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Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Expiration of Running Goals & Challenging Yourself

The thing no one tells you about setting a fitness goal is that usually you achieve it.

Then what?

So you set another goal.

And achieve that one.

And so the cycle continues.

But what do you do when you "run" out of goals?

That's where I am today. I ran my first half marathon last year after collecting 5K's here and there for years. I ran my second half marathon for my birthday this year, and am signed up for an unmentionable number of 5K's throughout the summer.

I think that a lifelong goal of mine will be to run one half marathon every year, and never the same one twice (or, at least the duplicate won't count as that year's half marathon goal).

That means I'm all checked off for 2012 as far as half marathons go, but I want to challenge myself to something even more. I don't want to run a marathon. Perhaps one day I'll want to try running a marathon or aspire to ultra running, but right now I like painting my toe nails too much.

But I want some kind of unique, challenging goal that I can keep track of on this blog and that will drive me to keep running and training.

I've come up with a couple of ideas, but would love a few more to consider. Here's what I've got so far:

Run Every Marquee Race in the State
Now, due to my semi-noviceness and sheer number of running events in WI now that it's become a "thing," this goal will have to have a few stipulations. I'm thinking, in particular, any race 5K to half marathon that draws over 1,000 participants. Adding a 5K and/or Fun Run to any ol' event is now becoming the norm, so I'm hoping that by putting the participant stipulation on it, the goal will narrow down to a couple hundred races. And by "marquee" races I mean those that everyone talks about, that people travel for. Think Storm the Bastille in Milwaukee, Bellin Run in Green Bay, Gopher to Badger in Hudson.

According to one online database, the qualifications above amount to 172 races in Wisconsin.

This goal would, naturally, need a multiple year commitment, but the thing I'm most concerned with is the race fees. Budget just $30 per race and that's over $5,500 in fees alone, not to mention shoes, gear, and recovery beer.

But I still kind of want to pursue it. What do you think?

Interstate & International Races
While this goal may not specifically drive my day-to-day running in the short term, it's sort of a bucket list goal that I want to achieve. By "interstate" and "international" races I mean races that begin in one place and cross the border into another.

The Gopher-to-Badger and Ragnar Relay are good examples. Are there any that start in the U.S. and end in Canada? Because that would be awesome. And though it kind of scares me at the moment, the idea of a cross-country, days-long running goal interests me. I wouldn't be able to physically do that for at least another year, but it's on my radar. Think MS on the Run or Venture Expeditions. Naturally my heart for the nonprofit sector would need to be combined with such a marathon achievement.

Currently, I am scheduled to fulfill one new goal this summer: WI Sports Race Day.

The Brewers have been hosting a 5K event called, obviously, The Sausage Race 5K for a few years now. The Packers, in turn, started hosting a 5K to kick off training camp in 2010.

Unfortunately, for the past 2 years these events were held on the same day.

This year, however, the Packers 5K (they need to come up with a catchy name for this race) begins at 6:30 PM.

That means, crazy sports fans like myself, can run with the sausages in the morning at Miller Park, drive the equivalent of the Ragnar Relay up to Green Bay, and arrive in plenty of time to run the 5K through Lambeau Field (no leaping allowed).

So that's what I'm doing. And I'm checking it off the list. If you can think of any other fun races or endurance/fitness challenges I should undertake, let me know. 

____________________________________________________________Mandi Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
Mandi needs a new running goal! State-to-State? US-to-Canada? Elliptical marathon? She's looking for something weird and challenging. Leave a comment with your suggestion!


Follow her journey.
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Sunday, March 18, 2012

It Just Sort of Happens...

As you all know I've been gearing up for my birthday half marathon the past couple of months. I haven't so much been training as generally running every day and getting used to that before I add on the miles.

It's been working out.

Pun intended.

Now that I'm staring May 5th in the face (proverbially speaking, and from a training standpoint), my goal is to dust off my old Team Challenge training plan and put it to good use in the next 6-8 weeks.

But this is all just a side note.

What I'm really here to tell you about today  is that working out regularly and eating healthy(ish) can really help you lose weight.

Oh, really Mandi! I've never heard that before!

