Thank You!

I ran 10 miles this morning and can fully say that I AM READY! Marathon... BRING IT ON!!!

With that said, I have another purpose for blogging today. I want to say thank you to everyone...

Dear Family and Friends,

I am writing today to say THANK YOU! Thank you for all the support you have shown me during my latest challenge - running a marathon! I am down to my final 7 days and am gearing up for an amazing day in Detroit as I make my way through 26.2 miles of craziness! I am proud to say that I am the highest fundraiser for Team DetermiNations's Detroit team. I have raised just over $2,800 for the American Cancer Society. I truly appreciate the support you have lent me not only through donations, but through words of encouragement and signs of compassion. I thank my Uncle for being the force behind my cheering squad and for pulling off such a heartfelt surprise. I must say a special thank you to my dad for all the mornings he watched Russell and Sloane this summer while I headed out for my runs and for believing in me. I need to say a BIG thank you to my running partner and dear friend, Leigh. Without her, I never would have taken my first step back into running and I NEVER would have thought distance running would be my thing. Not to mention that the winter months and 4:30 wake up calls would never exist without her! I also want to thank Aron (my wonderful hubby) for supporting my running obsession :-) I know that although he hasn't put the miles on his running shoes, he still has trained for this marathon with me. Most importantly, I need to thank my mom. Running a marathon used to be one of those things that I thought would be cool to say I did, but I never imagined I would be able to do it. My mom's final few weeks taught me so much. Her spirit and energy for life is my inspiration. I run this marathon for her! Her passion, endurance, energy, spirit, and love will guide me through every step.

With all my gratitude,

Kirsten

P.S. It is not too late to donate! Check out my personal page at:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11GL?px=22338134&pg=personal&fr_id=34799

Donations will be accepted until November 17, 2011

I found a few photos online that I had to share. You never know what you will hear or see while competing in a road race. Check it out:

Quote of the week: "The fastest way to the finish is running."