Force of Soles Fundraising

FORCE OF SOLES BAKE SALE(s) SCHEDULED!
Saturday, July 3, 10 AM-3 PM
Lowe's, Windward Parkway, Alpharetta

Saturday, July 17, 10 AM-3 PM
Sam's Club, Mansell Road, Alpharetta

STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE UPCOMING FORCE OF SOLES' SOCIAL WITH SILENT AUCTION IN AUGUST...

Please contact me if you have an item(s), tickets, art, anything you'd like to donate to our silent auction. Also looking for a place to hold our event. Suggestions welcome!

BeltLine 5K, Saturday, June 26 – 57:35

The BeltLine 5K Race went well today... I finished with a time of 57:35. :) Woohoo!! ;) My previous times have been 1 hour; 17 minutes). So I'm very proud! ;) Especially given how little time I've had to train this week! ;(

Alisha was about 38 minutes (I think). ;) It was really fun!

The best part was today was a painless experience! ;) I stretched very carefully pre-race and had absolutely NO issues during the event (that explains my improved time)! ;) My new shoes are a great contributor to my fabulous experience today, too, I'm sure! ;)

Started out mostly towards the back of the crowd (which was very small, I'm guessing about 200 racers). Alisha and Sid were quickly gone and I found myself walking alone. Which is quite interesting. I'm finding I'm not a fan of walking alone too much... And since SGK doesn't allow headphones during the 3-Day, I'm training without such devices...

I enjoy a few minutes of quiet, alone time to reflect and gain inner perspective, but soon I get bored and begin to focus too much on how far I've gone and how much I have left to finish the race... I carefully keep my eyes peeled for every mile marker I pass and mentally "check".

This was my experience today until I near the 1 mile marker and look up to see a small kid standing there wearing a race number obviously waiting... Immediately, I wonder who he's waiting for and realize I'm quite a distance from the rest of the pack (both in front of me and behind me). And I think, "Yeah for me, I'm not last! haha" I wonder whether he's waiting for his mother or if he's decided he's "done" already... But I smile and say "hi" as I pass him and don't ask questions.

A few minutes later (maybe .25 miles later), I look up to see this same little boy passing me alone... So this time I ask... "Are you walking alone or with your family/parents?" He tells me his sister is ahead of him and his mother is behind him somewhere that he tried to wait for her but didn't see her, so he was moving on... We chat for a minute and I tell him he is welcome to walk with me for a while if he'd like... So he agrees! ;)

He tells me his name is "Malik" and he's 10 years old. His mom works for the BeltLine and she's doing this walk for work. He was very sweet and kept me quite entertained as we walked. Several times, his phone would ring as someone (mom or sister) was checking on him and I heard him tell someone he'd made a friend as was walking with her. ;) That made me smile...

We'd just made it past the two mile marker, when Malik tells me, "I don't think I can do this anymore! I've never walked so much in my life!" It was all I could do not to stop right there and fall out laughing! He was sooo funny and bless his heart, he meant it! ;) I told him he was my walking buddy and he COULD do it cause WE were gonna do it together! He promised to try... :) And by golly, he did it! And so did I! ;)

A walking buddy makes all the difference in the world. It puts a spring in your step and keeps you going... I want to thank my little buddy, Malik, for being here for me yesterday! ;) It was a good day!


Post race, Alisha and I walked the 1 mile back to the start line to get some extra walking in this week and then walked the park another mile or so before heading back home! ;) So, all-in-all, about a 5 mile day! ;)


Next week's Peachtree (10K) should be interesting in the heat... But I'm gonna try! My start time will be 8:55 AM (whew). Sure wish I was much earlier!

BeltLine 5K, Saturday, June 26

Pre-Race Pics

Alisha & Me at the BeltLine 5K Start Line

Sid & Alisha waiting to start the race

Art in the Park

Training, Wednesday, June 23

Tonight, Marilee, Andrew and I walked 4 miles along the Alpharetta Greenway! :) It was awesome and the shady trail made it a very pleasant walk! The best part... I didn't experience my usual ankle/shin pains! ;)

I'm totally ready for the BeltLine 5K this Saturday in Southwest Atlanta! ;)


Donation updates: I received two more checks today! I'm now up to $1,740! I'm soo happy and grateful to everyone for your donations! Please keep them coming! I'm now only $560 from the minimum $2,300 which will allow me to walk in October! ;) THANK YOU!

Ultimate goal is to raise a minimum of $3,300 per team member. Our team goal is $30,000. We're getting there thanks to all of you!!

Supporters – Here's How You Can Help!

We are offering a number of ways you can support our team! Please join us in the fight against Breast Cancer!

Force of Soles Fundraising – T-Shirt SPONSORSHIP

We are accepting corporate sponsorships and product donations for silent auctions and fundraising events. Please contact me if interested!

3-Day T-Shirt Sponsorships are now available! We'll wear these T-Shirts 60 miles during the Atlanta event, October 22-24, 2010 and your company logo will be seen by thousands.

WNBA Atlanta Dream Tickets Available

Special thanks to our GENEROUS donor for these awesome tickets. All proceeds go to Susan G Komen For the Cure.

