While operating a small charity to help families impacted with cancer is such a great thing, the big barrier I have is there are a ton of people in and out of treatment who need financial assistance with various things and there is not enough money to go around. For each patient or family nomination that comes through the door, I'd like to resolve their woes by having enough funds to completely resolve their situation rather than minimize the assistance we give because of funding. But that is a huge mountain to climb and it's most likely one I will never see to the top.
With a gazillion ideas that run through my head everyday, here is one that stuck and I'm hoping you will want to join me. I was having a conversation with my Mom last year about this time - more towards the end of October.
And I said, "you know mom I have been thinking - wouldn't it be cool if around the winter holidays we could get people to help decorate the homes of people who are really devastated by cancer. It takes so much out of people, fighting for their life that decorating for the holidays is probably the last thing on their mind, but if someone came into the home and decorated for them it could really uplift their spirit."
My Mom's reply was, "That is actually interesting you bring that up - the winter your Dad was sick, the church got us a tree from the local tree farm and brought it to the house, set it up, and decorated it for us. It was just that one thing that helped lift our spirit up - not only the decoration, but the incredible feeling of people wanting to do things for us during that time. It also allowed us to have a real Christmas with presents under the tree - that was nice since you guys were so little."
So this puts me in a certain train of thought - since funds seem to be a bit of a barrier sometimes when helping folks, what is a way HCM can help families impacted by cancer without needing money??? It may sound like a dumb question, but the answer is caps lock OBVIOUS. In talking with many of the social workers at Fox Chase Cancer Center there is such a great need for daily tasks that patients and their families encounter while battling cancer. Thing such as house cleaning, yard work, landscaping, shoveling snow (clearing the sidewalk/driveway), laundry, cooking meals, and any other essential effort that goes into being a homeowner, and of course we can throw in holiday decorating.
So this is what we are going to do - create a program within HCM that makes this happen and I want people to become a part of it. The way the process will work is HCM will build an ongoing database of volunteers who are willing to help families with such instances mentioned above. As daily task support nominations come in from our network of local social workers, we will email blast the volunteer list with a description of the help that is needed, how often the service may be needed, the demographics of the person/family, and their location. The first volunteer(s) who respond will be matched with that family. You will be able to have direct contact with the family in order to schedule a time, or HCM will arrange it for you.
I want to make more impact within our community, I want to bring people together, I want to build sustainable relationships between people. I'd like to call this program a hoperaiser (building and sustaining hope) and there are many options that will not only allow you to directly see the impact you are making, but it will enrich your life in more ways than you can even think.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with what is really our next grass roots initiative, please contact us by email - hcmfund@gmail.com, phone (484) 347-3993, or comment on my blog. The information we will need from you:
Name
Email
Phone
City you live
Zip code
The city and zip will give us an idea for when the nomination form comes through if we have volunteers in that area. We would like volunteers from the greater Philadelphia area, Lehigh Valley, Delaware, and New Jersey.
I want to get as many people behind this as I can because it can bring SO MUCH IMPACT! Here is a little thing I wrote to our HCM Team about a month ago and I believe it goes very well with the theme of this post and uprising initiative:
More often than not, after each family we help, I sit and ponder for hours and sometimes days. I put myself in their situations, some of which I've already lived for myself and some of them I can only try to put myself in their shoes. If it hasn't already, imagine cancer seemingly touching every aspect of your life - mentally, physically, financially, and socially.
The money the HCM Team raises together is so very important for these individuals and their families, or shall we call them our neighbors and eventually our friends. Or maybe we just go with calling them our friends right off the bat. The many people we help do not have people behind them to fall back on. The very hard truth I have come to realize is that money does only go so far. We don't have the money to save the home for this family. We don't have enough money to bring Frank, who passed away from leukemia a couple of months ago, back to life. We don't have enough money (there is no amount of money) to make a woman who can't afford breast reconstruction surgery feel like a woman again. But the courage, drive, and understanding we all have to help us find a reason within ourselves to help folks in our community who are impacted by cancer is something that will linger in the air for a very long time. A very long time. It is something that we can feel - it is something they can feel. The power of a network devoted to helping others will help give an uplifting spirit for a mother of two - help her have confidence she will be ok and be able to raise her kids while battling to get better post surgery. It will not bring Frank back to life, but when his wife is sitting alone in the hospital by herself, it gives her positive comfort to know someone has cared enough to help them. It can make a woman needing reconstruction surgery feel loved and appreciated for the wonderful person she is and will continue to be.
Please connect with me and join this effort and try to touch at least one family within the next year. Thank you so much for reading!
For folks reading this who are new to HCM Foundation, please check out our website: http://hcmfoundation.org/
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
My Dad's birthday and how life moves on
Two weeks ago I received a call Wednesday morning from the wife of a patient we have been helping. I talked about them at our Run Daddy Run event because they made a certain impression on me. They would stay at Fox Chase Cancer Center for one week at a time each month and we would help them pay for their food because they had trouble affording it while being away from home. So as I answer the call, I notice that it is the main number from Fox Chase and I thought it was going to be one of the social workers - but it wasn't. It was this patient's wife and she says, "Mike, this is (going to leave name out for privacy) and he (her husband) is not doing well. The chemo stopped working, he is too weak from the pneumonia he had, and they are trying to look for a place near our home to send him to hospice." I could tell that she was distraught. Phone calls like this always force me to sit down because I still have yet to figure out how I can help her - what can I do for her emotionally? I don't know if I will ever be able to figure that one out. I think I am still trying to figure it out for myself.
So when she calms down a bit, she says to me that they are out of food (they have about $150 left that we said we would help with) and she asked if I can get her another grocery card. I said, "well, I am going to be at Fox Chase on Friday - can you wait until then?" She says, "no Mike, is there anyway you can get it to us today?" I said, "Well I won't be able to get up there today because I have some appointments later in the day, can you wait until tomorrow?" She says, "no, is there anyone else you can send up to drop it off." I said to her, "hmmm, let me try to figure this out in the next hour and I will call you back."
I call her back in about 45 minutes (after I figure out that if I leave right now, I would have enough time to do it) and tell her I will be up at Fox Chase in about an hour and 15 minutes. When I get there, she is sitting quietly on the bench outside the cafe and as I get closer to her, she stands up, says my name and gives me a hug. We both sit back down on the bench and talk for about 25 minutes. We talk about life, death, children, grandchildren - and how life moves on. As you can see, this family continues to resonate with me....
And I continually ponder - how does life move on when we lose someone who has touched our life? Today is my Dad's birthday and I'm writing this as my thoughts come to me about how my life has moved on since. He would be 58, which means he was alive for 30 years and has been dead for 28. It gets tougher each year to say that. Soon he will be dead longer than he was alive. One thing that occurred to me about a month ago and I'm still trying to rationalize it into a good thing - when my Dad was 29 he spent the next year of his life dying of cancer. He spent that year incredibly sick, losing weight, wasting away, and I'd like to think he was wondering what kind of life my Mom, brother and I would have without him. Or maybe to make it positive - he was thinking about the life we would have with each other as we grow up. And now I'm about to be 29, spending the majority of my time trying to help families overcome their cancer. I never imagined I would have gotten myself in this position. It just kind of happened and it is too ironic when you compare me to my Dad. Same age, similar perspective, same purpose.
I remember when I was in elementary school they had us fill out those emergency cards with our parents info - I would always fill in my Mom's info and write my Dad's name but put the word deceased next to it. Most years when I had a new teacher, it would come up some time when they would ask me what happened or how old he was. And every time they would say, "wow, he was so young." When I was that young, 30 years old seemed old so his age didn't bother me! But now that I am about to turn 29, I get more perspective and really understand how young it is. Although I can't focus on the 30 years he was alive (probably because I wasn't there), I tend to focus on the other 28 and just sit and ponder....as my life moves on.
We are in the midst of helping an elderly patient pay for her chemo and when the wonderful social worker told her about HCM Foundation and the story how it started, the patient says to her daughter sitting next to her, "That is what you do when you die - you leave a legacy behind to help other people." When the social worker emailed me and told me that - I sat there and thought quietly to myself, 'that is one of the coolest things ever - it is like she is talking about my Dad as if he was still alive - alive in a sense of legacy. Legacy that has touched and helped her in a time of need.'
Maybe I am looking for anything to understand the situation and I'm stretching the rubber band too much on this one as my life moves on. I have never given my Dad a present for his birthday - I was only alive for one of them. But this year is different. My gift to him this year is not one you can buy. It's not really one you can explain. But you can definitely feel it - it is the gift of legacy that has been learned through helping others.
I still think it is crazy how much you can miss someone you never remember - and I would do absolutely anything I could to gain just one real memory - whether it would be good or bad and only if it was for a short period of time. But it will never happen.
Above I have uploaded a photo that was taken the summer my Dad died - he was 30, I was about to turn 1 and my brother was 5. I am going to go out on a limb here and say my Dad is smiling, looking down at me in this photo and thinking to himself, 'somehow one day this kid is going to learn from what I'm going through right now and figure out how to help people get through it - he'll figure out how to keep alive what little hope I have left - and grow it as it helps others.'
So when she calms down a bit, she says to me that they are out of food (they have about $150 left that we said we would help with) and she asked if I can get her another grocery card. I said, "well, I am going to be at Fox Chase on Friday - can you wait until then?" She says, "no Mike, is there anyway you can get it to us today?" I said, "Well I won't be able to get up there today because I have some appointments later in the day, can you wait until tomorrow?" She says, "no, is there anyone else you can send up to drop it off." I said to her, "hmmm, let me try to figure this out in the next hour and I will call you back."
I call her back in about 45 minutes (after I figure out that if I leave right now, I would have enough time to do it) and tell her I will be up at Fox Chase in about an hour and 15 minutes. When I get there, she is sitting quietly on the bench outside the cafe and as I get closer to her, she stands up, says my name and gives me a hug. We both sit back down on the bench and talk for about 25 minutes. We talk about life, death, children, grandchildren - and how life moves on. As you can see, this family continues to resonate with me....
