Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling, and I had a ton of fun in Washington D.C. at the zoo, in Warrenton for the wine festival, in Texas for Megan’s wedding, and in OBX for the girls’ weekend, but man was I EXHAUSTED from all of that flying, driving, and getting up early so as not to miss a single thing (my motto when on vacation is I’ll sleep when I’m dead)!

Tonight we are having dinner with good friends at Outback and getting to meet little miss Erin (technically I met her at the hospital when she was born, but only through the glass).  Tomorrow is my company’s picnic which I helped plan as a member of the Events Committee.  I love company events like the picnic and holiday party because its so nice to get to talk to people outside of work in a very relaxed setting and meet their families.  On Sunday, we are heading to Ben’s parents’ place to celebrate his mom’s birthday!  I found her the most beautiful, unique gift in OBX last weekend and can’t wait to give it to her!

Besides all that fun stuff, I plan to do some more unpacking and clean up around our tiny little apartment, spend some time with my kitties, get some quality outdoor time, including a 6 mile run, which is part of my half marathon training, and maybe even lay by the pool.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/nikesf10/leslieelsaifi

There, you will learn more about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and my training and fundraising progress.  In the five minutes that it takes you to review my web page, someone new will be diagnosed with a blood cancer – so money for research and patient support is desperately needed.

2. Gimme 5 friends. Send this blog post to five of your friends or colleagues and help me spread the word about what I am doing!  Maybe they will want to make a donation as well!

3. Gimme 5 months of training to get ready for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon.  It is a ton of work, but it pales in comparison to what people facing cancer have to go through every day.  During the five months I’m in training, approximately 21,600 Americans will have died from a blood cancer.

4. Gimme 5 hundred thousand Americans who have contracted blood cancers in the past five years.   Help me help others with cancer to win their battle.  LLS is helping patients live longer, better lives and you can help too!

5. Gimme a donation and I’ll give you 5 reasons I’m grateful for it.   You can make a secure credit card donation online, or if you prefer, send me a check payable to LLS.  For those of you who have already donated, here are 5 reason I’m grateful: (1) That I’m healthy enough to even attempt this endurance event; (2) That while cancer survival rates continue to increase, your donation will make a difference (3) Because without your donation, all I am doing is running 13.1 miles – it is your donation that is the real purpose of all of this; (4) That so many people continue to believe in me trying to make a difference; (5) For the names of your loved ones that I will wear on my shirt on race day.  These give me a lot of strength during the half marathon, and I am grateful for you sharing them with me.

So if you haven’t done so already but would like to, go ahead and use your fingers to write a check to LLS or key in a credit card donation online.  In return, I’ll use my legs and feet to run 13.1 miles, and you’ll automatically get all five reasons for my gratitude applied to you as well!

Sincerely,

Leslie Elsaifi

Running is one of the hobbies that she and I are both interested in and I am so excited that we will get to share this experience.  Plus we will have each other to share fundraising and training tips with.  I also kind of like to think of it as a free sisters’ weekend as well.  Although it’s not really free since she has to raise $3500 and I’ve got to raise $3900.

Thanks to Team In Training, we will finally get to run together!

If you’d like to make a donation to my sister, Carrie Elsaifi, check out her Team In Training website located at http://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/nikesf10/celsaifi.

And don’t forget to donate toward my effort as well (http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/nikesf10/leslieelsaifi).

Last week, I joined an organization called Team In Training.  I have been researching this organization for a while and am really excited to finally become a member!

The way that Team In Training works goes like this:  Team in Training sponsors runners, cyclists, and triathletes by providing them with training, coaching, and inspiration and funding all of their race expenses (race registration, airplane tickets, hotel rooms).  In return, the athletes raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Team in Training is now ” the world’s largest endurance sports training program”!