Force of Soles Fundraising

WNBA Atlanta Dream Tickets Available
for Select Home Games @ Philips Arena

$90/PAIR
(face value $60 ea)

1. Wednesday, June 23rd @ noon
2. Sunday, June 27th @ 3:00pm
3. Tuesday, June 29th @ 7:00pm
4. Thursday, July 1st @ 7:00pm
5. Saturday, July 3rd @ 7:00pm
6. Wednesday, July 7th @ 7:00pm
7. Sunday, July 25th @ 3:00pm
8. Sunday, August 1st @ 3:00pm
9. Tuesday, August 3rd @ 7:30pm
10. Tuesday, August 10th @ 7:00pm
11. Friday, August 13th @ 7:00pm
12. Tuesday, August 17th @ 7:00pm
13. Sunday, August 22nd @ 3:00pm

Tickets are for Row A, Row D and Row M. All seats are in the Club Level (exclusive level with restaurants like Buckhead Diner, Atlanta Fish Market, Nava and premium bars)

Please contact Carrie if interested and for availability, designaf@mindspring.com.

CONGRATS TO MARILEE

I'm VERY proud to announce one of our team members, Marilee, has already reached her
$2,300 minimum! Go Marilee! ;) Keep it up girl!

We're on our way! ;)

Special thanks to Angela for her SECOND donation toward my fundraising efforts! THANK YOU!!!

Training, Wednesday, June 16

Scheduled training for Tuesday, June 15 was STORMED (thunder/lightning/CRAZY rain) out so I postponed to Wednesday night. I was all by myself. And GOD it was HOT! And HOT! :( The heat really got me too... Ugh...

To make matters worse, that night I woke up in the WORST SWEAT to discover our AC went out! Ugh! When it rains, it pours! Sure could use some rain to cool things down a bit...

Force of Soles Fundraising

We have available for donation (sale) the following items:

Atlanta Dream Season Ticket Holder Seats for Select Games
Floor-Level Front Row Seating/Tickets to several Upcoming Atlanta Dream Women's Basketball Games $90 per pair (2 tickets)
(call for dates/availability)

White T-Shirt with Force of Soles logo $20 donation
(accepting pre-orders now)

Collapsible Koozie with Force of Soles logo $5 donation
(accepting pre-orders now)

Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Bracelets $2 each donation

Please contact me at (404) 219-0062 if you're interested in purchasing any of these items. Net proceeds to the Force of Soles team on behalf of Susan G Komen For the Cure 3-Day!

Community Fundraising Plans

Well... I've been struggling with ideas for fundraising. And was planning an elaborate bachelor/bachelorette auction. But in the end, I've decided given the VERY tight timeframe I have combined with the the limited time I have available to put this together, I'm going to hold off on this one until NEXT year! ;(

HOWEVER... I'm going to be planning a couple of fun SOCIALS with a SILENT AUCTION! Details to come! I'd love to do one or two between now and September! Ideas/suggestions, etc. WELCOME!

Bake sale(s) details coming soon! ;)

Training, Sunday, June 13

Second OFFICIAL Training Walk. Led by Judy at the Alpharetta Greenway. The 6.2 mile trail started at Rock Mill Rd to Mansell AMC and back. Judy had gathered a nice turnout of about 10 folks including me and my teammate, Marilee.

I had high hopes decked out in my fancy new shoes! I started out strong. Keeping right up with the pack, but quickly was left lagging behind as the pain began in my lower limbs and ankles. UGH! I kept going, cheering myself on knowing the usual first 2 miles is the most brutal and once the pain subsides, I'll be fine... I watched the group get further and further away from me.

Walking alone is tough. You're left to deal with yourself and your thoughts and it's really hard NOT to focus on the pain and let the negativity set in. So, I started trying to become my own cheering station! It was so funny to me, that I was laughing at myself and people walking by probably thought I was nuts! But I didn't care! ;)

At just about what I assumed was the 2 mile (give or take – my pedometer decided not to work anymore! Ugh!!) mark, I noticed the pain was gone as usual!

The good news is... Judy taught me some stretches which seemed to help and I apparently, need to do much more often before/after each walk. And... The shoes seemed to be a bit more cushy.

By the end of the 6.2 miles, I felt pretty good and believed I could go a few more miles. But didn't DARE push it. Not yet. I have plenty of time to build on my training. And will be taking my sweet time to get there. ;)

Still averaging about 20 miles / week. Not bad, eh!?

Training, Saturday, June 12

First OFFICIAL Training Walk led by Elissa. We met at 7 AM at The Forum on Peachtree Parkway and walked 4 miles around The Forum and the neighborhood directly behind the Forum. It was a gorgeous neighborhood with lots of shade. Didn't do much to alleviate the heat, but still not too bad overall. ;)

Marilee joined me for this one and we met Elissa, Debbie and Melanie. They were AweSOME! ;) My leg pain struck again! ;( The new girls suggested I try a new pair of proper walking shoes...

