Spectator Information

By MJ

Tomorrow marks the 2 weeks to go point! The 3Day has released spectator information. I’ve included the most important information here, but you can check out their website for even more ideas.

LETTERS TO WALKERS

Write a letter expressing your love and support to your walker, which we’ll deliver to him/her on the event.

Send letters to:
3-Day for the Cure
ATTN: Darla Rodgers
P.O. Box 29
Homeworth, OH 44634

OR

3-Day for the Cure
ATTN: Megan Rodgers
P.O. Box 29
Homeworth, OH 44634

Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than July 20th in order to ensure delivery at the Komen 3-Day for the Cure Camp Post Office.

Please note: This address is not the actual location of camp, but a PO Box for mail delivery only. Any mail that is not received by the 3-Day for the Cure by the date above or retrieved by the participant by August 15th will be destroyed.

Sorry for the short notice! (Mom doesn’t know about this.)

CHEERING STATIONS:

Public cheering stations are a great way to show your support along the route to encourage
walkers and let them know that you are with them every step of the way. Seeing familiar faces cheering them on can provide that extra burst of energy that gets them to take that next step or go the next mile. Create banners, hold up signs, bring some music and make some noise – anything to make them smile, get energized and keep walking.

Friday, July 30:

8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Lakewood Park
14532 Lake Ave.
Lakewood, OH 44107

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Rockport Plaza
19799 Center Ridge Rd.
Rocky River, OH 44116

Saturday, July 31:

8:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Rocky River Presbyterian Church
21750 Detroit Rd.
Rocky River, OH 44116

10:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Energizer
25225 Detroit Rd.
Westlake, OH 44145

Sunday, August 1:

8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
North Olmsted Park
28114 Lorain Rd.
North Olmsted, OH 44070

11:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Downtown Berea
Front Street between Center and Grand Sts.
Berea, OH 44017

On some portions of the route you may find some areas that are deemed “quiet zones” which will be indicated by signage on the route. Please assist us in respecting our neighborhoods and communities during this time

ALMOST…

By MJ

We are SO CLOSE to what we need.

Thanks to several very generous donations this week, we are now officially $576.28 from meeting our requirement!!!

To those of you who have donated already, thank you so much.

If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late.  You can donate online (it will even let you do a payment plan!!), or print out a donation form and mail a check in (make sure the check is made out to “Susan G. Komen”).

If each of my facebook friends donated $1, we’d have enough. =)  — just a thought.

I know several of you have donated much more than that and I’m (we’re) incredibly grateful!

Tea Party

By MJ

Today marks the 15th anniversary of my Aunt’s passing. In honor of her life and memory, I have invited everyone to drink a cup of tea and share memories of your loved ones. I have set up a Facebook page that has pictures and memories of my Aunt JuJu. Please visit and leave a comment. Or you can leave a comment on this page as well. Below I’ve included some of my memories and the actual invitation.
You are invited to join us in celebrating the life and memory of Julianne Vrabel.

When: Sunday June 27, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. (or whenever it is convenient for you)
Where: The comfort of your own home.

Summer is always a busy time, running here and there, going to picnics, and graduation parties. But it is important to take some time to reflect on the blessings that have been in our lives – both past and present.
We invite you take a few moments to make yourself (and your family) a cup of tea, relax,  and share memories of those that have been taken from us too soon.
We encourage you to use this time to reflect on all the great gifts we all have been given in the form of family and friends that we surround ourselves with everyday.

My Memories and Thoughts

My Mom’s big sister, my “Aunt Ju Ju”, was an avid golfer and bowler.
She loved to dote on her nieces and great-nieces, spoiling us as if we were her own grandchildren and she made the best chicken soup every Thanksgiving.
She lovingly called me her “social butterfly” because I always had a different activity to go to every night.
In 1995 Aunt JuJu lost her hard fought battle to Lung and Breast Cancer.
She is greatly loved and missed by all.