And I continually ponder - how does life move on when we lose someone who has touched our life? Today is my Dad's birthday and I'm writing this as my thoughts come to me about how my life has moved on since. He would be 58, which means he was alive for 30 years and has been dead for 28. It gets tougher each year to say that. Soon he will be dead longer than he was alive. One thing that occurred to me about a month ago and I'm still trying to rationalize it into a good thing - when my Dad was 29 he spent the next year of his life dying of cancer. He spent that year incredibly sick, losing weight, wasting away, and I'd like to think he was wondering what kind of life my Mom, brother and I would have without him. Or maybe to make it positive - he was thinking about the life we would have with each other as we grow up. And now I'm about to be 29, spending the majority of my time trying to help families overcome their cancer. I never imagined I would have gotten myself in this position. It just kind of happened and it is too ironic when you compare me to my Dad. Same age, similar perspective, same purpose.
I remember when I was in elementary school they had us fill out those emergency cards with our parents info - I would always fill in my Mom's info and write my Dad's name but put the word deceased next to it. Most years when I had a new teacher, it would come up some time when they would ask me what happened or how old he was. And every time they would say, "wow, he was so young." When I was that young, 30 years old seemed old so his age didn't bother me! But now that I am about to turn 29, I get more perspective and really understand how young it is. Although I can't focus on the 30 years he was alive (probably because I wasn't there), I tend to focus on the other 28 and just sit and ponder....as my life moves on.
We are in the midst of helping an elderly patient pay for her chemo and when the wonderful social worker told her about HCM Foundation and the story how it started, the patient says to her daughter sitting next to her, "That is what you do when you die - you leave a legacy behind to help other people." When the social worker emailed me and told me that - I sat there and thought quietly to myself, 'that is one of the coolest things ever - it is like she is talking about my Dad as if he was still alive - alive in a sense of legacy. Legacy that has touched and helped her in a time of need.'
Maybe I am looking for anything to understand the situation and I'm stretching the rubber band too much on this one as my life moves on. I have never given my Dad a present for his birthday - I was only alive for one of them. But this year is different. My gift to him this year is not one you can buy. It's not really one you can explain. But you can definitely feel it - it is the gift of legacy that has been learned through helping others.
I still think it is crazy how much you can miss someone you never remember - and I would do absolutely anything I could to gain just one real memory - whether it would be good or bad and only if it was for a short period of time. But it will never happen.
Above I have uploaded a photo that was taken the summer my Dad died - he was 30, I was about to turn 1 and my brother was 5. I am going to go out on a limb here and say my Dad is smiling, looking down at me in this photo and thinking to himself, 'somehow one day this kid is going to learn from what I'm going through right now and figure out how to help people get through it - he'll figure out how to keep alive what little hope I have left - and grow it as it helps others.'
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Road Back To Ironman Racing
Two and a half years ago I was standing on the beach at Panama City Beach letting the water of the Gulf of Mexico hit my feet as I was about to start my fifth Ironman race. Swimming 2.4 miles with 2,800 other people all at the same time - it is such an exciting time. Maybe a bit of danger - getting hit, kicked, swum over - but it is the challenge of it that excites me. Once you get out of the crowd in the swim and can get in a group of 5 or 10 people, it is so relaxing. One stroke after the other, sometimes peeking your head up to make sure you are swimming with the buoys, looking at the feet in front of you, making sure you are where you should be. The taste of salt water in your mouth - not so bad at first, but a couple miles later all you want is a sip of water to wash it out (maybe that part isn't so relaxing)!
Hopping onto the bike with a bit of chill in the air knowing you will warm up soon, trying not to go out too hard, getting in that nutrition, staying calm remembering it is going to be a long day out there. Taking in that nutrition when you planned to, heart rate in check - getting to the half way point on the bike and you are still feeling good wondering what the rest of the day is going to bring??
Mile 80 of the bike - trying to keep it steady, maybe getting a little tired but nothing big, looking forward to getting off the bike and getting those run shoes on, hoping the legs, stomach, and head are all in a good place to run well.
Come into the second transition thinking, 'lets get these shoes on and run.' Handing someone your bike, they put it on the rack for you, you go grab your run bag, head in the tent, change your shoes, grab some nutrition, and head out on the road. People cheering for you, getting excited, happy to be off the bike, back a little tight, but legs feel good, and there is still a long day ahead!
Some Ironman marathons feel so good and some feel so bad. Each one has its story, each one has its people you meet, each one leaves its mark! But it's the challenge of it all - it's the challenge that makes you sometimes say, "I don't want to do this anymore", or "I want to get back at it, I want to be challenged, I want to work hard, I want to work my hardest to achieve and overcome my goals and challenges."
That second reaction is how I feel right now. I've always enjoyed training more than I have the racing. But Ironman is that beast of a race that is almost like one big training day - one big challenging training day. Such a long build up to a race, hoping it all goes well - your nutrition, your pacing, your mental game. It doesn't seem that hard when you write on your blog or talk with people, but it is damn hard to put it all together on race day when you are the one doing it. I want to get back in, I want to be back to Ironman racing and enjoy it - enjoy the challenges and continue to meet some amazing people involved in the sport.
I've always thought your commitment to Ironman training is what you want to get out of it. How many swims, bikes, and runs will you get in? How many hours? How much rest will you take? What will your taper look like? Pacing and nutrition strategy? But maybe it's better to not over think it too much and focus on a good balance in life - fitting training and racing into your already busy life - making sure that it ADDS to the quality of life you already have, rather than taking time away. Big things in life don't bring sacrifice if you really want to do them. Make everyone happy, inspire through your actions, and remember to thank those who support your endeavors!
After a three year break, I'm looking forward to toeing the line at the Rev3 Tri - Cedar Point Ironman Race for my sixth Ironman. I have my goals for race day of course, but my bigger goals are to embrace the challenges along the way, enjoy the physical activity, figure out the balance approach to life, meet people, train with people, learn what motivates others to do such a thing, and sincerely appreciate and support the people in my life who support all my endeavors on a day to day basis - big or small! Time to get it rolling....
Hopping onto the bike with a bit of chill in the air knowing you will warm up soon, trying not to go out too hard, getting in that nutrition, staying calm remembering it is going to be a long day out there. Taking in that nutrition when you planned to, heart rate in check - getting to the half way point on the bike and you are still feeling good wondering what the rest of the day is going to bring??
Mile 80 of the bike - trying to keep it steady, maybe getting a little tired but nothing big, looking forward to getting off the bike and getting those run shoes on, hoping the legs, stomach, and head are all in a good place to run well.
Come into the second transition thinking, 'lets get these shoes on and run.' Handing someone your bike, they put it on the rack for you, you go grab your run bag, head in the tent, change your shoes, grab some nutrition, and head out on the road. People cheering for you, getting excited, happy to be off the bike, back a little tight, but legs feel good, and there is still a long day ahead!
Some Ironman marathons feel so good and some feel so bad. Each one has its story, each one has its people you meet, each one leaves its mark! But it's the challenge of it all - it's the challenge that makes you sometimes say, "I don't want to do this anymore", or "I want to get back at it, I want to be challenged, I want to work hard, I want to work my hardest to achieve and overcome my goals and challenges."
That second reaction is how I feel right now. I've always enjoyed training more than I have the racing. But Ironman is that beast of a race that is almost like one big training day - one big challenging training day. Such a long build up to a race, hoping it all goes well - your nutrition, your pacing, your mental game. It doesn't seem that hard when you write on your blog or talk with people, but it is damn hard to put it all together on race day when you are the one doing it. I want to get back in, I want to be back to Ironman racing and enjoy it - enjoy the challenges and continue to meet some amazing people involved in the sport.
I've always thought your commitment to Ironman training is what you want to get out of it. How many swims, bikes, and runs will you get in? How many hours? How much rest will you take? What will your taper look like? Pacing and nutrition strategy? But maybe it's better to not over think it too much and focus on a good balance in life - fitting training and racing into your already busy life - making sure that it ADDS to the quality of life you already have, rather than taking time away. Big things in life don't bring sacrifice if you really want to do them. Make everyone happy, inspire through your actions, and remember to thank those who support your endeavors!
After a three year break, I'm looking forward to toeing the line at the Rev3 Tri - Cedar Point Ironman Race for my sixth Ironman. I have my goals for race day of course, but my bigger goals are to embrace the challenges along the way, enjoy the physical activity, figure out the balance approach to life, meet people, train with people, learn what motivates others to do such a thing, and sincerely appreciate and support the people in my life who support all my endeavors on a day to day basis - big or small! Time to get it rolling....
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Gettysburg North-South Marathon!
WOW! Well, I didn't run in this one, but I want to write my thoughts about the weekend I had volunteering at the Gettysburg North-South Marathon and what it meant to me as I saw it through my eyes! Lowell Ladd, race director of the marathon, approached me back in October time frame and asked if HCM Foundation would want to be involved with a race he is directing - The Gettysburg North-South Marathon! I thought what a wonderful thing! Lowell heard about HCM from one of his friends and HCM board member, Mike Carriglitto, and I saw this as more of an opportunity to grow newly found relationships so we may continue to add to the positive impact we have in our community. Lowell generously donated individual entries and team relay entries so runners had the option to run and fundraise for HCM programs and services.
Since Lowell has reached out to me we have done some training runs together and as I get to know him more - I'm most impressed with his attention to detail while planning and leading into the marathon and also his genuine thoughts about being involved with charity. Lowell fits the phrase, "Go big or go home" perfectly!
This happened to be the fourth weekend in a row I was out and about. The first one I was out at the Glacier Ridge Trail 50 miler crewing for my two buddies Alex Barth and Derek Schultz. Also, had the HCM Twenty9 night fundraiser that weekend (Sunday night.) The second weekend I was down in Virginia to help direct the HCM Smith Mountain Lake 4 Miler. The third weekend I was up in the Lehigh Valley to raffle of the Specialized Allez bicycle at Cutters Bike Shop. And this weekend was Gettysburg!! All GOOD STUFF!
I got into town Friday night and it was my first time in Gettysburg. A beautiful town! I love it! Saturday I got up and was going to meet Lowell for a run. As I am walking to the door of the hotel room I see an envelope with HCM Foundation (Mike Marsteller) written on the outside. Wondering what it is, I open it and it is a check from Lowell for $2,000. WOW WOW WOW! HE DONATED $2,000 OF THE RACE PROCEEDS TO HCM FOUNDATION!! I don't have words for how cool this is. Very very generous! I hope Lowell gets used to me thanking him for that every time I see him, haha! I was very touched by that kind gesture.
