The Marathon!

Well, it has been a month since the big marathon (October 1) and I'm definitely still feeling it. The general soreness was gone by Tuesday but my feet are still sore(ish) and my toes are still numb (off and on). Of course, my hand is always numb for weeks after the BikeMS ride too! It's interesting to compare these two events. Both are amazing, but the marathon (for me) was a much more soul-searching solitary event. BikeMS is a total party. Maybe that's because my sister rides with me but she didn't run with me. Michelle makes any event a total party!

Shortly after the marathon I had the opportunity to write about it for the Rocky Mountain Running Magazine (I will post a link when the November issue comes out) and it was great to be able to try to figure out how to convey the experience in 1000 words. It was also very hard! There are so many stories involved with how I came to run the marathon and how I was able to finish the marathon. The magazine article focuses on the MS journey but there were so many other journeys too. I think that's part of what is so attractive about this kind of physical exertion: having a physical reminder of our unconquerable spirit.

I'm now a marathon missionary. I want everyone to have as cool an experience as I had! I can't imagine living life without ever having experienced that! It was one of those experiences that truly feeds your soul. Plus I built up some really strong legs. I love that! Can't wait to run it again!

Gumball Machine

UPDATE (January 2012):  Old Yeller is now a Jawbreaker machine :-)  We have placed it at the Water Gardens movie theater in Pleasant Grove.  They have been very generous to allow us to keep the machine at their theater.  Water Gardens theater is a great place to see a movie.  $3 movies.  $1, $2 and $3 candy/popcorn.  Great movie selection.  Family-oriented.  Good people.  Go see a movie, get a jawbreaker and tell the management you love the yellow jawbreaker machine :-)

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This is Old Yeller.  Our faithful gumball machine.  We acquired it at a garage sale a few years ago.
In the past it has been placed at The Water Gardens movie theater in Pleasant Grove and at Monkey Island in Lehi.  Currently it is in our garage.  Even though it is still making some money (from our kids and the neighbor kids :-) we would love to see it placed in a business again.  Here are some pictures of the gumball machine and a record of how much we've made with it so far.

Money Earned

Placed at the Water Gardens just before Thanksgiving 2008

Dec. 3, 2008 $65.31

Jan. 6, 2009 $80.28

Feb. 3, 2009 $43.50

Mar. 6, 2009 $10.25

April 3, 2009 $22.00

May 19, 2009 $29.50

Sep. 4, 2009 $90.00 

Dec. 10, 2009 $27.27

Jan. 9, 2010 $22.56

Mar. 16, 2010 $32.00

Placed at Monkey Island second week in December 2010

Dec. 30, 2010  $54.80

Mar. 15, 2011 $84.11

June 2011 $91.76

July 16, 2011   $24.30

Sept. 15, 2011 $58.77
Placed at Water Gardens theater Nov. 23, 2011
Jan. 12, 2012 $135.21

Feeling The Love :-)

I just got the sweetest reply to my letter to the Bad Ass Coffee Company regarding how much we LOVED their volunteers at the Bike MS ride in June. I'll try to get it scanned so you can see the pictures but here is what they said:

"Dear Marianne

Thank you so much for the wonderful letter and pictures. Alex Kim and his wife Cathy were rest stop captains in Weston that day. When Tim returned after scouting the route with an update of your status, no one was going anywhere until you made it back to Weston.

I was told about your group by Alex that evening after the ride. What you may not know is the tremendous impact you had on our volunteers. It was a fantastic event, an amazing ride and a lot of fun but the reason for being there is to support those who need it most. I scanned your letter and shared it with the team. I want to thank you for your courage and persistence and giving special meaning that day to an entire group of people. You are the true Bad Ass and honorary member of the team.

With Best Regards,

Ann Hoffman"

Maybe this is my Blue/White personality coming out, but connections like this are what makes Bike MS so much more than just a fun event. I love it!!! Thank you, Michelle, for starting us on this crazy fun journey 7 years ago!!!!

Burnout

I was talking with my fellow marathoner neighbor (who has run 7 or 8 of these things!) and she said that she was getting a little burned out, which she noted was normal for this stage of training (7 weeks until race day). I let out a huge sigh of relief. I am so burned out! I thought perhaps it meant that running wasn't for me after all. I've already discovered I'm considerably slower than the entire human race and I began to wonder if the universe wasn't trying to send me a message when my triumphal finish at the last two races I ran was somewhat less than triumphal.

So, anyhow, 4 days a week of running has made me a bit burned out. My plan to combat that is to replace one run with a swim and weights day (love swimming laps!) and to do a lot more visualization about race day as I run. That's what we're all doing this for, right? That adrenaline filled day of exertion! Oh, I'm also going to run a couple of courses that I've never run before.

