#yearibecomearunner

[kanfran]

We did it! 24 hours, 24 miles for Ashley, 21 for me. Thank you all for your support! All of your well wishes helped us through these miles. Also thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you that sponsored me. Your donations will not only send our 5 Wish Kids on their Big Wishes, but it will also send many other Wish Kids as well. This was an unbelievable experience and I am so happy to have been a part of. #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis (at Classic Park)

[kanfran]

It's finally here!!! I can't tell you how excited I am to be running one mile every hour for twenty four consecutive hours. A Special Wish Cleveland is such a great organization to be supporting. If you still have no idea what I'm talking about head to af24in24.org and read all about what's going on this weekend! #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis

[kanfran]

Yesterday I ran the rock city 5k. My last race before the 24 in 24 this weekend! I am so excited to take on this challenge! I will be running for Team Maja to raise money to send her on her big wish! I have 5 days left to raise just over $200 dollars to meet my goal. Any amount you could donate will make that number even smaller. Head to af24in24.org to read about the event and make a donation. I promise when this is over I'll go back to rarely posting on social media!!! #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis

[kanfran]

With just ONE week to go until the 24 in 24 Ashley and I got up this morning to get some practice miles in. We have trained so hard for this challenge and could not be more ready. (Just don't ask her about that!) Next Saturday the two of us will join 110 other athletes to run one mile every hour for twenty four consecutive hours. All of the proceeds will go to A Special Wish Cleveland to send 5 local children with life threatening illnesses on their BIG WISH! How incredible is that?! Thank you so much to those of you that have sponsored me all ready. You're support means the world to me! There are still a few days left to join them on my list of sponsors. I am just over $200 to my goal. Please head to af24in24.org, read about the event and children, and donate to Team Maja. Any little bit helps! #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis

[kanfran]

In just 17 days I will be wearing this shirt as I take on the Anytime Fitness Concord 24 in 24 challenge. For this challenge I will be running 1 mile every hour for 24 consecutive hours. If you know me, this will not be an easy task! I have been raising money to send Maja on her big wish. Maja is a local Cleveland child who has been batting a form of Leukemia almost her entire young life. If she can do that, than surely I can do this. With just a few days left please head to af24in24.org, read all about the event, and make a donation in the name of your favorite athlete (ME!). Any little bit helps Maja, and the support certainly helps me! #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis

[kanfran]

I can't believe that it's the last day of July. I love the last day of the month though because it's pay day. I would put money on it (haha) that most of you got paid today too. With that being said you should head over to af24in24.org and donate some of that hard earned money to a little girl named Maja who has worked even harder to beat leukemia. On August 26th I will start running one mile every hour for 24 consecutive hours. A sponsorship or donation would mean so much to me as I tackle this challenge. I am still 19 sponsors from my goal and only have about 3 weeks left to reach it. You can read all about the event and the kids that we are running for while you are there! #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis

[kanfran]

Exactly one month from today over 100 athletes from Anytime Fitness Concord will start running one hour every hour for 24 consecutive hours, myself included. Why would we do something so crazy? For this little girl and 4 other local children who are fighting life threatening illnesses. The money we raise will go to A Special Wish Cleveland to send these kids on the best trips they could dream up. I never thought I would do something like this, but when I saw what an impact it could make in a little life how could I not? I am so grateful to the people that have sponsored me already. With just a month left I am still 19 sponsors from my goal. Please take a minute to visit af24in24.org and read about the event. While you are there consider donating to Team Maja and showing me some support as I support Maia's big wish. Any amount is appreciated! #af24in24 #asw #bigwish #teamMaja #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis

[kanfran]

This weeks post is long and emotional, but I have told you all Maja's story and what the 24 in 24 challenge will do for her, I thought that it was time I told you my story and what this challenge is doing for me. In January I decided that I was going to become a runner, because that's what I do. I set impossible goals and then make up lists of excuses as to why I didn't meet them. I made the mistake of sharing this goal with my trainer Zack and he immediately signed me up to be a part of the challenge. At this point I couldn't even run a tenth of a mile. For the next four months I put in a mile to two a day, but it was mostly walking. I was frustrated that I wasn't making any progress. I've never been athletic so this shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was still easy to get down on myself. I kept telling myself I still have months, but it doesn't mean I was believing it. In April I started the training program handed out to all of the participants. I started putting in more miles than I ever thought possible, and they increase each week! I hate running. I dread getting on the treadmill each week. I'm still walking more than I want to be, or feel like I should be. But I love what running is doing to me. I'm feeling stronger, I'm running at least half of the distance each time, I'm finally feeling like I'm starting to get the hang of this. And I'm thankful. I'm thankful that Ashley stays up and texts me words of encouragement at 1130 at night when I'm four miles in and don't want to go any further. I love that my sister Noelle drives over an hour to run 5ks with me and always finds me after she finishes to run with me to the finish line. I am thankful to my family and friends that are constantly supporting me. I'm thankful to be a part of such an awesome team that's always waiting at the finish line. When I signed up for the 24 in 24 I thought I was just making a difference in the life of a sick little girl. I never imagined that she would be making a difference in mine. Please take a moment to visit af24in24.org and make a difference of your own. #af24in24 #teamMaja #bigwish #anytimefitnessconcord #yearibecomearunner #youbetyourassicandothis