(this post is from lynn, terry's sister)
well alrighty then; for those of you who are curious... It's been 19 days since Terry turned 50 and so the same amount of days since I have lit up. did I mention that those days have seemed like 69 hour days... Darn it's hard living up to a promise sometimes, but a deal is a deal. More to follow/stay tuned. Living it up is better than lighting up.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
finally! terry's recap!
yay! im still alive!
to all of my dear friends and family who took the time to write me such great words of encouragement and kindness, i would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. you will never know the impact of your words.
this badwater quest has truly been the experience of a lifetime and thanks to modern technology i was able to share this experience in an up close and personal way. so here's what happened...
when i woke up the morning of july 15th, i was pretty much scared out of my mind wondering what the hell was i thinking...but as i stepped out onto the pavement at the official start line of the race all of a sudden this huge calm came over me. the fear was gone just like that. i said my first prayer of 1000 over those next few days and began my odyssey of 135 miles. the temp at 6:15am was already 103 degrees. crazy huh? several miles into the run it started to get cloudy and i felt a single raindrop hit my hand. who gets that lucky in death valley? the first 17 miles went great and i reached my first checkpoint at furnace creek feeling pretty darn good. things started to really heat up for me a few miles after that first checkpoint. i started to feel a little queasy around mile 24 and as i walked over to the crew vehicle they could tell i wasn't feeling to great. my crew then placed iced water towels around me, gave me ice water to drink and put me in the van for a couple of minutes. they then took my temp after all those interventions and it was registering 102.8. they were doing all the right things to bring my core temp back down. 15 minutes later im back on the road to the next check point at stove pipe wells, 42 miles. this is the point at which my guardian angel came in the form of ultra marathoner extroidaniare marcia rasumssen fresh off of her own badwater solo finish. she paced me for the next few miles and literally took my mind off all the pain and misery. i will forever be grateful for her presence and her popscicles. the elusive town of stovepipe finally arrived. there, i pretty much looked like death warmed over, it was pretty scary but no thoughts of quitting or ever giving up had entered my mind. i knew i was going to suffer and i just went with it. a quick dip in the motel pool, some ramen noodles and i was off to my next check point at panamint springs, 72 miles. the climb out of stovepipe was over 18 miles long and i did it in the dark with my daughter now pacing me. that had to be one of the longest nights of my life, it was brutal. trying to do that climb after spending the whole day in temps over 115 degrees was awful. the temp at night even up at the higher elevations never went below 100 degrees. that night i slept off and on every two to three hours for 20 minutes. finally, the morning arrived. my crew exchanged places so the girls could sleep so the guys and lisa took over. i did not reach panamint until late afternoon and it was on this day that i got to experience what trying to jog in 122 degrees felt like. the wind was blowing hot as the hottest dial on your furnace, the sun is beating down on you relentlessly and you just have to tell yourself its okay. my nephew had been pacing me for most of the day. the really crazy thing was his ipod melted, it was that hot. joey was so great, he kept me laughing the whole way plus he was an excellent water sprayer. i left panamint after a shower and a somewhat rest. my crew was begging me to sleep for an hour, i tried but i was too nervous. i faced my second major climb out of panamint on my way to darwin's point at approximately 5000 feet in the mojave desert. i climbed all night until approx. 92 miles where all of us girls slept in the crew van. it was the absolute coolest, most amazing, peaceful place. the desert is so still at night and has this magical, surreal quality. the most amazing thing was when the morning came and the temp dropped to 70 degrees. we all thought we were freezing. crazy! i reached the 100 mile mark later that morning of the second day. i not only was 100 miles into the run but i was now also a 50 year old. 100 mile mark still no blisters, no throwing up. freaking amazing! and all of this due to the most amazing crew. my best friend georjette had electrolyte and nutrition duty and like my sister and i, she's also a nurse so i couldnt of had a better group of people taking care of me. they were relentless, methodical and in tune to everything going on. i can say without a doubt i could not have made it without them. i love you guys. after the 100 mile mark the worst was yet to come. my feet which had been nagging at me from the beginning were now starting to swell and throb. i tried to ignore it for hours but i soon felt almost crippled by the