So Lowell and I went out for a 10 mile run and he showed me some of the roads around town. Very scenic! Came back, ate some breakfast, and it was time to get started. He put together an outstanding team of volunteers. We started setting up the packet pick up tent to get ready for that from 12-5pm! Then I headed out on the course with two other guys, Andrew and Darin, to mark the course (mile markers and turn arrows.) This is one of the most beautiful rolling courses I have ever seen. Awesome area!
Later Saturday night, Lowell hosted a special dinner in town for a few of the runners, sponsors, volunteers, and the people who were running for HCM. I felt very happy I was going to get to meet the people who were running this race and raising funds for HCM! I got to know them a little bit through email and phone, but it's always nice to meet in person. Getting to know them AND keeping in touch is VERY VERY important to me. I say it a gazillion times, but I'm confident that building relationships and a huge network of amazing people will be the driving force to make positive impact within our communities. It was very special to finally meet everyone in person because they are such amazing people!
Sunday morning race day I was up early and headed over to the race site. My first job was to instruct people where to park. That was pretty easy as I was sipping on my morning Sheetz coffee trying to get pumped up for what was about to happen!! My main job for the day was to be the lead pace bike in front of the race. I LOVE doing this!! And it was cool because I got to wear my HCM kit which I thought was appropriate since we were involved as the charity. It was such a cool feeling!
The guy who won, ran a 2:37, did an amazing job - he was cruising in and his family was out there on the course cheering him on as they drove to different spots. He is a fortunate guy to have that type of support. I would stay about 20 yards ahead of him throughout the course and every now and then I would shout some encouraging words to him. He held tough and when I pull off at the final turn, he holds his hand out and we slap hands as he is 100 yards from the finish. I turn back around and head out to find the lead female to bring her in. WOW! She is TOUGH!! She was hurting those last few miles but dug deep. In all the races I have ever done, not sure I've seen this much toughness. I did the same thing - stayed about 20 yards ahead and gave some shouts of encouragement. Both of them should be very proud of their finishes and it was nice that their families were out there to support them.
Once my pacing job was done, I'd get printed results from the finish line and ride them over to where the awards were. Then once all that was done, I got to relax a little, then we cleaned it all up and I hit the road right around dinner time!!!
So many cool things happened out of the weekend! Over 1,000 people completed a marathon, Lowell did a fabulous job directing, Gettysburg hosted their first marathon, HCM got to be a part of an awesome venue, and I was fortunate enough to meet the people who raised money for HCM. I just added up the numbers and total funds raised, including Lowell's donation, is $7,579. It is simply amazing! And to put a priceless spin on things - the relationships and friendships that were built from this weekend will forever continue to do things that will go farther than that money. And I am happy I could be out there and help Lowell out by volunteering and in a way give back to his amazing efforts the best I could!!
Since Lowell has reached out to me we have done some training runs together and as I get to know him more - I'm most impressed with his attention to detail while planning and leading into the marathon and also his genuine thoughts about being involved with charity. Lowell fits the phrase, "Go big or go home" perfectly!
This happened to be the fourth weekend in a row I was out and about. The first one I was out at the Glacier Ridge Trail 50 miler crewing for my two buddies Alex Barth and Derek Schultz. Also, had the HCM Twenty9 night fundraiser that weekend (Sunday night.) The second weekend I was down in Virginia to help direct the HCM Smith Mountain Lake 4 Miler. The third weekend I was up in the Lehigh Valley to raffle of the Specialized Allez bicycle at Cutters Bike Shop. And this weekend was Gettysburg!! All GOOD STUFF!
I got into town Friday night and it was my first time in Gettysburg. A beautiful town! I love it! Saturday I got up and was going to meet Lowell for a run. As I am walking to the door of the hotel room I see an envelope with HCM Foundation (Mike Marsteller) written on the outside. Wondering what it is, I open it and it is a check from Lowell for $2,000. WOW WOW WOW! HE DONATED $2,000 OF THE RACE PROCEEDS TO HCM FOUNDATION!! I don't have words for how cool this is. Very very generous! I hope Lowell gets used to me thanking him for that every time I see him, haha! I was very touched by that kind gesture.
So Lowell and I went out for a 10 mile run and he showed me some of the roads around town. Very scenic! Came back, ate some breakfast, and it was time to get started. He put together an outstanding team of volunteers. We started setting up the packet pick up tent to get ready for that from 12-5pm! Then I headed out on the course with two other guys, Andrew and Darin, to mark the course (mile markers and turn arrows.) This is one of the most beautiful rolling courses I have ever seen. Awesome area!
Later Saturday night, Lowell hosted a special dinner in town for a few of the runners, sponsors, volunteers, and the people who were running for HCM. I felt very happy I was going to get to meet the people who were running this race and raising funds for HCM! I got to know them a little bit through email and phone, but it's always nice to meet in person. Getting to know them AND keeping in touch is VERY VERY important to me. I say it a gazillion times, but I'm confident that building relationships and a huge network of amazing people will be the driving force to make positive impact within our communities. It was very special to finally meet everyone in person because they are such amazing people!
Sunday morning race day I was up early and headed over to the race site. My first job was to instruct people where to park. That was pretty easy as I was sipping on my morning Sheetz coffee trying to get pumped up for what was about to happen!! My main job for the day was to be the lead pace bike in front of the race. I LOVE doing this!! And it was cool because I got to wear my HCM kit which I thought was appropriate since we were involved as the charity. It was such a cool feeling!
The guy who won, ran a 2:37, did an amazing job - he was cruising in and his family was out there on the course cheering him on as they drove to different spots. He is a fortunate guy to have that type of support. I would stay about 20 yards ahead of him throughout the course and every now and then I would shout some encouraging words to him. He held tough and when I pull off at the final turn, he holds his hand out and we slap hands as he is 100 yards from the finish. I turn back around and head out to find the lead female to bring her in. WOW! She is TOUGH!! She was hurting those last few miles but dug deep. In all the races I have ever done, not sure I've seen this much toughness. I did the same thing - stayed about 20 yards ahead and gave some shouts of encouragement. Both of them should be very proud of their finishes and it was nice that their families were out there to support them.
Once my pacing job was done, I'd get printed results from the finish line and ride them over to where the awards were. Then once all that was done, I got to relax a little, then we cleaned it all up and I hit the road right around dinner time!!!
So many cool things happened out of the weekend! Over 1,000 people completed a marathon, Lowell did a fabulous job directing, Gettysburg hosted their first marathon, HCM got to be a part of an awesome venue, and I was fortunate enough to meet the people who raised money for HCM. I just added up the numbers and total funds raised, including Lowell's donation, is $7,579. It is simply amazing! And to put a priceless spin on things - the relationships and friendships that were built from this weekend will forever continue to do things that will go farther than that money. And I am happy I could be out there and help Lowell out by volunteering and in a way give back to his amazing efforts the best I could!!
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Inspirational Opportunity of Hope
Last night my buddy and HCM teammate, Bryan Verdeur, organized a wonderful HCM fundraiser at this incredible restaurant in Great Valley called Twenty9! It was such an awesome evening - I was able to mingle and spend time with people who are already involved with the foundation, people who are just learning about it, and people who want to be involved. Everyone enjoyed the company, good food, and drinks!!
As people were eating, I gave a talk about HCM, told some stories, and explained what DRIVES our organization to thrive - the Inspirational Opportunity of Hope:
As people were eating, I gave a talk about HCM, told some stories, and explained what DRIVES our organization to thrive - the Inspirational Opportunity of Hope:
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Get Your Rear in Gear Philly 10k!
What an AWESOME event today! The Philly Get Your Rear in Gear hosts a kids run, 5k, 10k, and 2 mile walk. Funds raised from the event will help local efforts to raise awareness of colon and rectal cancer and positively impact screening rates. I chose to do the 10k race and as my stream of consciousness hits the day before this race, it goes like this:
'Wow, I did my first run race in 2002 - it was a 10k and I ran 38:51. A long way coming and my "goal" for this race is to run in the low 34 minute range. What a sense of hard work and improvement over the years.'
'I started a non-profit foundation two years ago with the goal to help cancer patients and their families (no matter what type of cancer) and I'm trying to do my best at getting others involved and helping as many people as we can, collectively. Running in this event, racing alongside thousands of other people passionate about the cause - how is this going to feel? I may be overwhelmed.'
'The event wants to use the funds to raise awareness of colon cancer and positively impact screening rates - I recently had my screening last month and I feel empowered to carry similar goals and objectives with HCM, but I struggle figuring out the best and most effective way to increase colon cancer prevention and it frustrates me. I hope I can figure this out soon.'
'My Dad died of colon cancer at such a young age and never had the chance to see me grow up. I wish he was around to see all I've become - whether it is running, the foundation, etc. But the crazy thing is that if he was here - all of that stuff might not be.'
'And lastly - events and races of this nature put a good amount of focus on one day - getting people pumped and fired up to do big things. We try to do that at our HCM events! However, the real work gets done day in and day out by remaining focused and putting your nose to the grindstone and never letting up. I want to use this race as a way to get me pumped up so I can continue to have that intense drive and work ethic I have with the foundation - this moment in my life is the most motivated I've been in a long time.'
Ok - well lets get on with the race. I get there and walk over to the art museum to pick up my race number and t-shirt. All these people here - some holding signs, some wearing t-shirts that honor who they are running or walking for - it made me stop and look around. It's history right here. All these stories - peoples' lives and their ability to touch others enough they are now doing something in their memory/honor. It amazes me. And of course I sport the new HCM run singlet - I don't look at this piece of clothing as a way to honor my Dad - I keep that in my heart and mind - I look at our uniforms as a way to show I am part of a TEAM that is collectively trying to make a difference in our community. The people on the HCM Team are down right amazing. Genuine would be my word to describe all of them and the relationships being built are going to do some really good things this year and further years.
Ok - now I will really get to the race, ha! It was in the mid to low 40s but the sun was shining very bright. So I wore shorts, t-shirt, hcm singlet over shirt, and light gloves - PERFECT conditions. I did about a 2 mile warm up and 5 or 6 pickups just before the start and mingled with a few of the other runners (always nice to catch up and meet new people). I recognized Patrick Hager (winner of 5k today) from the Quakertown race so we said a few words and he introduced me to his buddy Eric, who was running the 10k and also shooting for a low 34 time! Good stuff!
