This v. that

 What I prefer to dive into.

Photo compliments of my local grocery store.

What I am diving into.

My stomach (and waistline) thank me for these and not the above.

If I were

If I were a millionaire I would add a second story to my house.

If I had better calves my legs wouldn't be in as much pain post long endurance runs.

If I could sing, I'd want to produce indy folk tracks.  I wouldn't try out for some prime time pop singing contents though.

If I could capture my favorite smells and have them always around, it would be the scents from the Voluspa candles. 

If I could, I would live in either Santa Barbara or on the coast of North Carolina.

If I could, I would hire a private trainer to help discipline the stubborn, geriatric beagle I live with.

I've been fantasizing about buffets

Haven't been here in a while.  Been running.  Like a lot.  Like more than I ever thought I would run in a week.  Like I am running hills and shit.  I. Don’t do hills.

We get up and run at the local lake at 7am.  On a Saturday morning.  I work from home.  When was the last time I woke up before 7 during the week let alone on a Saturday?  Maybe 2008?  Maybe that time I caught a flight to Mexico and had to be at the airport so I wouldn’t miss vacation.  That got me out of bed at the crack of dawn.  But now I get up to run.  And not to run from bad guys or to run from my problems  I’m just out there like a fool running and slogging along trying not to slow my pace group down.

Oh, but I do slow them down.  I’m the slug at the end of the pack who keeps making decisions about whether I should find the short cut back to the car or to keep on keeping on.  Half the time I am out there wogging (walking/jogging, more walking lately though), I want to bail on my group and go find the nearest buffet and belly up to the unhealthiest and fattening grease pit I can find within a 10-mile radius.  I have visions of bacon and omelets piled high with layers of cheeses.  I think about my body fighting me and telling me to divert the group path and ditch their asses. 

I find myself wondering if I am getting enough oxygen because I am struggling to catch my breath.  And then I turn to my left and a group of hot looking men with the best calves this side of the Mississippi is pacing me at what freaking looks like a gallop.  And so I find myself motivated to get back into shape, motivated to run a freaking half-marathon. 

Stupid bucket list.

We're up to 8 miles next week.  8 freaking consecutive miles.  I'd rather stuff myself with 8 greasy burgers and vomit for 8 hours straight then to slog along at 7 am  on Saturday.

But, I'll do it.

Just because.

My waistline appreciates it.

And maybe my confidence.

But I’m still allowed to bitch about it.

I am running for her

Meet my best friend, Kelli.

She's gorgeous bald, isn't she?

She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 26.

We met our first week in college.  Pledged the same sorority.  Were attached at the hip for years to come.  We were roommates.  We traveled together.  Shopped together.  Borrowed toothpaste from each other.  Ran errands for each other.  Shared a beagle together.  Shared the same group of friends.  Her family is awesome and accepted me so much.

We lost her a few years ago.  

  Do you know what it is like to watch someone's husband, parents, sisters, grandparents, cousins let someone go?

Do you know what it's like to watch a nurse unplug life support machines one at a time?

We were all gathered at her bedside when she took her last breath here on Earth.

I'm running the San Diego Half Marathon in Kelli's memory.

We all know someone struggling with cancer.

Won't you help me raise funds to help find cures for blood cancers?  Anything helps.  $1, $5, $10 donations.  

It's not for me.  

It's for Kelli.  

And all the rest of the folks out there who have lost loved ones or are going through this terrible disease we call cancer.

Log on to the below link and help me eradicate cancers one step at a time.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/rnr12/rshultz

I need your help in a bad (or good) way

What do these three people have in common?

1. They are all very near and dear to me.
2. I'm related to one of them.  In fact, we share the same parental units.
3. Two of them were my best friends on college.
4. Each of them heard the words, "You have cancer" from their physicians before the age of 32.
5. All of them are heroes.

I'm running to support each of them on June 3 in San Diego.

Help me!  I've just joined the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) and their Team In Training group to help the fight against blood cancers.  I'm not a long distance runner, but I've decided that training for a Half Marathon is what I need to do to help raise awareness and funds to fight cancer.

I continue to be blown away by the professionalism and support the LLS provides those of us in training.  What an absolutely AMAZING organization.

Asking for money is just not something I've ever been good at.  But it's not about me.  It's about the folks I'm running in honor of and about all those folks currently having to endure this horrific disease.  And did you know that often times research for blood cancers commonly is also used to help treat a number of other cancers? 

If you'd be willing to donate even the smallest amount to help my cause, I would be thankful a gazillion times over.  

Log on to the following fundraising page and follow the steps.  You'll receive a receipt and can claim the donation on your taxes. 

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/rnr12/rshultz

Thank You In Advance,
American Bridget (Ryan)

Knock knock

Guess who bought me flowers?

Guess who knows a way to this here heart of mine?

Clueless?

Don't be.

I bought them for myself.

At the grocery store.

Half off.

Because Valentine's Day is over.

And these beauts were in the leftover bin

I'm fancy.