What do you do to combat burnout?

Mary Kay for MS

MK for MS!

Here it is!  MK for MS (a.k.a Mary Kay for Multiple Sclerosis)  For the month of August (MK for MS ends Aug. 30, 2011), every order I place I will donate all the proceeds to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.   That's up to 50% of the retail price of any Mary Kay item!  Already have a Mary Kay consultant?  No problem.  Ask your MK consultant if he/she would like to participate in the MK for MS campaign.  He/she can donate part or all of the profits from your sale right here on the blog (click the fundraising center links on the right to donate).

So what do you need to do?  Simply choose some Mary Kay products that you would like to buy (either for yourself or for others -- there are great items for birthdays, anniversaries, christmas etc.) and then email me (mdolinar@marykay.com) or call.

Here are a few of the great products Mary Kay has to offer.

TimeWise Replenshing Serum +C.  Nicknamed the "facelift in a bottle" :-)  This stuff is great.  I hear nothing but good about this from my customers who use it.   Learn more by following this link:  http://www.marykay.com/skincare/agefighting/10031103/10031103/default.aspx

TimeWise Night Restore and Recover Complex.  Awaken the age-fighting potential of your skin at night.  This advanced age fighter works with your skin's natural cycle to recover from the day's damage. So you can wake up to younger-looking skin.  Learn more by following the link below.
http://www.marykay.com/content/twnightcomplex/twnightcomplex.aspx?ab=lghp_twrestoreandrecover

TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set.  Fight fine lines, refine pores and achieve beautifully smooth skin -- immediately -- with this simple two-step set.  Learn more by following this link:  http://www.marykay.com/skincare/agefighting/timewisemicrodermabrasionset/default.aspx

Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara.  Learn more by following this link:  http://www.marykay.com/color/eyes/marykayultimatemascara/10017657/default.aspx

The new TimeWise luminous-wear liquid foundation.  23 different shades.  Very light feeling on the face.  A little goes a very long way.  I love this foundation.  It really looks good on my customers and I love the feel (or the lack of feel -- it's really light).  If you would like to try a sample of this foundation email me.  To see the different shades follow this link:  http://www.marykay.com/color/foundations/luminouswearliquidfoundation/default.aspx

Check out this link for gift ideas: http://www.marykay.com/whatsnew/giftideas/default.aspx

Check out this link for men's products:  http://www.marykay.com/mens/default.aspx

Check out this link for body care products, including pedicure sets, Satin Hands, hydrating lotion etc.: http://www.marykay.com/spabody//bodycare/default.aspx

And last but not least is the Miracle Set.  This set includes TimeWise cleanser, moisturizer, Night Solution and Day Solution with SPF 25.  A great way to keep your skin looking and feeling wonderful!  Follow this link for more information (including before and after shots!): http://www.marykay.com/skincare/agefighting/MiracleSetStep1/default.aspx

All Mary Kay products come with a 100% money back guarantee.  Return or exchange product if it isn't exactly what you expected.

If you'd like to try any product samplers just let me know.  I'd be glad to help.  If you can't find what you are looking for on the Mary Kay website (www.marykay.com), let me know.  If I can't find it I know several Mary Kay consultants and directors.  Between all of us I'm sure we can come up with something to help!

Happy Shopping!  Be sure and tell your friends and family!  The MK for MS campaign ends August 30, 2011.

Pictures from the car wash

Here are some pictures from the July 30th car wash fundraiser.

Check out this car!  That's one big car!  I didn't realize cars could be so big!  A lot of them I couldn't reach the middle of the hood.  It took two people with one big towel to dry the hoods of some of these bigger cars.

Marianne with the "I love clean cars!" sign :-)  Hyabusa!

Working the car wash with the LPH Drill team.

Car washing after LPH left.  The girls were so excited to finally be allowed to come and wash :-)

The Car Wash Adventure

Big thanks to Texaco and Fresh Market for helping out with our car wash fundraiser!!  Marianne worked with the Texaco people.  I never met them.  I'm sure they are really cool though :-)  I did meet Dennis Jensen at Fresh Market though and he is AWESOME!  Everyone should run to Fresh Market and buy something.  Anything.  Dennis was great to provide balloons for our signs and even offered to give us soap for the car wash.  Really nice guy.  And, as a bonus, he's a runner.  Athletic people are really cool.

