Alaska Running Cruise-July 21, 2019

Alaskan Running Cruise, Juneau Alaska, State 41-II'MMMMMM BAAAAAACK!

BACKGROUND
A couple of years ago I stumbled across a Facebook posting for the Great Alaskan Running Cruise....Whaaaat?? What is this? Of course I had to do it! It was perfect. Dad was just saying Alaska was one of the 2 states left that he never got to visit. I convinced him to sign up right away! 

Fast forward several months later and dads health is declining and we have to withdrawl the registration. 

Fast forward several months even later and I realize the following years cruise corresponds with what would be my 100th half marathon! So I convince my friends to sign up right away! Shortly after, I break my ankle requiring surgery, lots of metal, and doctors telling me they dont know if or how I will run again. 

I keep the registration. 

Obviously its no longer going to be my 100th half marathon celebration, but how could I let my friends go without me? Doing the calculations, sail date would put me 8months out from the year long recovery. Perfect! I have a goal! Run a half marathon 8 months post trimalleolar fracture surgery. This will be my first half marathon back celebration! And if worst comes to worst, it would just be a cruise with my friends! I can walk what I can.

So if you have been following along, we all know how awesome physical therapy and recovery has gone. There were slow downs and pains along the way that left me run/walking only minimal. I tried to focus on just doing the distance, even if it was just walking. Its amazing how not just my ankle, but my entire foot, calf and legs forgot what the long distant felt like! I was literally starting my running career all over again! Which made it even more of a mental challenge. 

I ended up only making it to 10miles in training before we took off for our cruise. This left me a little discouraged, but I could only do what I could do. The course was set to be a lap course, so if worst comes to worst, I could call it early.

ABOUT
The cruise was a 7 night Southern track cruise, starting in Anchorage and ending in Vancouver, with runs planned in Anchorage, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Juneau would be the half marathon  and the other were short 5k-10k fun runs. The only official timing was for the half marathon. We were on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. It was a normal cruise, but the Running Cruise was a group of a couple hundred runners and walkers on a regular cruise ship with other nonrunners. Your guest can be a runner or not and still be invited to all the activities and meals.

ANCHORAGE
We flew into Anchorage a few days early, one, so we didnt miss the cruise if something happened, and two, because I wanted to check out the city. We had a perfect Airbnb on the water with an awesome patio. In July the sun barely sets for a couple hours and doesnt really get real dark. The time difference and jet lag coming from East Coast plus the lightness made it a little difficult to adjust the first couple of days.

The Anchorage 5k ran on the Coastal Trail right in from of our Airbnb. This is a known area for moose sightings, but unfortunately it was quite warm and still too sunny out for them to be around when we ran. We met at Skinny Raven, the local running store for packet pick up, shopping with discounts, and some mingling. After the run, we had pizza and beer on the rooftop!

I

Anchorage is a cute little city but is also very accessible to nearby hikes if you want an escape in nature. Renting a car is suggested if you want to explore on your own, but there also are tour groups that will take you on a bus by set itinerary. In town we went to the Aurora Borealis viewing (Northern Lights commentary as you can not see them in the Summer). We drove out to Thunderbird Falls, Chugach State Park, and then down to Byron Glacier. Although the first two were good, I was hoping to see wildlife and we did not. (we had just missed a bear sighting though at the entry). Byron Glacier on the other hand was definitely worth the drive and back! Short trail with magical experience on the snow/ice! And YES! I stepped on the ice for the first time since breaking my ankle on ice! (okay, maybe just one foot!)

SEWARD
We took the train to Seward to catch the ship, and this was probably one of the highlights of the entire trip! The country side is absolutely gorgeous...lots of greenery, waterfalls, and wildlife! If you are indecisive on the cheap seats or upgrading, just go with the cheap ones! Plenty of space, and you still have dome carts you can help yourself to at any time there is a seat open (which was a lot) AND you can still add on dining if you decide you want a real meal. Or theres a snack bar available (with cocktails). Commentary was given the entire way so you learned what you were looking at as well. I highly enjoyed every moment of it.

As soon as the train arrived, I took a boat out to Kenai Fjords National Park before boarding the cruise ship, as there was plenty of time before dinner and departure. The water was surprisingly aqua in color. I got to see my first puffins and penguins. There were tons of other birds, seals, and they searched long and hard, but finally got some whales at the end!

Walking the boardwalk of Seward is very quaint. Got to have lunch and do some shopping!

