Each year the Komen San Diego Race for the Cure^® attracts more than 14,000 participants locally and over 1.5 million people participate in a Race for the Cure^® event worldwide. This family friendly 5K run/walk starts in beautiful Balboa Park.

Went for a run today in memorial park with Charles and Travis, we ran “the loop”. Apparently its a 3.3 mile loop and it’s something that I had never done before, it was a beautiful day for it and there were lots of people/dogs out running as well. I decided to run it in my Vibram five fingers, they felt great during the run! No comment on how the feet are feeling now…

Almost forgot our time was 25:39, we started out at about a 10min/mile pace and slowly increased it, probably finished the last mile in about 7 mins. according to our estimates. I was reminiscing earlier how the last time I ran a 5k was 7  years ago in Albany, NY for a Susan G. Komen run. My time then was 21:23 and I was dying! Today felt very easy in comparison, granted I was running faster 7 years ago, however I think we could have picked up our pace significantly and probably bested that time easily thanks to CrossFit! Shameless plug…I know. Amazingly enough I found the PDF file from that fateful day 7 years ago in Albany, NY on google!! Linked here! If you scroll down you will see this… yeah I came in 96th out of almost 1400, sweet!  A couple friends of mine also ran that race, I’ll post their times too. I think Steve met pukie that day. Sorry Steve.

96   Andrew M.               19    M   Schenectady         NY      21:23
98   Grayson G.              19    M   Schenectady         NY      21:28
705  Steven M.               18    M   Schenectady         NY      28:22

I’m gonna do this next Sunday for my active rest…

Please click the image above to visit the site, sign up for a free account to vote and search and vote for our charities listed below. This post will stay up here for the duration of this contest because this is a very important cause. This contest to determine the winner will only last a few days so please tell your friends and associates. What you get in return is something that positively affects all of society and has a larger impact for the good. This is not just another ordinary contest based on individual gain. This could have a major impact on real lives and real people…This is becoming something big so please show your support. All you need to do is make a few clicks to show your suport and it only takes a few minutes.

• Advocates To End Domestic Violence
• Alpha Phi Alpha Educational Scholarship Foundation
• Alpha Scholarship Endowment Fund Of Iul Chapter Of Alpha Phi Alpha
• American Association For Cancer Education
• Arts 4 All & All 4 Arts
• Attention Deficit Disorder Council Of Greater Cincinnati
• Bipolar & Schizophrenic Scholarship Fund Inc
• Black Entreprenuer Association Inc
• Digital Underground Computer And Learning Center
• Each One Teach One Inc
• Elderly Housing Development & Ncsc Housing Management Co.
• Eye Research & Education Fdn Of Mahl & Assoc Eye Care Centers Inc.
• Habitat For Humanity International, Inc. Dba Habitat For Humanity Of North Idaho
• Medical Staff Of Prince Georges General Hospital And Medical Center
• New Concepts Tutor Mentor Connections
• Research Institute For Genetic And Human Therapy
• Ronald Mcdonald House Charities Of The Capital Region Inc
• San Antonio Allergy Asthma Immunology Society
• Washington Urban League, Inc. (You may vote directly for this one at this link)
• Watertown Boys Club And Girls Club, Inc.

Local Video Production Company Highlights the 2009 Race for the Cure to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer

Kallisto Video Productions unveils a two-and-a-half minute video on YouTube today, highlighting the 2009 Race for the Cure and The Susan G. Komen Foundation. To view the video, click on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/user/KallistoVp.

Kallisto’s founders, Justin Smith and Sam Ites, became involved with The Susan G. Komen Foundation through another video project the company was producing — they were shooting video of a concert that musician David M. Bailey was doing for The Foundation. After seeing Kallisto’s work on Mr. Bailey’s video, a representative for The Foundation asked the Johnston-based company to capture highlights of the 2009 Race for the Cure on October 24 in downtown Des Moines.

“We wanted to capture this story and the spirit of the day as we noticed that there were not too many news cameras or local media coverage covering The Race,” says Ites. “Through our video, we are trying to convey a message of hope and to raise awareness.”

“Breast cancer affects so many. We want people to watch this video and realize that they can make a difference in a fun and exciting way,” finishes Smith.

Kallisto Video Productions started in May 2009, creating videos to promote local businesses, organizations and events. They take on video production projects that promote brands and make a difference to the local community. According to Smith and Ites, they founded Kallisto Video Productions because they recognized a huge opportunity in the Des Moines area for a company to produce Web-based, viral videos for corporate, music and personal interest uses. Ites and Smith are charter members of PM Underground.

In addition to Mr. Bailey’s concert and the 2009 Race for the Cure videos, the company has also produced a video for Gateway Church. Kallisto’s videos are available on Vimeo, YouTube or on DVD by request.

