IT IS DONE!

Surprise! Look who came to San Diego!

Post-race Family Reunion Tent...

My Hubby and #1 Fan!

Race Day!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to post a quick note to let you know how it went!

It's Monday night and I'm still in San Diego (took a few days off for vacation with hubby!), but the short version of the story is... IT WAS AWESOME!!! :o) Melanie and Cutler surprised me by showing up in San Diego at the race expo the day before the race (she had told me they wouldn't be able to make it), and they were there to cheer me on with my husband. The best part is, I got to carry Cutler across the finish line, which was such a special moment for me. I am still in shock that they were able to make the trip and keep it a surprise! I would be remiss if I didn't thank my husband for helping to make the surprise happen, so... Thank You, Honey! And of course, I'm extremely grateful to Melanie for bringing her sweet baby boy, my Honored Hero Cutler, to celebrate our accomplishments together. I know it must've been difficult traveling alone with a 1-year-old, not to mention the fact that she had to explain to her older son why he couldn't go with them, all the while her husband was going to be traveling for a new job! So thank you, Melanie, Cutler, Aaron and Mason Fricke for making this such an amazing experience for me!

I've posted a few pictures on my Facebook page (feel free to friend me 'Ginger Cox Rogers'), and will post a link here to my entire photo album as soon as we're back and I've had a chance to organize the pictures (I always take a ton). THANKS AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING ME IN THIS WONDERFUL CAUSE! The North Texas Chapter of Team In Training raised $315,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Overall, there were 4,000 TNT'ers who raised a combined total of $12 Million!!!

P.S. I finished my 26.2 MILES in 4:42! Woohooooo! :o)

WEEK #17 - One to go!

Good luck flowers from my co-worker Priscilla, whose wedding I will miss on Saturday :( Thanks, Mrs. Chaclin-to-be!

My TNT bestie Catherine and I are officially Rock Stars - heading to the Rock & Roll Marathon, baby!

A little recognition goes a long way! Sweeeet!

Cutler Fricke - "Baby-about-town" these days! Yay!

My first good luck gift from my trainer, Angie! Thanks again - I couldn't have done this without you!

Done with my Sweaty Six, yay!

CUTLER UPDATE: He is doing Awesome! He's gaining weight, his blood work looks good, and the doctors are pleased with his progress. They hope to take him off the GVHD meds this coming week if all goes well. And he recently went to a Cure Cancer walk at the Texas Motor Speedway - too cool! I will wear his name and picture on my jersey with honor and pride. WOOHOO!
TRAINING UPDATE: Only 6 MILES this weekend, and it was my last training run with my Team - wow! This week we have only a couple of short runs to do (3 miles each) and then it's off to San Diego for our big day - this Sunday!!! I admit, the days are starting to blur and I'm ready to get this marathon behind me! :) What a great season it has been though. I am ready... BRING IT!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Another $180 and counting! My total is quickly approaching the $6,000 mark and I couldn't be happier! Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support. I've said it before but it's worth repeating -- without you, I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing. The search to cure blood cancer continues! And because my fundraising has gone so well, I've been invited to a special reception for the top TNT fundraisers -and- to a Private Party in San Diego! YAY!

WEEK #16 - Only 2 to go!

Great Results! And even Higher now!

Fun at the Byron with Cameron & Megan

CUTLER UPDATE: Great news - his latest bone marrow test results show he's now at 93% (picture above was 88%)! This means that his bone marrow transplant is still proving to be successful, and as a result, his medication for GVHD (graft vs. host disease) has been decreased with the intent of taking him off the meds completely within a month or so. WOOT! :o) Cutler really is a "Superbaby"! So happy for the Fricke family to see him improve on a daily basis.
TRAINING UPDATE: Taper mode is Awwwesome!!! I only had to run 8 MILES this week, hallelujah! Just a little walk in the park... ;) I had to skip running with the Team in order to make it to the Byron Nelson in time for my shift, so I ran by myself in my neighborhood. Aside from the wind, it was a good run - and apparently my church is exactly 4 miles from our house, so I ran there and back! But I definitely missed the Team environment! There's something special about being a part of something bigger, and sharing in the experience side-by-side with others. I told my husband that I bleed Purple (TNT color) now! I love my Team! By the way, did you know that TEAM stands for Train, Endure, Achieve, Matter ??? I believe that's exactly what each of us are doing. GO T.E.A.M.!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: People, can I tell you just how Amazing you are?! I received an overwhelming response to my update email last week, bringing my grand total up to $5,726! And that means...

