running for a cure

remember when i said i was going to become a runner? 

well, it's week four and i am not giving up. although, i must say, it is not getting any easier. after every run it takes me 20 minutes to be able to take a deep breath and speak. i literally collapse on my front steps and lie there gasping for air- i am sure i look like a fish out of water. 

this week i am at 1.53 miles each time i run and i've been running four times a week (about every other day). today was a day off and i kind of missed the good feeling i get once it's over and i can feel accomplished. 

but, i've gotta take it easy on my ankle. last december, while walking to catch the bus for hiphop japanimation, i rolled my ankle. 11 months later it still throbs when i walk too much or run on it. and without health insurance i definitely cannot afford to hurt it. 

but, i'm keeping up with it- like i said i would. i'm hoping that some day soon it will become a little bit easier. 

this weekend we both did the the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure! 

We had to be out of bed at 6:45 am (no small feat for me) to get over to city park and pick up our numbers. There were 12,000 people all mingling waiting for the races to begin. First, we both ran the 1mile. Ben really ran it to keep me company. It was so early in the morning, i kept waking up all night, and then all of a sudden i was in a huge crowd of people running. While normally I do a very very slow mile- like 11 of 12 miles per hour- all these little kids around me were running so i ran the 1.2 miles in 9minutes. Then, Ben decided to do the 5K. He got into the middle of 12,000 people and started jogging. barefoot. trying to get around the old ladies and men who were walking. It was really exciting when he crossed that finish line. and i snapped a photo right before his sweaty self grabbed me. 

After (and during) the race there was music, lots of free food (bananas and yogurt AND jambalaya), and Tulane Med students were checking blood pressure etc. 

Wanna see?

happy.

scarf on my head was given to runners, after i cross the finish line

about to tackle me

i love him!

Ben won this for being one of the first # runners over the finish line

The other side of this medal says congrats from the Saints. 

Thanks saints. i was pretty proud of us already for waking up, raising some money, and running :)