THIS is What It's all About. Thank you.

When I posted about three things about the Sisterhood today, what I really wanted to show was sort of the backstory. What's really going on when we fundraise and when we train. Because it's hard. And it's not pretty either. Because we've had injuries and toenials fallin off, we've sent a zillion e-mails and snail mails and some days it feels like there are crickets in my inbox or email box, and sometimes people you're talking to about your cause just simply aren't very nice about saying "no." And I don't have thick skin. I pout after someone's mean to me.

But then there are the other days. When people you don't even know show their support. When someone leaves you a comment about who they are donating for and how special that person was or is to them. Or tells you how much what you're doing means to them. Or says, "Yes! I will let you put a treadmill in the mall so you can make a spectacle of yourself for a good cause!"

You find inspiration. You find people who believe in you. You find that even though you come across some negativity -- I mean, after all, it's a tough time for a lot of people! I know that! And after all, we're just another cause that is asking for donations -- there are still people with so much *good* inside them that it makes me cry and it makes my heart melt.

The other day I went to go ride on the spin bike for a while because I missed my rides on account of the Fitbloggin. Spin class was wrapping up, so I popped onto a bike and started talking to the spin class teacher. We ended up talking for a good 40 minutes about pretty much everything and finally got to talking about my treadmill fundraiser and she shared the story of her uncle, a Marine, who died of Leukemia in his 20's, leaving behind a 3 month old daughter he never met.

She had tears in her eyes talking about it, and for some very random reason, she had his picture in her car and we walked out together and she showed me his beautiful face. Taken so very young.

My heart broke.

I believe that God brings people into my life and I into theirs for a reason. That on that day, we were supposed to meet. That on that day, He wanted to remind me about who I was doing this for in the first place and why.

Because it's not easy. But it's not supposed to be. Nothing worth fighting for is ever easy. That's the beauty of the fight. It's hard when you're doing it, but it's amazing when you've won.



Over the weekend, as you know, a bunch of us from the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans went to Fitbloggin. Above is the view from our hotel room (gorgeous!) and me showing the number "6" because we were up to 6 miles last week! I ran it on the treadmill on Sunday and boy it was not pretty. My face is all red, there was no air conditioning in the gym and there is mascara running down my face. But hey! It's done! It's in the bank!

Because this weekend, I have to run 8 MILES! And on a treadmill no less! And with tons of people watching me! (Gah!) Because I can't have an 8 mile run on the schedule, be on a treadmill all day long and not do my training run. Right? So I am in the process of building my itinerary for the day. It will consist of the following ( and take note of the bright green swim cap.)


The outfit that my lovely friends from the Tri-Warriors have picked out for me! Remember how they won the online auction I was having?? Well, I will be running for an hour, wearing a bright green swim cap, goggles, their t-shirt and they will have a million magnets for me to put all over the treadmill. I am not a pretty swim-cap wearer. But I'll make the best of it! Of course they had to pick the bright green one. But I do want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for donating.  It makes my embarrassing myself totally worth it! And I'm not even being sarcastic!

I'll also do a "Retro Throwback Hour" where I will wear my 70's-wear, some 80's and maybe even finish that off with the prom dress my parents have been bugging me about. It's as 80's as you can possibly get. Although I think technically it's early 90's but you wouldn't really know that because of the degree of puffiness. I will also be having a "hat hour." I have a sombrero, a pimp hat, an uncle sam hat, a couple of Irish-y leprechaun ones, a big clown hat, and of course my Team In Training ball cap. I will also have an hour dedicated to running for people who have been touched by blood cancers or any cancers for that matter. I have a t-shirt and I am writing down all of the names of the family members that people donated to me in honor of on my shirt, and anyone who visits the mall that day, they can write the name of the person they're donating in honor of, and I will wear it and run for all of them. Do you have someone you want me to run for? Please leave it in the comments or email me: christieo_7@msn.com.

While I'm here, in this incredibly long and full post, I want to thank a few people whose *good* was really showing over the past few weeks.

I want to give my profound thanks to Kelly from Westfield Countryside Mall, for somehow picking up my e-mail, looking at it, scanning it, mulling it over and thinking that somehow this would be a good idea. I knew it was a shot in the dark, but for some reason, she believed in it enough for me to do this in her mall, and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to do this! Thank you, Kelly!! I really have no idea what I would have done if you said no because I had no good Plan B option!! So thank you!

And thank you to Lifestyle Family Fitness for sharing your treadmill with me! There is a very good likelihood that I may have even run on that very one in my past (who knows! unless of course, they've gotten new ones and that very well could be true.) But thank you for this vehicle that will allow me to remain stationary whilst going really, really fast or really really slow for a really really long time.

Also, thank you to Hydromassage, who is providing a free massage for every person who donates! I got a chance to try it out myself and it was amazing! If I worked there, I don't think I'd be able to even help other people because I'd be too busy laying the massage bed (of course then I'd be fired...) Anyway, it's a massage bed that pulsates water against your body (it's under a lining though, you do this fully clothed, shoes and everything!), working you from head to toe while you're laying on your back. You can pause it and let it hit you in your lower back or your neck or whereever you want (like I did), you can watch movies while you do it, there is a tv screen above you, you can adjust the speed or the force, it's up to you. It's awesome.

Chick-Fil-A, StrollerFit, Moe's, IronMommies, Mia & Maxx (my favorite hair place with my favorite hair gal "Aly"),  and a British pub by me Grind House, have all provided some really great raffle prizes. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

And now I'm still runnning around making sure I've got everything and I'm nervous, but I'll just have to remember why I'm doing it in the first place. Because it's not about me anyway.

Thank you, everyone, for supporting me. I love you.

* * *

Oh! The winner of the book is Tirah! Sending it out today!!

Psst! Become a fan of Christie On a Treadmill At the Mall on Facebook!

Please help me fight cancer by donating HERE. I'll even give you a present! Check it out and read about who I'm running for HERE!

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THIS is What It's all About. Thank you.

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