pain. i was reduced to barely walking for miles. and then around mile 109 my crew put my feet in ice water for about 15 minutes and i headed back out. after the numbness wore off a little, the most incredible thing happened. after miles of barely walking i started to run. and i mean really run. it was like i had crossed over some invisible threshold of mind over body. it felt like i had a guardian angel. i ran like that alternately icing my feet every half hour or so until around mile 119. then came the big crash. three miles before lone pine i totally cracked. i had given all i had and running that hard in 118 degrees had taken its toll on me. so the next few hours were spent in the shower and sleeping. then back out for my final climb. georjette paced me to the base of the portals and i remember being so touched by my faithful, loving crew, all out for yet a third night to support me on this crazy journey. my third miracle came as i started to climb. i literally felt no pain, no blisters, my feet were good and i was able to climb that mountain like it was just another work out. i was on a mission. i felt so empowered and strong it was insane. suddenly every reason, every mile number that i had dedicated to family and friends replayed over and over in my head. thinking of all those special numbers made me feel so humbled and proud. i thought of my dad's number, 134, and how i never thought i would see it and of how proud of me he would be. when georjette told me that she had called work and talked to dawn shortly before i finished around 3:30am, she told me how they were all crying and cheering me on. i was so overwhelmed. the finish finally came. i crossed that toilet paper ribbon and approx. 3:30am wednesday, july 17th, 69 hours and 29 minutes after i had started. the feeling of accomplishment, awe, and wonder at what my now 50 year old body had done was beyond words. to have been able to reach down to a part so far inside myself, to be able to ignore all the pain and suffering, sleep deprevation and fear and to have done all this for the love of my sister, mother, friends and family was the greatest gift of all.
sincerely,
terry abrams
aka
badwater solo finisher
to all of my dear friends and family who took the time to write me such great words of encouragement and kindness, i would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. you will never know the impact of your words.
this badwater quest has truly been the experience of a lifetime and thanks to modern technology i was able to share this experience in an up close and personal way. so here's what happened...
when i woke up the morning of july 15th, i was pretty much scared out of my mind wondering what the hell was i thinking...but as i stepped out onto the pavement at the official start line of the race all of a sudden this huge calm came over me. the fear was gone just like that. i said my first prayer of 1000 over those next few days and began my odyssey of 135 miles. the temp at 6:15am was already 103 degrees. crazy huh? several miles into the run it started to get cloudy and i felt a single raindrop hit my hand. who gets that lucky in death valley? the first 17 miles went great and i reached my first checkpoint at furnace creek feeling pretty darn good. things started to really heat up for me a few miles after that first checkpoint. i started to feel a little queasy around mile 24 and as i walked over to the crew vehicle they could tell i wasn't feeling to great. my crew then placed iced water towels around me, gave me ice water to drink and put me in the van for a couple of minutes. they then took my temp after all those interventions and it was registering 102.8. they were doing all the right things to bring my core temp back down. 15 minutes later im back on the road to the next check point at stove pipe wells, 42 miles. this is the point at which my guardian angel came in the form of ultra marathoner extroidaniare marcia rasumssen fresh off of her own badwater solo finish. she paced me for the next few miles and literally took my mind off all the pain and misery. i will forever be grateful for her presence and her popscicles. the elusive town of stovepipe finally arrived. there, i pretty much looked like death warmed over, it was pretty scary but no thoughts of quitting or ever giving up had entered my mind. i knew i was going to suffer and i just went with it. a quick dip in the motel pool, some ramen noodles and i was off to my next check point at panamint springs, 72 miles. the climb out of stovepipe was over 18 miles long and i did it in the dark with my daughter now pacing me. that had to be one of the longest nights of my life, it was brutal. trying to do that climb after spending the whole day in temps over 115 degrees was awful. the temp at night even up at the higher elevations never went below 100 degrees. that night i slept off and on every two to three hours for 20 minutes. finally, the morning arrived. my crew exchanged places so the girls could sleep so the guys and lisa took over. i did not reach panamint until late afternoon and it was on this day that i got to experience what trying to jog in 122 degrees felt like. the wind was blowing hot as the hottest dial on your furnace, the sun is beating down on you relentlessly and you just have to tell yourself its okay. my nephew had been pacing me for most of the day. the really crazy thing was his ipod melted, it was that hot. joey was so great, he kept me laughing the whole way plus he was an excellent water sprayer. i left panamint after a shower and a somewhat rest. my crew was begging me to sleep for an hour, i tried but i was too nervous. i faced my second major climb out of panamint on my way to darwin's point at approximately 5000 feet in the mojave desert. i climbed all night until approx. 