Walkin' to Cure Diabetes!

This morning I woke up bright & early (thanks to my trusty, new Wake-up Light :) ) to participate in a 5k walk in support of Juvenile Diabetes Reseach Foundation (JDRF). The company I work for supported a group walk & we fundraised over $1,000 for it! Plus, it was located at Carowinds, a theme park near Charlotte (hence the picture with the rollercoaster below) - so the scenery was a fun plus!

Did you know...

• More than 15,000 people children and 15,000 adults - approximately 80 people per day - are diagnosed with Type I diabetes (T1D) in the U.S.
• It can come on suddenly, cause dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carry the constant threat of devastating complications

I'm sure that almost everyone out there knows at least 1 person with T1D - it was really inspiring this morning to see groups' t-shirts advertising their support for someone they know (a family member, friend, coworker). JDRF is the largest charitable organization and supporter of T1D research! They also have multiple events throughout the year to raise money for T1D research - walks, rides, kids walks, etc.

There are so many sponsored walks/runs/rides out there, working to raise money for all kinds of things - I encourage you to do some research & choose one to get involved with! They usually have fun activities or music afterwards, and it's a great way to get some exercise into your weekend routine.

Anyone else out there have an event like this coming up? What are you walking/running/biking to help cure?

Get Your Rear in Gear

So, I started off Saturday morning by running my first 5K...well, technically I have ran one before, back in Southern Illinois. But I don't really count it because I ran it "on a whim", hadn't been running regularly at the time and ended up having to walk a lot of it. This one went a lot better!

It was the Get Your Rear in Gear and supported the Colon Cancer Coalition. I love this message listed on the site:

Get Your Rear in Gear is bigger than just a message for colon cancer; it is a message for all of us to take action, lead longer healthier lives, go to the doctor regularly, to listen to our bodies when something isn’t right and to get the right answers, regardless of age.
~Kristin Tabor, President & Founder

I found out about the race about a week ago, figured that it was (1) for a good cause, (2) would get me outside and running with other people, and (3) it wasn't too far from where I lived, so easy to get to! Here's a post-race pic (believe me, I am quite embarassed to post this pic...but it's the only one I got):

I ended up finishing in 30:35 a new PR for me!!!! And I had a 9:50 pace :) It was fun and I can't wait to run my next one...there are a few coming up in April and May, so be on the lookout for more race posts!

The rest of my weekend included:

 
Rented "You Again" from the local Redbox...thought there were definitely funny parts. I mostly just enjoyed Betty White's role and I've always loved Jamie Lee Curtis, she was pretty funny in the movie.

Made a run to Borders and picked up this new read...I can't wait to see the movie too!

source

Tried out a new local breakfast joint...amazing!

And went and saw The Adjustment Bureau....I really enjoyed it. I am a huge Emily Blunt fan, ever since The Devil Wears Prada! :) But overall, I thought the movie was really entertaining! I recommend.

Well, I'm off to enjoy my Sunday (although it's rainy here - boo!) and run errands before the week begins.