Yes really, and you're lying about that last part.

You see, when you start exercising about a hundred times more than you usually did, the weight tends to come off naturally. Something about extra muscle movement and these weird things called...dramatic pause..."calories" (use your Morgan Freeman voice).

There's something even more compelling I'd like to tell you about though.

Oh, really Mandi? What's that?

I'm glad you asked. It's called "a Smartphone App," and, specifically, "Lose It."

Basically, it's an app where you type in your weight, what you'd like your weight to be, how many pounds you want to lose each week, and then it calculates how many calories you can eat daily and when you can expect to reach your goal weight.

I know, not rocket science, but the thing is...

It's working!

I say that in a whisper because I'm afraid to scare it away if I draw too much attention.

Seriously, though. Tracking what you eat seems like a time-consuming, overly complicated endeavor, but I find that when all of the information is at your finger tips it's pretty easy. I wouldn't, for example, log into a website every day to do it, but when it's right there on the home screen of my phone...easy peasy.

There are plenty of other app choices out there for you to use if interested. Fit Gizmos rated their Top 5 here. I liked Lose It because it included the balance of calorie intake and output. I still use Daily Mile because it's better at logging my mileage to stay on track with training and see where I've come, but in Lose It you can log the amount of time you exercised and it will add it to your daily calorie bank.

I've found that I feel really bad when I've only just met my goal for the day and not overachieved in some way. Maybe that's why this kind of weight loss works for me - I'm a bit Type A.

____________________________________________________________Mandi Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
Mandi recently completed her first marathon! Her next goal is running a full half marathon (no walking!) by her next birthday (May 13, 2012).


Follow her journey.
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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

I Heart My Gym

I've never joined a gym before. The closest I ever got was using the rec center and pool in college, and even then never on a regular basis.

Hey, step off. It was 30-minute walk across campus to class every day. My freshman 15 happened in the negative direction thankyouverymuch.

Why Running Outside is Awesome
When I trained for my half marathon last summer I logged all of my miles outside. I enjoy running outside. I like running through my neighborhood and planning the landscaping do's and don'ts of my future home. Then I run through the Highlands and convince myself I'll NEVER buy a home because it's an anchor weighing down any possible career move and the ROI of my rent is in the shoveling, raking, and mowing I DON'T have to do and tens of thousands of dollars in home repair I won't ever have to pay. Not to mention a house in the Highlands will set you back $500K at the bottom end of the scale.

Then I look at the cute backyards and imagine how nice a gazebo would be with a fire pit and hammock for my lazy Sundays. I imagine nice neighbors who really do have a cup of sugar for me to borrow when I'm baking a cheesecake for a Cherryland's Best & MKEFoodies contest, which, naturally, will be shared with them after I take 2nd place.

By this point I'm on the loop back home and I pass Janet's house, Kelcey's house and then Jennifer's. I may wave as I pass, or stop and say hello. If it's Janet's house you better believe I'm stopping for a beer. Then I realize, hey, even though I rent in this neighborhood I still have the nice neighbors, the backyard, the fire pit (in a different neighborhood, where I am referred to as "The Squatter"), and really everything BUT the ability to turn my front yard into stepped flower beds and backyard into a natural herb garden.

I then arrive back home and realize I've just completed over 5 miles and didn't even know it because I was so busy with my thoughts above. This is why I like running outside.

Why Running Outside Sucks Balls
But then winter hits. In Wisconsin, this usually lasts late October to early May...roughly 7 months of rain, possible snow, ice, and cold temperatures. If it's not too cold I can bundle up and suck it up. When it gets frigid my lungs freeze. If there's ice all bets are off - I can barely walk from my door to the garage without injury, much less run. All it takes is for one jerkoff neighbor to not shovel the snow off his sidewalk to ruin my stride. Four of my broken bones came from ice-related activities, and I've come to accept that I'll never be one of those runners galloping through the winter.

This, then, means I'm on my butt for roughly 6-7 months of the year. Unless, of course, I pay for a gym.

The issue became a dilemma this winter when I was signed up to run the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay with 3 other lovely ladies. I had a team depending on me, and I needed to train sans injury.