So we start and it was hard to know who was running the 5k versus the 10k because we all started together. I knew I wanted to hold a 5:30 pace on the way out so I tried not to get wrapped up in the speed early on and held my own pace. In the 10k, there was a guy way off the front - then Eric and another guy, Steve (who I've done a few training runs with), were together a few steps ahead of me. By mile 2 they started to separate and Eric held his pace strong. I ended up catching up to Steve and tried to encourage him to keep running with me because we could feed off each other and keep it going. I hit the turnaround (at the 5k mark) nice and steady feeling good - the first place guy was still way out front, Eric was about 15 sec ahead of me, Steve was about 10 sec behind me, and then there was a line of guys maybe 30 - 45 sec behind Steve.
Eric simply smoked that second half of the course - he was looking strong after the turnaround. No way I was catching up to him. So I just wanted to continue running my pace the best I can, finish on the low 34 min range, and stay in 3rd place. After the turnaround, it is so cool because you get to see everyone who is in the race. Soooo many cheers were coming my way. Things like - "Cmon - looking strong, you are in 3rd place, keep it up." What a rush. In the last mile and a half we come up on people finishing the 5k and also all the incredible folks doing the walk. This was AMAZING! People in the walk wearing those shirts, holding signs, so many stories beaming brightly throughout that 1 mile stretch. It gave me energy! There was a moment I had where I was running through these thousands of people thinking, 'ha, I am running as fast as I possibly can, I am in 3rd place in a field of 800, and I am running through about 2,000 other people (doing the walk and 5k) - it was a crazy feeling and one I have never experienced. Those are always the best! I was trying to soak up every second and certainly every footstep I took!
So I ended up finishing with a time of 34:28 and placed 3rd overall. The pace I ran averaged out to be 5:33 which is very close to my goal pace of 5:30 so I will walk away happy with the effort I put in! Here is a link to the results: http://www.lin-mark.com/results/gear10k2011.txt
You know - for a guy who absolutely loves running, lost his Dad to colon cancer at a young age, and started a cancer foundation two years ago - this day was an AWESOME day for me. Although, I continue to go back to one of the points above - It's great to have these days, but it's also important to continue the day in and day out hard work we are all capable of whether it is in running, our jobs, raising our children, treating people well. It is important to make sure you have an awesome day every day!
Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon :)
'Wow, I did my first run race in 2002 - it was a 10k and I ran 38:51. A long way coming and my "goal" for this race is to run in the low 34 minute range. What a sense of hard work and improvement over the years.'
'I started a non-profit foundation two years ago with the goal to help cancer patients and their families (no matter what type of cancer) and I'm trying to do my best at getting others involved and helping as many people as we can, collectively. Running in this event, racing alongside thousands of other people passionate about the cause - how is this going to feel? I may be overwhelmed.'
'The event wants to use the funds to raise awareness of colon cancer and positively impact screening rates - I recently had my screening last month and I feel empowered to carry similar goals and objectives with HCM, but I struggle figuring out the best and most effective way to increase colon cancer prevention and it frustrates me. I hope I can figure this out soon.'
'My Dad died of colon cancer at such a young age and never had the chance to see me grow up. I wish he was around to see all I've become - whether it is running, the foundation, etc. But the crazy thing is that if he was here - all of that stuff might not be.'
'And lastly - events and races of this nature put a good amount of focus on one day - getting people pumped and fired up to do big things. We try to do that at our HCM events! However, the real work gets done day in and day out by remaining focused and putting your nose to the grindstone and never letting up. I want to use this race as a way to get me pumped up so I can continue to have that intense drive and work ethic I have with the foundation - this moment in my life is the most motivated I've been in a long time.'
Ok - well lets get on with the race. I get there and walk over to the art museum to pick up my race number and t-shirt. All these people here - some holding signs, some wearing t-shirts that honor who they are running or walking for - it made me stop and look around. It's history right here. All these stories - peoples' lives and their ability to touch others enough they are now doing something in their memory/honor. It amazes me. And of course I sport the new HCM run singlet - I don't look at this piece of clothing as a way to honor my Dad - I keep that in my heart and mind - I look at our uniforms as a way to show I am part of a TEAM that is collectively trying to make a difference in our community. The people on the HCM Team are down right amazing. Genuine would be my word to describe all of them and the relationships being built are going to do some really good things this year and further years.
Ok - now I will really get to the race, ha! It was in the mid to low 40s but the sun was shining very bright. So I wore shorts, t-shirt, hcm singlet over shirt, and light gloves - PERFECT conditions. I did about a 2 mile warm up and 5 or 6 pickups just before the start and mingled with a few of the other runners (always nice to catch up and meet new people). I recognized Patrick Hager (winner of 5k today) from the Quakertown race so we said a few words and he introduced me to his buddy Eric, who was running the 10k and also shooting for a low 34 time! Good stuff!
So we start and it was hard to know who was running the 5k versus the 10k because we all started together. I knew I wanted to hold a 5:30 pace on the way out so I tried not to get wrapped up in the speed early on and held my own pace. In the 10k, there was a guy way off the front - then Eric and another guy, Steve (who I've done a few training runs with), were together a few steps ahead of me. By mile 2 they started to separate and Eric held his pace strong. I ended up catching up to Steve and tried to encourage him to keep running with me because we could feed off each other and keep it going. I hit the turnaround (at the 5k mark) nice and steady feeling good - the first place guy was still way out front, Eric was about 15 sec ahead of me, Steve was about 10 sec behind me, and then there was a line of guys maybe 30 - 45 sec behind Steve.
Eric simply smoked that second half of the course - he was looking strong after the turnaround. No way I was catching up to him. So I just wanted to continue running my pace the best I can, finish on the low 34 min range, and stay in 3rd place. After the turnaround, it is so cool because you get to see everyone who is in the race. Soooo many cheers were coming my way. Things like - "Cmon - looking strong, you are in 3rd place, keep it up." What a rush. In the last mile and a half we come up on people finishing the 5k and also all the incredible folks doing the walk. This was AMAZING! People in the walk wearing those shirts, holding signs, so many stories beaming brightly throughout that 1 mile stretch. It gave me energy! There was a moment I had where I was running through these thousands of people thinking, 'ha, I am running as fast as I possibly can, I am in 3rd place in a field of 800, and I am running through about 2,000 other people (doing the walk and 5k) - it was a crazy feeling and one I have never experienced. Those are always the best! I was trying to soak up every second and certainly every footstep I took!
So I ended up finishing with a time of 34:28 and placed 3rd overall. The pace I ran averaged out to be 5:33 which is very close to my goal pace of 5:30 so I will walk away happy with the effort I put in! Here is a link to the results: http://www.lin-mark.com/results/gear10k2011.txt
You know - for a guy who absolutely loves running, lost his Dad to colon cancer at a young age, and started a cancer foundation two years ago - this day was an AWESOME day for me. Although, I continue to go back to one of the points above - It's great to have these days, but it's also important to continue the day in and day out hard work we are all capable of whether it is in running, our jobs, raising our children, treating people well. It is important to make sure you have an awesome day every day!
Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon :)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Quakertown 10 Miler
Wow - What an awesome day for a race!! A bit of overcast, low 50s, and a rolling/hilly course!!
I've really been making an effort to get my running fitness back to where it was two years ago and this race definitely made me feel like I'm making progress! It took me about 40 - 45 minutes to get to where the race was being held. Whenever I have a drive like that I try to think about how I want my day to pan out. Here are some of the things that were rolling around my head on the drive:
Try to encourage the other people running - before, during, and after the race. Thank the volunteers when I can. Enjoy the weather. Get in a decent warm up run. Don't start out too hard. Work the hills, recover on down hills, try to run the second half faster than the first. Stick around the finish line after I cross to congratulate some people as they cross. Go for a short warm down run. Eat food. Stick around for all of the awards. And then head home.
Those were my goals for this race and it actually turned out pretty well! I really enjoy the local race scene - there are so many great folks involved - many are friends of mine and there are always new people to meet too! It is all good! I always find it interesting to talk with people before - we are all a bit anxious nervous. Then after we all finish, everyone is relaxed and I love hearing people's recap of their race!
On to what happened in the race. Mike Carriglitto, Sam Snukis, and I headed out for a 20 minute warm up run. I did a few pick ups and we were ready to start!! I ran this race last year so I knew the layout of the course. I didn't feel I had the fitness to go out super hard on this course because of the hills and my plan was to actually hang about 10 - 15 yards behind the front group for a bit.
So as we start and we run that first mile - WOW - the front group had like 10 - 15 people in it!! I cross the first mile marker in 5:40 and that was great - not too hard/not too easy. But I was thinking - that front group is running like 5:20 and that is going to hurt once we get in the hills!!
Once we hit that first mile I started to work through the front group and a few of the guys started coming back and another two of the guys in that group turned left to follow the 4 miler course. So we turn right to follow the 10 miler course. Now ahead of me is Mark Jones, Mike Carriglitto and three other guys. Right as we hit the 2 mile mark, I am with Mark. What a great guy he is! We chat for a few steps and the course continues to head downhill for a bit.
We continue on and turn left which this is when the madness starts - HILLS HILLS HILLS!! I didn't push the first two miles very hard and so when we started to get in the hills my goal was to run very hard UP the hills and recover DOWN the hills. I thought this would allow me to get over the hills quickly but conserve some energy for the last half of the race. I end up getting a few steps ahead of Mark - Mike C. and another guy are about 30 - 40 seconds ahead and the other two guys are about 40 seconds ahead of them.
So sticking to my strategy - hard on the uphills, recover on the downhills - I actually catch up to Mike C. and the other guy just before mile 4. It took a lot of effort to catch back on. When I caught back up it was in the middle of the second last big climb. The guy that was with Mike started to fall back. I do some training with Mike and we often do some of our hard weekly runs together so when I got up to him I asked him how he was feeling, hoping we could just keep it relaxed and stay at this pace. Haha, Well we were at about 24 minutes at this point and he says to me, "I'm going to wait until 25 minutes and then I'm going to go." So we hit 25 minutes and he says, "C'mon - time to go." It was a move like I've never seen before. He put about 30 seconds on me in a matter of 10 seconds, ha!! He crushed it!
