#3
The Boy in the Window
A few years ago we noticed that every time we would pull up to the gate at crossroads there was a little boy in the window across the street. At first, he was still in diapers and would just watch as we would pull cars in and out or take the kids to the yard to play. It wasn't long before he yelled down to us asking to play on our swings and slide; and one day in the middle of a Barbecue we invited him to come down and play. He showed up excitedly with his mom at the front gate, and before too long he was a regular. At first we weren't sure what to do, he was quite a handful (it turned out even thought we thought he was 5, he was only 4 and in pre-school which made things interesting to say the least) but we really started to get to know him and his mom. Ann, our director, took a special invest in his mom, really spending time to know her.
But one day, the boy didn't show up, and for the next few days he was missing too, we wondered what must be happening, when Ann got a phone call from his mom. She was in the hospital, and Ann was the only one to come and visit her there. This is when we learned that she had suffered a heart attack, undiagnosed diabetes, and they had found breast cancer as well. Worried that her son would be left to the foster care system, or worse her own mother who is a drug addict, this mom turned to what she called her only friend, Ann, for help. Our staff prayed for the family, picked up prescriptions, and did what we could to help, and before long she was out of the hospital an reunited with her son. Though her health is still failing, she is a devoted mother doing everything she can to provide for her son. They have both become a part not only of our city crossroads family, but of our church family as well. We still see the boy 4 times a week for crossroads and church, but everyday when we go to open the gates at crossroads he is still there waving in the window, a reminder of how friendship and love can break through a prison of loneliness. The boy in the window and maybe even more importantly his mom are why I am running the extra mile.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Today was my long run, and 9 miles later I am feeling pretty good about my race in just 2 weeks. I have gotten about 10 more sponsors over the last week, and am hoping to pick up a few more. And now back to my 13 reasons I am running 13 miles...
#2 Cierra
It seems fitting to write about Cierra today, since it was just yesterday that we moved her into her college dorm. Cierra came to crossroads as a middle schooler, a kid who was always glued to the hip of her best friend Bella. The two girls were inseparable some of the few girls we have amongst the many, many boys. It didn't take long for anyone to fall in love with these girls, and by the 8th grade Cierra was being mentored and later dicipled by one of our staff members, Lucinda. Back in 2006 we took a trip to Anaheim for a youth convention, and Cierra felt called to take greater leadership in her faith. She became a student leader at crossroads, interned with our children's program, joined the worship team, and now as she heads off to college she wants to come back one night a week as a volunteer staff. Over the last 5 years I have had the great privilege to watch Cierra grow and change, and really stand up and become an independent woman of God. It was a bitter sweet joy to drop her off at her dorm knowing that Crossroads and its staff had played a monumental part in getting her to this point...the first one in her family to go to college. There is great joy knowing just how much she will thrive in college and yet it was hard to let her go, knowing she wont be around our table for dinner every night. But I am excited to see the way God will use her, and I am proud to see what has God has done through our staff in Cierra's life.
The opportunity to change lives through relationship...that's why I'm running the extra mile.
See Ypu At The Finish Line,
Heather
#2 Cierra
It seems fitting to write about Cierra today, since it was just yesterday that we moved her into her college dorm. Cierra came to crossroads as a middle schooler, a kid who was always glued to the hip of her best friend Bella. The two girls were inseparable some of the few girls we have amongst the many, many boys. It didn't take long for anyone to fall in love with these girls, and by the 8th grade Cierra was being mentored and later dicipled by one of our staff members, Lucinda. Back in 2006 we took a trip to Anaheim for a youth convention, and Cierra felt called to take greater leadership in her faith. She became a student leader at crossroads, interned with our children's program, joined the worship team, and now as she heads off to college she wants to come back one night a week as a volunteer staff. Over the last 5 years I have had the great privilege to watch Cierra grow and change, and really stand up and become an independent woman of God. It was a bitter sweet joy to drop her off at her dorm knowing that Crossroads and its staff had played a monumental part in getting her to this point...the first one in her family to go to college. There is great joy knowing just how much she will thrive in college and yet it was hard to let her go, knowing she wont be around our table for dinner every night. But I am excited to see the way God will use her, and I am proud to see what has God has done through our staff in Cierra's life.
The opportunity to change lives through relationship...that's why I'm running the extra mile.
See Ypu At The Finish Line,
Heather
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sorry for the long absence. I spent 3 weeks of July up at camp with all of our kids and it really was a fantastic time. We even celebrated the baptism of 5 of our Junior Camp boys. I was blessed by all of the ways God revealed himself in our time there. I got back to the city the first part of August, but between playing catch-up and having a group of Canadians here on a missions trip, there hasn’t been too much time to write. But with only 3 short weeks until the race I have devoted myself updating this blog and getting as many more sponsors on board as I possibly can. Right now I have a total of 20 fully-committed sponsors and a few more on the verge.
In the interest of giving you something to read, and hopefully to find a few more sponsors I have decided to count down the 13 (one for every mile) reasons why I have decided to go the extra mile. These are in no particular order, as each one of them is near and dear to me, but I thought I would start with:
#1 Raymond
This is Raymond.
I am not sure if there is a bigger blessing in ministry than to see someone trained up, and then getting to work side-by-side with them. And for us at City Crossroads, Raymond represents that blessing 100 fold. I’ve known Raymond since I first was an intern at City Crossroads almost seven and half years ago, and back them he was a 14-year old student leader in the youth group. Over the last few years I have had the great privilege to watch him grow-up and truly become a man of God. Raymond has taken on responsibilities and handled his fair share of trials all with a grace and a joy that just emanates from his amazing personality. Raymond has heard God calling him to ministry and we are thankful that that call has brought him on staff at City Crossroads; I count it an honor that I get to work with him day in and day out.