So I debated on a gym membership.

I considered the Y, the WAC, and Snap Fitness, all of which have pros and cons (con: price, size, pro: pool, showers, etc), but ultimately decided on a gym a quick drive from my house, with tons of equipment and minimal extras. I don't need extras. Like the opportunity to pay more money for a class. Or daycare...don't need that.

And so I came to Anytime Fitness. Not only is it pretty big for a strip mall gym, but they also have a big parking lot. The staff is ever-helpful, ready to answer your questions and/or leave you the heck alone to your sweaty workout. Free banana Wednesdays, combined with weekly chalkboard drawing, and annual membership appreciation days are little extras that don't necessarily inspire awe, but are nice just the same. Anytime Fitness is also located right across the street from Ray's, which now acts as my proverbial carrot as I run my miles on the treadmill.

I never really ran regularly on a treadmill before. It's not my favorite, but it is easy to get just as lost in a TV show or movie as it is my landscaping dreams above. It's also pretty great for working on my pace. And if I'm a little sore or my feet are tired from yesterday's 6-miler, I can swap the treadmill for the elliptical to give my legs a break. Variety is the spice of life (and building a routine of exercise) and a gym allows me to switch it up by machine, with classes, and with weights. If I need a little extra help I can sign up for personal training. And, once summer hits, Anytime Fitness is a great distance for me to run to from home, stop in for weight training, and then run back.

Oh, and one last thing. I live in a city. A city that sometimes has crime. I'm also a single gal. Running outside poses a certain risk - or, honestly, perception of risk - that I don't always enjoy...especially when it's dark outside. A gym that's open 24-hours, even if it's not always staffed, to me, is better than getting the urge to run at 11:30 PM (it's happened) only to be deterred because I'm afraid of drivers not being able to see me at street crossings.

Last Words
Ultimately, this is my first gym experience, and I'm really digging it. I like going in and seeing the same folks each night, being left to do my thang (I'm an independent gal, after all), in the safe confines of a locked gym. With the florescent lights of Ray's illuminating my imaginary race track. And Project Runway, Chopped, or Being Human making me forget about the miles I'm logging. And I am logging miles for all of the reasons above and the one simple reason that doesn't hurt to reiterate: I like it.

That's what a routine exercise plan is all about...finding something you like and sticking with it because you like it.

____________________________________________________________Mandi Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
Mandi recently completed her first marathon! Her next goal is running a full half marathon (no walking!) by her next birthday (May 13, 2012).


Follow her journey.
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Monday, January 23, 2012

Race Recap: Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay

Guess what friends? I just finished my first MARATHON!

Okay, so it was a relay and I had the help of 3 other fabulous ladies (@mkemom, @rshill37, @bananza...look 'em up), but it was still 4 hours of fun running in circles.

The Venue
I've never run in the Pettit Center before and I wasn't sure what to expect. The track was a narrow two-lane, which was better once the faster teams finished and runners thinned out. The air was colder than I'm used to and very dry.

The Marathon
My team broke up the 26.2 miles, or, 96 laps, into 4 sets of 6 laps each. Four laps would've been nice and comfortable for me as I didn't really train as much as I should've (story of my running life so far), but it was nice to push myself.

Because the air was colder than I was used to, my lungs were the biggest hurt and by my 4th leg it was hard to catch a full breath, which, in turn, affected my muscles. This continued the rest of the evening - me not being able to breathe deep - until the lung inflammation settled down. I'm sure that's super dangerous and bad news, but I'm still alive.

The run itself was rather nice. It was great to circle around the track and see SO many people I knew. There were at least 4-5 other teams I knew who were all situated at different points along the track, so it was motivation to go and get your cheer on. FitMKE and Team Challenge had great representation.

Team "Avoid the Lap" finished at 4:11:andchange...nearly 2 hours after the fastest team (seriously, I think those guys were doing it wrong...it's a FUN race, right? AmIright?). We had a great time cheering each other on and eating rice krispy treats.

