Here Come’s Chicago and DetermiNation deadlines!

Earlier this month, a story ran about an 8 year old boy from Edwardsville, IL who won $1000 in a scavenger hunt sponsored by a local bank.  Later that day, he called the parents of a 2 year neighbor girl fighting leukemia and asked how much chemo $1000 could buy.  We need more kids and people like 8 year old Wyatt Erber.  The type of people who help people (not just with money) during times of need.  That’s part of the goal of the American Cancer Society and people who run for DetermiNation.  Our goal is to make life a little bit easier for people suffering from cancer.  Whether it include helping with rides to treatment, providing wigs or helping them through the shock of their disease, money raised is going towards a good cause.  I have 15 days to raise $550 and I’m asking for help in my goal to help fight cancer.  Head on over here to my DNation Page to donate to a good cause.  No amount is too small!!!  I promise Chicago Marathon tweets and blog posts, a hug if I see you in Chicago and hand written thank you notes!

Chicago Marathon or Bust…for The American Cancer Society!

In 44 days, the gun goes off for the Chicago and yours truly is making her second appearance!!  I made the decision after a friend of mine dropped the seed in my head (thanks Jay!!) to run for the American Cancer Society. My goal is $950 and I’m currently up to $250. Chugging a long and doing well!!  I’m hear to ask for a little help.  My challenge for the week: donate $10 on my page and forward my blog to 10 of your friends.  In return, I promise hand written thank you’s, regular updates on training and various race discounts as I come up on them!

If everyone who reads my blog donates $10, that would put me past my goal.  $10!  That’s 2-3 days of starbucks, 1 day out to lunch or something of the like.  For every DetermiNation runner who raises $1,000, cancer patients are helped out in a variety of ways:

• assisting 25 patients to and from treatments
• 22 wigs, free of charge, to female cancer patients
• Personalized, cancer specific info to 85 newly diagnosed cancer patients
• Help medical students provide 3 parties/yr for 20 pediatric patients

I’ve personally come back as a bone marrow match for an individual and am waiting to see if I’ll be the final donor, so as I train and fundraise, I’m trying to control the one thing I can and raise money to put an end to cancer.  I’m running in memory of my grandfather and a family friend who lost their 7 yr old daughter earlier this week.  Know someone who you’d like me to run for?  Let me know!!!  Here’s to beating cancer, because let’s face it. Cancer Sucks!

58481 what?

In the world of running, you know things are official when you get your bib number and your corral number.  Tuesday (yes, 7 weeks beforehand), the NYC Marathon uploaded confirmation information for runners.  Who is bib #58481?  This girl right here!!  For me, I’m in corral 58 with a 10:40 AM start time.  Because the NYC is so large, they have 60 corrals set up in 3 waves of start times (9:40 AM, 10:10 AM and 10:40 AM).  I’m semi regretting my 6:10 AM Staten Island Ferry to the start but we will see in due time if I can change that.

This past weekend, I was in Chicago for the Chicago Half Marathon and was able to meet some runners who will be running the NYC Marathon for Jack’s Fund.  So far, I’ve raised $810 through my donation page and have an additional $410 in the bank, putting me about halfway to my $2500 goal for the marathon.  YAY!!!  If you’ve donated, THANK YOU!!  I really appreciate it as does Jack’s Fund.  If not, you still have time!  No donation is too small as all will be going to a good cause and will be appreciated by me and my fellow runners and Jack’s Fund teammates.  As of now, I’ll just keep running, just keep running (remember Dori- Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming?). And Fundraising!

7 Mile at 7 PM (Allentown, PA) Race Review

It’s been awhile (alright, a few weeks) since I last did a race.  I found a 7 mile race in Allentown, PA (an hour or so from Philadelphia) that was an evening race rightfully called the 7 Mile at 7PM.  Us runners, we sure know how to have a fun Saturday night!!  I went up early before the race and went to 4:15 mass at the Cathedral by Lehigh Valley 17th St hospital and then headed over to the Park off Jefferson St where the race was being held.  Little difficult to find check in and the start, but there were arrows on the ground which I figured would lead me in the right direction.  I was able to pick up my shirt and bib, but still had about 90 minutes before the race.  I headed to get gas for my car as I was just about out and took a look at the course map which I brought along.  I got to take my Jack’s Fund shirt out for a run.  Also this week, I’m close to $700 in online donations for Jack’s Fund (including $220 I put in myself) with another $338 in the bank so over $1000 total.

