You Asked My Opinion

My fundraising deadline is in 24 hours.  One day left for you to make a difference in the life of a patient with a blood cancer.  Any little bit helps. Here's a breakdown: $25 provides patients and their loved ones with booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and helps them make informed decisions about their treatment options $50 makes possible a Family Support Group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members $100 provides one-on-one conversations with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Information Specialists who help people with cancer navigate through treatment, financial and social challenges, and give accurate, up-to-date disease and treatment information $300 can train 25 peer volunteers who can provide emotional and practical support to newly diagnosed patients through the First Connection program $500 can help send 25 LLS advocates to champion policies that accelerate...

~On December 29th, we're having a fundraiser night at Orange Leaf Stillwater!  10% of sales from 6pm - 9pm will go to Team in Training.  Join us!! ~Need a tax write off?  Coincidentally, I need to raise money by December 31st.  You can donate here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf ~My  sister-in-law donated a lovely scarf which I then forgot to take with me to the raffle event.  The next person who donates at least $10 through the websiste gets a bonus scarf!! (here's the link if you need it:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf ) ~The 46 people on my TNT Flex Team for the Star Wars Half have donated $98,010, and our fundraising deadline isn't until next week.  Go Team!  Check out my amazing teammates: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ho/starwr15   I just found this page and I love it!  It shows all of my teammates, with links to our individual teams.  Spoiler alert- they're all f...

I need to do more miles so that I can finish the last 1.5 episodes of Serial. 

Want a copy of my latest fundraising letter?  You could have this in your hands.  With BONUS Star Wars stickers!!  Send me your address and I'll send real, tactile mail.   Donate you must.  Encourage you will. Have you heard? I’ve signed up to complete the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland on January 18, 2015. I’m working with Team in Training (TNT) to help fund cancer support and research through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.    The mission of TNT and LLS is to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. They are making great strides in the survivorship rate for blood cancers by funding over 200 researchers worldwide. They are developing miracle drugs, such as Gleevec (funded solely by TNT participants). This is a successful alternative to traditional chemotherapy, and it is also being positively tested on many other forms of cancer . My financial goal is to raise $2,500.00 of ...

On Saturday night I did my long "run".  I walked it.  Coach Lauren says that's ok, because I walk faster than I run.  Awesome (read that in sarcasm font).  Whatevs.  Here's the super duper extra incredibly cool thing: my last miles were my fastest.  Yay!  For once I didn't start fast (of course, "fast" is a relative term) and slog my way to the finish.  Seriously.  This is HUGE!  My last long run when I did 10 miles I nearly cried the last 1.5.  Brandon had to come get me and encourage me on.  Saturday night I finished strong and could have done more.  Really huge. I am so very, very proud of me.  Also.  The long run on Saturday was cool because I didn't have to spend all day on Sunday recovering.  The schedule doesn't always work for me to spend 3 hours "running" on Saturday, but it's nice when it works out.  Although, I have had some lovely Sunday mornings too. I'm going to have to get fa...

Tonight I was tired, cold, head is starting to hurt and I was supposed to do 5 miles.   I did the thing where I say, ok, just one lap (1.1 miles).  Just one, then you can quit.   I did 2 laps.  Yay.   Not 5 miles.  But today getting off the couch was a win.  Go me.  

These will be raffled off on Friday, November 14th.  If you want half price tickets, make a donation before 4pm on Friday at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf If you make a donation, please email, call, text, or leave a comment and tell me where you want to put your tickets.  I want you to be able to have some control over what you win.  You do not need to be present to win!  If you make a donation from anywhere in the world, you get raffle tickets!! As of 10:00 pm on Thursday night, here are the items I KNOW are included:  Handmade lap quilt. It's incredibly beautiful.  Han Solo Crayons.  Seriously.  Love them.   Ewok coin purse.  Ohmygoodness so cute!!   Handmade scarf, little girl not included   Also likely (but not yet in my hands, so I am not promising): -Art from Wine and Palette, the ones the "real" artists do -Various gift cards -Possibly other fun stuf...