Now, Raymond has been volunteering for many years, but back in April we were able to hire him as a youth pastor in training using a grant from the Church of God Association in Northern California. To be able to pay Raymond even a very modest paycheck represents a milestone in our ministry being able to come full circle. And I am excited for all the things God is setting in place through having him on staff.
But what does this have to do with running? Simply this, our grant runs out in April 2011 and though I am confident that God will continue to provide a way of keeping Raymond on staff, I also know that finding a salary check in our small budget is a difficult task. So one of my biggest reasons for going the ‘extra mile’ is to find new monthly sponsors who might replace some of the funds we will be losing when the grant runs out. By finding new sponsors we can continue to keep Raymond right where God is using him to transform lives at City Crossroads, just like God transformed Raymond in the little rec center on 6th street.
Raymond is the reason I am running the extra mile.
In the interest of giving you something to read, and hopefully to find a few more sponsors I have decided to count down the 13 (one for every mile) reasons why I have decided to go the extra mile. These are in no particular order, as each one of them is near and dear to me, but I thought I would start with:
#1 Raymond
This is Raymond.
I am not sure if there is a bigger blessing in ministry than to see someone trained up, and then getting to work side-by-side with them. And for us at City Crossroads, Raymond represents that blessing 100 fold. I’ve known Raymond since I first was an intern at City Crossroads almost seven and half years ago, and back them he was a 14-year old student leader in the youth group. Over the last few years I have had the great privilege to watch him grow-up and truly become a man of God. Raymond has taken on responsibilities and handled his fair share of trials all with a grace and a joy that just emanates from his amazing personality. Raymond has heard God calling him to ministry and we are thankful that that call has brought him on staff at City Crossroads; I count it an honor that I get to work with him day in and day out.
Now, Raymond has been volunteering for many years, but back in April we were able to hire him as a youth pastor in training using a grant from the Church of God Association in Northern California. To be able to pay Raymond even a very modest paycheck represents a milestone in our ministry being able to come full circle. And I am excited for all the things God is setting in place through having him on staff.
But what does this have to do with running? Simply this, our grant runs out in April 2011 and though I am confident that God will continue to provide a way of keeping Raymond on staff, I also know that finding a salary check in our small budget is a difficult task. So one of my biggest reasons for going the ‘extra mile’ is to find new monthly sponsors who might replace some of the funds we will be losing when the grant runs out. By finding new sponsors we can continue to keep Raymond right where God is using him to transform lives at City Crossroads, just like God transformed Raymond in the little rec center on 6th street.
Raymond is the reason I am running the extra mile.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
8 weeks
I realized yesterday that I only have 8 weeks left before my big race. I didn't think I was nervous until that thought crossed my mind, well that and the realization that it is SUPER hot in anaheim right now, and labor day weekend will probably be just as bad...yikes! I have been getting up earlier to run now that is is warmer, and I think that will be a saving grace since the race starts before 6am. Still I know I'm really going to have to stick to my training over the next few weeks if I am going to finish this thing strong.
July is going to fly by, the next three weeks I will be up at camp, and though I will be running, I'm not sure how much time I will have for posting, but I will do my best to update as often as I can. Camp is my favorite time of year, it is so fun to see what God can do with our hearts when he takes us out of our everyday element, I am always refreshed and renewed after camp, even if I am dead tired.
Spending the weekend with my folks, then off to kids camp...Can't wait!
See You At The Finish Line
Heather
July is going to fly by, the next three weeks I will be up at camp, and though I will be running, I'm not sure how much time I will have for posting, but I will do my best to update as often as I can. Camp is my favorite time of year, it is so fun to see what God can do with our hearts when he takes us out of our everyday element, I am always refreshed and renewed after camp, even if I am dead tired.
Spending the weekend with my folks, then off to kids camp...Can't wait!
See You At The Finish Line
Heather
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The last couple weeks have been filled with visitors we have 2 different groups from Portland come to town on short term mission trips. It is always refreshing to watch them as they discover the city for the first time. Watching them uncover the depth of God's love and goodness here in such a heavy place reminds me all over again why I love living here.
Running has been going fairly well, though getting up at 6am to run has definitely been a challenge. I have been trying new routes and have even gotten lost a few times, but I have enjoyed this new build up in training. I can see the goal of my half marathon getting closer and closer, and though I'm still pretty nervous I really think I may be able to pull it off.
We leave for camp in just 2 weeks, which seems impossible, but it is here already. I will be spending 3 weeks up at Diamond Arrow with different groups of kids. First our little guys, then the jr. highers, and finally the high school kids. I am excited for all the kids we are bringing from crossroads and the chance to get them out of the city for awhile. Plus it will be a whole new running world for me--I'm trading sidewalks and streetlights for hills and pine cones, I'm not really looking forward to it to be perfectly honest, but the training must go on and so I will.
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
Running has been going fairly well, though getting up at 6am to run has definitely been a challenge. I have been trying new routes and have even gotten lost a few times, but I have enjoyed this new build up in training. I can see the goal of my half marathon getting closer and closer, and though I'm still pretty nervous I really think I may be able to pull it off.
We leave for camp in just 2 weeks, which seems impossible, but it is here already. I will be spending 3 weeks up at Diamond Arrow with different groups of kids. First our little guys, then the jr. highers, and finally the high school kids. I am excited for all the kids we are bringing from crossroads and the chance to get them out of the city for awhile. Plus it will be a whole new running world for me--I'm trading sidewalks and streetlights for hills and pine cones, I'm not really looking forward to it to be perfectly honest, but the training must go on and so I will.
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Moving
Sorry for the delay in posting...things around here have been moving right along, and I have been thinking about the best way to capture all that has been happening, and all that I can say is God's timing is truly perfect.