**I have met (exceeded!) my personal goal of $5,000!!!**

THANK YOU SO MUCH for supporting me, Cutler, Team In Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! And if you still plan to make a donation, please do - it's not too late, and every dollar counts! Also, because of your generosity, I am able to transfer my earnings from the Byron [sidenote: what a fun time I had with Catherine, Megan and Cameron!] to some of my fellow teammates who still need help with their fundraising. Paying it forward never felt so good! My gratitude is neverending...

WEEK #15

Looking back - 5th day in hospital (9/'09)

Happy to be done with my 20!
Aaah, the dreaded ice bath (w/ 'light reading')!

CUTLER UPDATE: Speaking of remembering how far he's come, I thought one way of doing this would be to reflect back on when Cutler was first diagnosed. Just 8 months ago, he was admitted to the hospital to begin treatment for Infantile AML (Acute Mylocytic Leukemia). I've included a picture from his 5th day in the hospital. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about all that he and the Fricke's have endured - chemo, vomiting, fever, infections, anesthesia, central line, bone marrow transplant, feeding tube, sleepless nights, and the list goes on and on. And to see him now - praise be to God, the ultimate Healer! Cutler continues to be a blessing to me, and makes me proud to be doing this marathon in his honor!

TRAINING UPDATE: What, 20 miles? I got this! Yes, that's right, my Team and I ran 20 MILES this weekend! Our longest training run of the season is behind us, yea! What a relief :o) Thank you all for the prayers! Now the tapering officially begins... we get to cut back on mileage between now and race day. I'm glad to have this one under my belt, and glad for my time of 3:30 (avg. 10-1/2 minute miles)! The ice bath afterwards? Not so much, but hey, it's a big part of recovery and I do what my coaches tell me! Now we can all start looking forward to the big day and enjoying sunny San Diego. Can't wait! Go TEAM (Cathy, Raquel, Rebecca, Char, Garrick, Cameron and Eric - you all ROCK)!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Another $160 came in this week, bringing the grand total up to $4,891! I am confident I can reach my personal goal of $5,000 in the next 9 days (fundraising deadline is Wed. 5/26)! Also, I'm volunteering at the Byron Nelson golf tournament this weekend so please stop by the Pavilion if you're going to be there! And finally, thanks again to everyone who has donated to this cause. I appreciate each and every one of you!!! :o)

14 WEEKS DOWN, 4 TO GO!!!

Another 14 down! And check out my Germanfest t-shirt! ;)

Superbaby Cutler in action!