Here are ways you can currently make a difference in the lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and their families:   1. Join us for a Wine and Palette event in Stillwater, OK on November 14, 6:00pm - 8:00 pm.  Here is a link to register: http://www.wineandpalette.com/Class_Detail.asp?CalID=3604  $20 of your registration goes directly to Team in Training.    We are going to paint this on Friday.  Yes, you can do it.  No, it will not look exactly like this.  Yes, it will still be something you love and can be proud of.       By the way, if you are not in Oklahoma, YOU CAN STILL HELP!!!  Everything else I am going to list here you can do from the comfort of your home in your jammies, with a cat on your lap (is that just me? )      2. If you're reading this, and it is still November 12, go check out my Stella and Dot Trunk Show at http://www.stelladot.com/ts/2o426 The show ends today, b...

    How do you get an Ewok coin purse?  (You'll notice a striking similarity to the Han crayons, thanks Kristen!)   1) Go visit my teammate Kristen's fundraising page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/kmcguigecg   She made them and will either sell you one or tell you how to get one.  She makes them in different colors.    2) Make a donation to MY fundraising page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf   Every dollar donated between now and 4:00 pm (central) on Friday, November 14th is a raffle ticket.  $1 = 1 ticket.  If you wait until Friday night, raffle tickets go up to $2 each.  Double your chances and get a raffle ticket now!    If you donate $5 or more, you get 5 raffle tickets AND a donation letter for tax deductions.  Whoohoo.   Oh, and you help fight cancer.  There is that amazingly awesome perk too. 

You can't tell me these aren't the coolest things you've ever seen.  How do you get them?  Glad you asked.    1) Go visit my teammate Kristen's fundraising page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/kmcguigecg   She made them and will either sell you some or tell you how to get them.   2) Make a donation to MY fundraising page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf   Every dollar donated between now and 4:00 pm (central) on Friday, November 14th is a raffle ticket.  $1 = 1 ticket.  If you wait until Friday night, raffle tickets go up to $2 each.  Double your chances and get a raffle ticket now!    If you donate $5 or more, you get 5 raffle tickets AND a donation letter for tax deductions.  Whoohoo.   Oh, and you help fight cancer.  There is that amazingly awesome perk too. 

http://youtu.be/6pttqFUviWs I thought I was joking when I said today my only plans were to "run" 10 miles and then recover.  I did 9 last week with no rest after.  Surely 10 would be fine.  Nope.  Nope.  Nope. 

Looks like Surekha Sheorey is in the lead for raffle tickets.  Right now she's winning the quilt, the scarf AND the Star Wars swag.  If you want your chance to win, make a donation at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf How else could you win a (tax-deductible) quilt?

If you're in Stillwater, you may know of Ainsley Peters.  She is a sweet little girl who is battling Leukemia.  If you are not in Stillwater, you may know of Ainsley Peters, who was in a viral photo of three little girls all dressed up, hugging each other.  And oh, they happened to be bald.  Ainsley did some national tv related to that photo.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a link to an article in the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2696898/Triple-miracle-Three-young-girls-viral-cancer-photo-remission.html    I could have picked American media, but I like that they made international news.  It seems completely ridiculous to me that I'm raising money for TNT and LLS which benefits Ainsley, but not directly.  I need to do something that affects a child and a family I have met.   Ainsley's mom gave me the ok to collect money for Ainsley and her family at the Wine and Palette even...

Oh, here's the deal.  I have some really incredible things to raffle off at the Wine and Palette fundraiser on November 14.  If you're anywhere near Stillwater, Oklahoma, you should really join us.  We're going to paint this: I am super excited.  I love Starry Night, but always thought the tree in the foreground is a little scary.  This one is warm and cozy.  Or cold and snowy, however you want to think about it.  Register here: http://www.wineandpalette.com/Class_Detail.asp?CalID=3604   I'll even take some requests for snacks.  Back to that raffle, some of our raffle prizes are AWESOME!  I have some very kind and generous donors (I'm looking at YOU Kristen McGuigan and Carrie Daigle!!).  At the event raffle tickets will be $2 per ticket.  I can take cash, checks and credit cards!  (That whole credit card thing kinda changed my life.  It's awesome.)  If you buy at least $5, y...

