Progress!! Just in Time.

I cycled a couple of days ago...and it went very well!  Yes, it was at a low level because I knew that I needed to take a baby step, but it went very well. I'm encouraged to keep going.

Sunday is the big day! I won't push it, but I feel confident (not only by the cycling but the way my leg feels stronger) that I will be able to do a little bit. I will start slow as the doctor told me to - because I don't want this to go on and on.

Thank you for your prayers! Even a week ago, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get started on May 1st, but I feel much better since then.

Onward and upward!!

Jen

The Wild World of Pledging

I understand the hesitation to pledge. Who knows how many miles or how many hours I will run!?

Pledging money is a good way to make me work for it. Starting off, I'm not going to be able to put in a lot of miles or hours. I guarantee that. However, over the eight weeks, I plan to increase my time and distance. How much? I can't be quite sure because I'm not sure how it will go with my leg. I will ceratinly do what I can.

I may only be able to do one or two miles a week starting off. I'm afraid that may be true. (Please pray for healing!) In the end, I'd like to be doing at least four miles a week. That's pretty modest and trying to take the doctor's orders into account. Over all, I want to log at least twenty miles over the eight weeks.

So while the argument may be that pledging money could get really expensive, that's not necessarily true. I hope that this will give you an idea of what I'm hoping to do. I would like to do more, but I can't be sure what will happen.

I am also completely open to someone pledging X amount of dollars up to X number of miles. For example: $5 a mile, up to twenty miles. I'm good with that. I just appreciate your support.

God bless you and keep you,
Jen

To learn more about trafficking or Love146, visit their website at http://www.love146.org/.

To make a one-time gift, visit my donation page at http://Love146.kintera.org/tread/jenmellick.

To make a pledge, visit the Pledges & One-Time Gifts page here on my blog.

This is why...

Can't Wait to Get Started...

I've been taking teeny-tiny jogs to the car, jumping a few stairs and doing some calf exercises - baby steps, I know. This month is just testing the waters. I know I have to be careful; take it slow, even though I don't always feel that I need to.

I have to be very aware and cautious of my tendency to push. Pain isn't a deterrent for me. Out of breath isn't a deterrent for me. (The stress fracture is proof of that.) My thrill in running comes from those tough last few minutes. I tend to be a "just five more minutes this time" kind of runner. That's how I went from about 2 miles a week to 8 miles a week in three weeks. I just push and push because I enjoy the challenge; I enjoy the freedom in running.

I would have never, ever thought I would be someone who loved to run. I liked the sprint races on field day in elementary school. But that was it! Once I hit Jr. High, you couldn't pay me to run. And that has been true of me until this last summer. Something in my brain said, "Run 15 minutes, just keep your heart rate up for 15 minutes. Piece of cake." It quickly became 30 minutes, and I quickly recognized that I loved that time. I loved to run.

This past December I recognized that I loved to run. I found that the music in my ears made a huge difference. My sweet hubby got me a teeny ipod. It's crazy small. And I discovered after a couple of weeks that I loved to run to bluegrass music. Not Bella Fleck bluegrass. I love running to Nickel Creek. It makes me feel like I'm running on the east coast somewhere; passing a lighthouse; looking out to the distant islands. Pure joy and freedom. I breathed better. My mind reeled with delight as I listened to the intricacies of their music. Heaven.

Before I (finally) went to the doctor last month (3 months after the pain in my leg began), I had started branching out in my music a little. Still no heavy rock. That just scrambles my brain and breathing. But I do love some Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Higher Ground". Oh, I love it! I had also started running intervals. Fun! I digress...

I know that I will have to start slow on May 1st. I won't get to run like I want to on my birthday, but I will do something. Anything! And I am very confident that over the eight weeks, my time and distance will improve. But! I need lots of prayer that God will heal my leg so I can be well enough for the challenge. I know that this blog entry has been all about me - basically, so you all will understand what's going on.  But the truth of the matter is that I could get back to all of it without participating in Tread on Trafficking.

The point is that there are children in the world who are hurting. The word 'hurting' does not accurately capture the nightmare in which they live - night after night. If in my teeny struggle to get back to my running feet I can raise awareness and funds to shed light on the horrendous reality of trafficking and give hope by supporting an organization that truly does restore broken girls....oh, Lord, heal my leg so that each step I take is one closer to truth being reveled and help being just a moment away for some little girl.

To learn more about trafficking or Love146, visit their website at http://www.love146.org/.
To make a pledge for my campaign (per mile/hour or one-time gift), visit my donation page at http://Love146.kintera.org/tread/jenmellick.

God bless you all.

It begins!!!

At Rest Before "Go!" on May 1st!!

I am so excited about this! Let me explain.

Tread on Trafficking stems from the organization love146 - an organization which advocates for and rescues kids who are enslaved by sex trafficking. (It's horrendous; the most evil thing on the planet.) Tread on Trafficking allows each person or team to raise money to help these kids by doing something you love to do (or have vowed to do). For me...it's running!

I thought this would be a brilliant way to incorporate two of my passions - running and my love for children.
Let me further explain what the challenge is for me...I have a stress fracture in my lower right leg, from running. The month of May is the earliest date the doctor has cleared me to run again. So I will be in sort of a rehabilitation time and SUPER excited to get back to running. (Oh, how I miss you, my sweet friend.)

The campaign will run for eight weeks - from May 1st (my birthday!) to June 30th. During that time, I'm looking for people to support this campaign by pledging either for the miles/hours completed or in a one-time gift. If you'd like to get on this awesome bandwagon, go to my fundraising website http://Love146.kintera.org/tread/jenmellick to support me in this campaign.

Let the games begin! I better start warming up!