A few of the other colorful memories I have:
Aunt JuJu worked for a Dentist, Dr. Dixon. I remember very clearly that EVERY time she saw me, she insisted on checking my teeth to make sure they were good. Perhaps that was a good thing.. I didn’t get my first cavity until I was 28!
I also remember that we would go golfing on the “Monday Holidays” – Memorial Day and Labor Day. It was a whole group of us, Aunt JuJu, Uncle Bill, Frank, Susan, Me, Jeanne, and I’m sure there were others. The one outing I remember most was at Rolling Hills. I must have been 13 or so.  We were out on like hole 4 or something (I haven’t played there since, so I don’t know the course at all) — far from the clubhouse and Aunt JuJu had to use the bathroom. Well of course there wasn’t one around. I remember she went into the woods.. did what she needed to and came back. I’ve since learned, through playing with many people, that that is a very common thing.. but at the time I was astounded. Funny, the things that we remember.
On a much more sentimental note, I remember that Aunt JuJu and Uncle Bill stopped over our house late at night (It was probably only like 8:30 or 9) after they were done Bowling. I had already been put to bed, but Aunt JuJu would insist on seeing me, so I would come out and say hi and then go back to bed. I think it’s a good thing I liked sleep as a kid, or my parents probably would have been mad.

I have also posted pictures of Aunt JuJu on the facebook page and encourage you to look at them and even add your own. Here is the direct link to the photos page.

Thank you for sharing in my memories.

Garage Sale

By MJ

Our garage sale was a huge success. We brought in about $550 and reduced 6 truckloads of stuff down to about 1 and a half. Thank you to everyone who donated items and who came and bought them!! View Photos Here.

What a Weekend!

By MJ

Where do I start? I guess the beginning is as good as anywhere -

FRIDAY

My Friday began with an interview that I am hoping went well. I spent the rest of the day visiting Walmart.  No really- 3 times! I went hiking in Towner’s Woods. It was a pretty nice little park between Streetsboro and Kent.  From their website:

Comprised of 175 acres of forest, wetlands, and meadows in Franklin Township, the park is the site of a 2000 year-old Hopewell Indian mound that overlooks Lake Pippen. In addition, Towner’s Woods boasts what many regard as one of the best cross-country skiing trails in Northeast Ohio and is adjacent to the PORTAGE Hike and Bike Trail.

I had a hard time finding all the trails that I wanted, so I didn’t quite get my 6 miles in like I had planned. It was incredibly hot out there, though. I did see several really neat animals, including an entire butterfly trail, a heron, a few squirrels, woodpeckers, and geese. I took several pictures that I will upload to sqpear.com as soon as I can. I also met a gentleman that told me about some other trails that I should check out.

After returning to the hotel, eating dinner, and getting cleaned up, I did some last minute studying for my Praxis exam that was on Saturday. (It was during this last minute relaxing study session that I realized the batteries were dead in my calculator and necessitated my THIRD trip to Walmart).

SATURDAY

The Praxis setup was a bit ridiculous. We met in one building for about 20 minutes then they escorted us to yet another building to the room where we were taking the test. The test itself wasn’t too bad (but I feel bad saying that — especially since I haven’t seen my results yet! – I’ve talked to many people who have take it several times) I’m pretty confident that I did ok, but I won’t know for sure on July 13 – or July 9 if I want to pay an additional $30.  (I have to score 139 to pass – I think 200 is the highest)

After the test I headed to the Golf Course for the Brown Jug Tournament. This is essentially 20 women getting together for some friendly competition. This time it was Red vs Blue. I was on the Red team. I shot decently well Saturday, considering I’ve only played once this year (in April). I shot 42-43.

Our first nine was Best Ball (a team of two, you take the best score for the hole)
Our second nine was straight up match play.

We continued this tournament on Sunday. Sunday we played the first nine as alternate shot and the fourth as a two person scramble. I was on the winning team — we won by ONE!

Sunday morning, before heading out on the course, I walked down in the park for 3 miles. I was tired. It was humid. But 3 is better than 0.

The best news of the weekend is of course my weight total! I’m DOWN 1.6 LBS.!!!