Memorial day weekend we had a group of volunteers com visit from Twin Lakes Church in Santa Cruz. They have been an awesome source of support and encouragement to us over the last few years and we were excited to play host to their team once again. They fixed our back landing, patched some rough spots in our ceilings, and finished painting our basement. It was so nice just to fellowship with them, and quite a few of them even signed up to be new supporters of the extra mile project (woo-hoo!) That brings my grand total of official sponsors up to 17, so I still have a long way to go, but every new sponsor is FAB-U-LOUS!
We spent the beginning of june celebrating all sorts of graduations, from kindergarten right on up to our girls graduating from high school. It was so awesome to celebrate their achievement knowing that we have played a part in their successful journey through high school and on to college (yes!). The fist friday in June was the last day of school and of course cause for great celebration, and originally we had planned a big BBQ for all the kids and families at our building; but when we got word that our friends down at United Playaz had a BBQ planned with an awards ceremony, we decided to combine events and spend the evening at the U.P. building. It was a great night, and I ended up leaving a little early with all 4 girls from my Jr. high small group for an impromptu movie night.
Summer had officially begun; but sadly the neighborhood wouldn't be able to celebrate for long. Around 9pm that friday night, gunshots rang out through the alley next to our building and in a flash of bullets a young man lay critically injured next to our parking lot. Adam, or A.D. as he is known to most people in the neighborhood, is a young man who spent some of his teenage years in and out of City Crossroads and this wasn't the first time he had found himself tangled up in the violence of the street. He was rushed to the hospital and still there now (12 days later) in stable condition. The waves of shock and sadness flow over me still as I type this. Our neighborhood has never been the safest of places, but this act of gun violence at our doorstep is a humbling reminder of the reality of where we are.
And yet, it is through this act that I am also reminded of just how great the God we serve truly is. Each Friday night we are open for our teenagers until 9pm. We send them out the door, walking home or to the bus stops, and many of our staff head out back to take out garbage cans and take cars home. Had we kept our BBQ as scheduled, instead of having an empty building, The sidewalk and alley around our building could have potentially been filled with kids, parents, and staff. Yet, through God's grace our building was nearly empty and thankfully there were no youth or children on the street that night.
Monday morning we left bright and early for a tent camping trip with the teens. The word about Friday's shooting was still buzzing around the neighborhood, and all in all the city felt like such a heavy place. Thankfully we would not be in the city long, we took most of our staff and about a dozen teens to spend 4 days at lake del valle in livermore. It was beautiful and the kids loved swimming, fishing, playing football, and roasting marshmallows. It seemed as if the problems of the city were a million miles away. And the best part was getting a chance to listen to our student leadership team as they taught the bible study each night around the campfire.
Cameron asked the kids how they felt about all the stuff going on in the neighborhood, and after a few quiet moments some said "well, I'm kinda used to it" then came several murmurs of agreement. It broke my hear to hear 12 and 13 year old kids admit that somehow this kind of violence had become such a regular occurrence that it was hard to feel anything about it. Cameron challenged the youth to think about what they wished 6th street could be like, and then he told them that the choices they make now are what is going to make the difference for the future. Some of the same young adults who they watch sell drugs and run the streets, were on this same camping trip not too long ago, and none of them would have said they were going to end up hustling on the streets; but the choices they made at a young age sent them down that road. In the same way, guys like Ray and Robbie (who are two of our most dedicated volunteers) made different choices, and now they have very different lives. I was so blessed to hear the kids pray this night as they prayed for their community and that they would be able to make the right choices to make 6th street a better place.
Its been a week since we got back from camping, and I'm still sort of taking it all in. Things are still pretty heated around the neighborhood as we all wait to see if there will be more retaliation and violence. We have been open as usual and taking field trips with the kids, it has been a good start to summer, and I am glad to see that through everything that is going on God is moving in the hearts of these kids. Its definitely good motivation to keep going that extra mile whether its running this race or finding more sponsors, or simply being on my knees for this neighborhood.
See You At The Finish Line,
Heather
Memorial day weekend we had a group of volunteers com visit from Twin Lakes Church in Santa Cruz. They have been an awesome source of support and encouragement to us over the last few years and we were excited to play host to their team once again. They fixed our back landing, patched some rough spots in our ceilings, and finished painting our basement. It was so nice just to fellowship with them, and quite a few of them even signed up to be new supporters of the extra mile project (woo-hoo!) That brings my grand total of official sponsors up to 17, so I still have a long way to go, but every new sponsor is FAB-U-LOUS!
We spent the beginning of june celebrating all sorts of graduations, from kindergarten right on up to our girls graduating from high school. It was so awesome to celebrate their achievement knowing that we have played a part in their successful journey through high school and on to college (yes!). The fist friday in June was the last day of school and of course cause for great celebration, and originally we had planned a big BBQ for all the kids and families at our building; but when we got word that our friends down at United Playaz had a BBQ planned with an awards ceremony, we decided to combine events and spend the evening at the U.P. building. It was a great night, and I ended up leaving a little early with all 4 girls from my Jr. high small group for an impromptu movie night.
Summer had officially begun; but sadly the neighborhood wouldn't be able to celebrate for long. Around 9pm that friday night, gunshots rang out through the alley next to our building and in a flash of bullets a young man lay critically injured next to our parking lot. Adam, or A.D. as he is known to most people in the neighborhood, is a young man who spent some of his teenage years in and out of City Crossroads and this wasn't the first time he had found himself tangled up in the violence of the street. He was rushed to the hospital and still there now (12 days later) in stable condition. The waves of shock and sadness flow over me still as I type this. Our neighborhood has never been the safest of places, but this act of gun violence at our doorstep is a humbling reminder of the reality of where we are.