92 miles where all of us girls slept in the crew van. it was the absolute coolest, most amazing, peaceful place. the desert is so still at night and has this magical, surreal quality. the most amazing thing was when the morning came and the temp dropped to 70 degrees. we all thought we were freezing. crazy! i reached the 100 mile mark later that morning of the second day. i not only was 100 miles into the run but i was now also a 50 year old. 100 mile mark still no blisters, no throwing up. freaking amazing! and all of this due to the most amazing crew. my best friend georjette had electrolyte and nutrition duty and like my sister and i, she's also a nurse so i couldnt of had a better group of people taking care of me. they were relentless, methodical and in tune to everything going on. i can say without a doubt i could not have made it without them. i love you guys. after the 100 mile mark the worst was yet to come. my feet which had been nagging at me from the beginning were now starting to swell and throb. i tried to ignore it for hours but i soon felt almost crippled by the pain. i was reduced to barely walking for miles. and then around mile 109 my crew put my feet in ice water for about 15 minutes and i headed back out. after the numbness wore off a little, the most incredible thing happened. after miles of barely walking i started to run. and i mean really run. it was like i had crossed over some invisible threshold of mind over body. it felt like i had a guardian angel. i ran like that alternately icing my feet every half hour or so until around mile 119. then came the big crash. three miles before lone pine i totally cracked. i had given all i had and running that hard in 118 degrees had taken its toll on me. so the next few hours were spent in the shower and sleeping. then back out for my final climb. georjette paced me to the base of the portals and i remember being so touched by my faithful, loving crew, all out for yet a third night to support me on this crazy journey. my third miracle came as i started to climb. i literally felt no pain, no blisters, my feet were good and i was able to climb that mountain like it was just another work out. i was on a mission. i felt so empowered and strong it was insane. suddenly every reason, every mile number that i had dedicated to family and friends replayed over and over in my head. thinking of all those special numbers made me feel so humbled and proud. i thought of my dad's number, 134, and how i never thought i would see it and of how proud of me he would be. when georjette told me that she had called work and talked to dawn shortly before i finished around 3:30am, she told me how they were all crying and cheering me on. i was so overwhelmed. the finish finally came. i crossed that toilet paper ribbon and approx. 3:30am wednesday, july 17th, 69 hours and 29 minutes after i had started. the feeling of accomplishment, awe, and wonder at what my now 50 year old body had done was beyond words. to have been able to reach down to a part so far inside myself, to be able to ignore all the pain and suffering, sleep deprevation and fear and to have done all this for the love of my sister, mother, friends and family was the greatest gift of all.
sincerely,
terry abrams
aka
badwater solo finisher
Friday, July 27, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
a recap from terry's daughter...
because terry is still somewhere between la and spokane...
so, im sitting here wondering where in the world my mom is. her flight out of la was cancelled and with dying cell phones that's the last i heard. im hoping she gets home soon, she's got some seriously swollen ankles and a body that needs a really good rest.
i just thought id share a little bit with you, im sure she'll be posting her thoughts for you in the next few days. i read through some of the comments and you should all know this event was thoroughly documented. :) over 1ooo photos exist as well as hours and hours of video tape that i will be converting into a little documentary :). not to mention various notes were kept by georjette and lynn as well.
anyway,
she started out really strong. her pace was nice and steady and she was adapting to the heat pretty well, drinking what she was supposed to and staying relaxed. gradually the never ending roads and heat started to wear on her mentally. lynn and george checked her temp somewhere about halfway to stovepipe and found out she had a 102 degree temp. we got her cooled down in the air conditioning, got her something to eat and brought her sense of humor back out.
