February 28, 2006

Hey guys!
Just wanted to give you all a quick fundraising update. I am up to $2895 already...thanks to you all! I'm scheduling a few fundraisers at local restaurants in the next few weeks, so I am hoping to exceed my goal this year. Wish me luck!

-e.m.y

February 27, 2006

Friends and Family,

I have some heartbreaking news to report. Our honored hero from last TNT season, Elijah Shihad, passed away this morning at 3:30am. I received this email today from my campaign manager, Sarah.

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Dear 2005 WF/Maui Team,

Our hero, Elijah Shihad, passed away this morning at 3:30 AM.

His whole family was with him to say goodbye, and he was not in any pain.

Elijah has touched so many hearts with his smile and we thank the Shihad's for being so generous to share his life and spirit with us. They need our support with prayers and good thoughts now more than ever. I know they will treasure a card with your thoughts if you are able to send them a note.

The Shihad Family
43 Tradition Lane
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

I want to thank you all for your support to Elijah's family, and thank you all for doing your part to help us find a cure.

I'll be in touch soon with details about services as we hear more.

-Sarah

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I can't say what I feel right now. Words just can't do justice in this situation. This little guy was so special to all of us, and he was the main reason I stuck with TNT through all the difficult times last season, and it was through him that we TNT athletes bonded together with each other, with our coaches, and with our family and friends who supported us all the way to the finish line.

Should any of you feel compelled to write to the Shihad family, they would be more than honored to have your thoughts and prayers with them.

Sufficed to say, may we all remember to be thankful for each day we have...each special person in our life...each exciting moment we have... each breath we take...and, may Elijah rest in peace with the Lord.

-miko yoshida

February 22, 2006

I can feel my legs again! Yay!

The soreness has thankfully gone away, and I am almost back to "normal". =) This morning Nalu and I had one of the most enjoyable runs yet, as we joined a few TNT members at Whiting Ranch trail here in Foothill Ranch. It's a popular mountain biking trail for folks who come from all around the area just to enjoy it, and it is fun! We TNT folks only went out and back for about an hour, but the trail runs quite a bit deeper into the mountains. One of these days perhaps, we'll tackle the entire trail. If any of you are into mountain biking, or trail running, and are near Foothill Ranch, check it out!

Nalu did really well. Usually he's a bit timid on new terrain, and won't really get going until he's sniffed every nook and cranny there is to sniff, but with this trail, he took off like a shot and kept that kind of pace the whole way. I couldn't keep up! It was especially hard for me this morning because we're talking classic trail type terrain here: uneven, rocks-a-plenty, mud, water puddles, etc., and I had to be really careful so that I didn't end up flat on my butt, or with a twisted ankle. For sure, after this morning, I know he's definitely got some herding instincts. It was almost as if he was on a chase the whole time to keep up with the people running in front of us. Once we caught up to the people in front, he slowed down, and wanted to keep pace with them. Or, if someone fell behind, he slowed down as if he was waiting for them. I haven't had him running in or with a group of people before, so it's only now that I can see these kinds of characteristics. It's so amazing to see my baby growing up! I never thought he'd be a running kind of dog. Probably because I waste way too much time complaining about all the bad stuff that he has done, rather than realizing all the positives. God blessed us with this little rescue puppy for a reason. Having Nalu sure helps me with my Team in Training experience, which in turn helps raise funds for finding a cure for cancer. It all ties in. God is so good. Man, is he good. =). He's always had a plan for me, I just needed to listen! =)

Oh, and more news: I signed up for my first half-marathon on Memorial Day in Laguna Hills, to benefit my old hospital, Saddleback. I am very very excited, but I know it will be so much work.
I am trying to convince Landon to upgrade my Ipod. I have one of those Ipod Minis that don't have a long battery life and it starts dying around 2 hours, so I am campaigning with the idea that a spiffy new one will last longer, make me look cooler, and actually make me finish the half marathon. What do you think? Think it will work?

Tonight I'm off to group swim, which thankfully takes place in a heated pool. It's been about 30-35 degrees overnight here in Foothill Ranch, way too cold for me!