SO... I did! ;) Tonight, I went to New Balance in Alpharetta where I learned that I have very high arches! Who knew! And purchased a very pricey pair of shoes and inserts (these almost cost as much as the shoes!) to protect my feet! They better have wings and make me float on air and walk on water for that price! ;)

I'm planning to try them out tomorrow AM for my first 6.2 mile walk! The Peachtree is now only weeks away! Whew!

Training, Thursday, June 10

Andrew joined me for a 3 mile training walk at Newtown Park. It was just the two of us and it was nice to share a stroll with him! ;) Thanks luv!

It's summer! Everyone is on vacations! JEALOUS!!!

Training, Wednesday, June 9

The plan was to meet at Newtown Park, Alpharetta. Alisha joined me for a 5 mile training walk. It was really, really hot! The walk started out slowly at first. And I must not have stretched properly cause I experienced the pain building in my lower legs and feet. Once I reached mile 2, noticed the pain had subsided and my speed had increased slightly. I began to feel a ton better and felt like I could keep going. Then... I stopped to remove a pesky rock from my shoe and just that short break almost killed my energy! :) I did keep going to finish out the full 5 miles. Whew! ;)

Going back again tonight for about 4 to 5 more! ;) Gonna stretch a little better tonight!

Harris Jacobs 4 mile Walk/Run, Dunwoody, June 6

Participants lining up to begin the Harris Jacobs 4 Mile Walk/Run.



Pre-race silliness (Becky).



Carrie, Alisha, Sirka and Becky (front) waiting for the race to begin.



After the race (back at Becky's house).

Harris Jacobs 4 mile Walk/Run, Dunwoody, June 6

I completed the Harris Jacobs 4 mile Walk/Run this morning in Dunwoody. It was a good day. But I wasn't prepared for the hills I encountered! ;( Ugh.

Note to self: PRACTICE HILLS! Really! Ugh!

Finish time for the 4 mile walk was 1 hour, 17 minutes. Not bad considering the cramp in my knee and leg which stayed with me for 3 of those miles!!!

Another note to self: STRETCH!!!

Becky, Sirka and Alisha did it with me. :) Thanks ladies for ya'lls support!!!

I started out toward the back of the pack. Literally about 10 folks behind me and quickly they passed me. Most of the race, I kept up fairly well with the two ladies in front of me, but that cramp almost didn't let me finish. I just endured and kept it going! In the end, I survived and finished! WOW!!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we parked at Becky's house and walked to and from the race! (About 1 mile to/from)!

AND... I can be proud of the fact that I've completed 20 training miles this week! Woo hoo!!!

Next race is the Beltline on June 26.

Betcha I get to practicing those hills! ;)

Force of Soles T-Shirts & Team Update!

Good news! Charlene officially joined our team this week! Yeah! Force of Soles welcomes new team member, Charlene!!!!


AND... I picked up our official team training shirts today! ;) Big Frog in Cumming, GA printed them! They're awesome. The font printed a little screwy (bummer), but Big Frog is going to reprint them and we'll have our REALLY official team shirts next week. They let me take these shirts so we can appear as a team tomorrow in the Harris Jacobs 4 Mile Run/Walk tomorrow in Dunwoody! ;) Thank you Trish at BIG FROG! You rock!

If anyone needs custom T-Shirt printing done, call Big Frog in Cumming! They're AWESOME!!! (770) 889-FROG.

We'll be printing and selling white TEAM logo shirts to our supporters soon for a $20 donation to our Team. Please contact me with your name, number and shirt size if you'd like to pre-order your shirt!

Training, Thursday, June 3

Training tonight went well! :) Terry, Bill and Alisha met up with me and together we walked 3 miles! Then, Alisha and I continued for another 2! So all in all, I pulled 5 miles tonight! Great walk!!!

Community Fundraising Plans

The team and I have been talking about some different fundraising ideas. One of which is a bake sale. I spoke to Publix yesterday about the possibility of sponsoring our sale and/or our team. ;) I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping HIGH! ;)

Also planning to approach Kroger and Wal-Mart to see what may come. :) I'm more than willing to park in front of one of those stores to receive donations and create breast cancer awareness! ;)

Also in planning is a bachelor/bachelorette auction. Please email me if you'd like to donate, participate in the auction or can help with this production in any way! ;) Watch out for Andrew to be auctioned for this handyman services! ;) Yep! I'm gonna pimp my man! ;) heehee It's for a good cause! ;)

Please let me know if you have a great fundraising idea. We'd love to have your input!

Training, Tuesday, June 1

I met Terri P, her hubby, Bill and Kathy L at Newtown Park for a training walk. We walked the outer perimeter trail (about 1 mile). Terri and Bill did great for their second training walk. They walked twice 'round. Kathy stayed with me and walked about three times 'round before she departed.

Then, a late-comer and potential NEW Force of Soles team member, Camille joined me for two more loops! We look forward to Camille joining our team soon! And rumor has it, a couple more folks will be joining us soon, too! Woo hoo!! ;)

All in all, I walked about 4-5 miles. And it felt pretty good! ;)

Next training: Thursday, June 3 at Newtown Park.