Completed!!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I did it!! I finished the marathon. I am very slow and barely walking now but I did good during the marathon. I finished in 8 hours and 4 minutes and some seconds. Not sure of the seconds.

A special thanks to my coach Rollie. Without you I would not have finished. Also to Dr. Eric C. Yu for all of your hard work early in my life.

Going to go now. Will write more when I feel better.

Thanks to all for your donations. I am still collecting for 30 days from today to raise money for cancer research. www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett

Please donate more if you can!!

Thanks again,
Charlene

Better safe than sorry.

Well, I set off early Saturday morning for my long 20 mile walk. At 5.6 miles my knee was hurting terribly. I decided better to let it rest than to push it. I will complete the marathon. I don't think my knee ever fully recovered from last weeks 15 mile walk. I will continue to do my short walks and my 10 miles this weekend. This should allow my knee to recoup a bit more before the marathon. Say a few prayers for me and keep donating! I will be collecting donations for 30 days past my walk. www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett I have not met my goal yet so please give if you can.

I'll keep you posted.

Charlene Crockett

Getting Nervous

Well, in just two days I will attempt 20-22 miles. Probably just 20. It is a daunting number of miles. I'm feeling pretty good. Yesterday my left knee and ankle were bothering me and this morning the same. But now they seem to be better. I keep stretching. I think I get tight and it takes me a bit to loosen up those muscles.

I just ordered my powerbars and goo for the marathon. These will help me to keep my energy up during the race. We will probably start packing Wednesday for our trip. We leave a week from tomorrow to head out to California. Stopping by Phoenix along the way.

I'll write again Saturday evening or Sunday after I have recovered a bit more from my long training day.

Remember, donate to find a cure for cancer. The more we raise the closer we get to a cure.

www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett

Every little bit helps.

Charlene

Happy Mothers Day!!

Hi all! Hope all who are mothers are having a great day/weekend. Well, training is going well. I did 15 miles yesterday and felt much better than I did last weekend just doing 12 miles. Thanks to my coach and his good advice. It took me about 3 hours and 53 minutes yesterday. I am just over a 15 minute mile. Of course, I had to stop and pee twice and I had to change empty water bottles for full ones as well. I think without those pauses I would have been quicker than a 15 minute mile. It's nice to know that I will be ok to stop and go potty if I need to along the way and make adjustments if needed. My feet and my left knee hurt but not too bad. Next weekend will be the big test, 20 miles! Actually, my coach suggested maybe trying 22 miles because I have never participated in a marathon before. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes. I am just three weeks away from the marathon! It's getting closer.

Remember, if you want to be a part of finding a cure for cancer go to www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett .

Thanks to everyone for your donations.

Charlene

Greetings to Everyone!

I am starting to get a little nervous. My Saturday walk/jog was a little tough for me this last week. I did 12 miles and managed to still keep my 15 minute pace per mile but I was completely worn out at the end. I guess missing the almost two weeks of training was more damaging than I thought. Well, I did do my 4 miles on Monday and I will be doing 4 miles today and on Friday as Well. I might do my Friday walk on Thursday because we are due for some thunderstorms again on Friday.

I still need to raise some money so if you are reading this, thank you for your donation but please pass my website onto all of your friends and family!! Remember all the funds go towards cancer research to find a cure. www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett

Something special happened a couple days ago. I received an email back from Dr. Yu in San Diego. He holds a special place in my life and my parents life. He saved my leg back in 1985! Thanks to him I have been able to lead a life that included backbacking, sports, and now walking a marathon! And although I was not counting on him donating to the cause he did ask for the address of where to send a check. Thank you for your support Dr. Yu!

So, if you cannot make an online donation. Send a check or moneyorder made out to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to my work address. I have to receive it by May 18th, 2007 so that I can receive credit towards my account.

East Texas Council of Governments
C/O Charlene Crockett
3800 Stone Rd.
Kilgore, TX 75662

Please send it soon.

This weekend I believe I have to do 16 or 18 miles on Saturday. This is going to be a test for sure. Then the following weekend is my longest training day of 20 miles. My coach suggested I try to do 22 because I have never participated in a marathon before. Wish me luck. I will write more later.

Charlene

Way too long of a break!

