18 Miles!

18 miles!

This week I ran my longest run to date- 18 miles! It was a very long run- and I took a VERY long nap soon after! Today, a day after my long run, I feel strong and ready for the marathon in just 24 days! 

Race day is creeping up quickly! I have been enjoying the warm weather and the chance to run outside without multiple layers! I am praying that come race day, all the snow in Hopkinton will be gone! 

With just a few weeks left in my training program, I am trying my best to stay healthy. Next week will be my last long run before cutting down my mileage to prepare for the race. It will be my longest run out of the entire program- 20 miles! Please think of me next Wednesday while I am out running this final long run!

My fundraising for Keep Smilin' 4 Abbie is going great! Right now, I am at a total of $3,699- I am so close to my $5,000 goal! With 25 short days before the race, I need to do as much fundraising as possible to reach this goal. Please take a moment to make a donation and support my marathon run and Keep Smilin 4 Abbie.

Doante!

Keep Smilin'

One Month!

OMG only one month until the marathon! Time is going by so quickly! So far, I have raised $3,623 towards my $5,000 goal. Thank you to everyone who has donated to this awesome foundation. 

With thirty days left and $1,377 to raise, I need everyone's help. If you know of friends or family that would support my run for Keep Smilin' 4 Abbie, please pass along my fundraising and blog link! Or, make a donation in your name today! 

Donate Today!

I got some very exciting news from the BAA in the past week- my wave position and bib number! For anyone planning on coming out to watch the marathon on Patriots Day, look for me in Wave 4, Corral 4! My number is 27999. On marathon day, if you text my bib number to 234567, you will receive alerts each time I hit a major point on the race course!

Each week of training brings a very long run- this week was 15 miles! I took advantage of the spring-like weather and explored some new streets around Westfield. Who knew there was a river right down the road!

Back in Hopkinton, Mr. Benford recently had an interview on HCAM for Keep Smilin' to tell about their goals for 2015 and long term goals! You can watch his interview here!

Thank you to everyone who is supporting me on my run for Abbie. I can't wait to hit the $5,000 mark!

Keep Smilin'

6 Weeks!

WHAT?! 
Only 42 more days? 

Time is moving so quickly! Before I know it, I will be lining up on the start line in Hopkinton and beginning my journey to Boston. (I hope the snow is gone by then, but at this point I'm not so sure!) My training has me feeling strong and I can't wait to put it all to the test on race day.

I have raised $2,976 towards my $5,000 goal- amazing! I am so thankful for everyone who has donated. If you have been meaning to make a donation, consider donating today and help me get even closer to my goal!

Donate Today!

Over the past few weeks, some friends from home have reached out to me and given the extra support and strength I need to keep working through these tough training runs. 

One of my best friends, Karissa Collins, sent her love and support all the way from Clemson in South Carolina with an amazing Facebook post. Her post describes Abbie perfectly, as "the happiest, bubbliest girl you could ever meet and always wore a the biggest smile on her face" Thank you Karissa for helping spread the word for Keep Smilin' and helping me through my training! Want to read what else Karissa wrote? Check out the right side of my blog with the heading "Words of Encouragement from a Friend".

My other amazing best friend friend Jackie Chirco challenged her Facebook friends in a push-up/donation challenge. For every 'like' she received on her push-up challenge post, not only would she do one push-up, but she would donate one dollar to Keep Smilin'. 83 'likes' meant 83 push-ups and a donation to Keep Smilin'! Jackie completed all her push-ups while on a trip to Disney World with her lacrosse team! My favorite were her 10 push-ups in "Italy"-

My friends are so supportive of my run for Abbie. I want to thank them for always checking in and seeing how my runs are progressing. I love you all!

Keep Smilin'