smashRUN

Thanks for coming to check out this blog.

Here's my mission:

Not a day goes by that I don't wonder what more we all could be doing with this Web 2.0 of ours. There have been several champions using this platform of the interwebs, working towards positive goals, and I'd like to add a mission to that and support our friends, family members, colleges, and even friends of friends that are fighting a blood cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma.

In truly desiring to do something more for those fighting the good fight against cancer, I am taking on the challenge of training for and running the 2008 Nike Woman's Marathon in San Francisco on October 19th (5 months away!) as a way to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with Team In Training.

All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help STOP leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of ALL individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, but I need YOUR support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

As part of the Web 2.0 Community, I know the power of the Internet, and I know that even if you aren't able to donate even $5, by passing this to ALL of your friends, followers, collegues, and family members, AND by blogging and twittering about this effort, we can reach my team's goal of raising $1 million dollars! I've set my personal goal at $10,000, but I know that many of you have over that many followers on Twitter alone, or maybe even that many readers on your blogs, so imagine if you asked every single person to donate $1, $2, or even $5!! We could put a serious dent in this effort to find a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission, and PLEASE link to this in your blogs, and pass it around to your co-workers. I know many of you have started your own companies, and by donating on behalf of your company, it becomes a tax-deductable donation. Also, there are a TON of companies that match donations, so don't forget to ask!

I'm hoping to start video-blogging and posting photos and notes from my training efforts, so to keep up check back here, and check out my fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nikesf08/mdeforest

Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support, I can't do this with out you!!!

xo,
Michelle DeForest
www.mdfsmash.com
michelle [dot] deforest @ gmail [dot] com

TECH Fundraiser THIS WEEK *Wednesday 5.28.08

Lunasa (1st Ave & St. Marks, 5-9pm Wednesday, May 28, 2008). $20 gets you 3 drink tickets, & additional drink specials. $10 of that goes to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as well as $2 from every drink sold after 7pm. MAP Facebook

My roommate, Jen, and I are training for a marathon, and we’re doing it to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Relax, sit back, Jen and I are doing all the hard work ;)

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: 1. Attend. 2. Tell all your tech (& non-tech) colleagues and friends to attend. I know you’re an influential bunch, now prove it!

I need you to TWITTER, BLOG (Reblog), EMAIL your company, your friends, and your MEETUP GROUPS. There’s no reason we can’t get every NYC tech, video, and film meet-up group to be in attendance.

I’m not encouraging you to drink, but I know you guys are going to do it anyway, so why not do it to raise money for cancer research? FACT: Most cancer treatments came from Leukemia & Lymphoma research. By attending this event, you are helping to find a cure for just about every type of cancer.

Full details on the drink specials: Happy Hour is from 5-7pm. When you arrive, you get 3 drink tickets. Use them whenever you want. After 7pm, drink specials end, but $2 from every drink goes to LLS.

If you want to sponsor Jen or I as a company, or to make a separate donation, you can visit our individual fundraising pages. http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/JenWeber and http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nikesf08/mdeforest

Jen’s marathon is in just 3 weeks (in Alaska!), so I want to send her off with an awesome donation to LLS, and let her know that we appreciate what she’s doing, and what she’s putting her body through by training for this marathon.

Now, GO! And tell every person you know about this event. It’s as easy as copying & pasting a link!

xo,

Michelle

michelle dot deforest @ gmail dot com

***Super special thanks to LUNASA for participating in this event!

Has Running a Marathon Ever Crossed Your Mind?

The thought of running a marathon was a bit of a fantasy for me. It’s pretty much the equivalent of pondering biking across America. Sure, it would be cool, but I don’t even know where to begin. Training? Self discipline? No thanks.

But then my roommate, Jen, started training with TNT, and I was amazed. Just this past week she ran 20 miles, and I thought, wow, I’ve seen her do this from start to finish, and it’s REALLY possible! So, that’s when I joined up.

I’m heading into my 3rd week of training, and feel like a marathon is actually within reach. Well, I’m only running 4 miles at this point, but just 3 weeks ago, I hadn’t actually ran in almost a year.