DAY AT SEA-HUBBARD GLACIER
This was definitely better than I thought it was going to be! Note, the ship is far, far away, but the glacier is massive. They sell tickets to go on a small boat up close and personal, but it was HUNDREDS of dollars. I felt fine enough from the cruise ship. The ship constantly turns in a circle so everyone gets a view from every angle. You can also stay in your cabin if you like and view it from the tv! The sound of the calving was just amazing. Especially being so far out. Its just massive.

With it being a day at sea, I took the opportunity to experience a massage on the ship. I knew with all the sight seeing and traveling I had already done, I needed a good reflexology massage to get my ankle ready for the race the next day! It was pretty awesome with the rocking on the water!

 

JUNEAU-HALF MARATHON DAY!
We were bussed to the starting location about 20 minutes away, which was just good enough to get a taste of the small town and suburbs of Juneau. Unfortunately that meant we drove the course, which i always hate doing. It was an out and back course with a hill, which unfortunately was advised only after registration. I wasnt too excited about the course, but it ended up being better once we were running. Probably because there were 4 runners that I knew that would hold me accountable on getting this half marathon distance complete! The course ran along the waterway the majority of the time, besides that hill we had to tackle and then turn around! We saw bald eagles, otter, unfortunately no moose or bear, but there was a small waterfall, and across the water was an amazing view of another glacier! I wore kt tape and an ankle brace and surprisingly my ankle did amazing! I was more tired than anything from not running the distance in so long! Oh and that hill! I was super excited to finish, unfortunately there really wasnt anything at the finish line, except get back on the bus and go back. A little disapointing but I was excited to go explore the city anyways and eat some Alaskan King Crab to celebrate!! We checked out a saloon, went to a crab shack, took the gondola up top for some sight seeing and then called it a day! We celebrated back on board with a sunset from our friends balcony! It was a beautiful day and I finally was back to running!

SKAGWAY
This was a 'fun run/scavenger hunt' day with the Running Cruise, but I decided I would rather leave this small port and see more country side and try to track down some wildlife! So i rented a car and made the same trek as the gold miners and headed to Yukon! Thankfully I had some company and made a nice day of it! Beautiful weather, we made several pit stops and saw some beautiful scenery, but unfortunately still no wildlife. Back in town, we went to another Saloon, but this time took the tour. Apparently all of these ports were know for their Red Light Districts back in the mining days! Very interesting for a cheap tour!

ICY STRAIT
Icy Strait is a unique port as it is privately owned, unlike all the others are owned by the cruise lines. (yes you will see the same touristy things over and over, thus its important to do some tours outside the cruise line!) We decided to do the World's longest zip rider first thing in the morning! It took a while for a very quick ride, but Id say was worth it. The bus ride took you through the village so that was interesting. You are able to hold your phone if you dare, so I took a video the entire ride. It was beautiful from that high and could see the cruise ship in the distance. They gave us a free shot at the bottom. While we waited for our whale excursion, I explored the shoreline as it seemed the kids were having entirely too much fun! Come to find out there were ginormous starfish of every color you can think of! We got to see a good amount of whales on the tour and all different kinds. Those captains really try hard and work together with other boats to let everyone know where the whales are headed! We even got to hear a few of them.

KETCHIKAN
Another race day in Tongass Forest was very unique! It was a drizzly day, which had my anxiety a little high having to run on a slick road, but we took it nice and slow. So much greenery, tons of slugs (they even had a slug contest!), and came back to a bonfire and cold local beer! Oh, and we finally earned our medal! Still no bears or moose. Although come to find out, after we left, a bear and cub walked by our finish line! I did a quick walk and shop around town, found a stream of salmon, and then we caught a seaplane to Misty Fjords. This was pretty amazing as well....taking of and landing on the water (which I did in Vancouver before, but this was different). Once we left the city, it was nothing but green lush mountains, water, fog, and blue skies. It was very cool. We even got to land in the middle of the park and take in the fresh air! Still no bears or moose. We headed back and went real close to a hill side, up and over, and then BAM a herd of white sheep or goat running. Was pretty cool to see the contrast. Still looking for bear, I did end up spotting a small brown hump running across the field under a tree.....yep, THAT was my bear sighting of Alaska. lol. I guess you take what you can get!

VANCOUVER
We disembarked early and our flight was late, so we all did one more excursion. I think we were all super exhausted and it probably would have been wise to spend the night and then fly home in the morning, but we had already extended on the front end of the trip. A 7night cruise can easily turn into 10-12 days! Because i have already been to Vancouver, I opted for the countryside excursion which took me on a zodiac boat tour, a mining tour, and a suspension bridge tour on the outskirts by bus. All was beautiful, but I felt like I had already seen it all in Alaska. I really could have done without it as i was exhausted.Honestly, I dont even know if I remember the flight home! LOL.

