Charity Runner

"The very first Easter taught us this: that life never ends and love never dies." ~ Kate McGahan

Stay safe out there!

Since we are in the season for gratitude, I want to take the time to thank everyone who has donated to help me in my fundraising efforts for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. After the final matching donation from Takeda arrives, we will have helped raise over $6,000 in the last 3 years! Thank you, all! 

Yesterday I ran the Red, White & Boom 5k in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was my first race of the year and the fastest 5k so far!

Once a week I plan to run a 5k to see how fast I can run... Mile one was great! But, I couldn't keep going that fast for all 3.1 miles...

I ran a 5k to celebrate Global Running Day! Afterward, I realized I have a lot of training to do if I'm going to finish my third marathon...

I purchased my ticket for the Twins vs. Orioles game at Target Field on April 28, 2019. Part of the proceeds go to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation! #TwinCitiesMN #MinnesotaTwins #MLB

There is officially less than one hour before the end of 2018 in the Midwest (CDT). That means my year of running is officially over. Really, it ended just before Thanksgiving when I had to have surgery. Hopefully, I will be able to get back at it again soon. In total, I ran over 800 miles in 2018, including a 5k, a 10 mile, a 6.75 mile that was a heat-shortened version of a half marathon, and the full 26.2 miles of the Twin Cities Marathon. I am guessing that I am going to have to put off my next marathon until 2020, but I won't know that for sure until March...

This is the newest addition to my Christmas tree. I painted it myself at Pier 1 several weeks ago. I think it's okay, but I don’t plan to start a career as an artist any time soon. #ChristmasTree #ChristmasOrnament #Pier1Love #Pier1 #Ornament https://www.instagram.com/p/Br0gM69Fc3J/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1f03of93e0zfz

Last week, I opened a credit card and a checking account at City & County Credit Union in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, and received one of their Holiday Hot Cocoa Kits! It includes gourmet hot cocoa & marshmallows, Lindt chocolate stir sticks, candy canes, and a $25 Starbucks gift card! I also lowered my rate and will receive 2% cash back on my balance transfer! That's a great way to welcome new credit union members! Thanks CCCU! #creditunion #cudifference #cccu #TwinCitiesMN #Minneapolis #SaintPaul #LakeElmo (at Hudson, Wisconsin) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgVJycFJN1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ma739kuxs6ch

This will be my last post about the 2018 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. As you might know, it was my second Team Challenge charity run to help raise money and awareness to help find a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. I again want to thank my sister, Jennifer Hannon, and Patterson Dental (@offthecusp) for their amazing donation! I also again want to thank all the people who purchased Herberger's Community Days coupon booklets from me in the last few years. Finally, I want to thank everyone who donated to any Team Challenge charity run in the past... we definitely need to find a cure for these diseases! #TeamChallenge #TCFamily #Crohns #ulcerativecolitis #charityrunner #MedtronicMarathon #TCMarathon #twincitiesinmotion #running #26point2 (at Hudson, Wisconsin) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo4UdZxFiBV/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jfp66yxiee4f

My 2018 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Finisher Certificate... 

This is the reward for running all 26.2 miles of the 2018 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon! Truth be told, I was one of the last to finish the race... in fact, the bus to kick people off the course for running too slow caught up to me with about a quarter mile to go! I'm just glad they let me finish the race! I finished this marathon in 6 hours, 8 minutes, and 39 seconds. Last year, I ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 6 hours, 6 minutes, and 59 seconds. So, I didn't PR this run... but in my defense, there were more hills to conquer! #TCMarathon #26point2 #twincitiesinmotion #charityrunner #TCFamily #TeamChallenge (at Hudson, Wisconsin) https://www.instagram.com/p/BouNCkQl4Y5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1tjcamtav7esz