Next Step: Certification!

Always stretch first!

 So a week ago today, I ran 12 km in a personal fundraising event to raise money for my trip to Abentheuer, Germany in October (about 7.5 miles).

It was great! I started just outside of Dodger Stadium, ran through Echo Park, Silverlake, Los Feliz and Griffith Park, ending at the front gates of the L.A. Zoo!

I started out at a great pace, making record time (for me!), getting from the stadium to Crystal Springs Dr. at the south end of Griffith in just a little over an hour.

 It was clear to me, though, once I made it in to Griffith Park, just how unused to jogging uphill I am, and I finished with a total time of about 2.5 hours. Not bad for jogging a snail's pace the last 3 miles!

I had a blast, and now jogging 2-3 miles per day seems like pie! Next step: train for a marathon, perhaps? ;) It's amazing to me, because a year ago, I never would have thought I could do it - but I did and it was a great experience.

A lot of people thought that I did this through an outside organization. I guess I have my design skills to blame for that - my flier and paperwork looked so official - but really it was just an idea I had, myself, to raise money for this trip. I participated in a jog-a-thon fundraiser to raise money for camp as a kid, and having done the AIDS Walk in middle school, it just came to me. The charity angle was an incentive for people to donate who may have been leery of just supporting me by myself... 

Leaving the Stadium

But when all is said and done, I raised a good amount towards my cause, and of that I'll be donating 10% to the My Stuff Bags Foundation as a result - thats about $50!

And as promised, those who helped out will be able to claim their free yoga class when I get back in mid October. =) 

I'm very grateful to everyone who helped out, and literally, every tiny bit helped! I feel so blessed and I love you all, I can't thank you enough!

I've started the online training course for my 200-hour yoga certification, and plan to hopefully finish it in 2 weeks, to give me some breathing room. Next stop: Germany!

This was my route!

Not crazy about this pic, but you can clearly see the sign for Silver Lake Blvd in the bg

Los Feliz, just before Griffith

Don't ask me what the funny faces are about... My mom was kind enough to be my pacecar and take photos for me - I guess with all the jogging I 'forgot my face' as it were...

At the base of Griffith Park