The Recovery
I recovered better from this race than I did the half marathon in July. Likely because I was going in short spurts and only completing 6.55 miles to July's 13.1. The one thing I would do differently is bring a chair or yoga mat and sit during the down times. The laps weren't so bad as running on concrete isn't any different from running outside on pavement, but standing for 3 hours in between the running is what hurt my feet. Before my last leg I figured it out.

The Lessons
As I said before, one thing I would do differently is to bring something to sit comfortably on during the down times in order to rest my feet. Another thing I would do differently is train more in cold weather. I have a VERY bad track record on ice - nearly all of my broken bones (4 out of 7) are from encounters with ice in which the ice won. So you can imagine why I'm a little gun shy when it comes to training outside once winter hits. Because of this I've spent the past month in the gym, which, as I stated earlier, didn't help my lungs come race day. It is what it is, they're still not 100%, but I'm alive.

And that's about it. My team members had excellent advice pre-race, so I brought a bunch of layers to bundle up with in between laps. I brought lots of beverages and food as I prefer to not eat much before a race. And my only goal was to finish, which I did.

Looking forward, my next goal is to run a full half marathon by my birthday, and I'm looking at the Lake Geneva Half on May 12th, as that's the day before. Yes, my birthday is on Mother's Day this year.

____________________________________________________________  Mandi Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
Mandi recently completed her first half marathon, traveling to California's wine country to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Her next goal is the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in January.
Follow her journey.
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

This Just Got Real

Saturday is my marathon.

Three little days away.

Make that 21.2 miles away.

Because I predict that I'll be able to run about 5 miles before I die. I am, ahem, a "bit" unprepared.

Luckily I have a team to run with, and, with four us I only have about 6.5 miles to run total. And we're planning to switch off every 4 laps (approx. every mile).

This is good.

I'll still be slow, I'm sure.

For those of you wondering how an indoor marathon relay works, here are some tips.

I'll let you know how it goes after the fact.

____________________________________________________________  Mandi Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
Mandi recently completed her first half marathon, traveling to California's wine country to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Her next goal is the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in January.
Follow her journey.
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Thursday, January 5, 2012

2012 Fitness Goals

I finally did it. I broke down and bought a gym membership.

I used to think that throwing on my gear and heading out the door were enough, but then winter would hit. And we all know my track record on ice. So if there was ever the least bit of ice on the ground, I'd be too scared of breaking my face (or arm, twice) to brave the outdoors.

So then I would go 4+ months not running, and by the time Spring came back I was happy to continue sitting on my arse with all of my indoor projects.

This year I pledged to be different, and, finally, I put my money where my mouth is.

I signed up with a team to run the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay (our team name is "Avoid the Lap" ~ Jimmy Dugan), and am committed to train. A few weeks ago, at the first sign of snow (granted, a small one), I signed my credit card and first born child over to Anytime Fitness...mainly because I can use any of their facilities with my membership, including the one conveniently located a few blocks from where I work.

Now that 2012 has come and I'm staring down my 30th birthday, I've devised a set of fitness goals I'd like to achieve this year.  They're not resolutions, because those are dumb. I made a few of these goals a few months ago, and now am making them official via the interwebs. In no particular order:

Twenties in the Rearview, Fitness Goals:
  1. Run all 6.55 miles of my Icebreaker Marathon Relay commitment - I gots a team and they need me to RUN!
  2. Run a full half marathon by my birthday - this one will likely be the Lake Geneva Half, as it's where I work and will allow me to reach my goal on May 12th, the day before my birthday 
  3. #Runstreak - So far I'm 5 for 5 in 2012, and I want to make it at least to my 30th birthday. I'm taking a  page out of the Beer Runner's book and justifying my oat soda consumption with mandatory exercise. Thanks for being my accountability partners. 'Sides, it's no accident my new gym is right across the street from Ray's.
  4. Take part in an Inter-state run - This one will likely be the Gopher to Badger run in August. I was thinking the Ragnar Relay that crosses the WI/IL border, but the distance makes me twitchy.
  5. L-L-L-LAMBEAUUUUU! - I want to do the Packers 5K again this year so that I can, once again, run through the tunnel and around the field. I considered the Green Bay Cellcom Half for my birthday run, which would've also taken care of the Lambeau fix, HOWEVER, Lambeau's not a part of their route this year. Made that decision easy.
  6. Sausage Race - In any other city this would be a black mark on your record, but in great ol' Milwaukee it's a golden goose. I'm not going to lie. The main reason I want to do the Brewers Sausage Race 5K is for the t-shirt.

