Fell on my face today...awesome.

So I know I haven’t written in while, I know, I know...you all have been waiting on the edge of your seats. I took a couple days off and went to Block Island to see family and didn’t bring my running shoes, yeah..I said it. no. running shoes. A mistake I am regretting now but I needed to rest, I have been non stop so filling up on pizza and beer for a couple days…I knew I would be all carbed up by the time I came back. In fact…I should be all set till marathon day. Anyways….I missed a couple days of running and more importantly…missed a long run. Bad Melissa, BAD! I didn’t have the energy when I came back. I was sunburned, tired, and feeling like a beach bum. I told myself Monday..is a new start, get it together. I am not going to miss any more runs - have 12 weeks till marathon. So Monday rolls around and I figured since I missed most of my runs last week, I have to bump it up a notch and run more than my schedule says.

Monday…I wake up and head to the park. I was obviously delirious because I forgot my iPod! I never leave home without that thing and was too lazy to go up the 3 flights of stairs so I started running. I actually felt like pizza dough running, my feet felt like cement. I was only supposed to run 6.5 and pulled 7.5 out of my a** and finished in an hour and 5 minutes. Felt good after my run but then my Achilles started to act up and I was limping for most of the day, the pain went away by Tuesday morning. Miracle #1.

Tuesday….legs hurt and they are tight. I get up this morning and it was harder today than yesterday. Not sure how I was going to do another 7.5 but lets see. I swallow my pride as the 80 year olds past me and let’s not forget the guy in the wheel chair...I put my head down and just kept running.
I finally made it around the park and was on mile 4 until I fell seriously flat on my face! Now everyone that knows me....knows I am clumsy. I trip over everything but its usually when I wear heels but cmon....SNEAKERS!!! Def. a new low for me. So let me tell you what happened...it came out of no-where. It was a small piece of tree bark that was smaller than a golf ball and that’s all it took to have this 172 lb woman to fall down like I was in the video game Mortal Combat and someone just said “FINISH HER!” I was in pain!

I rolled my ankle pretty badly and was on the ground for about 3 minutes trying to hold in the tears. I didn’t know if it was the pain that made me want to cry or the 5 people that ran right by me and didn’t feel the need to ask if I was ok. What is wrong with people these days…..I was appalled. I mean…if you saw someone on the street who literally just fell right in front of you wouldn’t you ask if they were ok?!! I don’t know…I would. But these girls ran right past me, grrrrrr….I digress. Anyways….so I cut my run short….only 4 miles today. I was limping all the way home and thought about how long it was going to take for me to be able to run again, what am I going to do, I am screwed….until I was about 4 blocks from my house….and the pain went away. What the heck!! Is that even possible?! It was miracle #2!! I am superwoman I tell you….SUPERWOMAN!

So let’s see what tomorrow brings…. Hopefully I don’t fall again and maybe I will see those girls again and run by them….that will make them pay I tell you. than will make. them. pay.

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read and please don’t forget to support this hot mess. Peace!

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=40372&event_id=128

my story

I thought I hung up my shoes for good. I swore I would never wear a pair of spandex EVER again but due to unfortunate events I felt like I had too and heres my story. I lost my dad on March 25, 2008 and lost my uncle Billy 6 months later. Its been a pretty crappy year to say the least. After I lost them I had a strong urge to change my life, fear nothing, and conquer all type of attitude. Lets face it, we are not guaranteed another day so why not create awareness, support others, raise money and defy all odds in memory if them.

Now, in all honestly....if I really thought this through I could have come up with 100 other fundraising activities instead of running 26.2 miles but I go with what I know. So I started researching ways to get into the 2009 NYC marathon.

OPTION 1: Lets face it...I am not a runner. We have established this before. My runners high is being able to have a pitcher of margaritas after a long run and not gain a pound, thats my runners high. Anyways like I was saying, one of the ways you can get an automatic IN is by joining NYRR (New York Road Runners Club), run 9 qualifying races and BAM! You are in! ummmm...right.....moving on.

OPTION 2: The other way you can get in is through charity. To be honest, I have gone to the NYC marathon site more than a dozen times and NEVER saw this charity when I found Freds Team. Freds Team supports The Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (say that 3 times fast!). They help support doctors and researchers with the tools they need to increase survival rates for people who have cancer. Once I saw this, it sent chills down my spine...It was a sign. You see my uncle Billy died of Cancer and my dads name is Fred.

I know the challenges I face are going to be difficult...the spandex, the long runs, the injuries, the spandex, the cat calls, the looking healthy girl comments and lets just say the spandex again for consistency sake but in all seriousness this is for my uncle Billy who died of cancer and for my amazing father Fred who died of septic shock. Its all so silly what we complain about, dont you think? What we need to be worrying about are our loved ones and the many people we dont know that have cancer and have to live with the pain and the sadness 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. So lets help support more.

I am putting on my running shoes for the cause and asking you for your help. Please support me as a Freds Team Member by making a donation to my effort.

LOVE ALWAYS...Liss.p.s. keep coming back, I will have updates, new photos, blog updates and much more!