CUTLER UPDATE: As I was thinking of what to write here this week, at first I thought 'well, his update is about the same every week, and people will get tired of the same thing' and then it hit me like a ton of bricks -- What better update can I provide than continued positive progress? DUH!!! ;) Thank God for bringing Cutler to the place he's at right now. Looking back over the last 13 weeks I've been doing this blog, it's easy to see just how far Cutler has come. I'm realizing how important it is to never lose sight of where you come from and to be grateful for the present. Amen? Amen!
TRAINING UPDATE: With only 4 weeks to go until race day, I must confess, I'm starting to grow tired of running! Physically I feel like I'm ready and I just want it to be over already :) but mentally I'm not so sure. As Murphy's Law goes, after last week's great results at the Heels & Hills half (my official time was 2:03, not 2:04 as previously reported!), this week was a bit of an 'off' week for me. We did 14 MILES and it took me around 2:35 which was pretty disappointing. But then I tried to cut myself some slack and recognize that I just ran 14 miles. And then I remembered, this isn't about me and things quickly began to come back into focus... Next week is our longest training run of the season (20 miles) so I really need my body and mind to get back in sync. Please pray for a good week of short runs, eating right, staying hydrated, and the discipline to take care of myself properly in preparation for Saturday's long run!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: No additional donations this week, but I have a handful of people to follow up with :o) My final fundraising deadline is May 26 and approaching fast, so please consider making a donation if you haven't yet but would like to (and thank you in advance!). I am hoping to reach my personal goal of $5,000 before it's all said and done! Also, we're having a Team fundraiser this Thursday evening at Cross Timbers Winery in Grapevine. Tickets for the event are $25/ea, and $10 of that goes towards my fundraising account. The other portion gets you 5 tastings of some great wines! And there will be lots of silent auction items to bid on while you're there. Should be a fun evening! If you'd like to come please let me know ASAP as I am selling tickets in advance. THANKS!

WEEK #13

Look at that face!!! :o)

Me & Mascot Dave

My teammates Kristi, Holly, Cathy and GarrickThe Garage Sale

CUTLER UPDATE: He is doing great! The doctor has given him clearance to be around other kids, so he and his brother recently went to the zoo! And (fingers crossed), there's a very small possibility that the Fricke's may come to San Diego to see me cross the finish line! I don't want to get my hopes up just yet, but I'm so excited even at the thought of it. We'll see... On another note, our Team Mascot Dave (he's actually our Honored Hero/cancer survivor but prefers to be called 'mascot') is now fighting his 4th battle with leukemia... Please add him to your prayers! Not only is he our Team Honored Hero, a cancer survivor, and currently fighting the disease, he's also a participant currently fundraising for San Diego just like me (speechless? me too)! I've posted a picture of us from Heels & Hills (see below) - mostly women participants, and the men often dress in skirts etc. just for the heck of it :o)
TRAINING UPDATE: What an awesome week! Not so much for the running, but more for learning the true meaning of being on a team. This week was my Team's first big event of the summer season and for many of them, their big day had come - the Heels & Hills Half Marathon. I signed up to do the event as a training run, and although I've already run more than 13.1 MILES this season, it was technically the first half marathon I've ever participated in. I finished in record time (2:04) and was ready to wind down, grab some snacks and head home. But as I began to notice my purple-clad teammates trickle in every so often, I felt compelled to stay and cheer them on as they neared the finish line. After over an hour of being a cheerleader, I noticed that a cheerleading squad had formed and was continually growing as each person finished. By the time our last teammate came in, there was a sea of purple by her side escorting her in - clapping, cheering, yelling 'Go Team!' It was truly a wonderful experience to have been a part of, and one that I will remember fondly. What a great group of teammates I have this season!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: This weekend we had our 2nd of 2 garage sales at our house to raise funds for the big day. The weather was awesome and we did really well! :) Thanks again to those who donated items for our sale. On top of that, another $75 in donations came through, bringing my total amount raised up to $4,731!!! Wahoooooo! I am grateful for each donor and every dollar you've shared. Thank you so very much!

WEEK #12 (already!)

CUTLER UPDATE: Not a whole lot to report this week as the Fricke's home computer has been down. But rest assured, Cutler is continually improving, especially after his most recent hospital stay! He's still having some difficulty swallowing though, so your prayers for that specifically would be appreciated! Makes me realize how something so basic can be so easily taken for granted...