So we continue on and at mile 5 we hit the last beast of a hill. We get over that and Mike C. is about 30 seconds ahead of me, then there is a guy maybe 30 - 40 seconds ahead of him, and another guy 20 - 30 seconds ahead of him. I was feeling pretty good at this point and my goal was to try to keep Mike in sight and just use him as a marker to make sure I'm not slowing down (no way was I catching up to him, but just didn't want to slow too much.)
Mike made such an incredible move, he ends up catching the 2nd place guy and just keeps it moving!! When I saw this at mile 6, I thought maybe I can get him too but it will take a bit of effort. So I really dig in pretty hard on this flat section. We turn left and as we hit 7 miles I catch up to him and continue on. So 3 miles left and now I am in third place, Mike C. in 2nd about 30 seconds up, and the 1st place guy about a minute up on Mike.
WOW - mile 8 is a scorching downhill!! This was actually a pretty hard section because I knew the last mile is uphill. I didn't have much left at this point, but the guy I just passed was not really that far behind so I still needed to keep the pace I generated in order to catch up to him. This was tough!!
We hit 9 miles and make a right hand turn going uphill and with a half mile left I give it all I had!! By the time I crossed the finish line, I thought I was going to lose my breakfast!! So I come in and end up finishing 3 place with a time of 58:14 on this super brutal hilly course. Aaahhh, what a great feeling to reach the finish line!!! Mike C. grabbed 2nd place in 57:40 and the 1st place guy ran a mid 56!
http://pretzelcitysports.com/userfiles/file/11%20quak%20rotary%2010M%20res.pdf
This race is certainly one of my favorites - Bill T. does a great job directing and there is such a cool atmosphere at this race. It gives off a really cool vibe. I was happy to see many of my friends out there running and I also met some new friends. Running has soooo much more to offer than what we see in our paper results. I walked away today more fulfilled from listening to other people tell me their story about their race - how they felt, their results, what races they have coming up. It is all so great and I look forward to another day out there racing!
I've really been making an effort to get my running fitness back to where it was two years ago and this race definitely made me feel like I'm making progress! It took me about 40 - 45 minutes to get to where the race was being held. Whenever I have a drive like that I try to think about how I want my day to pan out. Here are some of the things that were rolling around my head on the drive:
Try to encourage the other people running - before, during, and after the race. Thank the volunteers when I can. Enjoy the weather. Get in a decent warm up run. Don't start out too hard. Work the hills, recover on down hills, try to run the second half faster than the first. Stick around the finish line after I cross to congratulate some people as they cross. Go for a short warm down run. Eat food. Stick around for all of the awards. And then head home.
Those were my goals for this race and it actually turned out pretty well! I really enjoy the local race scene - there are so many great folks involved - many are friends of mine and there are always new people to meet too! It is all good! I always find it interesting to talk with people before - we are all a bit anxious nervous. Then after we all finish, everyone is relaxed and I love hearing people's recap of their race!
On to what happened in the race. Mike Carriglitto, Sam Snukis, and I headed out for a 20 minute warm up run. I did a few pick ups and we were ready to start!! I ran this race last year so I knew the layout of the course. I didn't feel I had the fitness to go out super hard on this course because of the hills and my plan was to actually hang about 10 - 15 yards behind the front group for a bit.
So as we start and we run that first mile - WOW - the front group had like 10 - 15 people in it!! I cross the first mile marker in 5:40 and that was great - not too hard/not too easy. But I was thinking - that front group is running like 5:20 and that is going to hurt once we get in the hills!!
Once we hit that first mile I started to work through the front group and a few of the guys started coming back and another two of the guys in that group turned left to follow the 4 miler course. So we turn right to follow the 10 miler course. Now ahead of me is Mark Jones, Mike Carriglitto and three other guys. Right as we hit the 2 mile mark, I am with Mark. What a great guy he is! We chat for a few steps and the course continues to head downhill for a bit.
We continue on and turn left which this is when the madness starts - HILLS HILLS HILLS!! I didn't push the first two miles very hard and so when we started to get in the hills my goal was to run very hard UP the hills and recover DOWN the hills. I thought this would allow me to get over the hills quickly but conserve some energy for the last half of the race. I end up getting a few steps ahead of Mark - Mike C. and another guy are about 30 - 40 seconds ahead and the other two guys are about 40 seconds ahead of them.
So sticking to my strategy - hard on the uphills, recover on the downhills - I actually catch up to Mike C. and the other guy just before mile 4. It took a lot of effort to catch back on. When I caught back up it was in the middle of the second last big climb. The guy that was with Mike started to fall back. I do some training with Mike and we often do some of our hard weekly runs together so when I got up to him I asked him how he was feeling, hoping we could just keep it relaxed and stay at this pace. Haha, Well we were at about 24 minutes at this point and he says to me, "I'm going to wait until 25 minutes and then I'm going to go." So we hit 25 minutes and he says, "C'mon - time to go." It was a move like I've never seen before. He put about 30 seconds on me in a matter of 10 seconds, ha!! He crushed it!
So we continue on and at mile 5 we hit the last beast of a hill. We get over that and Mike C. is about 30 seconds ahead of me, then there is a guy maybe 30 - 40 seconds ahead of him, and another guy 20 - 30 seconds ahead of him. I was feeling pretty good at this point and my goal was to try to keep Mike in sight and just use him as a marker to make sure I'm not slowing down (no way was I catching up to him, but just didn't want to slow too much.)
Mike made such an incredible move, he ends up catching the 2nd place guy and just keeps it moving!! When I saw this at mile 6, I thought maybe I can get him too but it will take a bit of effort. So I really dig in pretty hard on this flat section. We turn left and as we hit 7 miles I catch up to him and continue on. So 3 miles left and now I am in third place, Mike C. in 2nd about 30 seconds up, and the 1st place guy about a minute up on Mike.
WOW - mile 8 is a scorching downhill!! This was actually a pretty hard section because I knew the last mile is uphill. I didn't have much left at this point, but the guy I just passed was not really that far behind so I still needed to keep the pace I generated in order to catch up to him. This was tough!!
We hit 9 miles and make a right hand turn going uphill and with a half mile left I give it all I had!! By the time I crossed the finish line, I thought I was going to lose my breakfast!! So I come in and end up finishing 3 place with a time of 58:14 on this super brutal hilly course. Aaahhh, what a great feeling to reach the finish line!!! Mike C. grabbed 2nd place in 57:40 and the 1st place guy ran a mid 56!
http://pretzelcitysports.com/userfiles/file/11%20quak%20rotary%2010M%20res.pdf
This race is certainly one of my favorites - Bill T. does a great job directing and there is such a cool atmosphere at this race. It gives off a really cool vibe. I was happy to see many of my friends out there running and I also met some new friends. Running has soooo much more to offer than what we see in our paper results. I walked away today more fulfilled from listening to other people tell me their story about their race - how they felt, their results, what races they have coming up. It is all so great and I look forward to another day out there racing!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
What did you have in mind?
I got a call the other day right smack in the middle of the day. It was a number I didn't recognize and when that happens I always try to answer the phone no matter what I'm doing simply because it's more efficient (rather than them leaving a voice mail then I have to call back, etc.) It was a day where my mind was racing, ideas were popping in my head, and I was running at full speed!! So my phone rings, I don't recognize the number, and I decide to pick it up.
The caller is a gentleman who wants to inquire about the HCM Foundation College Scholarship Program. He tells me that his daughter fulfills the requirements to apply and he was calling to get more details. So right away - things slow down for me. My mind stops going full speed and is now solely focused and interested in this family's story.
I am not going to go in depth with the details to their story so I can keep it private and maintain the integrity of the scholarship program, which is run by a committee. But I will go on to write that this gentleman's daughter has a VERY similar story to myself and hearing him describe it to me REALLY made me slow down even more. As he tells me their story he is also reflecting back on his life and expresses to me some of the difficult times they had.
As the conversation is coming to an end I say to him that I am very grateful our paths have crossed and I encourage his daughter to apply for the HCM Scholarship. Then I also go into telling him just a brief rendition of my story and what the scholarship committee is really looking for when we sit down and review/score the applications. I think he was a bit taken back by my story because it is so similar to his daughter. I believe it was a very cool moment for both him and me - two people who have never met in person, talking on the phone, engaging about the similar hardships of our past, blessed moments in the present, and endless opportunities for the future.
So now for the rest of that day and most likely for the rest of the week I will be thinking about this conversation. What this conversation did for me was take me back - it took me back to what I had in mind as I was driving in my car 2 years ago and said to myself, "I'm going to create something that will help families and their children who are just like me - who went through similar things and have similar capabilities for the future."
You know these last few months a lot of my energy has been put into organizing future fundraisers and doing a lot of the administrative side to HCM Foundation. Not that I have forgotten my original mindset when I created it, but it are scenarios like this conversation that are so vital to staying true to yourself and your original intent.
It made me feel good to talk with this gentleman. And our conversation - yea, it certainly makes me go back. Makes me think about my Mom, my brother, me - the loss of an important family member. Hearing stories like this one is what keeps me motivated to keep things moving. The ability for me and the HCM network to give families like this help and hope. The hope means more to me. Hope is always stronger.
So as I continue to push on this week and things are racing a gazillion miles a minute - as I lay in bed at night trying to get some z's, I will think of these stories and continue to be amazed by the incredible people who cross my path each day.
Always remember where you came from and "what you had in mind!" It will make your hope stronger!
The caller is a gentleman who wants to inquire about the HCM Foundation College Scholarship Program. He tells me that his daughter fulfills the requirements to apply and he was calling to get more details. So right away - things slow down for me. My mind stops going full speed and is now solely focused and interested in this family's story.
I am not going to go in depth with the details to their story so I can keep it private and maintain the integrity of the scholarship program, which is run by a committee. But I will go on to write that this gentleman's daughter has a VERY similar story to myself and hearing him describe it to me REALLY made me slow down even more. As he tells me their story he is also reflecting back on his life and expresses to me some of the difficult times they had.
As the conversation is coming to an end I say to him that I am very grateful our paths have crossed and I encourage his daughter to apply for the HCM Scholarship. Then I also go into telling him just a brief rendition of my story and what the scholarship committee is really looking for when we sit down and review/score the applications. I think he was a bit taken back by my story because it is so similar to his daughter. I believe it was a very cool moment for both him and me - two people who have never met in person, talking on the phone, engaging about the similar hardships of our past, blessed moments in the present, and endless opportunities for the future.