Eek.  How did I get so behind at updating you on mileage?!?  Sorry. October 15, 2014- 4.40 miles in 1:16:27 October 17, 2014- 4.00 miles in 1:12:57 October 19, 2014- 8 .01 miles in 2:31 October 22, 2014- 3.01 miles in 0:56 October 23, 2014- 1:64 miles in 0:27:42 October   24, 2014- 1.50 0:26:53 ( walked to Walkaround, but didn't log Walkaround time and walking home) October 25- walked the homecoming parade quite briskly October 26, 2014- 5.01 miles in 1:26:59 Pretty lousy excursion.  October 28, 2014- 5.10 miles in 1:34:30  Throw in 1:30 of ballet/jazz/contemporary on Thursdays and 1:15is of belly dance on Fridays. Total since I started in September: 63.2 miles. Total calories burned in running: 10,263 Total time run: 19:13:23 Not too shabby.

I have some nerve issues.   Every few months my left leg goes numb, sometimes my whole pelvis goes numb. I go to the chiropractor.  They move something in my hips that is more painful than childbirth (not even exaggerating, I gave birth with an epidural and a C-section, the way nature intended), and after several days (and maybe a couple of adjustments) everything is all better.  Well, I have to relearn how to belly dance on my left hip, but I'm getting used to it.   I've been to my primary care doctor.  Nothing major except a B12 (makes zero sense) and iron deficiency ( duh.  I'm a dietitian, I could tell you that from looking at me.  Those symptoms haven't changed since I was about 12).  I've been to the neurologist ("yay, it's only the sensory nerves, not the motor nerves", which means my legs will move where I want them, I just can't feel it). Three weeks ago my left leg went numb.  Made appointments with the chiropractor. ...

Making a donation to Team in Training and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is incredibly easy.  Here's the link: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf Here are 10 things that are harder. 1. Leukemia. 2. Hearing your child has leukemia. 3. Watching a sweet girl battle leukemia.  Check out Ainsley Jane's Allies on Facebook.  Also Fight Like A Princess.  I don't know Princess Rheann, but I've met Ainsley and her family.  4. Watching Ainsley's family battle leukemia with her. 5. Climbing a tree.   I met Ainsley a few weeks ago.  She was having a great day, and she played and climbed in a tree.  Totally easy for her.  Still harder than making a donation at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf 6. Watching a friend's brother die from a blood cancer. 7. Cancer in general. Research funded by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has led to improvements in treatments for other cancers...

Hello! So you want to donate to Team in Training and fight blood cancers?  There are a few ways you can do it.  Want to donate, get a tax deduction,  and 100% of your donation goes to Team in Training?  You want this link: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf  Want to register for a Wine and Palette event, get a nifty painting, eat snacks, participate in a raffle?  $20 of your registration goes to TNT, and 100% of raffle tickets go to TNT.  You can register here: http://www.wineandpalette.com/Class_Detail.asp?CalID=3604 Come paint this with us!    Want some pretty jewels and accessories from Stella and Dot?  A portion goes to TNT, including 100% of the Stylist's commission.  As an added bonus, this month they have a gorgeous bracelet that benefits the Noreen Fraser Foundation which provides breast cancer research funding.  Beating two cancers with one bracelet!  Win!  Click here for ...

My dad never finished his master's degree.  He also was not my advice-giving custodial parent when I was growing up.  Remember that, it's important later.   Graduate school was pretty rough for me.  My first semester was great (all cool nutrition all the time!), and then I had a semester of my dietetic internship, which by definition, was hellish (Yay cool nutrition! Boo cranky preceptors and dying patients).  Then I had a semester of research and the only non-nutrition graduate classes (how did I do undergrad level, grad level and a thesis and STILL feel like statistics is a foreign language?).  And then it went further downhill, academically speaking. Bit of advice, if you're not particularly fond of your thesis or advisor, have a pretty good job without the MS, and just can't bear to do another thesis revision, I suggest you don't get pregnant.  Kinda messes with your whole "grad school focus".   Anyway.  Here's where I'm going with this. ...