For now I think that's enough, don't you? I might add in some goals for personal training sessions, but for now my wallet is satisfied with the cost of a straight membership and entry fees for all of the above.

What are your goals in striving to stay fit and live a healthy life?

____________________________________________________________ Mandi Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner
 Mandi recently completed her first half marathon, traveling to California's wine country to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Her next goal is the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon Relay in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in January.

Follow her journey.
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

What is Crohn's disease, @CCFA_WI, and @TeamChallengeWI, and why am I running a half marathon with/for them?

Shout out to my teammate, Sunaina Talwar, for inspiring me in writing this post. I hope you don't mind that I took some direction from your informative and inspiring words!

Have you ever thought about running a half marathon (13.1 miles)? Have you ever actually run a half marathon? Have you heard of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis? Have you heard of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America? Have you heard of Team Challenge?

Prior to March 2011 I would have answered ‘NO’ to all the questions above. Now, three months later I feel blessed with the opportunity to be educated and able to answer ‘YES’ to all but the second question above, because I am currently training to run my FIRST half marathon. Not for myself, but for those who suffer EVERYDAY with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis!

I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with information about this new adventure in my life, why I am taking this journey, and I want to also pass along the chance for you to help me make a difference in taking strides toward the cure of these diseases on behalf of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.

Don’t worry, I won’t mind if you skim. :)

What is the CCFA?
The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It was founded in 1967 by Irwin M. and Suzanne Rosenthal, William D. and Shelby Modell, and Henry D. Janowitz, M.D. Four decades ago, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation created the field of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis research. Today, the Foundation funds cutting-edge studies at major medical institutions, nurtures investigators at the early stages of their careers, and finances underdeveloped areas of research. Educational workshops and symposia, together with a scientific journal, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, enable medical professionals to keep pace with this rapidly growing field.

No wonder the National Institutes of Health has commended the Foundation for "uniting the research community and strengthening IBD research.”

What is Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Crohn’s Disease:
  • Ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract
  • Most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon
  • Areas of diseased intestine can be found throughout normal intestinal tract, more commonly referred to as “skip” areas
  • Affects not only lining of the colon, but also thickness of bowel wall


Ulcerative Colitis:
  • *Affects only the colon.
  • There are no areas of normal intestine between the areas of diseased intestine, in other words, no “skip” areas
  • Ulcerative Colitis affects only the inner most lining of the colon

What is Team Challenge?
Team Challenge is the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s endurance training and fundraising program. Through Team Challenge, you can run or walk 13.1 miles while helping to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two chronic and often debilitating digestive diseases that impact 1.4 million Americans.

On July 17th, 2011 from Napa, CA to Sonoma, CA I will be joining 25 other brave souls from Wisconsin and taking strides and running 13.1 miles towards the cure!

Why am I supporting Team Challenge?
You might be wondering why I have chosen this route, this challenge in my life. Well, I would like to take a moment and explain why I have chosen this direction and provide YOU with an opportunity to help complete my journey.

How it all began…

As most of you know, I’m not much of a runner. It’s always been on my Mighty Life List to run a half marathon, but I never really thought seriously about training.

Again, as many of you know, I turned 29 this year. One year shy of the big 3-0. It’s at this point in our lives that many of us reflect on what we’ve accomplished, where we are, and how close we’ve come to achieving our dreams and goals.

I’ve come pretty darn close.

I graduated from college. I became a missionary and spent a year overseas teaching English with my church. During that time I trusted God to provide for me emotionally, physically, and financially, and He certainly did so. Furthermore, He provided for me when I came back to the U.S. He blessed me with the best family in the world, who graciously gave me the time I needed to decompress and find my way back to a life in America. God provided me with an amazing opportunity to start a career in Milwaukee, and sent me even more amazing friends to welcome me here with open arms. I earned a Master’s degree on full scholarship and had the opportunity to; once again, travel overseas for work and study. I now enjoy a career in the nonprofit world, doing the kind of work I love, helping and training others to do the same in their own organizations, and completing all of this in an industry that allows me to give back just by showing up to “work” every day. How amazing is that?

