UVA 4-miler + training! Join me!!!

Hey girls and guys, For those of you who live in or near Charlottesville, I thought you might be interested to learn about the UVA 4-miler, if you don't already! It is for the UVA Cancer Center Breast Care Program. I have wanted to do it for years, but with all the weight/pain in my joints, there was no way.  Year after year, I watched my friends go through it, and felt so... sorry for myself.  As I understand it, UVA begins training for it sometime around mid-June, early on Saturday mornings before it gets too hot.  They bring in all kinds of experts to help with a variety of issues, like finding the right shoe for you, form, etc.  You can walk or run. I am scared to do this, but I think I want to give it a try!  I once ran a 5K at 180 lbs. and I never felt such a high!  I did it!  I did something that no one else could do for me.  It was an amazing feeling!  I have been very timid in the things I've tried since losing weight... probably a lifetime of "failure" is embedded in my brain and memory!  But I can't progress, and enjoy my "new" body, if I'm not willing to try new things.  I hope this will be the first of many! So I thought maybe I could recruit some of you to join me!  My daughter is also going to do it with  me.  You have to be at least 10 years old.  I also have a few church friends who have done it before and say they absolutely loved it!  They loved the personalized training almost more than the race itself. In the fall you walk/run the 4-miler.  For more information, the website is http://www.dominiondigital.com/womens4miler/ - at the moment it has 2007 info, but the accurate 2008 info should be coming up soon.  The registration fee is only $15, and there is a separate fee  to run the race (which I can't seem to find on the site!). Some of the projects the earned money for 2007 included:

• Funding mammograms for the uninsured
• Funding to provide a Navigation Notebook and Self Help Book for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients
• A breast cancer care kit for newly diagnosed patients, whi*****ludes many items to help comfort the patient throughout their journey
• A study to determine how physicians and nurses can help breast patients better understand the goals of chemotherapy
• Funding to increase enrollment in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program/ Every Woman’s Life Program
• A study to determine if a special bra can help prevent and control swelling after breast surgery
• Educational materials for the high-risk breast and ovarian program

It's a great cause!  It gives us a chance to stretch and try something new... and to spend more time together in a productive way! I'll be curious to hear if any of you are interested!!! Crystal a.k.a. Debby

Debby- This would be a total stretch for me...but I'm looking for something like this. Let me check with my training buddy to see if she'd be up for it!

Hi Christina, I hope you'll do it!  I REALLY mean it when I say it's a stretch for me too - even though I exericse everyday  (mostly kickboxing), I have little to no endurance for running.  I also have MS and Fibromyalgia, so my joints could  be aggravated. Last week I started an alternate walking/running program on my treadmill, in the hopes that I CAN build my endurance and not feel like a total dork when the training begins!  The first day I ran around 30 seconds, and thought, "who am I kidding?"!  Then I thought, I have to keep trying, and hopefully with time I can increase my ability to run without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack! I figure at the very least I can walk it, or maybe do a partial run/walk, run/walk deal! Let me know, Debby

Debby Im so proud of you for doing this! You rawk! And you will do great.... You are starting to come out more and more and Im very proud of you. Not sure I could do this but Ill think about it ok. Keep on doing what your doing girl!!!!

Ah.... thanks Melinda!  Thanks for your support - but let's just say, "I haven't done it yet"!  It really does scare me!   I think I'm still living with the pain of growing up overweight - being the last kid picked for any team, feeling UN-athletic in every way, etc.  I know in my heart that doing something like this will help to banish those negative memories and thoughts!  Doing kickboxing tapes in my own living room is vastly different from getting out in public and working on something I don't feel very good at!  It's scary, but I get excited at the thought too. I think the training will be be my secret weapon - it will build my confidence more than anything.... it's not like just going somewhere and signing up to run a race.  There will be several months of practice, and gaining skill, endurance and confidence.  And then there will be new friends (and hopefully old ones!), and we will all do this together!  Maybe you should consider - you can always walk... which is my consolation - and at the very least it will be great exercise and a reason to get together every Saturday morning and celebrate our new bodies and enjoy our frirendships! Crystal Debby

Well you know Im here to support you in anything you do! Always! you send me the details on it an I could walk it I know I cant run it and not sure I can do alot of walking w/ the old back and leg but I may try it heck like you said meeting up w/ friends and to get the exercise Ive been wanting to get a walking team together anyway what better way to do it! So send me the information and I will announce it at our next meet this month as well and maybe get some from the FFP who might want to join us in this walk/run I can walk thats one thing the good lord gave back to me.

C'mon y'all - we CAN do this!!!!!!  It will be the OH Olympics!  Then we'll all go out for dessert afterwards! Debby