And yet, it is through this act that I am also reminded of just how great the God we serve truly is. Each Friday night we are open for our teenagers until 9pm. We send them out the door, walking home or to the bus stops, and many of our staff head out back to take out garbage cans and take cars home. Had we kept our BBQ as scheduled, instead of having an empty building, The sidewalk and alley around our building could have potentially been filled with kids, parents, and staff. Yet, through God's grace our building was nearly empty and thankfully there were no youth or children on the street that night.
Monday morning we left bright and early for a tent camping trip with the teens. The word about Friday's shooting was still buzzing around the neighborhood, and all in all the city felt like such a heavy place. Thankfully we would not be in the city long, we took most of our staff and about a dozen teens to spend 4 days at lake del valle in livermore. It was beautiful and the kids loved swimming, fishing, playing football, and roasting marshmallows. It seemed as if the problems of the city were a million miles away. And the best part was getting a chance to listen to our student leadership team as they taught the bible study each night around the campfire.
Cameron asked the kids how they felt about all the stuff going on in the neighborhood, and after a few quiet moments some said "well, I'm kinda used to it" then came several murmurs of agreement. It broke my hear to hear 12 and 13 year old kids admit that somehow this kind of violence had become such a regular occurrence that it was hard to feel anything about it. Cameron challenged the youth to think about what they wished 6th street could be like, and then he told them that the choices they make now are what is going to make the difference for the future. Some of the same young adults who they watch sell drugs and run the streets, were on this same camping trip not too long ago, and none of them would have said they were going to end up hustling on the streets; but the choices they made at a young age sent them down that road. In the same way, guys like Ray and Robbie (who are two of our most dedicated volunteers) made different choices, and now they have very different lives. I was so blessed to hear the kids pray this night as they prayed for their community and that they would be able to make the right choices to make 6th street a better place.
Its been a week since we got back from camping, and I'm still sort of taking it all in. Things are still pretty heated around the neighborhood as we all wait to see if there will be more retaliation and violence. We have been open as usual and taking field trips with the kids, it has been a good start to summer, and I am glad to see that through everything that is going on God is moving in the hearts of these kids. Its definitely good motivation to keep going that extra mile whether its running this race or finding more sponsors, or simply being on my knees for this neighborhood.
See You At The Finish Line,
Heather
Friday, May 28, 2010
Things have moved in to hyper-speed...and sadly I don't mean my running :) The end of the school year is always crazy, but this year some of our girls who have been around as long as I have are graduating from high school...so add in dance recitals, prom, graduations and getting ready for a jam-packed summer and I have found it pretty hard to hit the road as consistently as I would like. Things should calm down over the next few weeks though, plus I start my official training plan on the 14th of June which means I'll be running 5 days a week, no excuses!
Here's a look at some of the fun distractions the last couple weeks have brought:
Cierra finished her final year of dance by chorographing a really cool bollywood dance piece. It was a great show!
Then we spent the next week running around buying supplies and making prom decoration, since the school had no budget for decorations, then we spent the big day blowing up balloons and turning the hotel into a casino. It was a casino royale theme:
Then, Lucy and I turned our house into a private restaurant for 20 prom goers...It was so much fun!
I even made tuxedo stawberries
The Kids really had a good time...mission accomplished!
Then I headed off to camp for a planning meeting which was a great time and really productive, and when I came home we got the chance to celebrate my friend Elisabeth's graduation from her Master's program! This week we have more graduations and parties and our summer interns roll into town! I can't wait for Monday when we will hopefully take the day off to do absolutely nothing!
Here's a look at some of the fun distractions the last couple weeks have brought:
Cierra finished her final year of dance by chorographing a really cool bollywood dance piece. It was a great show!
Then we spent the next week running around buying supplies and making prom decoration, since the school had no budget for decorations, then we spent the big day blowing up balloons and turning the hotel into a casino. It was a casino royale theme:
Then, Lucy and I turned our house into a private restaurant for 20 prom goers...It was so much fun!
I even made tuxedo stawberries
The Kids really had a good time...mission accomplished!
Then I headed off to camp for a planning meeting which was a great time and really productive, and when I came home we got the chance to celebrate my friend Elisabeth's graduation from her Master's program! This week we have more graduations and parties and our summer interns roll into town! I can't wait for Monday when we will hopefully take the day off to do absolutely nothing!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Bay to Breakers
I woke up at about 6:30 Sunday morning, and although it was pretty gray outside it seemed like it was going to be a pretty nice day for a run. I grabbed a luna bar and some water and got the rest of my stuff together. I had already attached my timing tag to my shoe and bib number on to my shirt since I was pretty much over excited when I got my race packet from the expo on Friday. When I had everything ready, Lucy drove me down to the start line, which was nice because it meant i got to sleep in a little longer and didn't have to walk about a mile to get there. Here I am at the embarcadero where she dropped me off.
Now Bay to Breakers is not your normal foot race. Its pretty much a mobile party, and is known for its crazy antics especially the costumes (or in some cases lack thereof) As you can see I don't have a costume, but honestly I was still a little nervous about it being my first race let alone trying to run 7.5 miles dressed like a manatee or something. But it was awesome to see everybody all dressed up, it definitely kept things from getting boring. I got to my corral by about 7:00 and then basically waited around for the race to start. I talked with some nice people and threw some tortillas around (another B2B tradition) and finally it was 8:00, time for the start! We counted down....5...4...3...2...1...and just stood there. There were over 30,000 registered runners and I was somewhere in the middle. They send the elite runners first (they finished the course in under 40 minutes) and then the rest of us. So at about 8:15am I crossed the starting line and I was on my way! I had decided not to bring my camera because I really had no where to carry it, and that turned out to be a good idea. I just focused on keeping moving. The first mile was a little difficult simply because the course was still super crowded, there were a ton of people just walking or stopping right in front of me so I did a lot of dodging and weaving. But right after the first mile marker I was at 6th and Howard! My friends were here to cheer me on...Yay! Lucy, Cierra, and Cameron were standing on the corner and we almost got a really good picture until some guy jumped in front of me (Lucy was mad , but oh well...)