God has been good to me. My life has been satisfying in a truly blessed way.

A few months ago I had been praying about what God had in His plans for me. I have several friends – those same friends God has so generously blessed me with in Milwaukee – who have trained with Team Challenge, and I knew it was something I needed to do. God put it within my heart that it was time to train and run a 1/2 marathon for those who are suffering from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

I didn’t know what Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis were when I started this journey. I didn’t know anyone who suffered from these degenerative, and sometimes embarrassing, diseases when I started this journey. Since I started training and fundraising, however, I have met SO MANY who live with IBD every day.

Can you imagine having diarrhea every day for 3 months straight? Can you imagine going to the doctor every seven weeks for a painful and time-consuming IV treatment to counteract your symptoms? That's what people with Crohn's deal with. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body, but with Crohn's disease the immune system can't tell the difference between normal body tissue and foreign substances. The result is an overactive immune response that leads to chronic inflammation, sometimes even requiring surgery and removal of part of the bowel.

I am less than a month away from my deadline, July 6th, 2011 and 25% of the way towards my minimum goal of raising $3,000 towards the cure. Most people would be worried, nervous, or overwhelmed, but God has put this within my heart and I know that He WILL finish ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that He starts. I have NO WORRIES that this goal will be attainable. I have FAITH, TRUST, HOPE, and BELIEF that He will finish what he started and put within my heart!

How You Can Help
By now I hope you agree with me about the importance of this cause, making a difference, and having faith and hope – whatever that may mean for you in your life.

Please help support the CCFA in finding the cure for those with Crohn’s or Colitis with a generous donation of whatever amount your heart leads you to (THIS DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE). My deadline for fundraising in July 6, 2011 and if I don’t make it, I have committed to paying this amount on my own. It goes without saying that I can’t really afford that, but that’s not why I’m asking you to help. I’m asking you to help for my best friend’s father, who, before I started this journey, I didn’t know suffered from Crohn’s disease. I’m asking you to help for Katlynn, Team Wisconsin’s Honored Hero, who is now a teenager, but has suffered from Crohn’s disease since she was 7 years old. I usually give hugs, kisses and warm fuzzies for free, but just this once - and for a good cause - they’re going to cost extra.

To make donations simply go to this site

http://www.active.com/donate/napa11wisconsin/mandilindner

OR send in your donation check to me (email me or leave a comment for my address), PLEASE MAKE CHECKS OUT TO ‘CCFA’ and mail no later than July 1 PLEASE!

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Once you donate I will be wearing YOUR NAME on MY JERSEY the day of the race, so YOU will be taking strides with me the day of the race as well!
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On July 17th, when I run my first half marathon, my strides will be in honor of those people I have met during this journey who suffer from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. If you know anyone that suffers from Crohn’s Disease and/or Ulcerative Colitis PLEASE let me know, because I would be HONORED to take my strides for them as well!

I am excited to see how else God plans to use me to make a difference, and all the other people that He will put within my path, like YOU. I would like to THANK YOU in advance for your consideration, time, and your support towards finding the cure of Crohn’s & Colitis!

SIMPLY CLICK ON THE SITE BELOW AND DONATE ANY AMOUNT, BECAUSE EVERY PENNY COUNTS AND HELPS TOWARDS FINDING THE CURE!

http://www.active.com/donate/napa11wisconsin/mandilindner

PS – for every $10 you donate, you will be entered in a drawing to win a Packers football signed by the entire Super Bowl XLV Championship team! If you’re a Packer’s fan – great news, right? If you’re not a Packer’s fan – just think of the hysterics you’ll cause when you tell your Packer fan friends that you’re going to sell it on eBay!

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Mandi

Current Couch Potato | Aspiring Runner:

Completing my first half marathon to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America will be a community endeavor. Won't you help me change lives?

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