An Alaskan Cruise is a unique experience but I honestly feel like I need another trip to Alaska to experience the wildlife and cold! I quickly learned that all the ports are very similar, they are warmer (wheres the snow?!), busy, touristy, and not always what Alaska is really about. I would love to get back and visit Denali...now they HAVE to have some bears!

The Running Cruise portion made it very simple in not having to plan much (except for your private excursions. They did off excursion for just the group, but I did opt to do my own) I wish they provided a photographer for half marathon day. There were no pictures. And I wish they had a little more set up of food/refreshments on half marathon day (they even ran out of water). Every day we had private group breakfast which was nice. The company does other destinations in the Caribbean and over seas. I would suggest it especially if you are a solo traveler but want to travel with similar people!

All in All, this was all about me getting back to half marathon distance and I did it! Having one of the best trips of my life only made it that much better!

Half Marathon
State 41
13.1miles-2:57

Down to Run-Trail 10k-April 2019

Of course since I just completed my first run/walk 5k since trimalleolar ankle surgery, I should be able to do a 10k just 2 weeks later, right?? I know, I know, even I hear myself sounding all KINDS of crazy!

Heres the deal though... I was on a half marathon a month mission when I broke my ankle, meaning, I had races that were months ahead that were already scheduled and paid for. I was able to transfer or refund the other races, but I held on to the Down to Run race in April as a 'goal' to keep myself on schedule with physical therapy. The race director let me downgrade to either a 5k or 10k. But of course since I completed the 5k distance with Never Quit, I wanted to challenge myself for the 10k distance, even if I was to walk it. In training, I had already made it to the 4.5 mile mark run/walking, so everything sounded fine in my head. Again, as with every other step of this recovery process, my body just felt like it was ready.

The ankle was getting stronger, but the bend was still not the same as the other ankle. The movements on uneven surfaces was getting stronger, but fear was still there on twisting the ankle or falling. With this race being a trail race, I knew it was something I had to do to help get over this anxiety. My running at this stage is very uneven. I feel like I look completely lopsided, as my push off and landing on my right side is so uneven with my left. My calf is still way smaller and my overall muscle mass is not nearly where it usually is.

The race took place at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Jupiter Florida, so I made a weekend out of it and stayed with a friend. She even got me on a bike for the first time since surgery! We visited the Loggerhead Marinelife Center where they rehabilitate turtles. I met Valentina, a turtle with an amputated flipper, and she showed me that she was still able to continue to swim around like other turtles even if she looked/felt a little different.

It was a hot day in Southern Florida and I was hoping for shade with this being a park, but I quickly learned shade did not exist.

Once again, I wore a sign on my back. I got a good luck from other runners as I lined up in the back. I knew this one was going to be 'turtle' slow. The trail was flat with lots of sand, divots, grass patches, very narrow single track. Most of the run I was alone until people started heading back to the finish.

There were little pink flowers along the entire course, which each one I pictured as my pink angels who I run for, cheering me on along the way, telling me to keep going. We have a mission to complete! I wasnt done with my breast cancer mission and Im not letting a little setback tell me to quit! I took it nice and slow the entire way; more like a speedwalkers jog. I was surprised i ran as much as I did on the uneven surface.

I had an older guy secretly be my hare in front of me for the first four miles and then I was finally able to pass him. He told me he had a 14inch rod in his leg after I told him about my surgery! He quickly followed it with, 'but we are still doing it and BLESSED to still be doing it!'

Yes Sir! Yes Sir we are!

This state park race has all kinds of challenge distances! ...all the way up to 100 and cute awards for each one!
The 'medal' for this 10k was a pair of sunglasses! How cool is that?!
No after party with beer, being a state park and all, but lots of people were partaking in their festivities in the campground! Me, well, I celebrated on a Pontiki boat and a Prince coverband concert! 10k Done....Half Marathon coming right up!!

Never Quit....Never-April 2019

While healing from surgery, my entire focus was all on training for the Donna Marathon using a hand cycle. Once marathon day passed in February, I knew it would be time to focus on when I could run again. I soon realized physical therapy would hopefully be wrapping up by my Birthday in April and Never Quit 5k was that same week. I instantly had my next goal.

