weeks. First we had to knock off the old caked on mud that was there from our last run. Then we head out for our 'regular' 4.5 mile loop. It was closed due to the rain we've had recently. So we head down to the horse trail we've been on once before.

We guide our way through the 2 miles we're familiar with. We get to 2 miles and instead of turning around, we decided to continue on. I thought I had heard Bad Ben (our Trail Nerds Leader) tell us that there was a 6 mile loop they continue on. So we thought we could continue on and loop back to where we started.


Not so much...We ran and ran and knew where we were-it was just getting to the road to get us back. We finally ended up at some private horse stables and tromping through the pasture, through kids training, through some lady trying to catch her horse, horses following us wanting some love and through horse crap. We finally got to the road to head back to the park.

We had a great run. It was fun. The sky was blue. The temps were cool. The deer were everywhere. We probably saw over 40 deer. The trails weren't muddy at all. It was a great run. We just didn't loop back around to where we thought we were going to. Which wasn't a big deal either. We just covered a few more miles than we expected. Probably needed it anyway.

By this time, Doug is starting to itch and scratch and I'm thinking it's just the weeds we've been through that have scratched us as we went through some not so frequently traveled trails.

We finally get back to the car and the Trail Nerds are just getting ready to take off. Doug's scratching and Bad Ben nonchalantly says, " I think you may have some seed ticks". I'm like cool. Til I look down and they are EVERYWHERE. On Me too! Hundreds of them. OMG! Help! So it starts. I immediately start itching and scratching. It burns. It itches. Oh please help. It won't stop.

We get in the car to book it home. When we get there, I hop out of the car, jump in the shower and scrub down. Doug scrubs down. When we get out, I feel better. Whew. Then start looking and they are STILL everywhere. They won't come off! I jump back in the shower and scrape and scrub yet another layer of skin off my body. Ewww...Gross...How disgusting!

Finally...I think I'm safe. Now that I've had two showers, it's time for a couple beers and The Shield. Then maybe another shower before bed for safe measures.

**Update Wednesday Morning***
Marci-YES! They are the five legged crawly critters. Totally ick!
I was up half the night itching and thinking I still had these boogers on me. It was pretty restless. Found out this morning, these puppies welt so now I have red bumps everywhere on my legs and they still itch from the bites. Grody!!

Ho Hum

Nothing too exciting to report.
Trying to get over a crappy cold.
It has to be gone by Thursday-no exceptions.
It's going to be a short work week!
Philosophy classes...I do not get.
Would like to do my run tonight on the trails since I have a HUGE 31 miler coming up next weekend.
I need to knock off the mud that is still on them from the Psycho Night Run.
10 hours. 31 miles. Should be doable-right? Yikes! Nervous. Excited.

I Love a Rainy Night

Usually. Except last night at Light The Night. It wasn't so much fun. Actually...it really stunk. Due to the tornado warnings we had, they had to cancel the whole event. It was very sad to see the effort that was put into the event go down the drain with the torrential down pouring of rain. It's such a neat experience. I'll just have to wait for next year.

Singing in the Rain
This morning as I left for run group, it wasn't raining. But as soon as we stepped outside to start running-it poured. Despite the rain, I couldn't have had a better time. I ran with Karen and we had a ball! We were laughing and singing, "It's Raining Men" along with other songs we were making up at at the time. We were drenched but just kept chuggin' away. I told her if she wasn't there this morning, I very well may have sat this run out like some of the wimps that turned around. I could have stayed dry inside the running store, sipped a pumpkin latte from Starbuck's and shopped. But I didn't, and so glad, as we had a blast! We felt like little kids running in the rain. We even decided to jump into this huge puddle together-all four feet...SPLASH! Cherished moments between best friends...a life moment I will never forget.

Light The Night

Tonight is Light The Night. It's a wonderful fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It's a 2-3 mile walk that starts around 7:45-so when it is starting to get dark. Thousands of people walk with lighted balloons. It's the neatest walk ever!

There are 3 kinds of balloons:

Red Balloons signify supporters

White Balloons signify survivors

Gold Balloons signify lives lost

It gives me chills every year to see thousands of balloons floating through the air as people carry them on their walk. It's a sight to see.

Before the walk they have a carnival like atmosphere where there are clowns and jumpy things for the kids, there are all sorts of booths, and a very important part of the night is a memory garden for those to hang pictures, write notes and to reflect and remember those with cancer, have survived cancer and for those that lost their battle with cancer.

It will be a great night to celebrate and remember. Hope to see you locals out there!

Just Got News

As many of you know, Leesa (my Honored Patient) and Craig (her husband) are training for the Disney Marathon with Team In Training. Leesa was diagnosed with CLL in May of 2008. She took some magical chemo pills, had little side effects and then remission. Pretty great news.

Until today. Leesa got a call from the doctor to let her know the cancer has returned. One of Leesa's first questions to her doctor was regarding marathon training and if she could continue. Her doctor said that she could. Whoo Hoo! This goes to show the dedication Leesa has.

Just hope and pray this next go 'round is as fast as the last. Get that crap knocked out.

Do you remember your first marathon? How tough it was, the training, the nutrition you had to get down, the miles and miles you put in. How nervous you were every other week when you had to bump up your mileage. That's about enough to enounter, but can you imagine training for a marathon, having cancer, taking chemotherapy and trying to raise $10,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society??? That's what this amazing woman is doing.

Give Leesa and Craig a shout at Walking Our Butts Off. Heck, give 'em a donation too while you're at it! They have a 'Blog' section where you can keep up with Leesa and Craig, what's going on with Leesa's health, their training and life in general. I also have their link in my 'Blogs I Stalk' section for later reference.

Keep these two and their two small children in your hearts, thoughts and prayers.

Trois Miles

Got this booty outta bed this morning and ran my three miles. Thought I would do it before the rain comes to visit us. Wow...6 miles in 2 days. That is rockin'. Ha!

Except I really am not liking my new shoes. At All. I ran in them this morning and got a blister. A blister running 3 miles-come on. Luckily this weekend our running group is meeting at the local running store so I'll be able to ask them to lace my shoes a different way to help stop it. I'll also get a new pair of inserts to put on top of the ones that are already there. And I'll also try a different pair of socks. If this keeps happening, I'm going to have to get a new pair. Awww man...a new pair of shoes? That would be horrible!

Could It Be...

I actually completed my 3 miles tonight?
It could! Instead of running though, Doug and I decided to take Molly with us. The poor thing hasn't been out on a walk in quite some time. We hated to neglect her of yet another day without a walk so we walked our 3 miles tonight. Just getting out helped a ton-as I knew it would. Glad I finally got out and did something. It felt great.

Another great night?
It could! A walk, a great dinner, cool weather, and baking brownies and cookies. Mmm...

2009 is the year for Rim to Rim to Rim?
It could! And I am so so so so so so so so excited! Rim to Rim to Rim? The Grand Canyon. Start at the South side of the Grand Canyon. Hike down. Hike up the North side of the Grand Canyon. Turn around. Hike down. Hike up the South Side of the Grand Canyon. Could it get any better??? Doug and I have talked about doing this over the past several years as something we want to do but have never gotten around to logistically planning it. Someone on the Trail Nerd's website brought it up and I hope there is enough interest that it'll be a go cuz we are SO in! I think it's around 43 miles round trip. So if things fall into place, the next step is deciding spring or fall 09. Then getting in some 50K's and 50 milers. 50 milers? 50 milers. Yikes! Especially from someone who hasn't even completed her 1st ultra-Yet!

This girl is back on track and trekking forward.