Wow, time goes by fast. Well, under the advisement of my coach and fundraising support person I took last week off due to either a really bad bladder infection or ovarian cysts. The pain has gone away so I am lucky and it was only a bladder infection. I am back to training this week and feel good. I am looking forward to doing my 12 mile jog this Saturday!

Everyone keep me in your prayers. In two weeks I will be attempting my longest training day of 20-22 miles to prepare me for the marathon on June 3, 2007. Thanks to everyone for your support!

Charlene

Shout out!!

I just have to give a shout out to my best friend, Cybil Solyn, who just donated $250.00!! We talked previously and she told me she would do $50.00. What a great surprise. I only need $2,442.00 more to reach my goal. I am almost half way there. Keep passing the word along to everyone you know. I have to meet my goal by May 21, 2007. I'm shooting for May 15, 2007 just to be safe.

Thanks to everyone.

Charlene

A great walk today!!

Well, I didn't get to go to Longview with the team but I left at 11:30 am this morning to do my 8 miles and I made it back by 1:25 pm. That is slightly less than a 15 minute mile!!! I'm doing awesome! It is a huge achievement around here too because there is more up hill on my route at home than at the places we go to train.

Thanks again to all for your support.

Sincerely,

Charlene

It's raining, it's pooring.

Well, the storm going through this evening did not allow me to complete my miles. And I have decided to do my 8 miles after Wayne gets home tomorrow. The girls just slow me down way too much. I will have to make up my Friday mileage on Sunday and start fresh on Monday for the new week.

I've received some very generous donations the last couple of days. Thank you so much. Now if just 54 people donate $50.00 each I will have reached my goal! Remember that you can do less or more and it all helps.

I will post more Sunday evening. It's 11:00 pm and I need to get some rest for my long walk tomorrow.

Charlene

I've been so busy!

Wow, time is flying by! I completed my week of 24 miles including my 9 mile run on the last Saturday in March. I was able to complete the run and keep a 15 minute mile pace. I am very comfortable at that pace. I know it's not fast but it's fast enough to complete the marathon in the 7 hours we are given. The first week of April was a down week and we only needed to complete 9 miles during the week and 5 this past Saturday. I have to admit I did not complete my training this week. We had snow most of the day on Saturday and Wesley was coughing through the night and I just didn't want to take her out in the cold. Unfortunately I did not have a sitter that day. I am back on track though and completed 5 miles yesterday. I will do 4 or 5 tonight. Then 3 on Thursday and 3 or 4 on Friday. It depends on how many I complete today. So that will be a 15 mile week plus our 8 mile run on Saturday! Total of 23 miles.

The trainer says I am doing well. Each week after we do our long runs I still feel like I can go farther. He said that is good. I'm not pushing myself too hard then. I am a little sore after some of my training but that is to be expected. After all, I did officially get diagnosed with arthritis in my left knee this past year. That's OK though because the doctors years ago thought it would be sooner. For those of you who don't know, I almost lost my leg when I was twelve in an accident.

Well, I will try to get better at updating my blog. I hope all is well with everyone. Please encourage all of your friends and family to visit my website and donate!! I am falling behind in my fundraising. Go to www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett

Thanks to everyone for your support!

Sincerely,

Charlene Crockett

Can't believe it's Friday!!

I was in Houston all week and am beat. I have done 12 miles so far this week. I will do two more this evening and 8 tomorrow morning. I can't believe it. I am still sore but I suspect that as time goes on that will pass as my body and muscles get used to all this training. Please make sure you pass my donate page to everyone you know. I have to raise about three thousand more dollars by May 21st. Let's shoot for a deadline of May 15th. That's my dad's birthday!

Thanks to all who have supported this important drive to raise funds to find a cure!

Charlene

Monday, Oops! I guess it's Tuesday now.

I am sooooo sore!! This is the worst it has been yet. We did seven miles on Saturday and then went to a shoe clinic. I did a bit of stretching Sunday and then drove to Houston on Monday. Let's just say that by the time I got to Houston I was a little stiff. I walked to the grocery store and back. Then I walked to CVS and back. Then I walked around our Hotel Grounds and walked to dinner as well. I completed my four miles, no problem. I am still hurting though. I can tell this week is going to be tough. At least tomorrow, or today, I only have to do three miles. I get a little break.