Hope you all are well!

Adios!
-e.m.y

February 20, 2006

OK, so I knew a day like today would come, I just was hoping it wouldn't come so soon. Today is the day where I find myself so sore that I can hardly walk, sit, or even lie down. I may have overdone it just a tad these last few days and boy, am I paying for it today. I am so thankful that I did not have to go to work today. I might not have been able to get into my chair in my cubicle.

Nalu is not happy with me today. He didn't get his run, and I was walking him so slow, he kept giving me the evil eye. I think he should cut me some slack. Don't you think?

I also cannot find my Bengay or Icy-Hot. Tore up the place like a madwoman looking for those things. They are in this house somewhere. Where? Don't know.

But, you know, this is just part of the training process. Which I've only now come to realize having done this before. There were many a day last season where I found myself in this exact same place with this same kind of pain. Sometimes you feel pain in places you never thought you could feel pain, or found strained muscles in places you didn't realize you had muscles in that could be strained. Eventually it got better. And I'm sure it will this time. I have to just keep telling myself that. And I have to keep telling myself that there's a little boy who's just one of millions suffering much worse today than I ever have in my entire life. What I'm going through now is nothing compared to what Noah goes through daily.

So, I am off to soak in my bathtub, then plunk myself down on the couch to watch "24" tonight (one of our favorite shows!) and then get to bed early. Got a big week of fun ahead of me!

Keep us all in your prayers, especially Noah & family, and Coach Lee & family.

Sayonara,
-e.m.y

February 18, 2006

Hooray for long weekends!!! But...when it's filled with pouring rain, it's not as much fun...

Oh well, we TNT folks run rain or shine, and for sure that's what we did today. We started off today's group practice with a run clinic from the expert guys at Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel (http://www.fleetfeetlagunaniguel.com/) on how to improve running technique. It was really helpful and I found that just making small adjustments in form can save quite a bit of energy. Then we headed out to run. The sun broke out for a bit, then hid, then came back, so we had a bit of off and on showering as we went through the Alicia Creek Trail in Laguna Hills. We had a good turnout today, despite the rain. Shows just how committed we are!

A bit of sad news to share, though: Coach Lee, one of our head coaches this season, was not present at practice because he had to fly out to be with his father, who was diagnosed last week with AML, acute myelogenous leukemia. We're told, by our head campaign manager, that originally Coach Lee didn't have any family members or friends affected by blood related cancers when he signed up to coach. He was just big into triathlons, and wanting to make a difference. This has been especially hard for him, so keep him and his family in your prayers.

A bit of good news, though, we are at $1200 and rising for fundraising!!!! Thank you all! Keep those donations coming...

Adios,
-e.m.y

February 16, 2006

Well, the Yosh fam has decided not to do two triathlons in Hawaii in the span of a few weeks, and instead are leaning towards doing the Honolulu tri trip only. Many positives drawing us toward that event. Mainly, it will be really easy to coordinate the trip, including where to stay and how to get around (because I have some fantastic in-laws!), Landon's grandmas, who have both expressed the desire to watch the event, won't have to hop a plane to get from Oahu to Hawaii, and we'll get to see all our family and friends from Oahu. No definitive plans yet, but it's looking like there might not be a Maui trip this year....we'll see. No matter which one I end up doing, I am still just as excited and just as thankful to you all for your support. I will keep you posted!

Au revoir...
-e.m.y

February 15, 2006

Hey folks,

The donations are starting to roll in! Thank you!!!! Keep ‘em coming!

Well, my friends, training has been going pretty well so far…I have to say that I’m using much less Ben-Gay and much less ice than last year at this time, yet I am still keeping plenty on hand because I’m only 2 weeks into the season. Who knows what kinds of mishaps await me? I nearly was run over by some newbies last week who apparently felt that it was very cool to pass us amidst a huge crowd of cyclists coming the other way in their same lane…not a good thing. Luckily, I remain intact…for now.