Never Quit is a 5k and 10k held right on the sands of Jacksonville Beach. Its motto instantly was a calling as I was dealing with this broken ankle. Not to mention, the timing of it all panned out perfectly to keep me on track to reach half marathon distance by July! They give an option of a commemorative necklace instead of a medal, which I wore just about every day as inspiration.

There was still great concern about the lack of bend in my ankle by the therapist and doctor, but I begged the therapists to put me on the antigravity running machine at month four of recovery. I just  felt like the motion of running would help loosen my ankle.  I ran 2 days a week on that machine and still had a regular physical therapy session in between.

Five weeks later I met my goal of running outside on my birthday!! One of the therapist met me to run on real ground. It was so surreal! I can not describe the amount of anxiety but also excitement that overwhelmed my body. My brain was literally telling me, 'you forgot how to run.' My body was telling me, 'you miss this so much, just do it.'



Not only was it my birthday, but it was the day I took back control of this ankle situation. I laced up my sneakers that I fell and broke my ankle in! These shoes will not keep me down! I wore arch supports as my ankle was still tight and doesn't bend as loosely as the other. Being a toe runner, it helps keep me supported.

The first couple of steps felt awkward. Actually, Im not going to lie, the entire mile felt awkward, as sidewalks are not the same as a treadmill. I had to relearn the stability of running on uneven surfaces. We took it super slow for a mile and had a lot of walk breaks, but I was so surprised at how easy it was!

I had already walked a 5k for the Donna Marathon, and now I am back outside running, so of course I wanted to complete the Never Quit 5k the same week! Everyone thought I was crazy, but I just felt like my body could handle it.

Super nervous at the starting line and unsure how beach running was going to go, I just took it super slow and shuffled my way along. The feeling of being surrounded by racers (mainly them passing me) just put a huge smile on my face! I am racing again! It was a beautiful day and the sand was nice and hard. I kept it slow and just kept going.

I unintentionally ran the first mile nonstop! It just felt good. I told myself I would walk the last 2 miles if I needed. But I still felt good, so I did the run/walk by feel, no time.  My leg muscles ended up being more sore than my ankle! I had no pain at all! The course even ended up being a little long at 3.5 miles, then I had walked to/from the start/finish line! It felt amazing getting back out there again....and I actually passed people!

I wore a sign on my back, '5 months post ankle surgery' for motivation and support from my fellow runners, as I knew I was participating and finishing alone. But I also wanted to show others whatever you put your mind to, you can accomplish, as long as you 'Never Quit.' Right as I completed running my first nonstop mile since surgery, a lady talked to me about how her runner friend is struggling with her own ankle surgery recovery, not knowing if she will run again. And of course the doctors telling her, just like they told me, maybe you should hang up those shoes because they dont know either. She was so excited to take a picture of me to show her, yes, it can be done! Some doctors just dont understand the passion and commitment that runners have. You cant tell them they cant do something that burns inside them. You feel it. Its there. Use that energy to drive you through therapy and training. You want it, go for it! No one can tell you different. Only you understand what your body is communicating to you. Listen to it.

I crossed that finish line just amazed that I had done it! And all those people told me they thought I shouldn't! I put on my Finishers Necklace, took off my shoes, and jumped into the ocean! It was a great day!

DONNA Marathon Weekend-2019

Ahhh...DONNA Marathon weekend has arrived! I am so blessed that I still get to be part of the festivities! When I fell on that snowy trail in Telluride CO, Nov 4, the first thought in my head wasn't 'Oh my God, I cant run anymore! I cant run DONNA!' The first thought was, 'HOW am I going to run DONNA?!' I didn't know how. Heck, I didn't even know how I was going to get to the airport, to get home, and then to go upstairs to my apartment and live alone! But every single person put in my path helped me figure it all out. Together we were going to Find A Way!

You see, right away I had lot of friends step up and say they would push me in a wheelchair on race day. And yea, at first I was okay with that. But then I realized, that's not me. That's not my competitive spirit. That's not me putting all my effort into this race that I have dedicated my life to for the past 7 years, 8 months of traveling and racing the states! I would push MYSELF in a wheelchair!

I looked up racing wheelchairs. My jaw hit the floor. Thousands of dollars to buy one, and not a single place to rent! My idea was shattered. Then I received that message. Amanda from the DONNA Foundation told me she reached out to Brooks Adaptive Sports and said they will provide me a chair and train me! For Free. WHAT?!

You see, the Brooks Adaptive Sports and Recreation program is a donation and sponsor based program where they help those with any physical disability to continue to live an active lifestyle! Besides all the different kinds of sports and events they host, they also have a cycling program where they meet once a week at the Baldwin Trail and then they race DONNA! To top that off, they come pick you up on a bus and transport you and your chair!