Seriously, if running a marathon has ever crossed your mind, you can do it, and I encourage you to check out Team In Training, because nothing makes you feel like you can get through a run like having 200 people running with you through Central Park.

Oh HAI

After the run, my mentor, Scott, and I walked over to Urban Athletics. I bought a kick ass pair of new shoes, and he bought a pair of sunglasses. Along the way we stopped at a school/church fair where they had a petting zoo set up. I couldn’t resist :)

4.17.08 Some of my TNT teammates!

4.17.08 Coach Ramon talking about today’s workout which ended up being a 3-4 mile, 40 minute run from Bethesda, out of the park to 72nd St., across the west side to Riverside Park, then down Riverside Park until we hit the 20 minute mark, and then back.

This run felt particularly great to accomplish. While training for this marathon, I’m working on managing asthma, and basically learning how to breathe while not being able to breathe. I got a great tip from one of my teammates, and that is to focus on the breath out, instead of the breath in. And it’s working!

4.17.08 Walking up to a Saturday practice. This time we were meeting at the Bethesda Fountain.

May
19th

Mon

HAPPY HOUR for CHARITY

Hey Everyone!

My roommate, Jen, who is training for a marathon as well **she was the inspiration for me signing up to train** is having a HAPPY HOUR event to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I know you guys are going to drink no matter what, so why not drink for a good cause!

7pm, Tuesday, May 20

Public House
140 E. 41 St.

$20 gets you OPEN BAR for the first hour and DRINK SPECIALS for the following hour.

Please REBLOG and let’s RAISE SOME MONIES!!

And if you can’t make it, you can always support her by clicking HERE.

Thanks!

xo, Michelle

May
10th

Sat

Run #1 - 4.10.08 - 2.5 miles

When I arrived there were at least over 100 people there checking in. We heard a couple announcements about our workout, and heard from a lymphoma survivor who is now training for her 1st marathon (she’s actually already completed 2 half marathons since her remission!). Hearing our honored teammates speak always helps to remember why I’m doing this. Sure, I’m going to be in great shape, and even have some bragging rights when I complete the marathon, but really, we’re doing this for something much bigger.

I can’t explain how I feel called to do this. I guess some people are called to different things in life, and while I feel like I have purpose as it relates to my career and work, this is just a whole different feeling. I feel like I have all the power in the world to do this, like nothing can hold me back…not asthma, not previous injuries, not time, not weather. It’s just beyond that, and the real reward is how everyone is being incredibly supportive and donating to this cause I believe so deeply in.

Back to today’s run…it was nice…a little challenging, but nice. To be completely honest, I haven’t worked out since I moved to New York. It’s terrible of me, I know, but the winter was just the worst. I wanted to be snuggled in bed or on the couch at all times and not leave the house. (In fact, I basically didn’t leave and never heard the end of it from my roommates).

So for the run, we did the low loop of the park, plus a little further with a half loop. I guess it was somewhere close to 2.5. I had a little trouble breathing, but one of my teammates, Jenna, told me to focus on exhaling more, and that helped me relax my diaphragm and back muscles. In fact, I highly recommend trying that if you ever feel tight in your chest while running. It really helped!

After the run we all stretched as a group, and then had a team picnic. Ok, and when I say picnic, I mean bagels and cream cheese;) I ate a poppyseed bagel with vegetable cream cheese. It was a great treat after a work out.

While at the picnic I met up with my roommate Jen, who introduced me to Team In Training, and she had just compeleted a 20 mile run!! It’s hard to believe that that will be me in 4 months, but it’s also completely inspiring. It just speaks to Team In Training’s program, and its coaches. I’m definitely pumped for the next work out on Tuesday!

To support me in raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, please visit my Training Page.

xo,

Michelle

Run #1

Today’s my first team run. I’m pretty excited. I have to be at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park at 10am. Best part? Even before my first run, I’ve raised $425!!!!

Full report when I’m back!