New update, though: a portion of our TNT tri team has chosen to do the Honolulu Triathlon. I originally didn’t opt to do this one, given that it was set for Memorial Day weekend and I’m already committed to watching one of my dearest friends walk down that grad school aisle at the University of San Diego on her way to FNP-stardom…however, they have moved the date to May 14, and I am in the process of coaxing my husband into paying for our flight there. Not only is the race taking place at the same swim and run locations that I use to train when I go to Honolulu for fun, but I have in-laws in Hawaii who are nice enough to provide free housing and free transportation, which will cut my costs to participate in this event BIG-TIME…thus here we have me wanting very much to go and do both this one and Maui. We shall see what the financially wise Landon has to say about this. We have a wedding for a friend, Tyler, in August, in Honolulu too, so if we make all of these trips, that will be 4 in the span of 8 months. One of Landon’s friends told me the Honolulu Marathon is in December…maybe I can make it 5 trips in the span of 1 year…maybe work some overtime to pay for all these trips!!!

The bike is in great shape still…going to attend a clinic tomorrow on basic bike maintenance, including minor tune-ups. I’m determined to get the max years out of this bike…sure paid enough for it! HA! Had an issue with the running shoes…Saucony Grid Hurricanes…a hole tore in the heel with less than 75 miles logged on those puppies and I had myself a pretty blister that I limped home with. Luckily Saucony is great, and they are willing to take them back and send me a brand new pair…in the meantime I’m giving Mizuno a shot to see how well they can perform for me and my very flat, narrow feet.

Nalu and I went out this morning, and he had some crazy energy flowing, which I thought was odd since he spent 11 hours yesterday at dog day care. It was tough for me because he was on the bed last night, and ended up sleeping practically on top of my face by about 2am, then felt necessary to warn us (LOUDLY I might add) about some noises he heard around 3 and 4am. Despite the lack of sleep, I forced myself out of bed and we did about 80 minutes on our regular trail. As soon as we got home, he plopped down on his doggie bed and went back to sleep…=) Yes, I was sure wishing I could plop down on my own bed, but alas, someone has to work to pay Nalu’s bills. HA! He is 44 pounds exactly now, and the new vet (old one moved away…very sad, Nalu loved him) said to expect him to only get to 60, not 100 like the original vet had predicted. Hallelujah! I do not want a 100 pound dog sleeping on my face. 60 pounds is bad enough.

Anyways, hope you all are well. Keep checking back with the blog and post any comments you want to. Or you can email me anytime at miko@cox.net. GO TEAM!

Adios!
-e.m.y.

February 10, 2006

This is Noah Wehner, our honored hero patient, who has ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia). Thought I should post him on my blog so everyone can see one of the main reasons why we triathletes in TNT train so hard!

Yay! It's Friday! The end to the workweek!

Don't forget to scope out the Team in Training website, especially my fundraising site!!!

Fundraising site: (donate! donate! donate!)

http://www.active.com/donate/tntors/mikoyoshida

TNT sites:

http://www.lls.org
http://www.teamintraining.org



Au revoir, (as my mother would say...)
-e.m.y

February 9, 2006

So, we had our first Team in Training swim practice last night. Beautiful facility; Sierra Rec Center in Mission Viejo. I've got the same coach from last year, from whom I learned a great deal, so I'm very happy to get going with him. We had about a 20 person turnout, and even a few alumni like myself that did Maui and WF last year. We've got about 5 or 6 lanes too this year, which is great because last year all of us swimming folks were crammed into 3 lanes for drills and sets. Met some wonderful people who, even though sadly affected in their personal lives by leukemia or lymphoma, are truly dedicated to the cause and are just as excited about the season as I am.

Took Nalu on a run after practice last night since he hadn't had any major exercise all day. Even though I have to take extra precaution when I run at night, I really do enjoy late evening runs in addition to morning runs. I was surprised to find that Nalu is actually keeping pace with me, or is ahead of me, for almost the entire run. Not only that, but he's now purposefully moving himself to the whatever side of me is closest to the street, as we make our twists and turns on the route, and even seems to know the route by heart now, so if I take a different turn, he'll look at me like, hey, wait, that's not where we normally go! And the second I stop, to fix my shoe or take a breath, he stops and looks back at me as if to say, what's wrong with you? And if I'm not up and running again in a few seconds, I have to be sure I avoid the slobbering tongue telling me to HURRY UP!!!! I have to say as crazy as it is, running with him is motivating in a way...he seems to love it...I'll never outrun that puppy ('cause boy is he fast) but it is sure fun to try.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! Our only day off from training! Hope you've all had a chance to get updated on the blog. Keep your comments coming, it's so good to hear from people!