For more information about Kallisto Video Productions, please call 515-661-9338, email kallistovp@me.com or follow them on Twitter @Kallistovp.

For more information about The Susan G. Komen Foundation, visit http://www.komendesmoines.org/default.aspx

My wife is a superstar:  she spent last weekend walking all across our city, wearing pink and marching against the scourge of breast cancer.  Nearly 3,000 men and women cheered, laughed, joked, cried and walked their way over 60 miles.  As they entered the Park Cities area (the hoity toity part of Dallas), the vans that blared music had to turn it off.  Okay…annoying but not that big a deal.  Then, this took place:

While walking in front of a large Presbyterian Church in the park cities, a woman came out of the church and scolded the walkers: “could you please keep down the hooting and hollering,” she scolded, “we’re trying to worship in here.”  My wife, a United Methodist Pastor, stood aghast as hundreds of amazing people had their conception of the church tainted. 

I do not know if the pastor sent her out there to say that or if she decided to act with radical inhospitality on her own.  What a sad event!  If that church or that woman had the heart of radical hospitality this is what I think she should have done:

Rather than running outside, I wish that she would have run inside and said “there are thousands of men and women outside our church walking for a cause…trying to change the world.  We can stay in here, pastor, and listen to a sermon on welcoming outsiders or we can grab some coolers, take the food from fellowship hall, run outside and start cheering for these heroes who happened to walk by our church!!!!”

If we want to be a church known for hospitality, we need to embrace those precious opportunities when they fall upon us.  Sometimes we’d be far better to chuck our plans out the window and grab a hold of what the spirit offers.

Jill Jelnick with Cindy Brenneman

Lisa Wolter with James Kawakami

Here are more special people who were honored for their volunteer efforts on behalf of the Komen Orange County Affiliate. The party at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana gave everyone a chance to socialize, eat great food and share their passion for Komen. “We are continuously humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support from our volunteers, who are so vital to our work in finding a cure for breast cancer,” said Lisa Wolter, Executive Director.

Outstanding Youth Volunteer Jill Jelnick: Jill is a senior at Aliso Niguel High School and has been volunteering with Komen for the past six years to honor her grandmother, who passed away from breast cancer. She is the founding president of the Pink Ribbon Club at her school.

Outstanding Youth Volunteer Daniel Angarita: Daniel is a senior at Cal State Fullerton and a new volunteer this year. He gave his time and talent as a videographer for the Pink Tie Ball and Race for the Cure.

The Promise of One Award, Pat MacKenzie, Huntington Beach: Pat has volunteered for the Race for the Cure for the past 17 years, taking on responsibilities for set up, clean up, and everything in between. She has also given her time to the Pink Tie Ball and Breast Health Symposium committees with a willingness to fill any role needed.

The Promise of One Award, James Kawakami, Costa Mesa: Kawakami has been a volunteer for the past eight years, performing various vital roles at the Race for the Cure. He draws inspiration from his mother, who passed away in 2001 after living with breast cancer for 18 years. His attention to detail and enthusiasm for any task makes even trash duty fun and important.

Throughout this past year, with all the ups and downs and major family crisis, there is one event that really sticks out in my mind–a moment where we ALL came together (including Jasmine)–The Race For the Cure. I am going to be completely honest here, I had always heard of it, but had never participated before. I had always read about it in the paper, but had never witnessed it. I had always seen news clips of our local race, but I had never been touched personally by breast cancer up until this year. I take that back, as I’ve stated before in my post Strapped In Tight , my oldest daughter’s daycare provider was affected by the disease and yet, after she got remarried and moved, we lost touch. We weren’t thinking about it daily anymore and therefore, details and extra curricular activities once again busied our lives.

I have spent a great deal of time flip-flopping between being on the outside looking in (even though I was very “IN”) or “owning it”. I have said openly–”I DON’T WANT TO BELONG TO THIS CLUB”! I don’t. A big part of me really just doesn’t want to ever have to worry about cancer, statistics, prosthesis, chemotherapy, metastasis, reconstruction, wigs, mastectomy swimwear, etc. etc. etc. It’s like this…when you are pregnant for the first time, you are hyper tuned to all the strollers you see passing you in the mall, all the laughter of a preschooler playing in a park, a toddler crying for a piece of candy in the checkout lanes of the grocery store, or a baby and its mother conveying their love for each other through their eyes. If you aren’t pregnant or trying to conceive, you are busy with many other routines of life. Same goes for cancer. I am now, on alert when I read things in the newspaper regarding cancer treatments. I am more aware of (young and old alike) women that have lost their hair and whether they are wearing a head covering of some sort. I am more aware of the anguish some women are feeling as they are sitting in the Center for Breast Health. I know what they are feeling now. I have been there. I have walked a mile in their shoes. I have deep compassion and respect for these individuals who are facing their own mortality.