let me just make a side not and say that this was absolutely the hardest event ive ever, ever, ever crewed. they're not kidding when they say a crew can make or break you. i regret that we had to learn as we went as we may have hindered her time in our learning. georgette and lynn were so vital in keeping her healthy and hydrated though. she experienced such a small period of nausea and only one tiny blister, a rarity on the badwater course...the girls figured out that ice in the hat and spray bottles were great little tools in keeping her body temp down.
marcia rasmussen couldn't have shown up at a better time. the trip to stovepipe was a long, neverending one and it was getting to terry and breaking her spirits. marcia came in and offered a welcomed distraction. when terry finally made it to stovepipe, we got her showered and fed and she went for a swim in the pool. it was dark by the time her and i started up the climb out of stovepipe. the skies were beautiful but the rest of the desert was creepy. we still can't believe the four of us girls spent the night in the middle of the desert. that is definitely something id never assume i'd do. this night was long and rough and we finally got her to take a quick rest in the van. georjette paced her through the morning until we were relieved by the boys around 7am. we unwillingly left her behind to nap a few stressful hours at panamint. we brought her back a sandwich and the girls got her back into her routine and she headed across the dry panamint lakebed at 120 degrees with joey still by her side. at panamint we got her to rest and eat and she took off again with joey on her second climb. she did really, really well through here. around 4am we took another short nap in the van and the she headed out with georjette and lynn. the day wouldnt stop heating up. the temp was getting pretty obnoxious and once again the road you could see forever was driving her nuts. a few miles away from keeler her feet started demanding that she pay attention to them. she couldnt ignore the pain much longer but she tried to. lynn and george tried icing her feet to numb the pain, they taped the arch back in place and had to watch as terry went back out despite the pain. at one point after many icings and having to stop, her feet finally went numb and after over 100 miles, terry started to run. she ran despite every single pain in her body, despite the heavy sand filled wind and 120 degree temperatures. she ran and she ran hard and we all watched in shock as it went on for quite a while. she finally stopped when her feet forced her to and we went about the ice and go routine for a while more. 3 miles out of lone pine she mentally couldnt take it anymore. she had to listen to her body. she stopped, took a few hours to rest and then told us all it was time to head back out. george led her the 3 miles into lone pine. 3 miles that hours before would have taken forever, somehow blew by in well under an hour. i traded places with george at the dow villa check in spot, the way up to the portals. my mom was booking it. depsite the fact that hours earlier i was fighting back tears watching her suffer, i looked at her now and knew this wasnt going to take as long as it should. she was determined and sick of being out there, sick of being in pain and sick of the feet that betrayed her. we made it up that mountain in a steady pace, actually a pretty quick pace! when she finished i wasnt suprised, i was just so insanely happy for her. not too many people can claim an accomplishment like this. not only did she make it on her first try, she also made it despite her injuries. her feet are pretty bad now, she'll be hearing lots of lectures from her physical therapists i bet! :) overall though, she made it through without a battle with nausea, without blisters and without hallucinations. that course is relentlessly brutal and is nothing short of torture. all i can do now is hope she doesnt get sucked in and want to go back...! :)
i'll post some pictures later when terry posts her thoughts. so stay tuned and dont forget to still check back!
so, im sitting here wondering where in the world my mom is. her flight out of la was cancelled and with dying cell phones that's the last i heard. im hoping she gets home soon, she's got some seriously swollen ankles and a body that needs a really good rest.
i just thought id share a little bit with you, im sure she'll be posting her thoughts for you in the next few days. i read through some of the comments and you should all know this event was thoroughly documented. :) over 1ooo photos exist as well as hours and hours of video tape that i will be converting into a little documentary :). not to mention various notes were kept by georjette and lynn as well.
anyway,
she started out really strong. her pace was nice and steady and she was adapting to the heat pretty well, drinking what she was supposed to and staying relaxed. gradually the never ending roads and heat started to wear on her mentally. lynn and george checked her temp somewhere about halfway to stovepipe and found out she had a 102 degree temp. we got her cooled down in the air conditioning, got her something to eat and brought her sense of humor back out.