TRAINING UPDATE: After last week's longest run of the season, we got to taper back this week to 'just' 10 miles, or in my case, 9.3 MILES as part of the Germanfest Fun Run/15k in Muenster, TX. On the upside, the weather was great and the scenery was awesome. On the downside, it was a fairly hilly course but worse than the hills was the wind! I managed to finish in 1:32 and I'm happy with that - not my best but not bad either. We hung around afterward and enjoyed some beer & brats (okay, "German sausage" is what the menu said, and I might've had Bud Light instead of Spaten!) and we had a great afternoon. Well worth the drive, and definitely a fun challenge!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Another $25 this week bring us up to $4,656! We are only a few weeks away from my final fundraising deadline, so keep up the great work! I am grateful beyond words...

My husband and I also held our 1st of 2 fundraising garage sales and managed to earn a couple hundred bucks. Feel free to stop by our house for sale #2 this Saturday, May 1st :o) And thanks again to Melanie, Kim, Donna, Gretchen (& Avery!), Mom & Dad, and Debbie for donating items for the sale!

WEEK #11

CUTLER UPDATE: Great news! Cutler's surgery (to remove his central line) went well, he was released from the hospital last Wednesday, and all is returning to normal at the Fricke house. Whew! Thanks for the continued prayers, and please keep on praying! Cutler still needs to improve on his eating in order for the feeding tube to come out next...

TRAINING UPDATE: Who ran 17 MILES in 2 hours & 43 minutes on Saturday? This girl did!!! :o) All in all it was a great run. No shin pains, no major issues. The balls of my feet were sore, and my legs were achey, but it wasn't anything some ibuprofen and a cold shower (sorry, too wimpy for the ice bath!) couldn't fix. This was my longest training run of the season so far, but thankfully we taper back down to 10, 12 and 14 miles over the next few weeks before THE 'biggie' (20 miles) on the 15th, yikes!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Folks, we're now at a flabbergasting $4,631 - thanks to another $150 that came in this week! Big thanks to my most recent donors (you know who you are), and thanks again to all 56 of you who are my 'veteran' supporters from late January through March! You ROCK!

WEEK #10

CUTLER UPDATE: Last week there was a bit of a scare, but thankfully it wasn't directly related to the leukemia. After several bouts of vomiting, an early morning (wee hours) trip to the hospital exposed a bacterial infection in Cutler's central line... It is being taken out at this very moment (1:10p CT on Tuesday). Please pray for a speedy recovery and discharge from the hospital!
TRAINING UPDATE: As some of you know, my hubby and I spent the weekend celebrating our 5th anniversary in New York City. Since I still had to run my 12 MILES, I decided to run them in Central Park! It was great weather and I made great time. The only 'bad' thing was I ended up running an extra 1.3 miles because I wasn't exactly familiar with my surroundings. So essentially I ran a half marathon in just over 2 hours. WOOT!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Another $50 came in, bringing the total up to $4,481 (can I get a 'Go TEAM'?)! Your generosity continues to blow me away... and helps keep me focused on my 'why'. So keep it coming and thanks again! :o) Oh and a special thanks to those of you who've donated items for our upcoming garage sale.

WEEK #9 / Happy Easter!

CUTLER UPDATE: To quote the Fricke's blog, Cutler's doctor said he has "the blood of a healthy boy" after reviewing his latest test results!!! They were also told that his spinal fluid is completely clean - first time since their journey began back in September. I couldn't be happier for the Fricke family! AND, to top it off, I got to meet the little guy this weekend! Seeing him in person and holding him in my arms truly made my day. What a little angel!

TRAINING UPDATE: To say that I 'only' had to run 10 MILES this week just shows how a person's mentality changes when training for an endurance event! :) Our TNT coaches, mentors and staff prepared an Amazing Race-style training for us, complete with trivia questions, physical challenges (other than running!) and a visit from the Easter bunny! I had some new shin-related pain this week so I slowed down my pace a bit and gave my legs a little break. I have become close friends with an ice pack.

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Thanks to the PepsiCo Foundation, I was pleasantly surprised to see another $200 added to my fundraising account in the form of matching gifts. The grand total is now at a whopping $4,431! Wahooooo! We'll be at $5,000 in no time. Thanks again, everyone!