And a special thanks to our surprise "sponsor" Lone Peak High School Drill team!  Special note:  I know that many of you that read this blog live and breathe Caveman.  I have to give a little shout-out to Lone Peak though.  They were really nice to work with us at the car wash.  Turns out the car wash spot got double-booked.  Even though we booked first they had pre-sold tickets and were much bigger and better organized (not to mention they started their car wash earlier than we had planned to start :-).  They could have easily just blown us off.  They didn't though.  They let us pass out our fliers, solicit their pre-sold customers for donations and wash cars with them.  So, even though they are the rival of the High School my neighbors' kids go to (and the one Bill went to!) they are still pretty dang cool!  Thanks Lone Peak High Drill Team!  YOU ROCK!!  And I'm sorry that some of you got harassed by some die-hard AF drive-by fans.

Well, Marianne wrote a great blog about the event so I won't go into it too much.  I wanted to mention though that car washes are a LOT of work and we learned a lot!!  Friday night I bought some great micro-fiber sponges and towels and soap specific for car washing.  I thought we were set.  We learned a lot from Lone Peak High though.  They had special spray for the tires and windex for the windows.  They had working spray nozzles for the hoses :-)  In the end I wished we had gotten our car washed when Lone Peak was there to help us :-)

Here are some things we learned about car wash fundraisers (in case you are considering doing one :-)

Start early.  It gets hot in the afternoon.

Bring hoses.  For some reason I thought the hoses were provided by Texaco.  Silly me.  And make sure the nozzles for the hoses work!  I brought nozzles but didn't check first to see if they worked well.  Luckily LPH had working nozzles.

Pre-sell tickets.  Most of the cars that came through were pre-sold tickets.  One of the drill team girls told me that they were required to sell 10 tickets each.  There were at least 20 or so drill team members at the wash so they must have pre-sold at least $1000 worth of tickets.  We had less than 100 cars come through during the day -- although it seemed like a million cars!  Ohhhh my back is aching! LOL  So if LPH hadn't pre-sold tickets the take would have been less than half of what they ended up getting.  A lot less than half actually.

We need bigger sturdier signs and more people to dance and hold the signs.  We just needed more people in general.

So.... the million dollar question --- was it worth it?  Yes!  In terms of bringing awareness to the general public.  Maybe we'll get one more person to read the blog.  Maybe they will help spread the word.  Maybe we'll get some virtual car wash donations (much easier on the back! :-).  Who knows.  Marianne spoke with a bunch of people that had an MS connection.  One lady was tested for MS just last week.  Marianne said we should partner with the drill teams of America and see if we can just have a solicitor at all their car washes :-)  Raising awareness one car wash at a time! :-)  We made almost $200 ($196 -- actually pretty dang good considering the numbers discussed in the final paragraph of this blog and the fact that we didn't pre-sell.  Pre-sell.  Pre-sell.  Pre-sell.  Must.  Pre-sell!).  I still think there has to be a better way though.

Conclusion.

How much money can you make at a car wash?  Is it a good source of fundraising?  I've been thinking about this.  Best case scenario -- wash a car every 5 minutes.  No, let's say you wash 3 cars every five minutes consistently for 4 hours.  That's 144 cars.  Each car pays $5 each.  That's $720.  In order to wash 3 cars every five minutes (assuming you can get that kind of traffic randomly) you would need at least a million workers.  Ok.  I'm exaggerating.  Let's take a look at today.  We had up to 20 or so drill team members and six of us (five, Marianne did the soliciting) and we worked our tails off!  We constantly had cars.  At times we had lines up to 10 cars long and we were there for almost 4 hours.  We had 100 fliers copied and we gave out less than 70 of those.  I don't have exact figures.  Each car got a flier.  So with 20-30 workers we physically did about 70 cars.  $5 each car -- that's $350.  Yep.  Lots of people.  Little money.  Pre-sell tickets!  Even pre-selling though is a lot of work.  They pre-sold at least $1000 worth of tickets but they also had 20 or so girls ($50 each = $1000) to canvas neighborhoods, and solicit 40 sets of grandparents :-).  For a fundraising bike team of seven (all in the same family :-) I don't know that car washes are the most effect use of time and money.  Too bad because I have about $40 worth of really nice car wash sponges, towels and soap :-)  Anybody need a car wash? :-)

Post Script:  I've decided that we could use the 20/50 principle above to possibly make the car wash thing work.  Pre-sell 50 cars at $20 each.  Offer both a good outside wash and a vacuum/dash conditioner etc. for the inside.  Give each person a specific time to come so we don't have lines.  It would still take work (both in washing and selling) but it could be done in a few Saturdays at home and we could, theoretically, raise $1000. Anybody up for more car washing?  Ok.... maybe I'll ask again next summer after our muscles have had some time to recuperate :-)