See that guy with no shirt on? See that tye-dye sliver behind him? Yeah thats me :0) I even crossed the street and saw a bunch of the kids who were watching the race, they were surprised to see me, but very excited.
I felt really good at this point and tried to keep myself running because I knew the Hayes Street Hill was coming. At about the 2.5 mile mark, the course goes up this pretty steep hill for like 7 blocks. Its really not all that bad until you get the last 3 blocks, which are the steepest, but once I got to the top it was awesome to look over my shoulder and see the street behind me still packed with people. It was so cool to be part of such a huge event. Thankfully the course took a short downhill part and I knew the hardest part was over. I stopped for water a couple times, and by the time I hit Golden Gate Park I had to make a port-o-potty pit stop...which because of lines took at least 10 minutes. That was a little frustrating, but once I got back on the road I appreciated it. The last couple miles seemed to go pretty fast, and the only bummer was the creepy Christians with bullhorns yelling at the runners...definitely not cool, but I won't rant about that now, because this post is long enough! When I came to the finish I was surprised how good my body was feeling, I actually felt like I could have gone more (yay for training!)
Overall my official time was 2 hours and 2 minutes which wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but not bad either.
My first goal was just to finish, and finish feeling good- Which I definitely did! But my real goal was to try and finish in 1 hour 45 minutes. Which I guess I didn't miss by too much if you subtract my 10 minute potty break. Either way, I was happy I did it, I feel like I got some good experience for the big race and learned a little better how I will have to pace myself in September.
When I finally made it back home we went out to Wing Stop to celebrate...I love their lemon pepper wings!
Can't wait for September!
See You At The Finish Line,
Heather
Here Are Some Pictures of the Festivities that Lucy took:
The Elite Runners
A "Centipede" team
Plenty of nudies (YIKES!) only in San Francisco....
And of course the famous pink gorilla
Now Bay to Breakers is not your normal foot race. Its pretty much a mobile party, and is known for its crazy antics especially the costumes (or in some cases lack thereof) As you can see I don't have a costume, but honestly I was still a little nervous about it being my first race let alone trying to run 7.5 miles dressed like a manatee or something. But it was awesome to see everybody all dressed up, it definitely kept things from getting boring. I got to my corral by about 7:00 and then basically waited around for the race to start. I talked with some nice people and threw some tortillas around (another B2B tradition) and finally it was 8:00, time for the start! We counted down....5...4...3...2...1...and just stood there. There were over 30,000 registered runners and I was somewhere in the middle. They send the elite runners first (they finished the course in under 40 minutes) and then the rest of us. So at about 8:15am I crossed the starting line and I was on my way! I had decided not to bring my camera because I really had no where to carry it, and that turned out to be a good idea. I just focused on keeping moving. The first mile was a little difficult simply because the course was still super crowded, there were a ton of people just walking or stopping right in front of me so I did a lot of dodging and weaving. But right after the first mile marker I was at 6th and Howard! My friends were here to cheer me on...Yay! Lucy, Cierra, and Cameron were standing on the corner and we almost got a really good picture until some guy jumped in front of me (Lucy was mad , but oh well...)
See that guy with no shirt on? See that tye-dye sliver behind him? Yeah thats me :0) I even crossed the street and saw a bunch of the kids who were watching the race, they were surprised to see me, but very excited.
I felt really good at this point and tried to keep myself running because I knew the Hayes Street Hill was coming. At about the 2.5 mile mark, the course goes up this pretty steep hill for like 7 blocks. Its really not all that bad until you get the last 3 blocks, which are the steepest, but once I got to the top it was awesome to look over my shoulder and see the street behind me still packed with people. It was so cool to be part of such a huge event. Thankfully the course took a short downhill part and I knew the hardest part was over. I stopped for water a couple times, and by the time I hit Golden Gate Park I had to make a port-o-potty pit stop...which because of lines took at least 10 minutes. That was a little frustrating, but once I got back on the road I appreciated it. The last couple miles seemed to go pretty fast, and the only bummer was the creepy Christians with bullhorns yelling at the runners...definitely not cool, but I won't rant about that now, because this post is long enough! When I came to the finish I was surprised how good my body was feeling, I actually felt like I could have gone more (yay for training!)
Overall my official time was 2 hours and 2 minutes which wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but not bad either.
My first goal was just to finish, and finish feeling good- Which I definitely did! But my real goal was to try and finish in 1 hour 45 minutes. Which I guess I didn't miss by too much if you subtract my 10 minute potty break. Either way, I was happy I did it, I feel like I got some good experience for the big race and learned a little better how I will have to pace myself in September.
When I finally made it back home we went out to Wing Stop to celebrate...I love their lemon pepper wings!
Can't wait for September!
See You At The Finish Line,
Heather
Here Are Some Pictures of the Festivities that Lucy took:
The Elite Runners
A "Centipede" team
Plenty of nudies (YIKES!) only in San Francisco....
And of course the famous pink gorilla
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Getting Ready
I have been gearing up for bay to breakers this weekend, which actually means running less this week. who knew? its called tapering in the running world, so thats what I'm doing, tapering. ha ha. I ran just over 4 miles on Sunday and then today I am just going to do a short 2 mile run. Then the race on sunday, I'm kind of sad to have to miss church, but I know it will be fun. I kind of wish I had someone to do it with, but I guess there will be thousands of other people there :) I think it will be a good trial run for how to keep pace when there are huge crowds to contend with. I'm gonna try to bring a camera and catch some of the craziness so I can post it here for you, but we will see, sometimes (ok, usually) I'm too caught up in what I am doing to take any pictures, but I will try!