So now for the rest of that day and most likely for the rest of the week I will be thinking about this conversation. What this conversation did for me was take me back - it took me back to what I had in mind as I was driving in my car 2 years ago and said to myself, "I'm going to create something that will help families and their children who are just like me - who went through similar things and have similar capabilities for the future."
You know these last few months a lot of my energy has been put into organizing future fundraisers and doing a lot of the administrative side to HCM Foundation. Not that I have forgotten my original mindset when I created it, but it are scenarios like this conversation that are so vital to staying true to yourself and your original intent.
It made me feel good to talk with this gentleman. And our conversation - yea, it certainly makes me go back. Makes me think about my Mom, my brother, me - the loss of an important family member. Hearing stories like this one is what keeps me motivated to keep things moving. The ability for me and the HCM network to give families like this help and hope. The hope means more to me. Hope is always stronger.
So as I continue to push on this week and things are racing a gazillion miles a minute - as I lay in bed at night trying to get some z's, I will think of these stories and continue to be amazed by the incredible people who cross my path each day.
Always remember where you came from and "what you had in mind!" It will make your hope stronger!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Pretzel City Sports Ugly Mudder Trail Race!
A few weeks ago my friend Alex Barth calls me up and says, "Hey Mike, do you want to come out and run the Ugly Mudder with me? Yea, we can race the race, then head back out and run it again!" My response, "uh, well, uh, I don't know - I'm not too thrilled about racing on the trails. Lets wait until it gets closer and I will let you know." Well, I decided to make a change of pace from the road and try out a trail race!
I had a weird feeling before this race - not nervous, but more anxious because I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't know the course, I knew there were some really good trail runners there, and my footwork on the trails isn't all that great. So my main goal was to go out with the lead group and hope my footwork would keep me there for the majority of the race. I wanted to prove to myself that I really wasn't that bad of a trail runner!
This was one of Pretzel City Sports biggest turnouts - they had over 800 people show up! WOW - that is so awesome! With that many people it made the start line a bit crowded. So I knew once that gun went off, I needed to bolt as fast as I could to the front so I didn't get stuck.
Photo Courtesy of Helene Horn from Pretzel City Sports
So we start down the road, make a right hand turn, go up a short hill, and then BAM - there we are popped onto the trail. I'd say there was a good group of about 10 - 15 guys off the front. When we get on the trail we then make a super sharp left, straight uphill! There were three guys really pushing the pace, but I stayed back a bit not really knowing how this course is going to be.
So we get about a mile in, there are two guys a bit off the front, then two other guys, Alex, me, then the rest of the group right on our heels. So we head up this hill, Alex makes a giant step around the two dudes ahead of us and I think, 'this trail stuff is ridiculous but fun at the same time.' I go with Alex and we settle in nicely, still a few steps behind the two guys off the front.
Josh Emery picks up speed, comes by us, and at this point I am starting to feel it. Uphill, uphill, uphill, hopping over trees, rocks, slipping on leaves, my eyes watering making it hard to see, reaction after reaction. These first 3 miles were very very intense. We were, or at least I was, absolutely redlined running as hard as I could - trying to hang, picking my line hoping it was the best line.
Photo Courtesy of Helene Horn from Pretzel City Sports
So we hit this gnarly downhill section and it was so chaotic. There wasn't a definite turn and I'm in this group - we all ended up picking different lines to get through it. I ended up losing a few steps there. We pop out on the road, cross the road, then run straight uphill to another road and turn left. WOW, I was hurting by this point. We run up the road and go around this building and what happened here was the pace started getting faster!!! Aaahhhh! I couldn't keep up. I lost touch with Alex and another guy passed me. So there were the two dudes off front, Josh Emery, Alex, and another guy in blue, then me, and a couple other guys behind me.
Once we get passed this building, the guys behind me caught up to me and passed me. I was thinking to myself, 'ok, my legs are completely dead, I'm losing ground, I don't feel like I am running that fast - I either need to pick it up and catch back on, or just keep dropping back.' So I decided to pick up the pace a bit. So I re-pass Louis Secreto, and now we are running through a super nice flat and windy section. I loved this because I could really get it cranking again. I was at max, but I was able to catch back up to Paul and Patrick.
So where we are at right now in the race we have I believe a group of 6 guys about 45 - 60 seconds ahead of us. Then in my group is Paul Wallace and Patrick. Then about 30 - 45 seconds behind us is Louis and Tadd. Then I think the next group was a few minutes back.
So we come barreling down this hill and I am doing all I can to hang with Paul and Patrick. All of a sudden they stop and one of them says, "Damn, I think we are off the course - we are off the course - where do we go?" So we stop, look around, and we are at a T intersection - to the left of us it is a downhill with pink ribbon and to the right of us it is uphill with pink ribbon. We must have missed a turn. By this point Louis and Tad catch up to us. Without much hesitation they bolt to the right, not trying to stop and correct where we went off, and go up the hill. Paul, Patrick, and I are still standing there wondering which way to go. By the time Louis and Tadd get up over the hill on the other side of the rock - we decide to head up that way hoping we were right.
So now Louis and Tad are probably 45 - 60 seconds ahead of us, ha! Paul, Patrick, and I pick it up and we are talking - "what do we do?" "are we sure we went off course?" "if so what do we do about it?" So in about a mile we pop out onto a road with an aid station and they shout, "great job guys - you are 3, 4, and 5 (because Louis and Tad are ahead) and instantly we say to eachother "yep, we went off course."
So Patrick says, "guys why don't we just wait for the group who was ahead of us, we will let them go, then start running again." I say, "Alright man" but as I look back I don't see anyone. So we run a little further at an easier pace and we decide that our race is over and the three of us won't cross the finish line. So I say, "alright guys, that works - so lets just pick things back up and at least get in a good workout. Our race is over but lets just work together over these last few miles and get in a good tempo." So that's what it was.
There were sections that were technical where we slowed down a bit just because we were out of the race. But slowing down - there were actually three guys from the group ahead of us that ended up catching us. We actually moved to the side, stopped, and let them go through because we thought they ran the right course. And no point in impeding their progress because we knew we went off course.
So anyway, we get up to the finish and pull off to the side and start walking. Ron says to cross the line and finish because the guys in front of us went off course too - so we will figure it out. So here we come to find out that some random person/people actually cut down one of the turn markers and the majority of the top 20 people went off course. AAAhhhhhh. So it was just a bummer of a situation that really was not in anyone's control. It sucked. It sucked for me because it was my first trail race and I felt I was hanging pretty well. It was a great pleasure to run with Paul and Patrick as they were trying to figure out where we went wrong. I ended up getting put in 8th place on the results (http://pretzelcitysports.com/userfiles/file/11%20UM%20res.pdf), which that is cool with me. When the top 20 or so head off course and that is noted within the results - I don't think you can really sit down and believe it. Although I will say I think anyone in this race who went off course should have been disqualified and not listed in the results (including myself). But that is not how it happened, so lets just all be happy we are healthy and enjoy what these great trails have to offer! AND I am sure there will be another day when we are all out on the trails again, random folks don't mess with the turn markers, and we stay on course. I am REALLY looking forward to that day for sure :)
Alex Barth kept back tracking because he got lost too. He ended up running almost 8 miles (of the 7 mile course)!!! Once he came in, we chilled out a bit, then Alex and I headed out to run the course again at an easy pace. This made the day because we were both a bit fired up about getting lost, but ultimately came to the conclusion that we enjoy being out here on the trails, we didn't get hurt, we still got in a good effort, and we will go home happy. But as we ran the 2nd loop we found the spot where we went wrong. Alex ended up running extra because he kept going back and forth never finding the marker because it was ripped down. As for me, I'd say by missing that turn, I cut it short by about .2 miles (my garmin read 6.78)?? But with all the stopping we did, it might equal out my time.
I definitely look forward to hitting up some more trail races. They are great workouts and those first few miles are filled with some serious adrenaline!!!
I had a weird feeling before this race - not nervous, but more anxious because I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't know the course, I knew there were some really good trail runners there, and my footwork on the trails isn't all that great. So my main goal was to go out with the lead group and hope my footwork would keep me there for the majority of the race. I wanted to prove to myself that I really wasn't that bad of a trail runner!
This was one of Pretzel City Sports biggest turnouts - they had over 800 people show up! WOW - that is so awesome! With that many people it made the start line a bit crowded. So I knew once that gun went off, I needed to bolt as fast as I could to the front so I didn't get stuck.
Photo Courtesy of Helene Horn from Pretzel City Sports
So we start down the road, make a right hand turn, go up a short hill, and then BAM - there we are popped onto the trail. I'd say there was a good group of about 10 - 15 guys off the front. When we get on the trail we then make a super sharp left, straight uphill! There were three guys really pushing the pace, but I stayed back a bit not really knowing how this course is going to be.
So we get about a mile in, there are two guys a bit off the front, then two other guys, Alex, me, then the rest of the group right on our heels. So we head up this hill, Alex makes a giant step around the two dudes ahead of us and I think, 'this trail stuff is ridiculous but fun at the same time.' I go with Alex and we settle in nicely, still a few steps behind the two guys off the front.
Josh Emery picks up speed, comes by us, and at this point I am starting to feel it. Uphill, uphill, uphill, hopping over trees, rocks, slipping on leaves, my eyes watering making it hard to see, reaction after reaction. These first 3 miles were very very intense. We were, or at least I was, absolutely redlined running as hard as I could - trying to hang, picking my line hoping it was the best line.
Photo Courtesy of Helene Horn from Pretzel City Sports
So we hit this gnarly downhill section and it was so chaotic. There wasn't a definite turn and I'm in this group - we all ended up picking different lines to get through it. I ended up losing a few steps there. We pop out on the road, cross the road, then run straight uphill to another road and turn left. WOW, I was hurting by this point. We run up the road and go around this building and what happened here was the pace started getting faster!!! Aaahhhh! I couldn't keep up. I lost touch with Alex and another guy passed me. So there were the two dudes off front, Josh Emery, Alex, and another guy in blue, then me, and a couple other guys behind me.