I was in one of those it’s a good thing I could live out of my car moods as I brought some water and powerade with me like I always do only to find out that the race only had 1 water stop on the course and that was at the half way point (1 water stop for 7 miles, really?).  Around 650, runners were directed to the start for instructions.  There was maybe 100 people at the race, so it wasn’t that big.  One of the volunteers was giving a course description and completely lost me and the people standing next to me.  We agreed since we weren’t Kenyans or Ethiopians or in contention for even winning the race, we really didn’t care.  As someone else put it, just follow the person in front of you.

We were off at 705 and began our gravel pounding run.  Who knew about a mile in there would be winding hills with a steep incline like no other.  My legs were still tired from the 15 miles I put in Thursday countered with the fact it was a 7 pm race.  I knew I probably wasn’t going to be anywhere near the front of the pack so not finishing last was the goal.  It was still really humid and by 3.5 miles in, I had sweated through everything and was dripping with sweat.  I was so glad to see water station because I knew I was half way through (no mile markers makes things difficult).  The second half of the race, it started getting dark.  It was kind of uncomfortable because it wasn’t lit and in the back of your mind, you’re thinking is someone going to jump out of somewhere.  I was able to pass a few people along the way and the last 1/2 mile or so, I picked off another 2 people (yay me!).  Unofficially, I finished 7 miles in 1:12:30.  There were photographers at the end taking pictures as we finished and boy were the flashes bright!  Even better was that there was ice cold water and hamburgers and hot dogs.

Good race, don’t know if I’m willing to drive the 2 hr round trip to do it again.  I would suggest moving it up a week or 2 or starting it 1/2 an hour earlier just to deal with the darkness.  It was good that there was food at the end.  If your ever looking for a 7 miler, you may consider this one!

Running for Jack (‘s Fund) and Bob

One of the things I love about fellow runners is that they always like to do things to those around them.  Running groups for support or to give kids something to do and off the streets, volunteering at events and raising money to support various charities.  Last October, I ran the Chicago Marathon for the Hall Steps Foundation.  Early this year (read February), I emailed Jack’s Fund about securing a spot for the ING NYC Marathon on November 6, 2011.  The organizers were beyond thrilled and my Fundraising Page has been up and running ever since.   The NYC is probably one of the most popular marathons to run in the US, which would explain the lottery system to get in AND the $2,500 fundraising minimum if you run for charity.  Jack’s Fund was established in memory of Jack Marston, a family man who ran 4 marathons in his life and battled melanoma (skin cancer).  Jack lost his cancer battle and his family established the foundation in order to raise research and educational funds for melanoma research.  I spent a good 9 yrs outside in the sun as a lifeguard and another 6ish years on swim team.  Summers=loads of sun.  Because of that sun, I know a few people who’ve ended up with skin cancers because of the amount of time they spent outside.

Coming into this training season, I came in running to honor and remember those who’ve had to deal with melanoma.  This morning, I received an email from the team coordinator about one of the Jack’s Fund runners for the Chicago Marathon Team.  Bob Marsh was set to run the Chicago 1/2 Marathon in a few weeks and the Chicago Marathon October 9th for Jack’s Fund.  Over the past few years, he’s been battle melanoma and this past weekend, he lost his battle.  From those who knew Bob, he was never one to give up and joined Jack’s Fund so “no one would ever have to suffer like [he] did.”  Though another runner will step in an ‘fill his shoes’ so to speak, I’m asking you to help me reach my goal so people no longer have to suffer with  a disease that is so preventable.  So take out your sunscreen and run on over to see how I’m doing with my training and fundraising.  Any support will be greatly appreciated!