I wanted to join Team In Training not just because it seems like such a great organization in all aspects, but because I wanted to do something good with my ability to run long distances.  When I ran the Shamrock Half Marathon (my first half marathon) back in March, I did it just to prove to myself that I could finish it and also for the free beer.  Now that I know I can reach the goal, I want to do it for others instead of just for me.

I signed up for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon which will take place on October 17, 2010 in San Francisco, California.  I’m really excited about this race and also extremely glad to be traveling to San Francisco since I haven’t been there since I was five years old and therefore don’t remember much from the trip.  I am also super motivated to reach my goal of raising $4000 by October.

I’m asking every person who reads this to PLEASE donate toward my goal by going to this website.  Even if you can only donate a small amount, please do because every little bit really does count!

The way I see it I’m getting so much out of this experience:

• The opportunity to meet, train with, and become friends with a great group of people
• The opportunity to travel and spend time in a beautiful city
• The opportunity to raise money and awareness for a wonderful cause that can help save so many lives
• The opportunity to prove to myself and others that running the one half marathon wasn’t just a one-time lucky shot

I hope you will check out my page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/nikesf10/leslieelsaifi and donate toward my goal.  And please check back often to see my progress.

Thanks for the support!

Back in November, a good friend convinced me to run the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon.  At first, I didn’t even give it a thought as I had no desire or faith in my ability to run 13 miles.  I can’t remember why, but I did give it a second thought.  I’m not sure what made me change my mind…maybe the realization that all runners were greeted at the finish line with free beer.  I decided to go for it and that began the 5 months of training and injuries I endured to get to where I am now.  It was also the start of my new love for outdoor running.

Before beginning to train for the half marathon, I preferred running inside on the treadmill where air conditioning and television were my good friends.  The farthest I had ever run outside had been the Charlottesville Women’s 4 Miler, which both times I had to walk a great deal of .   But now I find running inside pretty boring without the constantly changing scenery, and I can run 4 miles without stopping or walking pretty easily.

Yesterday, I ran my first half marathon and am so proud of myself today!  The day couldn’t have been more perfect!  The race was in beautiful Virginia beach.  It was a glorious, sunny day with temperatures in the 60s to 70s.  I ran most of the 13.1 miles with my friend Dana, but had to slow down a bit during the last 4 miles of the race due to an increasing need to go to the bathroom.  The race ended on the Virgina Beach Boardwalk where I crossed the finish line as they called out my name.  As I slowly wandered past the crowds of people, volunteers showered me with gifts:  a medal, a t-shirt, a hat, water, and snacks.  The rest of the day was filled with friends, FREE BEER, food, fun, and the sun on the beach.  I met old friends and new friends and had a blast!  Yuengling sure does know how to put on an after-party!

Even though everything about the day was wonderful, the best thing was knowing that I had accomplished my goal!

Here are my stats:

I definitely plan on running it again next year!

We were all a bit worried as the weather forecast was calling for a 90% chance of snow.  However, I consider us to be lucky that the race wasn’t canceled and the snow didn’t begin until halfway through the 8.68 mile run.

This race was part of our training for the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon that we are running in March.  All in all, the race went well.  Aside from the sideways snow and the 20 mph wind that started around the 5th mile, it was a fun race!

My stats were as follows:

After the race, we got to enjoy free Yuengling and burritos at the after party.  Despite the cold weather and snow, it was a pretty awesome experience and I can’t wait to do it again next year!

I’d love it if you could support me by going to this website and donating money.

If you can’t donate money, I totally understand.  You can also support me by getting out there and walking.  I walk with coworkers 3 to 5 days a week during my lunch break.  It may not seem like much, but adding activities like these into your daily schedule can make you feel better both physically and mentally, improve your overall health, and add years to your life.

Start moving!

However, I was also a little nervous because I hadn’t really trained for the race this year.

Well I’m proud to say that I finished the race, had a fun time running it, and beat my time from last year.

Thanks to Charlottesville Women’s 4 Miler website for the stats.