Adios for now!
-emy

February 8, 2006

Hey all, we’re back from Hawaii…well rested, and wishing we were still there! Landon and I, along with a great friend Eric Yosh, went to Oahu for a 5-day trip to celebrate a sort of mini-high school reunion for Landon at his high school’s (Punahou) Carnival. It was so good to visit Hawaii again. No matter how many times I go back there, I just love it more and more each time. We’ve had thoughts of moving back, but we’re not certain that will ever happen. We’ll just have to see.

The trip was full of good food, good fun, good times with old friends, and plenty of good sleep for Miko! And boy, I do mean GOOD FOOD. Saimin, spam musubi, chicken katsu, garlic chicken…Seriously, when we go to Hawaii, that’s the main event: food. Landon and Eric even made a list during the plane ride over, of places they wanted to hit up for food. We actually did manage to make it to several of the places, especially some of the major hole-in-the-wall places, where in Hawaii, the best kind of local food comes from! And, the carnival was just another place where we were able to stuff ourselves with Hawaii’s best local food. I could not believe such a huge carnival was taking place at a high school! Then again, when you tour Punahou’s campus, you’re not just touring the average high school campus. We’re talking huge. So much different than good old WHS. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years already. Punahou has this super fantastic organized reunion squad for the 1996 class, and I can’t seem to locate anyone who knows anything about a WHS reunion, let alone where the heck anyone from 1996 might be right now. Oh well.

I did get the chance to work out in Hawaii, which was great, not only for training, but to compensate for all the Hawaiian food that I consumed. Went for 2 ocean swims and 1 run. Difficult as it was, given that I don’t get to swim in the ocean that often, nor run in a climate with such a high level of humidity, it was still very relaxing and enjoyable. I’m glad I got to fit in the swims, because the boys were busy surfing, so that gave me plenty of time =). Unfortunately, the trip to Hawaii coincided with the first TNT practice, so I’ll have to meet everyone this Saturday, but at least I’m keeping up with the training. Tonight I am headed to our very first swim practice in Mission Viejo, where I will hopefully be able to squeeze into one of the lanes to train with my teammates. The director informed us that there’s about 150 people signed up for the tri season this year. I can’t recall the number from last year, but it was a lot less. Luckily we’re spread out amongst 4 different pools, and are training for 3 different triathlons this season: the Wildflower Triathlon in May, the Honolulu tri in May and the Maui Tri in June. I was hoping to do Honolulu in addition to Maui but they’re only 2 weeks apart and I’m not sure I could justify both trips to my financially-conscious husband. Nor my puppy who thinks our primary job is to shower him with tummy rubs and treats 24 hours a day.

Went for a bike ride yesterday, only for about 2 hours or so, because as many of you may have heard, there’s a very large fire burning rather close to where I live and the air quality: not so good. It was only 9am and already it was HOT! Today it’s 85 degrees. Low humidity. Perfect fire weather. Those families and those firefighters are in my prayers. Believe me, the sky looks like an atomic bomb exploded. Luckily there is a very large mountain between that fire and my community. A VERY large one. Praise the Lord.

Anyways, I already have a few donations in…very exciting! I’m pushing hard for a higher amount this year…given the generosity I saw last year, there’s no doubt we can do it this year! I’m hoping to do some fundraising events and even hit up more of my neighbors this year. Keep those donations coming, and check back with this blog for more fun triathlon info.

Check out the pix above of Oahu's North Shore waves in winter time, Nalu with his new haircut and the bandanna I couldn't resist buying him, and our trip to a very cool dog beach with one of my dearest friends, Jennifer.

Ciao folks.

-e.m.y.