Weekend at the Fair...

What a great weekend…between the Ritchie County Fair and another long run in the books it was a weekend highlights of why we’re on this journey.

It was so nice to be back “home”.  There were so many people I hadn’t seen for a long time at the fair and it was a nice opportunity to get the chance to catch up.  We hosted a ring toss game to help us raise money and highlight our project for Team Fox in running the NYC marathon.   We had many people who didn’t know about it and it was such a great chance to just spread the word about what we are doing. Everyone won a prize (don’t tell dad)…so it was fun to just interact with the kids. (Oh..and the adults of course too) J

I think mom was most popular at the tent….I kept hearing “Mrs. Spangler!” exclamations…or after she left asking where she was.  (Apparently 3^rd grade teachers are popular in the summertime) J  Mom was especially touched by one younger boy (who didn’t know dad..he was too young to have ever had him in school) as he asked mom why her husband couldn’t be there when she asked him to sign the poster. Mom mentioned to him that he was really sick and had to stay at home and the little boy without hesitation told mom…”well I’m really sorry…I’m going to keep him in my prayers for you”.  Kindness goes a long way.

We had MANY people stop by to ask questions and it always turned into sharing stories of dad, and them highlighting memories they had about dad.  Hearing that from people we were even too young to remember really spoke for itself as to why we are doing this.  THANK YOU to all that dropped off donations and played the game, and know how much it means to us all.  Just hearing people share stories about dad and the awareness of making a difference for the future with this was our biggest goal for the experience.  Dad loves our community so much, and there isn’t anything else I’m sure he’d rather us be doing then pulling people together for a common goal.

When we got home on Saturday night a little after 11pm he was still a little bit awake….we surprised him with his poster to show him everyone who signed it and stopped to check up on him.  He couldn’t stop smiling and I told him I’d leave it by his side so he could look a little closer tomorrow.  Mom said he’s turned the poster around several times reading closely the notes and names…so thank you everyone!  Keeping dad’s spirits up is the most important thing we want to do. 

As far as the running goes..I was a bit aggravated at myself for not sneaking in a few runs….Friday I was at the fair till late right after work, and Saturday I was mad at myself all day for not getting up early and running before we had to leave.  Excuses….Excuses….  However I was going to run laps around the Fair if Brian Morton ran with me, but I couldn’t get him to do it with me J

As for Sunday I swapped long run days, and took to the road for my 1 hour 55 minute run.  It had looked stormy all morning, so to avoid guilt any longer I took off saying if it starts to storm come and get me.  The humidity almost seemed like it was ready to burst just waiting on the storm to hit.  Of course it never did till AFTER I was home J  I had to laugh as I had to run 2 laps around the house to add the additional minute onto the run so I didn’t cheat myself.  I suppose that’s a life of a runner J  I’ve ran many “mini circles” to finish out the clock. 

Just Being Lost in the Moment

Ryan Hall, on running a marathon: "I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment."

What do you do when you’re at a turn-around point with your watching displaying 48 minutes?...Well...you run 48 minutes back...  (ok actually 44 minutes back) No I didn’t really pick up the speed much; I just got lucky that all my up hills turned to down hills J

I almost forgot how accomplished the long run days can make a person feel.  After my 92 minute run on Saturday I felt a little bit closer to the marathon.  I still have moments where I almost get nervous and overwhelmed already at the thought of it...and today we are still 103 days away.  During the run it can easily consume you with what seems to be a slowly ticking watch....I felt great at the point where I turned around last week knowing I was going further this week, even so not having a clue where the road was going to take me.  At times it can seem overwhelming with what lies ahead of me with a long run, but when I saw this quote above; being lost in the moment is one of the greatest things about a run.  

Reflection of goals, aspirations, dreams, fears, memories can consume me and when my legs start to burn a little bit at the start of a hill I realize my reason for running is so different then it was 10 years ago.  When I ran in high school and college I ran for my team, for the name that was imprinted on a jersey, you never wanted to let your teammates down as we depended on each other to perform well to allow the team to finish even better.  I run now because of the pain of someone else. 

This journey is a remedy of something I’m not so sure on an emotional level is capable of being fully recovered from, but it’s a start.  I run to deal with thoughts I’m not certain how else to deal with, thoughts I’m not certain even if I put into words for someone else that it would even make sense or tell the actual story when the words try to flow together.  I run for the moments I’ll never have again running next to my dad literally wanting to walk but knowing I was stronger than the actual reason to start walking...so much of it was in my head, and as I’ve discussed before...that is why I believe that if you truly believe in something, anything is possible.  People always ask me why I’m so optimistic or how I am the way I am when approaching things.....I’ve realized through this...the smallest things that use to consume me because they weren’t perfect...it wasn’t about being perfect, perfect isn’t a necessity.. things in life it could always be worse than not actually being perfect....so find a reason to be optimistic..Because even on your worst day, someone else has it worse.