Hello! So you want to donate to Team in Training and fight blood cancers?  There are a few ways you can do it.  Want to donate, get a tax deduction,  and 100% of your donation goes to Team in Training?  You want this link: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf Want to register for a Wine and Palette event, get a nifty painting, eat snacks, participate in a raffle?  $20 of your registration goes to TNT, and 100% of raffle tickets go to TNT.  You can register here: http://www.wineandpalette.com/Class_Detail.asp?CalID=3604 Want some pretty jewels and accessories from Stella and Dot?  A portion goes to TNT, including 100% of the Stylist's commission.  As an added bonus, this month they have a gorgeous bracelet that benefits the Noreen Fraser Foundation which provides breast cancer research funding.  Beating two cancers with one bracelet!  Win!  Click here for the Stella and Dot Trunk Show: http://www.stell...

*My #%#%*+¥~ phone died again, so I had to estimate that last 0.8 miles.  I was going to do an out and back, estimated about 0.4, went a bit farther and turned around.  Then got in my car and drove the road that somewhat parallels the train.  It was 0.1.  What the wha? I KNOW I ran longer than that because I passed multiple (illegible) distance markers. Oh well.   I know I ran pretty close to 7 miles in 2 hours with 3 water stops and a potty break.  Somehow in the next 3 months I have to be able to do that 7 miles in about 1:15.  No pressure or anything.   10/11/14- 1.33 miles in 23 minutes Total mileage: 33.5 miles Huh.  That's my new trick.  When I'm tired or discouraged, I'm going to look at total miles.  That makes me feel pretty awesome.  

My 8-year old daughter has her father's grasshopper legs.  She runs like a gazelle and is a very sweet girl. Usually. I got a new running skirt last week.   "Mom! That's a really cute new running skirt! You look really good.  Except (in a matter of fact voice) your chubby legs".  Doh!   And yes, I was very amused, and not at all insulted.  I mention her (and her brother's grasshopper legs) all the time.  I DO have chubby legs (sorry about those genes, Daughter #2).   Although, I'm not sure where she learned the word "chubby".  I'm thrilled to say I didn't think it was a word she had ever heard.   Today after my run: "mom, did you have fun running? Are your legs thinner?" Yes, dear.  Yes, they are.  

Thank you anonymous donor.  I greatly appreciate you. 

Thank you Sarah, another TNT participant who happens to be a Stella and Dot stylist.  Sarah is helping me host an online Stella and Dot Trunk Party.  All proceeds go to Team in Training.  Here's the link to shop: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/2o426 What is Stella and Dot?  Do you ever read magazines, websites, see pictures of famous people?  They're wearing Stella and Dot jewelry and accessories.  All of the famous people.  I'm not exaggerating.  Well.  Maybe Jay-Z isn't wearing much.  But every other picture you've seen of a famous person?  They're wearing Stella and Dot*.  You need some.  I just wore my gorgeous, chunky beads today and I might need a beautiful bracelet and a new scarf (who am I kidding?  I ALWAYS need a new scarf!) Anyway, look good.  Be stylish.  Cure cancer.  You can do it all here: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/2o426 *claims of EVERY famous person wearing Stella and Dot ha...

Saturday October 4, 2014: 2.44 miles Sunday October 5, 2014: 6.90 miles  !! I know, right?  I'm just as shocked as everyone else.  AND my pace got better as I went longer.  Whoohoo Tuesday October 7, 2014: 4.21 miles And even better than the miles?  I feel like a runner! For those of you keeping track at home, that's at total of 22.2 miles since September 21st.  If you donated a dollar for every mile of training, we would be well on our way to helping to save lives and fund research.  If you donated $0.25 for every mile we would still be well on our way to saving lives and funding research.  See how that works?  It doesn't matter how much you give, because every little bit helps.  Use The Force to fight blood cancers.  Turn away from the Dark Side. Since The Force isn't very reliable for research funding, you can donate here:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf

Are you a rebel or part of the empire? Luke Skywalker or Emperor Palpatine?   Either way, I want you at our Rebels Against Cancer Wine and Palette fundraiser?  When: November 14, 2014 Time: 6pm -8pm Place: 5021 N. Perkins, Stillwater, OK 74075 How? Register here: http://www.wineandpalette.com/Class_Detail.asp?CalID=3604 How much? $40, which includes art, instruction, snacks, fun and a $20 donation to Team in Training to end blood cancers! It's a win-win-win-win-WIN! If you can't join us, you can still support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by donating at http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf  You can make this painting.  F'reals! http://www.wineandpalette.com/Class_Detail.asp?CalID=3604    

http://youtu.be/petqFm94osQ I'm tired.  Everything is sore from dance and my uncomfortable bed.  It's cold.   But if I only run on days I feel good, I'll never get stronger. Ready to hit that 19:00 mark where everything is awesome.   http://youtu.be/rGnH6JPsv7E

Hello!   I recently decided I need a goal and a project. I also know I do best with BIG goals and projects. I decided to help find a cure for cancer with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and joined their training and fundraising program called Team in Training (TNT). As part of TNT, on January 18 I will run 13.1 miles at the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland in California! The mission of TNT and LLS is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. They are making wonderful strides in the survivorship rate for blood cancers by funding over 200 select researchers worldwide. They are developing miracle drugs, such as Gleevec (funded solely by TNT participants). This is a successful alternative to traditional chemotherapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia patients, and it is also being positively tested on many other forms of cancer. My goal is to raise $2,500.00 of which 100% is t...

Just want to make sure you know where to go to make a donation: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf Did you know, if you go to www.teamintraining.org , you can search for me and find my fundraising page that way too. Thanks bunches and bunches!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/deenashanker/run-run-run

Until I find a running app that will automatically upload my training, I'll just have to update you the old-fashioned way (if by "old-fashioned" you mean, the 2005 way).  September 21, 2014- Started running.  4 miles to Boomer Lake and back home September 22, 2014- Run with the family on the XC course.  Yes, they are all faster than me.  1.8 miles September 25, 2014- Hotel treadmill.  1.5 miles September 26, 2014- Belly dance day! 1:15ish.  Because running is  more fun with shimmies thrown in. September 28, 2014- 4.90 miles on the XC course.  Well.  That was humbling.  Today should have been a cross-train day, but it was a Hang Out with My Dad and Stepmother Day. Everybody needed that.  Twirling demo by the munchkin, 2 games of Life, Dad's goatee (f'real, it's the cutest thing ever.  Don't know who did it, but Kevin the home health care worker denied involvement), and seeing the brother and his girlfriend were worth...

Today's work-out was hard.  It sucked and was yucky and was not much fun.   I essentially live on the training course for the Oklahoma State University Cross Country team.  An NCAA Division 1 National Champion (although not currently) cross country team.  They train here.  On this XC course.  Across the street from my house.  Last weekend was the Cowboy Jamboree, the longest continuously held XC races (78 years!!).  Lots of college runners, high school runners, junior high runners, and middle school runners.  Kids were dreading it because they know there are no PRs on this course.  I saw a kid break her ankle.  It had hills and ravines.  It's a hard flippin course.   And that's what I decided to run tonight. Ugh.   It was supposed to be 4 "easy" miles plus strides  At this point in my training, there is no such thing as "4 easy miles", but I tried not to push too hard.  But then I hit the hills.  I stop...

Well this is insanely important.  How did I miss this?  http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf I honestly thought I had forgotten to link my fundraising page here.  Oops.  Sorry, now you just get to see the link more. http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf Ok.  One more, just in cases: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/starwr15/knealf

Thursday I had to run on a hotel treadmill. Ugh.  I've never liked treadmills and hotel ones are the worst.  Let me rephrase that.  I am completely awkward on treadmills.  I'm sure that treadmill was perfectly fine.  The problem with treadmills is I am constantly either going too fast or too slow.  The extra problem with hotel treadmills, or any foreign treadmill, is I'm never on it long enough or frequently enough to figure out how to not be awkward.  Oh well.  I walked briskly and didn't really vary my speed much, but I worked the incline.  That's gotta count for something, right? I made that incline my b*tch.