WEEK #8

CUTLER UPDATE: Things continue to progress in a positive direction! Last week he had a bone marrow aspirate and spinal tap, and I hope to hear the results soon. But for now I'm going with the 'no news is good news' philosophy! He's also working with a physical therapist to help strengthen his core muscles so that he can walk (being hooked up to machines in the hospital for so long, he got a bit of a late start!).
TRAINING UPDATE: What can I say? The weather was awesome, and I had my best long run of the season yet - 14 MILES in 2 hrs, 15 mins!!! I hope the trend continues but even if it doesn't, I'm very happy with my current pace. Needless to say, I was on 'Cloud 9' for most of the day Saturday :o)

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: I have the best supporters by far! Another $775 came in, bringing my grand total up to (drumroll please)... $4,231! WOOT! I decided to go ahead and raise my personal goal to $5,000 and who knows, maybe I can even surpass that amount. Thank you again, a thousand times over!

WEEK #7

CUTLER UPDATE: I am happy to report that things continue to improve for Cutler and the Fricke family! It has truly been a rewarding experience for me to just share a small part of their lives as I read their blog each week and remember WHY I'm doing this. I am excited to be meeting Cutler for the first time very soon! :)

TRAINING UPDATE: So in my picture above, you can't tell but I am FREEZING (literally shivering) and SOAKED TO THE BONE! You may also note the ball cap with fleece headband over it to cover my ears - not my best look but hey, a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do! Let's not forget the sassy 'fuel belt' - lookin' good, girlfriend! The one word I keep seeing from my coaches, mentors and teammates is that our running conditions were BRUTAL. But I'm happy to report - I ran my 12 MILES despite the weather, and quickly! :) I've yet to find the exact words to describe the experience. So let me just say... Go TEAM!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: This week we have our "recommitment event" - this is the date by which we need to have raised 25% towards our fundraising minimum. Thanks to all of you and your generosity, I have surpassed that amount and will be officially recommitting to complete my event! YEA!

WEEK #6

CUTLER UPDATE: Big news - Cutler turned 1 on Sunday!!! Happy belated Birthday, Superbaby Cutler! What a wonderful thing to spend his birthday celebrating at home, with family - two things that could easily be taken for granted. All is as it should be! Please pray for favorable blood test results this Thursday (18th).

TRAINING UPDATE: First time this season to run double-digits - 10 miles! I am feeling continually blessed to be making it through each long run with only minor shin pain in the beginning. Please pray for my health as I have been a little under the weather this past week (and next weekend I'll be up to 12 miles!).

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Another $60 in donations, bringing us up to an even $3,300!!! Woohoo! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your generosity continues to inspire me, and keeps me accountable to this great cause!

WEEK #5

CUTLER UPDATE: I am truly amazed at how well he's doing! It warms my heart to know that life is returning to a somewhat-normal state for the Fricke's. They've recently updated their blog with new pictures and videos so check it out (www.teamfricke.wordpress.com). You can also subscribe to their blog and receive an email each time they update it - too cool! Continue to pray that God would completely heal little Cutler, as only He can do.
TRAINING UPDATE: We're up to 8 miles already! But thankfully I'm continuing to keep up. Always tough getting started (shins) but by the time it's over I feel like I could keep on running - not a bad thing considering I will ultimately have 26.2 miles to run before it's all said and done! ;)
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: An ~AWESOME~ week! $635 total, bringing the grand total up to (drumroll please)... $3,240!!! W-O-W, I feel so blessed and grateful for your support. And that doesn't include the money raised from the coffee sales, or from those who came out to BlackFinn. Thanks again to every single one of you! :)

WEEK #4

CUTLER UPDATE: He continues to do well. In the peaks and in the valleys, let's keep the praises going! And let's remember to pray for other children out there fighting blood cancers. Life is so precious - may we never take it for granted!