See You At The Finish Line,
Heather
See You At The Finish Line,
Heather
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Training Update
Today I did some speed work. It was nice to vary my workout a little bit. Instead of running my normal 3 miles, I only ran one mile as fast as I could, and I was excited to finish in just over 13 minutes. I never thought I could run a 12 minute mile, but now it doesn't seem so far away, which is cool. After I ran the mile, I did sprints, they have a funny name for them in the running world--something like fartlek (fart- lick?! lol) but they are supposed to help lengthen your stride and get quicker turnover when you run. so basically I ran the length of the park (about 50 yards) as fast as I possibly could, then walked back to the start. Repeat. I did about 4 sets of these and then my legs were pretty much jello so I called it a day. I'll be back to my 3 miler on thursday but who knows maybe i will be even faster.
Monday, May 3, 2010
So it has been a couple weeks, I had a battle with the internet that kept me from posting, but the comcast repair man finally came last friday and replaced our modem, so we finally have the internet again. You never realize how much you use something until its gone, and believe me, without the internet I was going a little bit crazy :) Then this weekend I headed back to Atwater to see my mom for mother's day (I know its not officially until next sunday, but who is hallmark to tell me what to do?!)so I actually missed my long run on Sunday; but I will pick back up with my run tomorrow.
Last Sunday I ran the first part of the bay to breakers course (I can't believe that it is only about 2 weeks away) i ran from the embarcadero up the hayes street hill and back, all in all it was almost 5 miles. So things are definitely coming along.
Around Crossroads we are getting ready for summer. Its always fun when the kids are out of school because we can do so much more stuff. For our little kids we are going on a field trip EVERY FRIDAY! woo-hoo! with the help of our summer interns we are able to take them to great places like the zoo, the golden gate park, and even the giants stadium--and the best part its all free! For the teenagers we have a week of tent camping planned for June, plus summer camp in July and lots of other trips in between. Hopefully we will do a beach bonfire and maybe even some hiking. I'll keep you posted as the fun begins!
See you at the finish line,
Heather
Last Sunday I ran the first part of the bay to breakers course (I can't believe that it is only about 2 weeks away) i ran from the embarcadero up the hayes street hill and back, all in all it was almost 5 miles. So things are definitely coming along.
Around Crossroads we are getting ready for summer. Its always fun when the kids are out of school because we can do so much more stuff. For our little kids we are going on a field trip EVERY FRIDAY! woo-hoo! with the help of our summer interns we are able to take them to great places like the zoo, the golden gate park, and even the giants stadium--and the best part its all free! For the teenagers we have a week of tent camping planned for June, plus summer camp in July and lots of other trips in between. Hopefully we will do a beach bonfire and maybe even some hiking. I'll keep you posted as the fun begins!
See you at the finish line,
Heather
Sunday, April 18, 2010
I keep runnin', runnin' and runnin' runnin'...
So I had a much better run on thursday, I worked out my blister problem, and was feeling pretty good. I started playing this game while I run; I pick out innocent people walking on the sidewalk in front of me, maybe a couple out for a stroll, a mom with a stroller, or a old lady with one of those old lady carts, you know, the real lightning fast types (LOL) and try my best to pass them. I usually pick someone who is about a block ahead of me and just try to see if I can catch them. Its pretty entertaining and I catch myself having a mini celebration as I pass--- eat my dust grandma! of course I am the only one playing this game, but it is fun never the less, I am hoping I can use my skills to pass some real runners someday, but for now I just race the innocent bystanders.
here's my nike stats:
This morning I got up to run before church and learned that although I liked that there was no traffic to contend with, I am not really a morning runner. I was hungry and sluggish and somehow managed to pause my nike plus band like halfway through the run...so whatever my real stats are I'm not sure, but here is a snapshot:
Plus there wasn't really anyone to "race" out on the sidewalks that early :)
See You At The Finish Line
Heather
here's my nike stats:
This morning I got up to run before church and learned that although I liked that there was no traffic to contend with, I am not really a morning runner. I was hungry and sluggish and somehow managed to pause my nike plus band like halfway through the run...so whatever my real stats are I'm not sure, but here is a snapshot:
Plus there wasn't really anyone to "race" out on the sidewalks that early :)
See You At The Finish Line
Heather
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Worst. Run. Ever.
Blah. I was feeling good today and the weather was super nice so I opted to take a longer route down by the water. Sadly it ended up being the most frustrating run I have had yet. I hit every light wrong during my jog section, so I spent half my time jogging in place at the crosswalks, then at about mile 2 I had to actually stop to adjust my shoe because I was developing a crazy heel blister. I had to stop again about half a mile later, and by then I was totally off pace and pretty much annoyed. But all in all I guess there are worse things than having a bad run, and at least I finished the run today. I'm done whining now.
I figured out how to add some new features to the blog that should be helpful. I added those tabs up top ^ so new readers can know about the project and new sponsors know they can sign up too :) we'll see if I get more readers or not...feel free to leave comments too :)
Here is my run from today, I'll keep posting these unless someone tells me its annoying hahaha:
Total Sponsors: 9 Total Remaining to Reach My Goal: 121
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
I figured out how to add some new features to the blog that should be helpful. I added those tabs up top ^ so new readers can know about the project and new sponsors know they can sign up too :) we'll see if I get more readers or not...feel free to leave comments too :)
Here is my run from today, I'll keep posting these unless someone tells me its annoying hahaha:
Total Sponsors: 9 Total Remaining to Reach My Goal: 121
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
Monday, April 12, 2010
Update
So I missed my long training run on Sunday, between having a group here, going to see one of our kids in her first school musical, and the pouring rain, it just didn't work out. I ended up running just a mile today since it's supposed to be my cross training day, and then tomorrow I will go for 3 miles. I'm trying to get on a Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday schedule, because tuesdays are pretty slow around here, and thursday is my day off so that makes for less conflicts of schedule. I think Sundays will be best for my long runs, especially as they start getting longer and longer in June, since I can usually find a few hours in the afternoon.