let me just make a side not and say that this was absolutely the hardest event ive ever, ever, ever crewed. they're not kidding when they say a crew can make or break you. i regret that we had to learn as we went as we may have hindered her time in our learning. georgette and lynn were so vital in keeping her healthy and hydrated though. she experienced such a small period of nausea and only one tiny blister, a rarity on the badwater course...the girls figured out that ice in the hat and spray bottles were great little tools in keeping her body temp down.
marcia rasmussen couldn't have shown up at a better time. the trip to stovepipe was a long, neverending one and it was getting to terry and breaking her spirits. marcia came in and offered a welcomed distraction. when terry finally made it to stovepipe, we got her showered and fed and she went for a swim in the pool. it was dark by the time her and i started up the climb out of stovepipe. the skies were beautiful but the rest of the desert was creepy. we still can't believe the four of us girls spent the night in the middle of the desert. that is definitely something id never assume i'd do. this night was long and rough and we finally got her to take a quick rest in the van. georjette paced her through the morning until we were relieved by the boys around 7am. we unwillingly left her behind to nap a few stressful hours at panamint. we brought her back a sandwich and the girls got her back into her routine and she headed across the dry panamint lakebed at 120 degrees with joey still by her side. at panamint we got her to rest and eat and she took off again with joey on her second climb. she did really, really well through here. around 4am we took another short nap in the van and the she headed out with georjette and lynn. the day wouldnt stop heating up. the temp was getting pretty obnoxious and once again the road you could see forever was driving her nuts. a few miles away from keeler her feet started demanding that she pay attention to them. she couldnt ignore the pain much longer but she tried to. lynn and george tried icing her feet to numb the pain, they taped the arch back in place and had to watch as terry went back out despite the pain. at one point after many icings and having to stop, her feet finally went numb and after over 100 miles, terry started to run. she ran despite every single pain in her body, despite the heavy sand filled wind and 120 degree temperatures. she ran and she ran hard and we all watched in shock as it went on for quite a while. she finally stopped when her feet forced her to and we went about the ice and go routine for a while more. 3 miles out of lone pine she mentally couldnt take it anymore. she had to listen to her body. she stopped, took a few hours to rest and then told us all it was time to head back out. george led her the 3 miles into lone pine. 3 miles that hours before would have taken forever, somehow blew by in well under an hour. i traded places with george at the dow villa check in spot, the way up to the portals. my mom was booking it. depsite the fact that hours earlier i was fighting back tears watching her suffer, i looked at her now and knew this wasnt going to take as long as it should. she was determined and sick of being out there, sick of being in pain and sick of the feet that betrayed her. we made it up that mountain in a steady pace, actually a pretty quick pace! when she finished i wasnt suprised, i was just so insanely happy for her. not too many people can claim an accomplishment like this. not only did she make it on her first try, she also made it despite her injuries. her feet are pretty bad now, she'll be hearing lots of lectures from her physical therapists i bet! :) overall though, she made it through without a battle with nausea, without blisters and without hallucinations. that course is relentlessly brutal and is nothing short of torture. all i can do now is hope she doesnt get sucked in and want to go back...! :)
i'll post some pictures later when terry posts her thoughts. so stay tuned and dont forget to still check back!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Extra!!! Extra!!! read all about it!!!
Yes it is official she has finished the treacherous journey through Death Valley. She finished last night at exactly 3:38 am which official time means she finished the journey in 69 hours and 29 minutes. We would like to thank everyone for all the support you gave her through her journey. The inspirational support kept her going. She truly is great ful for having support like this. So thanks again and please feel free to post some love!!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Who's past the one hundred mile Mark?
My mom thats who!!! the latest update is that she has passed the one hundred mile mark and from all reports is feeling good. So please keep the well wishes coming for her because they will help her every step of the way. I will update as soon as i get the information.