TRAINING UPDATE: We ran the Cowtown 10k (6.2 miles) in Fort Worth as part of our training this week. It was so much fun! My friends Priscilla and Sonya were kind enough to join me and we had a good time. I had forgotten how beautiful Fort Worth is! And if it weren't for my parking snafu we would've started on time LOL. But we still managed to finish in just over an hour. Woohoo!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: A bit of a slow week, but by no means am I complaining! :) I've been very fortunate to have received so many donations thus far. Thanks again to ALL of our supporters! Oh, I did earn $50 for volunteering at the Lonestar Blood Cancer Conference at UTSW Med. Ctr. Thanks to Jane Beeson for allowing me to help out!

WEEK #3

CUTLER UPDATE: He's still learning to adjust to life at home (rather than the hospital), but the Fricke's are enjoying having everyone under one roof. The doctors continue to be pleased with his progress. He also has a new nanny (one of Melanie's cousins) who will be living with them for at least 6 months, which I know will be a huge help to them!

TRAINING UPDATE: With the temperature a good 20 degrees warmer than week #2, I didn't have to worry about the cold at all. And, I was able to run my 5 miles with very little shin pain. I felt a bit fatigued this week, but that could've been due to the big dinner I ate the night before :( But I managed to maintain my 10-minute mile pace. Yay!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE: My current total is now at a mind-blowing $2,555! Can I get a witness? ;o) Thank you, thank you, thank you! And I do mean Y-O-U!

WEEK #2

CUTLER UPDATE: As I mentioned last week, Cutler is finally home from the hospital! He's beginning to adjust to his 'new' surroundings, and starting to improve on the feeding tube. As you can see, his hair is starting to grow back as well :) The Fricke's posted some FAQ's about Cutler that I thought were really helpful. Take a look: http://teamfricke.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/faq/
TRAINING UPDATE: Although it was cooooold outside, the temperature didn't affect me too much (that is, once I got my fingers warmed up!). My only real issue was some shin pain, but at the water stop I stretched and after that I was good. The 4 miles went by quickly (yea)! Hopefully I can keep it up!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: My current total is now at an astounding $2,300! I am truly amazed and extremely grateful for the overwhelming response so early in the season! THANK YOU ALL so much!!!

WEEK #1

Let the training begin! :) For our first week, we had a 'shoe clinic' at Luke's Locker in Colleyville to learn about the proper fit for running shoes, and the nice folks there fitted me with a snazzy new pair of Brooks Glyercin running shoes, woohoo! We also had a 'walk clinic' with Coach Anna, who explained that the proper race walking posture should feel something like holding a quarter between your cheeks (who knew)!
CUTLER UPDATE: As of yesterday (2/8) CUTLER IS FINALLY HOME again, two months after his bone marrow transplant on 12/2!!! Thank you, God!
TRAINING UPDATE: 2 miles was a piece of cake, whew! So far so good. I will brag just a tiny bit... if I hadn't stopped to tighten my shoe laces and chat at the water jug, I would've been the 1st one back instead of the 3rd! :) Much different than last time. My pace was right at a 10-minute mile. Yay!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Only 1 week into the season, and you've already helped me raise $1,895!!! AMAZING! Thank you all so much! My group even won the coveted Golden Shoe award because of our impressive fundraising results! :)

Pre-season Post

I attended the official TNT Summer Season Kick-off event last Saturday afternoon, and it was GREAT! Last time, we signed up after the season had already started so we missed some of the fun. This time, not only did I earn some cool TNT swag (drawstring bag, socks, hat, shirt) from having such a great fundraising effort (thank you!) but I also got to meet the entire DFW Metro marathon team - my fellow runners, our mentors, coaches and other VIPs! :) Melanie was able to attend as well, and I think it was time well-spent away from the hospital. She was able to see firsthand what TNT is all about. I'm so glad she could make it!

I have to say, I'm nervous, excited, inspired and ready to start training tomorrow! Shoe clinic and then 2 miles. Here we go... :)