Veteran's Day!

Well I've been working on the East coast this week, so my workouts have consisted of running. Yesterday I actually logged 4 miles on a treadmill, because I'm in Boston and it's chilly out here!!! Oh my goodness...it has literally been years since I've run on a treadmill. I used to run on a treadmill everyday, but a few years ago, I started running outside... Needless to say, it was very weird to be running on a treadmill, but I did get to watch Ellen and The View.

Well, today I was determined to make is outside for my run. Luckily the woman at the front desk of my hotel recommended a nice cemetery near our hotel for my run. I love cemeteries! I know that's kinda creepy and maybe it's because I was raised right next to one (it was our playgroud!), but I really, really enjoy walking through cemeteries. Well, the one out here was very cool! All the fall leaves were vibrant colors and the wind was blowing them all over the place. On top of the beautiful fall colors, the cemetery was peppered with American flags because it is Veterans Day. It was truly the perfect day to run in a cemetery! Here's my top five list from my run (in no particular order):
1. Favorite tombstone: Higgenbottom - reminds me of a name I'd see in a Harry Potter book
2. The marine in uniform visiting his friend's grave
3. The sun lighting up the beautiful stained glass in the mausoleums
4. The skunk smell...I don't ever smell that in LA
5. The amazing fall leaves blowing all over the place and sticking to my shoes.

I get to head home tomorrow. Yippee! Hopefully I'll be able to resume my training schedule.

Quick Update

The weather out here has been absolutely amazing!!! Today I had an easy 40 min run and it was perfect outside. It wasn't hot or cold...actually, it was room temperature! Couldn't ask for better conditions.

Yesterday I swam at the Westwood pool for 30 mins. I love the Westwood pool because it's free with my library card. Yep, that means all the moolah I save on swimming can be donated to a better cause...for example, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Speaking of donations...I am so grateful to the generous donations I have received thus far. You guys are wonderful and I want you to know how much I appreciate your support! To keep tabs on my progress towards my goal, check out my donation website: http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/jenharmon

I have to travel to Atlanta and Boston this week for work, so I probably won't post any more updates until this weekend. Hopeful, I'll be able to squeeze in a run during my travels. I'll likely have to bundle up a lot more for a run in Boston this time of year! Yippee, I get to whip out my scarves!

And so it begins...

Today was our first day of training for the IRONMAN Couer d'Alene. We met up in Playa Del Rey for an easy run (40 mins) and a fundraising pep talk. Naturally it was beautiful as we ran along the strand next to the beach...I'm talking 80 degrees outside beautiful! Our run consisted of getting to know our teammates and a few drills guaranteed to make you look like a whack-a-saurus. It was definitely a fun time and I'm looking foward to many more workouts with my teammates.

A little background for those who have "stumbled" upon my blog. I have teamed up with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program for the IRONMAN Couer d'Alene on June 24, 2007. And I have committed to raising $10,000 to help find a cure and provide assistance to those fighting leukemia, Hodgkin’s Disease, lymphoma, and myeloma.

So you're probably asking yourself, "Why would anyone want to do all that?" Well, here are just a few of my reasons:

- Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are cancers of the bone marrow, lymphatic tissue or blood.
- Every five minutes someone in the U.S. will learn he or she has a blood cancer – more than 300 people a day. Every ten minutes, another child or adult is expected to die from a blood cancer.
- Leukemia is still the leading cause of disease death in children under the age of 20. However, it kills 10 times more adults than children.

I hope that you'll enjoy tracking my progress over the next eight months on my blog!


I'd like to encourage everyone to visit my website to make a donation: http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/jenharmon
Remember, every dollar donated is one dollar closer to finding a cure!