Literally my heart was so happy! How did I get so lucky to have this perfectly lined up? Because it was already the end of December, the Brooks ladies provided me a sports wheelchair to take home and cross train on my own to get my upper body built (OMG that chair is so hard!) and then they would bring the hand cycle trike to the Baldwin Trail every week for me to ride and that would be the one I raced for DONNA (SO much easier!)

First Coast News aired my story of 'Why I Run DONNA' but focusing on breaking my ankle and still never giving up! See the broadcast HERE.

Follow my journey of recovery and training HERE. (warning, its Raw and unedited!)

FRIDAY FEB 8-
DONNA SOCIAL SHAKEOUT
I've never been to the DONNA 'Social Shakeout' because I've always wanted to save my energy for Marathon day. A 'shakeout' is a casual jog to get your muscles moving and try to 'shakeout' the nerves right before race day. Not running this year, I thought it would help to go socialize with the runners and see how I am going to feel not running on marathon day and seeing everyone else run. I'm glad I went, but damn, why did I go?

Going into Friday, I knew I wanted to rest my foot as much as possible, but knew I had a lot of getting around to do, so I decided to pull out the knee scooter. I went to watch a gorgeous sunrise and then met with everyone at Southern Grounds Cafe. I had an awesome breakfast and coffee drink and chatted with a lot of people. It was a gorgeous morning so we sat outside for a while.

As I was leaving on my knee scooter, the wheel caught a rock and flipped me over, falling on the side of my new titanium ankle. THANK GOD the ankle was solid and not even a ding! But standing up I knew right away my big toe was not good. I could not walk on it. Instant dejavu. I cried out, 'Why?! I'm supposed to walk my first 5k tomorrow!!"

A wonderful group of people helped me up and back to the cafe to ice it. One of them was an actual PT Assistant and messed around with my foot making sure it wasn't broken. It was a stressful next 24 hours not knowing exactly what was wrong. No one really thought it was broken, but it was definitely banged up good. After I finally left, I called my PT girl and she didn't think it was broken either but told me repeatedly not to walk the 5k. I went home, took an Epsom salt bath, iced it, and tried to rest a bit before I had to go to the Expo.....on the knee scooter.


DONNA EXPO
The Expo was at the what everyone knows as 'the old Kmart' in Atlantic Beach. I thought it was perfect. Parking wasn't an issue and it was nice and spacious inside for all the vendors. There were a ton of photo opps and giveaways! I even got to be Queen Neptune, the symbol of strength of this years race!

I went to the Expo alone, but I felt the love from everyone! Everyone wanted to know my story on why I was on the knee scooter, so of course I had to tell them over and over. Some people even said jokingly, 'Oh you're not running?' And I surprised them by saying, 'Yes, I am walking tomorrow and hand cycling Sunday!' A few people even said they knew me from the news story! I also got to meet my 'competition,' the predicted winner of the marathon. My goal was to finish the marathon on the hand cycle at the same time at the Marathon runner! Just think how cool that would be!

Being registered for the Booby Trap Challenge and Fundraiser Experience, I got a shirt for the 5k and the marathon as well as a cup! Doing some shopping, I found someone selling Nail Stickers and got myself a manicure!

SAWGRASS VIP RECEPTION
After the Expo, I iced my toe some more, and then it was time for the VIP Reception at the Sawgrass Marriott. Super happy that Constance was going with me, as I needed someone to understand what I was going through and not BS any of it. I still used the knee scooter but was able to walk around some as well. It was such a gorgeous night out on the water and with the fire pits. It was good to kick back and relax.

I went to bed not knowing what will happen for the 5k in the morning. Everyone was telling me not to worry about doing the 5k at all and focus on the marathon. And I knew they were all right. But I couldn't help but want the 5k more than the marathon. Walking is getting me that much closer to running. Hand cycling isn't. Yea it will be a cool experience to still participate in the marathon on the hand cycle and not have to sit this one out, but I want to be back to ME. Me, the Runner. I even woke up feeling so good, realizing that 5k day was exactly 3 months from surgery. Which of course makes it all have meaning, and making me feel that much more that I can take on three miles! Its meant to be! It is time! I can do this! And then BAM! I fell off the knee scooter and hurt my toe! I went to bed with the back up plan of using the scooter the entire way. I needed to still participate in one way or another. But I really want to walk. I kept asking people if they believed in miracles. Maybe Ill wake up and be able to run!

