Just 39 Days Left!!!
Well, we just have 39 days left to raise our minimum $1800 and to train to walk 39 miles in 2 days. The closer we get, the more nervous I am. 39 miles is a lot! I've been walking a lot, but the boredom factor kicks in after a few hours, which makes it very hard. This saturday, my sister and I are going to hook up with a team that does weekly training walks at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. They are scheduled to do 15 miles that day. It should be a good experience - new people to chat with and a gorgeous area to walk in. I'm excited!
I'm hoping I can wrap up my fundraising in the next couple of weeks. I don't want to be worrying about it right before the walk when I should be concentrating on walking! We still have today and tomorrow (4/28 & 4/29) with the Jewel Shop & Share and I'm still selling tickets for the 50/50 Raffle (drawing to be on Tuesday, May 5th). If anyone wants to buy tickets, please contact me. 3 tickets for $5.00 or 10 tickets for $10.00.
As always, thank you for your continued support!
Shelley

by Shelley Mikkelson on Tue, Apr 28, 2009 @ 2:46 PM

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My New Training Partner
Yesterday I took Scout (our 2 year old German Shorthair Pointer) on a walk in our neighborhood. I was a little nervous because he's never really been on a walk. That's what happens when you have a big yard! Well, I just have to say, he was AWESOME! He stayed right by my side and just walked - no pulling, no stopping to sniff. I was so proud of him! The only time he got a little crazy was when we passed the school bus. Scout knows that the school bus brings his best friend, Mitchell, home. He got so excited (and a little confused) when he saw some neighbor boys get off the bus. Luckily, that was at the tail end of the walk.
So, it's safe to say, I've found my training partner! Maybe the exercise will keep Scout out of our neighbor's yards now! We can only hope!!!

by Shelley Mikkelson on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 @ 9:22 AM

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Training
Well, I'm officially in week 2 of training and, so far so good. Last week I kept it pretty simple with walking on the treadmill 2-3 miles most days in addition to a few miles on either the eliptical or bike. I took yesterday as a rest day. Today I walked 4 miles on the treadmill. It felt really good, but I'm still feeling it (a couple hours later). Tomorrow I think I might venture outside and walk the subdivision (we'll see how the weather is). And I might even take the puppy, Scout, with me. We'll see how good he can be! I've also been trying to eat healthier - a lot more fresh veggie juices ( I just love juicing!) and salads, but not forgetting my protein! There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be losing some weight in the next few months! Unfortunately, I won't be able to tell you how much, since I'm not weighing myself in 2009. The goal is to feel healthy and good about myself, not focus on that silly number that shows up on the scale! Can you believe I haven't weighed myself in 2 months! I'm really excited about this challenge and look forward to the next 103 days! Stay tuned...

by Shelley Mikkelson on Mon, Feb 23, 2009 @ 8:59 PM

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My Story
As the New Year began, I made a promise to myself that 2009 was going to be "the best year of my life". I was going to be happier, healthier, and I wanted to make a difference. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to make a difference, but I figured the cause would find me. And, it did. Last week I received an email from my sister, Melissa, saying that she was going to a meeting about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and did I want to meet her there. I didn't even hesitate and immediately emailed back with a sound "Yes". I had always thought about doing the walk, but for various reasons, never did. As I looked over the materials handed out in the meeting, I read that "A woman living in the U.S. has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime." And, it hit me... According to those figures, between me, my mom, my sister, my twin daughters and my sister's three daughters, one of us will be diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn't like those odds one bit! So, here's my chance to make a difference. And, you can bet, I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that my mom, sister, daughters and nieces never have to go through what millions of women have gone through. Compared to their struggles, walking 39 miles and raising a little money is the least I can do.
Some of you may know, my grandmother developed breast cancer when I was younger. Thankfully, for her it was operable and she never had to go through any long treatments or periods of illness. Sadly, that is not the case for the hundreds of thousands of women (and men) who are fighting for their lives on a daily basis. I know many of you have also had loved ones who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Some have lost their battle and some continue to fight with all that they have. I would like to walk in honor of them. I am asking that you email me a photo, name and anything else you want to say about who they are and why they are so special to you. I am also walking for all of our children (boys and girls), in hopes that research teams will soon find a cure and they will not know the devastation that breast cancer can cause. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet, but I'd like to carry something with me during my walk to remind me of who I am walking for. This will help me keep things in perspective when my feet are aching and I feel like I can't walk another step.
I thank you for taking the time to look at my web page and I thank you for your support! No matter how big or small, every little bit makes a difference!
You can email photos or your stories to Shelndrew@aol.com.
Thank you!

by Shelley Mikkelson on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 @ 9:32 PM

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