So, it goes without too much saying that when all the buzz about our local Susan G. Komen’s Race For the Cure was getting underway, that I found myself drawn to signing up. What an experience that was! I couldn’t believe how many people were at the sign up. I couldn’t believe how much pink was being proudly worn. I couldn’t believe how huge this was. The signup happened on a weekday and since I provide childcare during the day, I thought I’d just take them down with me–no big deal–we’d sign up–they would be my sign up supporters and we’d high five a good job done for Tina and we’d go grab a pizza somewhere. Little did I know that it would turn into a huge nightmare.

It was COLD and windy that day. The parking lot was jam packed and we had to park all the way to the back of the lot and run up. Once inside the convention center, I had to navigate through lines of women all the while continuously counting heads even though the kids are all knowledgeable about the rules I have while in public–hands on the stroller at all times, listen carefully for instructions, etc. We made it to the line where the applicants who hadn’t pre-registered were asked to stand. I waited approximately 20 minutes only to get to the front of the line when I remembered I left my debit card in the van. We turned around and headed back out into the cold to retrieve it. Once we returned the line had grown. We waited again for approximately another 30 minutes and once I reached the head of the row, the lady explained that they do not accept debit cards. I couldn’t believe it. I was so angry! She knew that was what I was going to get. It was the same lady. She heard me! Couldn’t she have told me then and saved me the trouble? Yes–but she didn’t. I turned everyone around and out we went to the van yet again. I loaded all the children, the double stroller and away we went looking for an ATM.

We ended up at a bank and after getting the exact amount of money we would need–plus a little extra to spend at the mini pink ribbon store that was there–we went back for a third time to the convention center. Pulling into the parking lot, I pulled out the snacks and had everyone finish up those before going in. I knew if I attempted it again, I would ultimately hear, “I’m hungry”. So, I crossed that one off the chesklist, first, and made my way through the throngs of women who were now standing in long lines. I found the same lady’s line that I had already stood in twice before. I know, you’re all probably wondering why I chose her again, afterall, she had already failed to give me pertinent information that would have made my life easier given the fact that I was trying to get through this process with 6 children by my side. It was a matter of principle at that point. I was going to prove to her that I was not easily deterred. That I was determined to sign up for this event–and really, if I left now without signing up after going through all the hassle, I would have been more mad at myself!

I thought that if we went and looked through the store, killed some time while picking out some bumper stickers, the lines would diminish some. I kept my eyes on their status and when I realized they were only getting longer, I figured I better go and grab a place. As we stood there, we played Simon Says and amused all the women around us. We also played I Spy until I was sick of it. I was getting hot and so were the kids. I started to peel coats off and pray the line would move faster. I finally get to the front after another 40 minutes only to have her smile sickeningly at me and ask me where all the registration forms were. That was it! I was about to blow and I knew I couldn’t because I’d have 6 children watching me. It’s moments like these when you know they are watching you. This is a teachable moment in patience, tolerance, and keeping my mouth shut firmly. I tried. I really did. I couldn’t help it, though and so I leaned over the table and got very close to her and as I smiled sweetly to her I told her through clenched teeth that this was my first time here. I had no knowledge of the process, the order to get that process done, or that I needed to bring cash or check. I told her that it was her duty as a volunteer to be trained adequately so that when someone shows up and looks lost, they are given ALL the information they need to produce the items necessary to register”. I then asked her where in the hell are the forms. She pointed to the back of the line where a table was set up. AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

“Calm Down”, I told myself. “Breathe”. So, I did. The sound in the convention center was becoming deafening with all the chatter and women’s laughter. I was totally over stimulated. The kids, although satiated for the time being, were bored. What was supposed to take me 15 minutes had now taken me over two hours and I was still no closer to getting my race badges. Here is where the crucial mistake was made. Recall, I had given the children snacks in the van? What goes in must come out, right? Yeah–I never thought about that in all my frustration. So, after spending 10 minutes filling out all the information on front and back of 5 forms and standing in line for another 20 minutes, I hear that familiar sound, “Tiiinnnnaaa–I have to go potty!!!!!” That prompted the next one to grab themselves and start dancing–and the next one and the next one–etc. etc. etc. I looked at the front of the line–I was second in line. The women all behind me were secretly happy. I could tell. They were tired of listening to the umpteenth repetition of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”. “Can you hold it just a little longer?” I begged. “NOOOOOO! They all cried”. I should have pottied them when we were filling out the registrations. Hindsight. Crap. “I give up”, I dismally said out loud.