SATURDAY FEB 9-
DONNA 5K
I woke up Saturday, the first day of the Booby Trap Challenge, the 5k, and instantly stepping out of bed, knew I could not walk. My toe was soooore. So disappointed, but still determined, I thought, 'That's it, Ill just knee scoot the whole thing. I'm still doing it!' But getting ready, walking around the house, it loosened up and I started thinking, 'well, maybe...' By the time we drove to the Start, I decided I'm going to walk as much as my toe/ankle would allow me and have the knee scooter waiting just in case. Leeann had a golf cart, so she would bring it to me if I needed it.

It was a very brisk and windy morning. We waited inside the Expo building for a little while since the parking was a piece of cake with no traffic. Then we waited in the Runners Village. Both places I managed to just sit and rest to the foot, preparing to tackle my furthest distance walking. It was a pretty long wait and I was nervous. Finally the 110 Ultra runners took off, and then finally so did we.

I wanted to wait to be last to start, but Julie had us go about mid distance back. People of course were running all passed us, but it was kind of cool because I wore a sign on my back saying 'no broken ankle can stop me.' So many people said things like they have been there before, and 'good job, and  'keep it up.' It was cool to have that pep talk in the beginning. We were going kinda fast at first, but instantly needed to slow down. Julie was the best in making sure people stayed away from bumping into me, and watched the ground to make sure I didn't loose my balance in any divot, rock, or curb.

At about half a mile in Roger and Norma started to pass me. Of course I called out to them and then they walked the rest of the way with us! It was absolutely perfect! I couldn't have asked for better company. Roger and Norma, a sweet and loving elderly couple, used to be my neighbors, who I instantly thought of as family. They took care of me and my pup all the time. Norma's brother also had breast cancer and now she is on a mission to raise awareness for male breast cancer. She is the cutest.

Before we even reached a mile, I was already the last person. Then we realized they had a police car following us the entire course! I just laughed. I didn't think they had that for this race, as there is no time limit and all the Donna people knew I may take 2 hours to finish. There were also cops on every single block at the intersections! Oh man, so many people waiting on me! I tried to just laugh it off and ignore it, but it actually helped me stay in the moment and remember that this IS a race! It is not just a casual walk. So push yourself, but mindfully push yourself. So that is what I did.

The first mile went by at 25 minutes....that was already my fastest mile, so I was okay with that even though I thought we went faster. Then I realized all the runners were already coming back. Oh man, this is embarrassing. Every single runner can see who is last. But instantly it changed as people were still motivating me by calling out 'keep going, you got this!' A couple friends gave a hug as they passed, and a complete strange came and gave high fives! It was pretty awesome. We got to mile 2 and it was 25 minutes again! WHAT?! That's awesome, I just did 2miles at the same PR time!

Roger is not a big distance walker and he usually stops and lets Norma continue on. I kept checking on him, and it was cool he was actually making it. So it was a little competition of who will make it the total 3 miles? It was super windy and cold with the head wind coming back, but i still had a smile on my face and laughing about the entire situation with the cop still on my tail! My toe was doing okay, as I was using more of the outside of my foot. My ankle was doing superb. Every now and again I had to just pause and raise the leg off the ground for a few seconds, but I never had to fully stop. The last mile was going to be the one in question, but it was good! The arch of my foot started getting really tired the last half mile and I really didn't want it to cramp up, so we slowed a little. But I guess we didn't slow that much, because the last mile was 26 minutes!

Coming into the final stretch, they had just started the Fun Mile, mainly little kids, but there were adults too. They were coming out and taking up the entire road, and we were weaving through going into the Finish so Julie made sure to be my body guard, so that they didn't bump me off the road! Then the winner of the Final Mile was coming in as I was finishing the 5k. How can you not laugh at that? I crossed the line almost wanting to cry, but really I just wanted to smile! I DID IT! And I did it so much faster than I thought! Amanda awarded me with my 5k medal and Donna handed me a Final Finisher plague! I actually won in something! It is my most prized possession ever!!! =)

Julie took me straight back to the Expo and we got a massage from Cura. It was absolutely perfect and exactly what I needed. The ladies there remembered my story from the day before at the Expo and was excited to hear how it went! She worked on my foot/ankle/leg and I am so thankful Julie had that idea! We celebrated afterwards with drinks and brunch and then I needed to rest/ice up and prepare for the VIPinks Happy Hour meetup and the Mayo Clinic Top Fundraiser Dinner.