Once we get passed this building, the guys behind me caught up to me and passed me. I was thinking to myself, 'ok, my legs are completely dead, I'm losing ground, I don't feel like I am running that fast - I either need to pick it up and catch back on, or just keep dropping back.' So I decided to pick up the pace a bit. So I re-pass Louis Secreto, and now we are running through a super nice flat and windy section. I loved this because I could really get it cranking again. I was at max, but I was able to catch back up to Paul and Patrick.
So where we are at right now in the race we have I believe a group of 6 guys about 45 - 60 seconds ahead of us. Then in my group is Paul Wallace and Patrick. Then about 30 - 45 seconds behind us is Louis and Tadd. Then I think the next group was a few minutes back.
So we come barreling down this hill and I am doing all I can to hang with Paul and Patrick. All of a sudden they stop and one of them says, "Damn, I think we are off the course - we are off the course - where do we go?" So we stop, look around, and we are at a T intersection - to the left of us it is a downhill with pink ribbon and to the right of us it is uphill with pink ribbon. We must have missed a turn. By this point Louis and Tad catch up to us. Without much hesitation they bolt to the right, not trying to stop and correct where we went off, and go up the hill. Paul, Patrick, and I are still standing there wondering which way to go. By the time Louis and Tadd get up over the hill on the other side of the rock - we decide to head up that way hoping we were right.
So now Louis and Tad are probably 45 - 60 seconds ahead of us, ha! Paul, Patrick, and I pick it up and we are talking - "what do we do?" "are we sure we went off course?" "if so what do we do about it?" So in about a mile we pop out onto a road with an aid station and they shout, "great job guys - you are 3, 4, and 5 (because Louis and Tad are ahead) and instantly we say to eachother "yep, we went off course."
So Patrick says, "guys why don't we just wait for the group who was ahead of us, we will let them go, then start running again." I say, "Alright man" but as I look back I don't see anyone. So we run a little further at an easier pace and we decide that our race is over and the three of us won't cross the finish line. So I say, "alright guys, that works - so lets just pick things back up and at least get in a good workout. Our race is over but lets just work together over these last few miles and get in a good tempo." So that's what it was.
There were sections that were technical where we slowed down a bit just because we were out of the race. But slowing down - there were actually three guys from the group ahead of us that ended up catching us. We actually moved to the side, stopped, and let them go through because we thought they ran the right course. And no point in impeding their progress because we knew we went off course.
So anyway, we get up to the finish and pull off to the side and start walking. Ron says to cross the line and finish because the guys in front of us went off course too - so we will figure it out. So here we come to find out that some random person/people actually cut down one of the turn markers and the majority of the top 20 people went off course. AAAhhhhhh. So it was just a bummer of a situation that really was not in anyone's control. It sucked. It sucked for me because it was my first trail race and I felt I was hanging pretty well. It was a great pleasure to run with Paul and Patrick as they were trying to figure out where we went wrong. I ended up getting put in 8th place on the results (http://pretzelcitysports.com/userfiles/file/11%20UM%20res.pdf), which that is cool with me. When the top 20 or so head off course and that is noted within the results - I don't think you can really sit down and believe it. Although I will say I think anyone in this race who went off course should have been disqualified and not listed in the results (including myself). But that is not how it happened, so lets just all be happy we are healthy and enjoy what these great trails have to offer! AND I am sure there will be another day when we are all out on the trails again, random folks don't mess with the turn markers, and we stay on course. I am REALLY looking forward to that day for sure :)
Alex Barth kept back tracking because he got lost too. He ended up running almost 8 miles (of the 7 mile course)!!! Once he came in, we chilled out a bit, then Alex and I headed out to run the course again at an easy pace. This made the day because we were both a bit fired up about getting lost, but ultimately came to the conclusion that we enjoy being out here on the trails, we didn't get hurt, we still got in a good effort, and we will go home happy. But as we ran the 2nd loop we found the spot where we went wrong. Alex ended up running extra because he kept going back and forth never finding the marker because it was ripped down. As for me, I'd say by missing that turn, I cut it short by about .2 miles (my garmin read 6.78)?? But with all the stopping we did, it might equal out my time.
I definitely look forward to hitting up some more trail races. They are great workouts and those first few miles are filled with some serious adrenaline!!!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
PERCEPTION, OPPORTUNITY, POSITIVITY - Create a world you want to be in
Create a world you want to be in rather than a world you feel you are stuck in.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about perception and opportunity and the above statement came out of my thoughts. The world is full of people and their stories. How do the stories come about? Every decision the person makes? Their perception? How much opportunity were they given? How much opportunity did they create themselves?
I think as humans we are constantly having interactions and perceiving them into our own reality. It's what makes our story. But my question is - how do you want your story to go? Are you someone who always feels like things happen to you or are you someone who feels you make things happen? Can you look at most situations as positive, or are you sometimes burdened with negative thoughts that can bring you down?
Recently I have been very busy - working a full time job, running HCM Foundation, working part time at Peak Fitness, coaching some people for running, and keeping up with my own run and bike training. There have been so many days where I feel very overwhelmed. And for awhile there I thought maybe I have too much on my plate. Maybe I can't do it - maybe I should let something go. So I sat down and thought what I would be able to let go and I realized I can't. I really do love everything I do so why let something go? Since the thought of 'I have too much on my plate' kept bringing me down a bit, I made this decision from now on I am going to PERCEIVE every situation as a POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY. Opportunity can be construed to mean whatever you want it to mean. In this instance for me it means the opportunity to help me grow and learn from people who know things I don't, the opportunity to help others (through the foundation and coaching), the opportunity to be healthy from running, etc.
And have you ever thought about how people view you? As you step into a room does your mood lift the room up, does it bring it down, or does it stay the same? Do people look forward to speaking with you and finding out what you have been up to? Your mood sets the tone for your own perception and the perception of others. So next time you step into a room remember what is about to happen will be POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY - make sure to give a smile, take things as they are, and lift other people up so they help lift you up!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about perception and opportunity and the above statement came out of my thoughts. The world is full of people and their stories. How do the stories come about? Every decision the person makes? Their perception? How much opportunity were they given? How much opportunity did they create themselves?
I think as humans we are constantly having interactions and perceiving them into our own reality. It's what makes our story. But my question is - how do you want your story to go? Are you someone who always feels like things happen to you or are you someone who feels you make things happen? Can you look at most situations as positive, or are you sometimes burdened with negative thoughts that can bring you down?
Recently I have been very busy - working a full time job, running HCM Foundation, working part time at Peak Fitness, coaching some people for running, and keeping up with my own run and bike training. There have been so many days where I feel very overwhelmed. And for awhile there I thought maybe I have too much on my plate. Maybe I can't do it - maybe I should let something go. So I sat down and thought what I would be able to let go and I realized I can't. I really do love everything I do so why let something go? Since the thought of 'I have too much on my plate' kept bringing me down a bit, I made this decision from now on I am going to PERCEIVE every situation as a POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY. Opportunity can be construed to mean whatever you want it to mean. In this instance for me it means the opportunity to help me grow and learn from people who know things I don't, the opportunity to help others (through the foundation and coaching), the opportunity to be healthy from running, etc.
And have you ever thought about how people view you? As you step into a room does your mood lift the room up, does it bring it down, or does it stay the same? Do people look forward to speaking with you and finding out what you have been up to? Your mood sets the tone for your own perception and the perception of others. So next time you step into a room remember what is about to happen will be POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY - make sure to give a smile, take things as they are, and lift other people up so they help lift you up!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
My First Colonoscopy - PREVENTION - Keep your Doc appointments up to date!
When I was growing up, the family doctor suggested I start to get colonoscopy screenings when I turn 21 because my family history is so strong (my Dad passed of colon cancer when he was 30 years old.) Why it took me 7 years after I turned 21 to get my first colonoscopy, I do not know! Perhaps I didn't totally get it? Maybe I was ignorant? Maybe because I didn't have any signs or symptoms? Maybe because it was all on "me" and I didn't have anyone really forcing me to go? Maybe I was scared? And probably the biggest reason - I didn't know how - where do I go - who do I see, etc?
Life is so fragile and you never know what will happen, but I always assumed I would get to this point (my late 20s). The point of being 28 and truly understanding the age my Dad was when he was dying of colon cancer. I feel like I have so many cool things going on in my life - I am surrounded by terrific people, and I thrive on the many opportunities out there. Being 28 should be exciting - there is so much to look forward to! However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about what my Dad had to go through at this age. The outlook would be different - counting down the days, saying your last goodbyes, wondering what if. The last several months I have been thinking a lot about all this stuff, trying to figure out my take on it, and I realized now is the time to really start taking care of myself. So I did it - I made an appointment at Fox Chase Cancer Center to get my first colonoscopy.
One of the reasons I want to write about this is to stress the importance of prevention screenings and also that these colonoscopies are really not that bad! I must have read over the "day before prep" instructions about a hundred times so I didn't screw anything up! Last thing I wanted was to get there and they can't do the test because I messed something up! I was most worried for the day before prep because I couldn't eat any solid foods after 10 or 11am. I love to eat (solid food) and I am always hungry!! But anyway, I picked up two half gallons of yellow gatorade, a big thing of MiriLax powder, and one bisacodyl tablet. I split the Mirilax powder in half - mixed one half of the powder with one of the half gallons of gatorade and the other half of powder with the other half gallon of gatorade.
At 6pm I was supposed to drink the first half gallon within 3 to 4 hours. I ended up drinking it in about 2 and a half hours! I had some stomach cramps after drinking it, but just hung out on the couch and watched tv. Probably around 9:30pm it "started to work." At 10pm I started drinking the second half of the prep. Once I started that half, I'd try to take naps (because I was tired), drink the prep, and get up and "go" about every 45-60 minutes. Next thing I knew it was 6:00am, I was tired and hungry, but I made it!! Everything seemed clear and now my attention turned to hoping the test comes out okay.
I have never had anesthesia, and I was a bit nervous about getting it - how would I feel coming out of it and how would I feel later in the day? So I get my hospital gown on and climb up into the bed. They had a few people working on me, taking vitals, asking me questions, etc. Every person that worked there who had contact with me said the same thing, "wow, you look so young, what are you doing here today?" And that is when I had to go into the story about my Dad's history. When asked that question multiple times within an hour, it REALLY started to hit me - 'My Dad was so young when he went through all of this.' I almost didn't want to think about it, but it was very hard not to.