Monday, July 16, 2007
new update! terry's in panamint! 72 miles down!
she's in the shower right now, you would be too if you were just running in a 122 degree weather! yuck! she really seemed to perk up a bit after her climb out of stovepipe and she had her nephew joey with her every step of the way. its insanely hot and the wind is like the hottest blow dryer in your face. she's going to take a rest here, try to take a nap even though she doesnt really want to. she's got a 17 mile climb out of here later so lets hope for some clouds!
as for injuries: her calf is taped, she's still blister free, wait, maybe theres one blister but shes doing great. she's still staying hydrated thanks to george and their concoctions. i'll try to get some photos up soon if the internet connection isnt as slow as i think it is...hopefully you'll hear from us soon!
as for injuries: her calf is taped, she's still blister free, wait, maybe theres one blister but shes doing great. she's still staying hydrated thanks to george and their concoctions. i'll try to get some photos up soon if the internet connection isnt as slow as i think it is...hopefully you'll hear from us soon!
update from the road!
hey everyone! this is t (terry's daugher) writing you from the tiniest little town in death valley. oh man, this desert is gross!
mom got into stovepipe wells, about 42 miles around 8pm last night. she took a shower and swam in the pool for a bit and then we set off in the dark on her uphill battle. you have no idea how creepy the desert is at night!
she struggled a lot, the scenery and never ending roads are breaking her down a bit but she's still chugging along. the road out of stovepipe is a steady climb, gaining a thousand feet every few miles. the miles are long because you can see forever. we were able to convince her to take 20 minute breaks last night and eventually got her to sleep in the van for an hour.
she's passed her second marathon early this morning and is on her way to panamint springs about 14 or so miles from her. what a fun birthday huh?! :)
this is the hardest thing she's ever done. i hope to be able to write down all your comments and read them to her as she's running.
the heat is obnoxious and the skies are clear, so it's pure sunlight beating down on her. at this point she's really nauseated and very tired from the beating sun and from the mental strain of this run.
we did get to meet the rasumussen's which was very cool. marcia really pulled mom through a tough spot on her way to stovepipe wells.
just keep thinking about her. i cant put into words how hard this is to watch her stuggle like she is. she's a tough lady though and we're all pulling for her.
thanks again for the great comments and thanks zack for keeping people updated! i'll try another personal update with photos but it's gonna be at least another day before that.
take care everyone!
mom got into stovepipe wells, about 42 miles around 8pm last night. she took a shower and swam in the pool for a bit and then we set off in the dark on her uphill battle. you have no idea how creepy the desert is at night!
she struggled a lot, the scenery and never ending roads are breaking her down a bit but she's still chugging along. the road out of stovepipe is a steady climb, gaining a thousand feet every few miles. the miles are long because you can see forever. we were able to convince her to take 20 minute breaks last night and eventually got her to sleep in the van for an hour.
she's passed her second marathon early this morning and is on her way to panamint springs about 14 or so miles from her. what a fun birthday huh?! :)
this is the hardest thing she's ever done. i hope to be able to write down all your comments and read them to her as she's running.
the heat is obnoxious and the skies are clear, so it's pure sunlight beating down on her. at this point she's really nauseated and very tired from the beating sun and from the mental strain of this run.
we did get to meet the rasumussen's which was very cool. marcia really pulled mom through a tough spot on her way to stovepipe wells.
just keep thinking about her. i cant put into words how hard this is to watch her stuggle like she is. she's a tough lady though and we're all pulling for her.
thanks again for the great comments and thanks zack for keeping people updated! i'll try another personal update with photos but it's gonna be at least another day before that.
take care everyone!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
26 down, 108 to go
Hey everyone my mom has now passed the first marathon in the run. it took her about 7 in a half hours. So far the highest temp that has been seen is a scorching 118 degrees. Strangely though it has been raining off and on all day. She is still going strong the only concerns as of right now are the high temps and basic fatigue. So please keep posting good luck to keep her motivated thank you. talk to you all very soon.
Good Morning!!!!!