I know in regards to the training side of things, I left you on Thursday.

Thursday I ran 35 minutes...followed by Friday I ran 20 minutes, (we were suppose to take the day off however I feel like my week was switched around a bit I wanted to do an easy 20 just to feel like I did something).  Saturday was the long run I spoke about earlier, and then yesterday was a recovery run (to say the least) where I ran an EASY 38 minutes.  I will be utilizing some ice this evening forcertain. J

Thanks for listening today, as you can see the longer runs sometimes brings a little bit more of a personal touch to things....  Now...as dad would say...get over it and let’s get going....

Megan...please know we are thinking of you and your family....and your cross country family will always be here for you and thinking of you....  Whenever you need to smile just think about Dad screaming your name creamed out loud with the background music of the Price is Right :)  We are always here to make you smile!

Let the Icing begin

Apparently I got too excited about the long run Sunday and should have known better as to the soreness that would come next J  I suppose some things you never learn.  (Random) Like eating tortilla chips before a run… I’ve done that a million times, yet, NEVER learn my lesson!?  Maybe it’s just me J

I had a hill workout scheduled for last night that I altered a little bit.  We were supposed to do 8 hill repeats around 1 minute each…I did 6 and added some time onto the other part of the run…our long runs should be on Saturday but since I had to alter days around my legs are still just TIRED…so I didn’t want to do anything too silly.  I suppose nothing a little couch sitting while watching International House Hunters while icing my legs can’t cure J

I am wanting to check in more often as I promised I would with everyone…I want to change these blog entries  around sometimes too so it’s always different J

Yesterday I checked the PO Box (which for me I get excited like it’s Christmas or something)….there was a return address on the envelope around the Pittsburg area that I didn’t recognize so I tore into the envelope and it was a lady in the area who had heard of our story (I believe from my grandma Nelson but still checking that), however she had the sweetest note included that spoke of her husband having Parkinson’s and her daughters are runners and send a little donation to help out with our project here.  I can’t express how the random notes lift my spirits and I always call mom right away to have her relay the information onto dad.  It’s always amazing how connected so many of us are in ways we never knew, and the goal to work together to find a cure for this disease can be discovered $1 at a time.

Tonight we are suppose to do cross training (this storming is aggravating me)…someone please agree with me so I don’t feel crazy that I struggle at the thought and concept of cross training. I  KNOW it’s important, but even in college when we were supposed to do swim workouts instead or something, I somehow always felt I was cheating training because I wasn’t actually running.  I know there are studies done and so forth to prove things….but mentally I still struggle at feeling like it was “ENOUGH” of a workout to mean something. 

I’m trying to stay on the fundraising routine too of keeping up on things we can do and continue to move forward with opportunities to reach our main goal of $10,000.  I’ve discovered I’m going to approach this in 1% increments so I feel like I’m getting somewhere quicker each time….so I’ve broken down my mini goals into $100 which equals 1%.... My cousin Jim has been my email pen pal in planning and he will probably soon regret telling me to tell him what to do… I can tend to be bossy and nonstop J  We are looking to host 1 or 2 after hours/early evening events in Parkersburg so it’s a easier atmosphere to get together mingle/network/visit for a purpose…with the concept of appetizers, drinks etc….we are also working on some sponsors for those events and then obtaining some silent auction items to have at those events to help raise some additional money.  I’m thinkin’ just a little “Shakin it up for Parkinson’s” theme.  We are finalizing some dates so we can move forward and get that going.  Also a scrapbooking crop event is set for October 20^th in Charleston at our other Cousin’s Crop location and she is helping us put this on…so if you are interested in that it will be a all day crop for $30 and will include prizes, some food,  as well as the hope of some silent auction items.  I’ve been asked several times by people what can they do….feel free to reach out to me if there is something particular here you want to be in on, or any other ideas you want to incorporate and I can help you with.  I’m going to be sending out some donation requests and sponsorship letters as soon as we finalize some dates… so just let me know…. ALWAYS feel free to Email me at MissySpangler22@yahoo.com.. I tend to feel like I overwhelm people through all this (I tend to be a non stop go-getter) so I’d love to hear from you J

Just a reminder…we are still doing the dollars for dad project and could still use A LOT of States!... 

If you need the direct website link to the fundraising pages to pass along it is: http://www2.michaeljfox.org/site/TR/Sponsored/TeamFox?px=1007327&pg=personal&fr_id=1210

If you want to write a check please make it out to: Michael J Fox Foundation and you can mail it to our PO Box and I’ll get it sent in with our Team:

Team Spangler

Attention: Missy Spangler

PO Box 403

Ripley, WV 25271

I Heard a GREAT quote the other day and I just wanted to share….

”We run for those who can no longer run for themselves”

  108 Days till NYC….