Well, that's my short update. It's late and I have to get up early. I'll keep writing so keep checking in and please comment if you feel urged to do so.

Charlene

About time for a new update!

Oops, it has been a few days. All is well and I am right on track with my training. After my walk this evening I will have completed 13 miles! Tomorrow morning we will do 7 miles as a team for a total of 20 miles this week. So far I'm not too sore. We are taking a field trip with the team after our training to go to a shoe clinic. We are going to learn all about running shoes. I'm not sure I'm too excited about that one. I'll probably know more than I want to after the fact. But I will go because I might learn something very important that will help when we start doing our long walks/runs on the weekends. I was told in April we will probably have 18, 19, and 20 mile days. If that doesn't get us ready for the marathon, I don't know that anything could.

Well, have to go now. Keep checking in to find out my progress.

Charlene

Weekend Update!!

Friday I went home and was able to complete the four miles before darkness hit. I was a little worried about doing four miles in the evening and then getting up at 5:00am to head to our Team Training in Longview. The girls came with me and I brought the jogging stroller to push them during our training for the first time. Our first mile was all on an uphill slant and we took 20 minutes to get through the first of our six mile training session. Not a very good start. :-( It gets better though. Our trainer, Rollie, was nice enough to offer to push the girls after the first three miles. I finished up, believe it or not, with an average of a 15 minute mile!! This is well below the 17 minute 20 second mile you have to keep in order to complete the Rock N' Roll Marathon and not get swept out. I am very excited. The trainer was very pleased as well and tells me I am right on track with my training and my fund raising to complete the race.

Today is a 4 mile day and I will probably be doing it in the rain for the first time. It ought to be interesting. And let me just get on a soap box for a minute. The weatherman are terrible. It is pooring down rain so hard that on my way to work my traction came on in the vehicle many times. Yet they are still saying 80% chance of rain. Now I realize that might mean 80% of our area but it seems so silly. Why don't they just say it's raining.

Anyway, I guess that's enough. LOL I will write again tomorrow and let you know how my walk goes this evening.

Charlene

Wednesday

Ok, I am switching my Wednesday mileage with my Friday mileage which I was told was ok. It just gets dark too early right now. We did 3 miles last night and my boss was nice enough to let me work through lunch today so I can take off early on Friday to complete the 4 miles before dark. When it is all said and done I will have done 17 miles this week. Not too shabby. This will go up through the month. I will post a schedule over the weekend.

Got to go!!

Charlene

Tuesday

This is my easy day of training. Just 2 miles! Instead of putting my girls in the stroller the whole family walked it last night.

Today, Wednesday, I am kicking off a raffle at work to raise money for the cause. Fowler's Meat Market donated a slab of ribs to raffle off at our offices. I am so appreciative. It starts today and I will sell tickets until the 16th. I will post how much the raffle makes on the 16th.

I've got some other ideas I am working on as well. I'll post the different events as I get things going.

Today is a 4 mile day so I'll be rushing home to try to do as much of the walk as possible in daylight. I am looking forward to our early Day Light Savings switch this weekend. No more walking in the dark!

I'll post more later.

Charlene

Here we go!!! Finally :-)

Ok, after trying to figure the best way to do this log of my training I finally decided a blog would be the way to go. This way, my friends and family, and those that decide to support me in my fund raising effort for the Leukemia & Lymphona Society can post comments as well.

I have completed a month of training and am doing well. I will start posting on a daily basis now to keep everyone informed. I had a great day training yesterday because my whole family walked the three miles with me last night. We actually completed our walk under the stars and moon. It was an absolutely clear and gorgeous night. I'm hoping to talk the three of them into completing my two miles with me tonight.

If you are visiting my blog and are unaware of my challenge please visit my website at www.active.com/donate/tntntx/charlenecrockett to read my page and support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with a donation. I have to raise $3800.00 by the middle of May. Let's say May 15, 2007 to set a date. I need $950.00 by March 21, 2007 and I currently have just $310.00 in donations. I am working on some ideas to get my community involved so hopefully that will change. Please pass the word on to everyone.

That's all for now. I will post some more details later this evening and tomorrow give an update on my training.

Let's raise money for a cure!!!!