VIPinks Happy Hour Meetup
VIPinks are basically the DONNA Ambassadors throughout the country and we share ideas to improve and promote The DONNA on a private Facebook page. They held a cocktail hour at Surfer the Bar which was right next to my house so I decided to make an appearance on the way to the DONNA Mayo Clinic Top Fundraiser dinner. Constance came with and it was a nice continuation of my 5k celebration with pink drinks and goodies!

DONNA Mayo Clinic Top Fundraiser Dinner
Every year I am invited to the Mayo Clinic dinner but I have only gone one time previously as I am usually more focused on PRing the full marathon the next morning, thus no wining and dining, and in bed before 8p! I decided this was a perfect opportunity to embrace all the events this year and I probably needed to hear some words of motivation from some great people anyways. A DONNA Foundation recipient spoke and really hit home with my ankle. Not that what I have been going through is nearly as rough as having breast cancer, but amazingly it has been much more rough than I ever imagined, especially doing it alone. The simple words of 'you have to be exposed to be blessed' is so very true. Every single thing I have done since my fall I have looked at in a different light. Every struggle as I recovered and now every thing I relearn to do with my 'bionic' ankle, its all different. Simple acts have now become huge triumphs as I conquer them one by one. None of it I can ever take for granted again.

Dinner was of course great, and I'm so happy Constance decided to be my guest! It was such a huge whirlwind of a day! Just not enough time for each of the events to soak in before moving on to the next. Looking back, we didn't even take pictures at dinner! I really wish they would move this Mayo Clinic Dinner to Thursday.


SUN FEB 10
DONNA MARATHON
How do you fully reap the benefits of participating in The DONNA??...Register as a Fundraiser Experience participant! Pledge to raise X amount of donations and the rewards are endless!

FUNDRAISER EXPERIENCE PARTICIPATE AMENITIES-
-VIP Parking at the Start! (NO Shuttle!)
-VIP area at Southern Grounds pre-race to relax (still waiting for them to make a VIP gear check)
-VIP Finish Area with Ruth Chris food and drink!-Can we say steak and shrimp and mimosa?!
-VIP Finish Line Viewing-Couches and swing to relax and watch the runners and a private clean bathroom trailer

This year with the new course there was a shuttle system to Start. Because I had VIP Parking at Start, I didnt have to wake up extra early for all that nonsense! I picked up a fellow VIPink who was staying at a hotel near me and we made our way, still probably a little too early, but I like to take my time on marathon day instead of wasting energy being rushed.

Our VIP experience also got us a separate area to relax pre-race at the Southern Grounds coffee shop. This was nice, but I felt it was a little too far away from any of the Runners Village, DJ music, other vendors, and excitement. As well as gear check. I've always said VIP should have their own Gear Check. Thankfully, Brooks had their own gear check this year. We socialized for a bit, then said our Good Lucks and headed our own ways. I had to get my hand cycle ready!

I was so excited yet so nervous as I met up with the other Brooks participates. Its like they all knew what they were in for, and I had no idea! I wasnt too worried about finishing, I had a game plan of just taking it easy and going nice and slow. As I was more worried about starting so early before the runners, and being so much faster than the runners, that there wouldnt be enough spectators out yet. And THAT is what makes The DONNA. 92 half marathons I have run all over the country and not a single race even comes close to the amount of neighborhood support that this race has! Not only do they just line the street, but they go all out on the decorations....banners that cross over the street, balloons that go for blocks, (this year endless pink palm trees and flamingos!), music blaring on their speakers or even musicians in their drive ways, and they set up their own support tables of runner fuel like bananas, oranges, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cupcakes, bacon, donuts, Popsicles, you name it! As well as the party tables of mimosas, beer, bloody marys. It really is one big party!

I got to my cycle and they introduced me to my 'guide.' I had no idea I was going to have a 'guide.' I didnt know what to think, except I had someone to express all my nerves and excitement to!...oh and take my picture!  Basically Tyler would be on a regular bike and stay with me the entire course, I guess to make sure I dont have any issues along the way. As we lined up to Start (extra early), I told him my game plan of taking it nice and slow, and I was still worried about my ankle swelling and blood clots, so we might stop and stretch. He said that was a good idea and he had to pee anyways! I said I did too (but maybe it was the nerves!)