A little pampering…

By MJ

Today I slept in. And yes, I’m not a morning person anyway.. but I still don’t want to sleep until NOON! I lost a few good hours of productivity but did manage to get some things done –

I rode the recumbent bike for 45 minutes which was about 9.3 miles.

I also spoiled myself and went for a massage. =) I also set up appointments for mom and I for Aug 2. (the day after the 3Day).

I tried another “new” food – Wendy’s BLT Salad with Grilled Chicken. It was actually quite tasty (after I took off the WHOLE cucumber that was on it)

This weekend is going to be crazy busy and I’m going to be computer free until at least Saturday night.  I have a big meeting in the morning, then I’m heading to Twinsburg to deliver some books, stuffed animals, and blankets that the students and staff of Mespo collected to Project Night Night. Then I’ll be hiking in the area (6 miles). On Saturday morning I have my Math Praxis followed by 18 holes of Golf — the semi-annual Brown Jug Tournament at Bedford Trails. The Brown Jug continues on Sunday (after I walk 6 miles somewhere near home). Then classes start Monday. — Told ya! Crazy weekend!!

So I guess I best be getting to bed.

8 Mile Hike

By MJ

So yesterday I took the plunge. I jumped full force into my training. After several 3 mile hikes spread over 3 months, I decided I needed to push myself and get back on the real training schedule. I’ve adapted it to fit my schedule… but have all the “required” walks included. I’ll post the schedule soon, and you can RSVP to join me on the hikes you want to

Anyway I refused to let the rainy day ruin my walk, so I waited until 6pm and the weather was great. Humid! but sunny and at time had some great breezes.  For those of you in my area… I walked from Western Reserve Rd to Shields and back again.  Technically I started at the trailhead, hiked north to Herbert Rd (Shields) then headed South all the way to Western Reserve, then returned North to the trail end.

According to map my run it was actually 8.28 miles and it took me 3 hours and 13 minutes. But in that time includes a restroom stop, and a leisurely stroll through some of the areas, taking in the surroundings and taking some pictures. It’s hard to believe that some of these were taken right in this area. See all the photos here.

I learned(remembered) a few things on my hike.

• 20 miles is FAR. 8 miles had my muscles burning, and my feet hurting. I need to train A LOT MORE and A LOT MORE SERIOUSLY if I’m going to make it in July.
• I need to find some new socks- and lots of them. My good running socks were cushy but almost too cushy, I think I need thinner socks — and several pairs to change them often. I’m thinking 5 miles is about the limit for my socks.
• I love walking in nature. Watching the birds, bunnies, Texas Longhorn cattle, and gophers.
• Unrelated to walking, but I remembered how much I LOVE taking photos of nature.
• I love being outside. (keep reminding me of this if I talk about being in the basement too much!!)

Here are a few of the pictures I took:

You can see more photos on my facebook page.

I tried something new

By MJ

Today was fairly productive. I got up early and spent two hours waiting for my car to be fixed (a recall), oil changed, and tires rotated. Then Dad and I went to lunch at Bob Evans. I found a new favorite meal there! I haven’t looked up the exact stats but I’m hoping it’s not too horrible:

• A tossed salad with light ranch dressing
• 1/2 Slow-Roasted Turkey Bacon Melt (no tomato) – Slow-roasted turkey topped with American cheese, tomato and bacon on grilled sourdough
• Tall glass of water

It was quite tasty!!

I looked up the nutritional facts:
1/2 Melt (including tomato)
Calories:291
Carb: 24
Protein: 16
Fat: 14

Garden Salad (salad mix tomatoes & croutons)  in parentheses is the Fresh Garden Salad -NO croutons
Calories: 58 (15)
Carb: 9 (3)
Protein: 2 (1)
Fat: 1 (0)

Light Ranch Dressing (full serving) – I only used 1/2 at the most
Calories: 110
Carb: 2
Protein: 1
Fat: 11

Total Meal as I can best figure that I actually ate:
Calories: 304  Carbs: 34  Protein: 18.5  Fat: 20.5

Next I went to Avenue and bought a few cute items for the Summer, including an interview I have on Friday.