I have just received information as of about an hour ago meaning roughly 10 30 Terry had passed through the first time station called Furnace Creek Ranch which is exactly 17.4 miles into the race and is still going strong this is all the information i have for now as soon as im updated i will update you.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The night before
It is the night before the journey begins and as of right now at 9:50 pm it is 116 degrees. During the day temperatures reached as high as 120 degrees. Tomorrow She will begin at O 600. Please give all the luck and well wishes to her as she is a little intimidated and scared, but hey shes my mom and i know she can do anything !!!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Message from Terry
just a quick note to thank everybody that's cheering for me. im scared out of my mind! i really appreciate all the kind words you're all sending through comments and emails. tomorrow we head out of la into the desert. this might be our last update before we pass it on to zack, our second in command updater extroidanaire!
ps. special note to all my sistas (you know who you are), thanks for your support! love, the general.
ps. special note to all my sistas (you know who you are), thanks for your support! love, the general.
well, everyone is just waking up from a nap. we landed in LA around 8:30 this morning and then acted liked tourists until we could check into the hotel. lynn got to meet her idol, elmo and elmo told lynn how much she looked like sandra bullock. other than that, terry's trying to hide her fear and is dealing with some foot pain. hope you're liking the photos. dont be shy about leaving some comments!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
a message from terry
at approximately 10:30am on november 1st, 2006 after watching my beloved sister in law, karen hasbrouck, take her last painful breaths from years of smoking, lung cancer had finally claimed her life. watching her sister and children cling to her as she died was one of the most heartbreaking things i have ever witnessed. when i left that morning all i could think about was my own mother and sister, both smokers for years. my sister 31 years, my mom 50 plus years. both of them unsuccessful at their attempts from quitting. sometimes reality has a way of making you see just how precious life is and that although cancer is inevitable for many people, dying from cancer caused from smoking is not.
so after her death i dedicated the next 57 days in a row of running the toughest, hilliest runs i could think of as a way of honoring her life. it was through all those miles that the idea of asking god for a big favor came into play. i figured if i was going to ask for such a big thing then i should back it up with some suffering of my own. basically, i was looking for some "divine intervention" in helping my mom and sister quit smoking for good. i approached my mom who at first thought i was crazy, although she got over it quick since she's used to me being a little nuts. then i asked my sister, who already knows how crazy i am. anyway, the deal was this: i would run 135 miles through death valley in the middle of july and all they had to do was give up their smokes. my mom was hesitant for quite a while but soon warmed up to the idea although not without a promise from me to never do such a crazy run again...my sister has been slowing gearing herself up to quit and as of july 15th will hopefully be nicotine free for the rest of her life. so if all goes well, i will with the help of god survive this madness, and he will grant both my mom and sister with the will to quit.
so after her death i dedicated the next 57 days in a row of running the toughest, hilliest runs i could think of as a way of honoring her life. it was through all those miles that the idea of asking god for a big favor came into play. i figured if i was going to ask for such a big thing then i should back it up with some suffering of my own. basically, i was looking for some "divine intervention" in helping my mom and sister quit smoking for good. i approached my mom who at first thought i was crazy, although she got over it quick since she's used to me being a little nuts. then i asked my sister, who already knows how crazy i am. anyway, the deal was this: i would run 135 miles through death valley in the middle of july and all they had to do was give up their smokes. my mom was hesitant for quite a while but soon warmed up to the idea although not without a promise from me to never do such a crazy run again...my sister has been slowing gearing herself up to quit and as of july 15th will hopefully be nicotine free for the rest of her life. so if all goes well, i will with the help of god survive this madness, and he will grant both my mom and sister with the will to quit.
a preview!
so, here's a little preview i threw together this morning. you should scroll down and turn off the music (the orange bird) and then play the video or it'll sound really annoying and not cool at all!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
intro...
this blog is a place for people to keep track of terry abrams as she attempts a solo crossing of the badwater 135 course in death valley, ca. she starts her journey the day before her birthday, july 15 and hopes to end somewhere around the 18th if she decides to summit mt. whitney. this blog will be updated throughout her journey so make sure to bookmark it!
for more info on the badwater race or course check the bottom of this page for links.
also be sure to check back before the race for an interview with terry as well as updates!
for more info on the badwater race or course check the bottom of this page for links.
also be sure to check back before the race for an interview with terry as well as updates!
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