I was wheeled into the procedure room, the anesthesia was progressive and it wasn't all that bad. Next thing I know I am woken up and I said, "Did I do the prep right?" The Doc comes out and he tells me I did the prep right and everything came out ok. He told me to come back every 2 years for a screening and he gave me a brochure for their risk assessment/genetic counseling program and suggested I contact them.
I felt ok leaving the hospital except for a bit of dizziness (but not nauseous). They were pretty persistent on telling me not to drive at all the rest of the day. So I listened. The rest of the day I spent lounging around, watching tv, catching up on some emails. I feel very fortunate that my test came out ok, but of course I still think about the other side of things and possibly having to go through what my Dad went through - I'm certainly dedicated to continuing my work with HCM and I hope we can continue to help families in all situations, but now going through this colonoscopy I really want to stress the importance of prevention!!
So please keep up to date with your medical appointments, whether it is a colonoscopy, mammogram, or other types of screenings! Don't let these things go! TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH NOW AND LIVE LIFE ON YOUR OWN TERMS!
Life is so fragile and you never know what will happen, but I always assumed I would get to this point (my late 20s). The point of being 28 and truly understanding the age my Dad was when he was dying of colon cancer. I feel like I have so many cool things going on in my life - I am surrounded by terrific people, and I thrive on the many opportunities out there. Being 28 should be exciting - there is so much to look forward to! However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about what my Dad had to go through at this age. The outlook would be different - counting down the days, saying your last goodbyes, wondering what if. The last several months I have been thinking a lot about all this stuff, trying to figure out my take on it, and I realized now is the time to really start taking care of myself. So I did it - I made an appointment at Fox Chase Cancer Center to get my first colonoscopy.
One of the reasons I want to write about this is to stress the importance of prevention screenings and also that these colonoscopies are really not that bad! I must have read over the "day before prep" instructions about a hundred times so I didn't screw anything up! Last thing I wanted was to get there and they can't do the test because I messed something up! I was most worried for the day before prep because I couldn't eat any solid foods after 10 or 11am. I love to eat (solid food) and I am always hungry!! But anyway, I picked up two half gallons of yellow gatorade, a big thing of MiriLax powder, and one bisacodyl tablet. I split the Mirilax powder in half - mixed one half of the powder with one of the half gallons of gatorade and the other half of powder with the other half gallon of gatorade.
At 6pm I was supposed to drink the first half gallon within 3 to 4 hours. I ended up drinking it in about 2 and a half hours! I had some stomach cramps after drinking it, but just hung out on the couch and watched tv. Probably around 9:30pm it "started to work." At 10pm I started drinking the second half of the prep. Once I started that half, I'd try to take naps (because I was tired), drink the prep, and get up and "go" about every 45-60 minutes. Next thing I knew it was 6:00am, I was tired and hungry, but I made it!! Everything seemed clear and now my attention turned to hoping the test comes out okay.
I have never had anesthesia, and I was a bit nervous about getting it - how would I feel coming out of it and how would I feel later in the day? So I get my hospital gown on and climb up into the bed. They had a few people working on me, taking vitals, asking me questions, etc. Every person that worked there who had contact with me said the same thing, "wow, you look so young, what are you doing here today?" And that is when I had to go into the story about my Dad's history. When asked that question multiple times within an hour, it REALLY started to hit me - 'My Dad was so young when he went through all of this.' I almost didn't want to think about it, but it was very hard not to.
I was wheeled into the procedure room, the anesthesia was progressive and it wasn't all that bad. Next thing I know I am woken up and I said, "Did I do the prep right?" The Doc comes out and he tells me I did the prep right and everything came out ok. He told me to come back every 2 years for a screening and he gave me a brochure for their risk assessment/genetic counseling program and suggested I contact them.
I felt ok leaving the hospital except for a bit of dizziness (but not nauseous). They were pretty persistent on telling me not to drive at all the rest of the day. So I listened. The rest of the day I spent lounging around, watching tv, catching up on some emails. I feel very fortunate that my test came out ok, but of course I still think about the other side of things and possibly having to go through what my Dad went through - I'm certainly dedicated to continuing my work with HCM and I hope we can continue to help families in all situations, but now going through this colonoscopy I really want to stress the importance of prevention!!
So please keep up to date with your medical appointments, whether it is a colonoscopy, mammogram, or other types of screenings! Don't let these things go! TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH NOW AND LIVE LIFE ON YOUR OWN TERMS!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Lehigh Valley Road Runners Superbowl 10k
It's been almost a year since I've raced! The last race I toed the line to was the CGI Unite For Charity Half Marathon in April 2010. This year I am really trying to make an effort to get my fitness back to where it was 2-3 years ago, feel healthy, be competitive at racing, etc.
So I started picking up my training at the end of 2010, running about 40 miles a week and riding my bike some. I'd do a hard day or two a week just to test the waters. I have never raced this early (February) and not being in the best of shape, I wasn't sure what I would run at this Superbowl 10k.
I have to give a HUGE thanks to the Lehigh Valley Road Runners as they selected HCM Foundation as a charity partner for this race. I think it is so great two organizations can work together like this - and the work will directly benefit our community! We had several people get in the race with an HCM spot and collectively they did an AWESOME job on their fundraising. Together they raised a little over $1,500! It is absolutely amazing and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it!
I got in a little warm up run, did a few pick-ups, and next thing I know the race is about to start!! There looked to be some fast studs there as we were waiting for the gun to go off and I thought I would just stay in the front group and see how that worked out!
The awesome race directors, Chris Garges and Carly Patterson, decided to change the course due to the icy conditions. So instead of 3.1 miles out and 3.1 miles back. It was two times (1.55 out and 1.55 back). It was a very smart decision. In the first mile and coming out of the parkway, there were three guys that were holding a good pace and they went off the front many steps ahead of the group I was in! I finished up the first loop with Mark and Bob and as we headed out for the second loop I was feeling horrible. I did all I could to stay in touch with them and hope I would feel better! As we came back out of the parkway again to go up the big hill, I actually did start to feel better! Bob dropped back a little bit and I kept tucked in behind Mark. Hitting the last turnaround and with a mile and a half to go, I thought I would just try to run as hard as I could and see how that works out. I felt great in that last mile! I came in and finished with a time of 35:24 - good enough for 4th place!
This race has definitely kick started my year and I am looking forward to keeping my training going and getting out there and race again! I hope to be at the Quakertown 10 miler next month!
So I started picking up my training at the end of 2010, running about 40 miles a week and riding my bike some. I'd do a hard day or two a week just to test the waters. I have never raced this early (February) and not being in the best of shape, I wasn't sure what I would run at this Superbowl 10k.
I have to give a HUGE thanks to the Lehigh Valley Road Runners as they selected HCM Foundation as a charity partner for this race. I think it is so great two organizations can work together like this - and the work will directly benefit our community! We had several people get in the race with an HCM spot and collectively they did an AWESOME job on their fundraising. Together they raised a little over $1,500! It is absolutely amazing and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it!
I got in a little warm up run, did a few pick-ups, and next thing I know the race is about to start!! There looked to be some fast studs there as we were waiting for the gun to go off and I thought I would just stay in the front group and see how that worked out!
The awesome race directors, Chris Garges and Carly Patterson, decided to change the course due to the icy conditions. So instead of 3.1 miles out and 3.1 miles back. It was two times (1.55 out and 1.55 back). It was a very smart decision. In the first mile and coming out of the parkway, there were three guys that were holding a good pace and they went off the front many steps ahead of the group I was in! I finished up the first loop with Mark and Bob and as we headed out for the second loop I was feeling horrible. I did all I could to stay in touch with them and hope I would feel better! As we came back out of the parkway again to go up the big hill, I actually did start to feel better! Bob dropped back a little bit and I kept tucked in behind Mark. Hitting the last turnaround and with a mile and a half to go, I thought I would just try to run as hard as I could and see how that works out. I felt great in that last mile! I came in and finished with a time of 35:24 - good enough for 4th place!
This race has definitely kick started my year and I am looking forward to keeping my training going and getting out there and race again! I hope to be at the Quakertown 10 miler next month!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The New Year
As we continue to ring in the new year, how long does the feeling of "new" continue on? New Year's resolutions, a new slate, time to re-invent ourselves. A time to think about new adventures for the next year. And for some of us, we loathe New Year's - but far deep in our minds and even hearts we are thinking and feeling, 'what lies ahead this next year?' Perhaps we even look back on last year and think, 'what a great year that was' or 'I am glad THAT is over, time for a fresh start.'
I think this time of year some of us get so wrapped up in the things we "want to be" that we lose focus on "who we are." I've always been a firm believer that our inner core values and ethics will always be with us, but our daily decisions are what guide us and make us who we are. So what does that mean? Well, as you are looking down that 2011 road, what do you want to get out of it? Where do you want to take it? Those might be the first questions you ask yourself. And they are certainly important ones to find the answers to. But in order to realistically drive down that 2011 road, maybe we should begin to ask ourselves, "where am I right now?", "What have I accomplished last year and the years prior?", "What steps do I have to take in order to drive down that 2011 road?"
There are so many things to consider when you are getting ready for another great year. Just don't sell yourself short of what you are truly capable of. You hold the reigns and have the ability to live your life on your own terms and strive for goals YOU want to achieve. But before you start on your way, take time to reflect on what you have learned from your previous accomplishments because that is what will give you warp speed when you begin to travel down that new road.
I think this time of year some of us get so wrapped up in the things we "want to be" that we lose focus on "who we are." I've always been a firm believer that our inner core values and ethics will always be with us, but our daily decisions are what guide us and make us who we are. So what does that mean? Well, as you are looking down that 2011 road, what do you want to get out of it? Where do you want to take it? Those might be the first questions you ask yourself. And they are certainly important ones to find the answers to. But in order to realistically drive down that 2011 road, maybe we should begin to ask ourselves, "where am I right now?", "What have I accomplished last year and the years prior?", "What steps do I have to take in order to drive down that 2011 road?"
There are so many things to consider when you are getting ready for another great year. Just don't sell yourself short of what you are truly capable of. You hold the reigns and have the ability to live your life on your own terms and strive for goals YOU want to achieve. But before you start on your way, take time to reflect on what you have learned from your previous accomplishments because that is what will give you warp speed when you begin to travel down that new road.
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