SWIM ACROSS AMERICA

29 minutes and some change! A new record for me...and a lot of money raised for cancer research:

Thanks to all who donated....we raised $61K!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER* SWIM ON YOUR BIRTHDAY WEEKEND*

RUN BIKE SWIM!

WE DID IT!

We ran...

 

She took 2nd place in her age group....I took 5th in mine...she beat me by 6 seconds.

Next we ran to the car and drove to SMAC where we quickly changed and signed in to SWIM ACROSS AMERICA!

We swam... 

 



This is after....Daughter #1 and I and then with our teammate Annie...she is 84! I set a PR in the mile swim!

Then we cheered on the other swimmers and the youth swimmers...and ate bananas and oranges and enjoyed the sunshine.

Then I went inside and I rode 15 miles on a spin bike. I really tried to do 15 miles in a half hour...but I just couldn't....35 minutes was the end result...and I tried to finish before noon but missed that by 3 minutes.

But what an adventure! I collected $669.00 for cancer research! 

And a total of $41K was given to UCSF Children's Hospital and Children's of Oakland for research! We all want to kick childhood cancer's butt!

LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PARTICIPATE IN A BACKWARDS TRI*

The Very Mixed Up Tri...

It usually goes, SWIM BIKE RUN...
But on Sunday I will RUN SWIM BIKE...
It isn't an official Triathlon...it is a combination of events that just came together.

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA is an event to raise money for childhood cancer research- dear to my heart as Daughter #1 battled childhood cancer for 2.5+ years. Daily chemo- as in everyday. When I saw the flyer and heard the recipients of the proceeds speak about their research, I knew I was going to sign up.

BUT...it just so happened that the Swim was on the same day as our Hometown Days Fun Run...which I usually run in the 10K because I can place in my age group...but because I have to be at the pool for a 10 swim, I will only get to run the 5K which starts at 8:30.

Daughter #1 and I will run, then swim and then...we decided to complete the day with a bike ride of 15 miles....you know....just because it will make it a Tri, backwards non-the-less...and because. Because back in 2002 we didn't know if Daughter #1 was going to live through the night in ER- but thanks to cancer research, and all of those who went before her, she is alive to swim and bike and run.

SO if you can make a minimum donation of $25 to help SMAC out cancer, I will make you a personalized dishtowel or bar towel embroidered with whatever your heart desires and mail it to you.

Click on 
http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/TR/PoolSwim/NationalPool?px=1218401&pg=personal&fr_id=2160

to see our home page and donate.....see below for a few photos of my custom embroidered towels that can be yours :) I can do any theme or name or idea!

 

 

(My friend's last name really is Lord)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*MAKE A DONATION TO 

HELP SMAC OUT CANCER*

P is for....

PARTICIPATE...

(so much for the theme today....if I had continued it would be the children's book Pig Pig Grows Up, about a selfish little pig who refuses to grow up and his mother goes along with it....a lot like many students I have taught,)

But instead I bring you this:

6 Olympic swimmers!
2 children's oncologists!
All part of Swim Across America!

There was a wonderful talk by the oncologists and one heartbreaking talk by a mother whose son had the same cancer as my daughter. He relapsed twice and died after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant. The event is raising funds to help research and survivor support at the two local children's hospitals...a very worthy cause since so little research is done on childhood cancers.

And I got the Olympian's autographs...

 my first graders will think it is the coolest :)

Sue Heon-Preston 1984 Olympian, Allison Wagner 1996 Olympics silver medalist 400 meter indiv. medley, Mike Bruner 1976 gold medalist 200 meter butterfly, Sean Killion1992, Mike Kiedek 2000- all participating in Swim Across America!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*GET AN AUTOGRAPH TATTOO*

L is for ....

Little House on the Prairie....

I have always loved non fiction- in elementary school I read every biography in the school library...and I had always wanted to travel in covered wagons. When I read my first book by Laura Ingalls Wilder I was in love! I read the series. One year when I was teaching 3rd grade, I had a class that loved silent reading time. I re-read the books and passed them from student to student. Even the boys got on board reading Farmer Boy. When I read these books with my own children I discovered books that Wilder had written for adults also- Letters from Home and The Road Back...basically all the little things young readers should not know...her baby's death, discovering a book meant for Santa to bring, etc.

Reading these books brings appreciation of what life was like for our ancestors and how thankful we should be for all the comforts we have. Life was hard-but life was celebrated with small bits of luck and love.

For my few followers of my regular non- A-Z blogging, below is my SMAC out Cancer Site for my Teenaged Cancer SURVIVING Daughter and I. We will be Swimming Across America on May 19!

CLICK HERE

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*READ A GOOD BOOK*