I bought the tank & shrug. I'll wear it with a khaki skirt.

I then went to Giant Eagle and got some good healthy foods.. and the ingredients for my own alfredo sauce.

I am working on updating and recreating my photographic presence in the world. www.sqpear.com is still under construction but you can check it out.

I am quite pleased with my alfredo. The texture was kinda weird but it still tasted really good.

Hopefully the PinkPear Head has reappeared at the top of the webpage — I never meant to delete him… technical error!!

I didn’t get to walk today.. but am going for a long one tomorrow. Maybe even two! We’ll see how things go.  I have a math praxis test on Saturday so that is still taking much of my time.

Cya all tomorrow!!

New Look

By MJ

I thought the blog needed a little facelift. I hope you like the new look. Hopefully it will be easier to read and will be more reader friendly. Let me know what you think!

The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.

By MJ

I’m NOT parking any more!!!

I started writing this blog by thanking the people who came to Handels and then I went into upcoming events. Then I realized that is the problem with the way these things are going. So I’m rewriting. If you’d like to see the Thank you or upcoming events, scroll down.

But what I really need to say is that I NEED HELP, and not the fundraising kind. (Obviously we always need that) but I’ve lost sight of the reason I took up this campaign. I wanted a large project to get me on track with my weight loss. I was going to train hard, work hard, eat right, and get skinny. Unfortunately, the task of having to raise almost $5000 has taken over. I’ve barely been getting out to walk, I’ve not been on the bike, my food has been atrocious. I’ve been too focused on how to raise this money, how to get people to come to events, and thinking of new and inventive ways to raise money. I enjoy throwing myself into projects, but now it’s time for the project to be ME.

I’m done giving in to everyone else. It’s time for me to be selfish. I need to be a spoiled brat and demand that the junk I can’t keep my hands off of, needs to stay OUT of the house.  I need encouragement. I need motivation. I need kind nudging (or brutal– depending on the day) I need friends. I need supporters. I need teammates. NOT saboteurs. I hope you will join my team. That you will offer me the kick in the butt I need on lazy mornings when I don’t want to exercise. You’ll support me when I cave on a brownie and reassure me that it’s not a disaster as long as I jump right back on the horse. You’ll gently remind me that I haven’t updated my food log. You’ll also cheer me on as my weight goes down. You’ll give me a virtual high five on the days I eat perfectly in the zone. You’ll encourage me to drink more water, less pop, eat more of the better healthy choices and less of the “ok” foods. You’ll get excited with me when I walk a new farthest distance, or discover a cool new trail. (You might even volunteer to keep me company – if you live near by). Messages are welcomed in many forms — comments on the webpage, comments on my facebook page, comments on the PinkPear Facebook Page, text messages and emails to me, even a phone call occasionally =)

I created a few documents that I can update on my iphone. It’s time for me to become transparent. It’s time for everyone to know where I stand… where I need to go… and how to I’m getting there. I welcome you all to read these charts and visit them often. Since I am just starting with them, there isn’t much data in them yet, but come back and visit them often.

Exercise Log- There are separate tabs for walking and other activities.  (EXERCISE LOG)

Weight Log- My goal weight for right now is 200. After I reach that, I’ll aim for 150. I’ve lost it before. I CAN do it again. (WEIGHT LOG)

Food Log- I’m following the Zone. I’m eating a 3 block breakfast, 3 block lunch, 2 block snack, 3 block dinner, and a 2 block snack. (FOOD LOG)

Ok now for those upcoming events and thank yous…..

Current Total – not including Handels, about $3000!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Handels on Thursday. I don’t have the numbers yet, but I’m hoping we did well. I’ll let you all know as soon as I know.

Upcoming Events:
The Rivers Casino Bus Trip – we have about 20 seats left!!! If you are interested you can find details here.

Our Garage Sale is also rapidly approaching. If you have items you would like to donate, please contact me. (any items not sold will be donated to local charities)