The countdown was quick and we were suddenly covered in an endless sea of pink confetti flying in the air! They had put me in the back, but I realized quickly I wanted to go faster and space out from the other cyclists. Within half a mile, I was probably one of the first few and I knew it. It felt good and I suddenly was thinking 'Wow, what if I could win one of the awards on this thing?' The first aid station was my fellow colleagues (we volunteer a station every year to collect a grant) but I flew right through there because I already felt in the zone. We were in a new part of the course which made things very interesting. And then some parts was like we were doing the previous years course backwards. I loved not knowing where I was going next. I quickly learned, to my surprise lots of spectators were already out. The cyclists spaced out so much, that I was basically alone the entire time until about M10 where I passed a cyclist, and then around M20 when we had the out and back.

I felt like every single one of the spectators cheered for me more than if I was just running. Real shout outs like "looking strong!" "Go get em!" "Wow, you are flying!" Shocked looks on their faces made me smile. Thats right, Im a powerful beautiful girl on a hand cycle kicking ass! No broken ankle is stopping me!

I felt like I was flying. I was finally competing. 3 months of no racing and my competitive spirit had arrived, ready to win! Tyler even asked me if I still wanted to stop and use the restroom and I said, no way I was stopping now, i was in the zone! I had no idea how much Tyler would actually make my race! It definitely would not have been the same without him. He didnt talk much, and mostly he stayed behind me, so I didnt see him much, but I felt him. I felt him like he was my guardian angel. When he saw me struggle, he would tell me 'you got this!' When he saw I was in the zone, he would yell out 'I can barely keep up!' Which of course just made me want to go faster for longer. Or when we had the strong head winds and I felt like I was rolling backwards, he turned on "Eye of the Tiger" on his speaker to keep me pumped.

And he was definitely a life saver when it came to the aid stations! I carried my own water bottles but knew it was estimated Id finish under 3 hours, so I didnt carry any extra fuel. I tried to grab a few gatorades, but most of the volunteers were caught off guard when I would speed by. Or  they didnt hear me or didnt realize I wanted a cup soon enough, and there was no way was I slowing down! Its too hard to get going again! Now, we did end up stopping for one.....the bacon and mimosa station! Now that was worth the slow down! Every time I tried to reach for something at a station and missed, Tyler would turn around and get off his bike and get it and cycle it to me. It was perfect team work! He even got me TWO cups of bacon! and a gianormous donut that we had to split!

Tyler absolutley made my race day! Nothing about it would have been the same without him. Just his presence made my anxiety of my first hand cycle race disappear! He made me smile. He made me stronger. He pushed me in ways he probably doesnt even know. To have the support of someone by my side was the absolute best feeling. Every single 91 half marathons and 9 marathons i have done , I have felt a guardian angel with me in one form or another...mostly butterfiles or heart shapes that remind me of ones passed....this time my guardian angle was Tyler!

The second half of the course was eerily quiet, the clouds and wind had rolled in, there were barely any spectators and it was a long straightaway. This was the most challenging part of the entire race, but still was one I played and laughed with. Then we got to the turn around point about M20, where they had to literally lift up my chair and turn me around because the street was so narrow. At that point, runners were finally starting to get close....well, they were heading out and we were heading in. It was really cool because a ton of the runners kept giving me thumbs up and 'good jobs.' Amazingly I was not missing running!

I was too happy to be! I definitely never smiled that much before during a marathon! I was so in the zone of happiness, I even almost missed seeing Constance videoing me at a couple of places! I crossed the finish line and literally fell out of my handcycle chair, my legs numb, arms jello, my body shaking, a huge smile on my face saying, "that was the FUNNEST marathon Ever!" We just sat there at the Finish Line amazed that that just happened. Then I found out I was the first hand cycle female to finish! And third overall!

With the VIP Fundraiser Experience, we got to celebrate at the Ruth Chris tent right at the Finish Line with steak, shrimp, mimosas, a swing, couches, and private bathroom! It was so early still and so many racers to watch coming in! We sat there for the longest time and everything from the entire weekend just soaked in. I did it! I did it all!

What was extra cool about this years race moving to the beach community was that a lot of the restaurants and shops gave away free goodiess (candle, bracelet, car coaster) as well as happy hour discount prices for food and drinks which me and another ViPink got to partake!

OVERALL
The entire weekend was so jammed packed of events, there was no moment to feel down on myself over a broken ankle and not being able to run! I am so blessed that together we were able to come up with a plan so I could still participate! It ended up being an experience of a lifetime! Thank you to everyone that has supported me along this crazy journey! I have a whole new love and appreciation of hand cyclists! It was so much fun, I literally said that evening, lets do it again! And then my shoulders started hurting so bad, I had to put lidocaine on that night! lol

Please show your support with a donation to The Donna Foundation HERE