I forgot to post last wednesdays run, but here it is:
And here is today's- from the treadmill, not super-fast, but I didn't want to over do it since I am not really supposed to be running on cross-training days. oh well:
I forgot to post last wednesdays run, but here it is:
And here is today's- from the treadmill, not super-fast, but I didn't want to over do it since I am not really supposed to be running on cross-training days. oh well:
Monday, April 5, 2010
My new toy + a training update
I got a new gadget to help me keep track of my runs now that they are getting longer. It's called the nike+ sports band. There is this little sensor thingy that fits into the bottom of my shoe and then it transmits a signal to a wristband I wear. The best part is i can plug the band into my computer and it gives me a picture of my runs like this:
See it shows how far I ran, and how fast. I'm still getting over a head cold from last week so I only ran at about a 15:30 pace, but I hoping wednesday's run will be better. I finally got a chance to run outside with this new little gadget, and I loved it. I definitely think running outside will make all the difference now that I am running longer and longer.
I think there is a way I can link the nike+ site, but i'm not sure. I will update you as soon as I know if I can, then you can see all the other cool features they have.
see you at the finish line
Heather
See it shows how far I ran, and how fast. I'm still getting over a head cold from last week so I only ran at about a 15:30 pace, but I hoping wednesday's run will be better. I finally got a chance to run outside with this new little gadget, and I loved it. I definitely think running outside will make all the difference now that I am running longer and longer.
I think there is a way I can link the nike+ site, but i'm not sure. I will update you as soon as I know if I can, then you can see all the other cool features they have.
see you at the finish line
Heather
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Training Update #3
Sorry for such a long lapse in posts, it has been very busy around here as spring break is in the air! Around here when spring break hits, that means one thing: lots and lots and lots of groups coming to stay with us, which means most of my time is spent hanging around the city, taking volunteers to and fro. It has been hard to find time to run, let alone to blog about it, but excuses aside, things are going well. I am finally to the point where I am supposed to run for 20 solid minutes by the end of the week, and I guess we'll see when we get there if I am up to the challenge. It has been so beautiful outside I have been longing to get out there, but alas, the time constraints have left me running on the treadmill looking longingly out the window :)
See you at the Finish Line
Heather
Sponsors: 7 Still Needed to reach goal: 123
See you at the Finish Line
Heather
Sponsors: 7 Still Needed to reach goal: 123
Monday, March 8, 2010
Training Update #2
Well, after a week of fighting off a nasty cough. I finally got back to my training schedule. I'm working on week four of the nine week couch to 5k program, and keeping my eyes on Bay to Breakers May 16th. Bay to Breakers is about a 7 mile course from the bay bridge across San Francisco to the Great Highway (next to the ocean). It is one of the craziest races in America because San Francisco always brings a party ha ha ha. I've seen the race every year, because it makes it nearly impossible to get across town that Saturday, and let me tell you... the costumes, floats and people are just wild. I am excited to run it this year, mostly because I think it will be a good intermediate goal on my way to the half marathon in September. Plus I'm sure it will be good to have at least a little race experience before the big day.
So far I have had a few people mention they would sponsor me, but only in passing. If you want to become an official sponsor please send me your name and address to extramileproject@gmail.com so I can send you a BIG thank you and more information!
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
Total Number of Sponsors: 3 Sponsors Needed to Reach my Goal: 127
So far I have had a few people mention they would sponsor me, but only in passing. If you want to become an official sponsor please send me your name and address to extramileproject@gmail.com so I can send you a BIG thank you and more information!
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
Total Number of Sponsors: 3 Sponsors Needed to Reach my Goal: 127
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wanna be a Sponsor?
I have had a few people ask me about becoming a sponsor...SWEET! If you would like to become a sponsor then simply send an email to extramileproject@gmail.com with your name and mailing address so I can send you a donation packet and our Crossroads newsletter!
See you at the finish line
Heather
See you at the finish line
Heather
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Training Update
Well, I started this blog today but I started running back in November. I didn't want to put it out there if it was going to be a flash in the pan sort of idea, but now more than before I know how hard it will be, but also just how worthwhile it will be if I actually accomplish the task.
Like I said I started C25K (the hip abbreviation for the couch to 5k training program) back in November, I got about 5 weeks into the program (running over 2 miles a day, 3 times a week) and then the holidays came and went and I had some trouble getting back on the horse. I started back at the beginning and tried to increase my speed, so far this has been a good approach.
Today I finished the first day of week 3 of the program. This week the goal is to complete 90 seconds of jogging, then 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of jogging, 3 minutes of walking then repeat the whole sequence. Plus there is a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down walk. About a half hour. It was definitely hard sticking to my 12 minute mile pace, but I did it. I am glad I am pushing myself to go faster than my first bout with the program, but I just hope I can stick with it as the endurance builds in the weeks to come.
Total Pledged Sponsors: 0 Number of Pledges to reach the Goal: 130
Like I said I started C25K (the hip abbreviation for the couch to 5k training program) back in November, I got about 5 weeks into the program (running over 2 miles a day, 3 times a week) and then the holidays came and went and I had some trouble getting back on the horse. I started back at the beginning and tried to increase my speed, so far this has been a good approach.
Today I finished the first day of week 3 of the program. This week the goal is to complete 90 seconds of jogging, then 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of jogging, 3 minutes of walking then repeat the whole sequence. Plus there is a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down walk. About a half hour. It was definitely hard sticking to my 12 minute mile pace, but I did it. I am glad I am pushing myself to go faster than my first bout with the program, but I just hope I can stick with it as the endurance builds in the weeks to come.
Total Pledged Sponsors: 0 Number of Pledges to reach the Goal: 130
The Extra Mile Project...
"I was running..." -Forest Gump
Of all the people I have ever known I think the last person I would describe as a potential runner would be me, unless of course there was some sort of scenario where I was being chased by a large flesh-eating animal. On the whole I have ascribed to the philosophy that I in fact was created much more for comfort rather than speed; and this idea of my athletic identity has for the most part served me well over the last twenty five years. And yet I find myself now at the beginning of an entirely new journey. Cue music.
No, but really I should start a few weeks back when this pesky little idea began to take shape as a reality. I was innocently facebooking one evening when I stumbled across a program called "Couch to 5K", it promised that any seasoned couch potato could take up running and in 9 short weeks, this training program would have said person going from surfing the sofa to running 5K (or just over 3 miles) in 30 minutes. I laughed out loud, right there at my computer...It took me almost 15 minutes on good day to run a mile in High School, there was no way that in 9 weeks I could go from huffing up the stairs to running 3 miles. But the seed had been planted and I found myself wondering about it as time went on. A few days later the following had become a fully hatched plan:
The Challenge: Complete a Half-Marathon on Labor Day Weekend 2010.
Now I know what you're thinking... how did I go from just over 3 miles to just over 13? Well, the truth is I was inspired. I decided that if I was going to challenge myself to do something seemingly crazy then I had better raise the stakes. I have known other people who have run these kinds of races for a good cause, why couldn't I be one of them?
You see, I have the beautiful privilege to work in the inner-city of San Francisco with some of the most amazing kids you'll ever meet. Our little non-profit has been serving the community here for 25 years, and over that time we have found that it is the small gifts of a faithful few that have kept us going. We just started looking for sponsors who will donate $10 a month for 1 year, to support a child in our program. . We have lots of other services, but for a simple idea of how your $10 will be stretched and multiplied its as simple as knowing $10 puts dinner on the table 3 nights a week for a child. (There is lots of great stuff going on and I'm sure future posts will be as much about them as it is about me or check out citycrossroads.org) And so the real beauty in this plan of mine is:
The GOAL: Find 10 sponsors for every mile I plan to complete, 130 sponsors total.
I figure that if I am dedicated enough to run a half-marathon then maybe I can find 130 people willing to commit to just $10 a month. Now here's the promise: if you sign up as a sponsor and I don't make it, you don't have to pay; but if I make it all 13.2 miles then you agree to be a sponsor for 12 months starting in September 2010. Simple as that. A little extra motivation to keep me getting out of bed to hit the treadmill, and the opportunity to make an enduring difference in the lives of some pretty great kids.
Want to become a sponsor? Want to keep track of how my training is going? I'm going to blog about it here, updating at least once a week. I'll let you know how I'm training, how many sponsors I've found, what the kids are up to, and probably whatever else comes to mind.
Wish me luck on this crazy adventure
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
Of all the people I have ever known I think the last person I would describe as a potential runner would be me, unless of course there was some sort of scenario where I was being chased by a large flesh-eating animal. On the whole I have ascribed to the philosophy that I in fact was created much more for comfort rather than speed; and this idea of my athletic identity has for the most part served me well over the last twenty five years. And yet I find myself now at the beginning of an entirely new journey. Cue music.
No, but really I should start a few weeks back when this pesky little idea began to take shape as a reality. I was innocently facebooking one evening when I stumbled across a program called "Couch to 5K", it promised that any seasoned couch potato could take up running and in 9 short weeks, this training program would have said person going from surfing the sofa to running 5K (or just over 3 miles) in 30 minutes. I laughed out loud, right there at my computer...It took me almost 15 minutes on good day to run a mile in High School, there was no way that in 9 weeks I could go from huffing up the stairs to running 3 miles. But the seed had been planted and I found myself wondering about it as time went on. A few days later the following had become a fully hatched plan:
The Challenge: Complete a Half-Marathon on Labor Day Weekend 2010.
Now I know what you're thinking... how did I go from just over 3 miles to just over 13? Well, the truth is I was inspired. I decided that if I was going to challenge myself to do something seemingly crazy then I had better raise the stakes. I have known other people who have run these kinds of races for a good cause, why couldn't I be one of them?
You see, I have the beautiful privilege to work in the inner-city of San Francisco with some of the most amazing kids you'll ever meet. Our little non-profit has been serving the community here for 25 years, and over that time we have found that it is the small gifts of a faithful few that have kept us going. We just started looking for sponsors who will donate $10 a month for 1 year, to support a child in our program. . We have lots of other services, but for a simple idea of how your $10 will be stretched and multiplied its as simple as knowing $10 puts dinner on the table 3 nights a week for a child. (There is lots of great stuff going on and I'm sure future posts will be as much about them as it is about me or check out citycrossroads.org) And so the real beauty in this plan of mine is:
The GOAL: Find 10 sponsors for every mile I plan to complete, 130 sponsors total.
I figure that if I am dedicated enough to run a half-marathon then maybe I can find 130 people willing to commit to just $10 a month. Now here's the promise: if you sign up as a sponsor and I don't make it, you don't have to pay; but if I make it all 13.2 miles then you agree to be a sponsor for 12 months starting in September 2010. Simple as that. A little extra motivation to keep me getting out of bed to hit the treadmill, and the opportunity to make an enduring difference in the lives of some pretty great kids.
Want to become a sponsor? Want to keep track of how my training is going? I'm going to blog about it here, updating at least once a week. I'll let you know how I'm training, how many sponsors I've found, what the kids are up to, and probably whatever else comes to mind.
Wish me luck on this crazy adventure
See You at the Finish Line
Heather
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