I took them all to the potty but the women’s line was out the door. Double crap. I can’t go in the men’s bathroom, especially with a double stroller so, I am going to let the 4 preschool boys go in as a buddy system and I would be standing right at the door listening for them. The first sign of trouble, I was coming in. Note to self: Never let 4 boys go into a public restroom with urinals hanging from the wall because 1.) they are not preschool sized or hung at a preschool height; 2). They can’t reach the sinks or the soap hanging from the wall; and 3.) the toilets are usually plugged and not flushed and no one will want to go. I could hear the laughter. I knew something was going on. It was just a matter of time, really. They all were bored and it was more fun to be playing in a big boys bathroom then to stand in a line waiting to be helped. I asked a man coming out how it was going in there. He was in there and I know not only had he heard me, but many, many women all around me heard the ongoing conversations I was having loudly with the boys. The man told me they were the only ones in there–noone else if I needed to go in and check on them. I thanked him and started maneuvering the stroller into the narrow opening.

What I saw was comical to say the least. On the one hand, it completely helped break the tension that had been building in me from our disastrous morning and on the other showed me how ingenuitive these boys really were. There they were–still buddied–only not hand in hand as I sent them in there. They had collectively figured out a way to use the urinals so they could all have a chance of peeing on the blue urinal cake. One buddy hoisted his partner up by holding onto his legs. Boy being hoisted was leaning with both hands on the wall on either side of the urinal and the forward lean was helping point the arc in the correct downward spiral. Once done, they switched spots and the hoisters now became the urinators. I do wish I could have taken a picture of that–although highly inappropriate–it was hysterical. My boy was heard throughout the immediate vicinity to say very loudly–”Just don’t pee in my mouth–ok?” I laughed and helped the boys all up to wash hands. I congratulated them on their use of logistical thinking skills and their cooperative teamwork, but asked them kindly to just use the normal potty from now on–even if it means you have to pee on someone’s poo (that was the overwhelming concern they all voiced).

As we emerged from the men’s room, I realized how odd that statement probably sounded coming from my son for those who had not witnessed what was going on. I couldn’t help but openly smile. I re-entered the line to register with all my applications and noticed the lady I had dealt with was now gone. “Probably out to lunch”, I thought. The lines were starting to dwindle and as I approached the front and got all the applications turned in and paid for, I mentioned to the lady as briefly as I could how unprofessional I felt the woman she replaced was. She asked me if the woman had shown or pointed to where the ATM machines were located there within the facility. I was horrified and speachless and as I turned around and looked down a dark corridor, I saw it. AAAAGGGGHHH!!! I turned and told her “Absolutely Not”. She shook her head and apologized. She finished up and told me to take my badges over to the T-shirt table to pick up our groups shirts. I thanked her and headed over there hoping we were close to being done. It was there that the gentleman helping me shorted me one shirt. He swore he had only received 4 vouchers. I swore I gave him 5. He went back through a giant stack of vouchers and began to check. I looked to see if I had dropped one somewhere. Then I saw it. One application that had gotten shoved down by the coats in the cargo bin of the stroller while I was in the restroom with the boys. It was Jasmine’s application. Triple Crap.

You know what that meant. I had to return to line to pay for hers and get her voucher. At that point I was wondering if I should just forget about it. I mean, she was, at that time, MIA and Lord knows when she was going to be back. I went with my gut and decided to wear her badge along with mine should she not show up. Knowing that if she were in her RIGHT mind, she would not miss this and if she did, she would walk in spirit with me. When I got to the front, the first lady was back. I glared at her. She asked me for the money and I handed it over. She said I was $5 dollars short. WHAT??!!!!! I was FURIOUS!!! I had no more money, time, or patience left. I began to replay the events of my entire morning to her including the part where she failed to tell me there was an ATM ON SITE!! Her supervisor came over and it was waived. I was not trying to get out of donating to a worthy cause, mind you, I had spent upwards of $100 that day and knew I would spend more at the race as I perused the vendors, so it’s not like the organization wasn’t going to be making any money off of me, that’s for sure. I snatched the voucher out of her hand, marched over to the T-shirt table and had the man bag up all my shirts. I was relieved to be done, finally. The kids were relieved to be done, finally. Finally, we were going home.

We left the center and it was so nice to hear the quietness of that cold morning. We went to the van, loaded everyone up, loaded the stroller, and began to exit the parking lot. QUADRUPLE CRAP!!!! This sickening feeling washed over me as I looked in between the seats for the bag of shirts. “Oh God, please tell me I didn’t forget them all in there!” I kept muttering “Please, Please, Please” as I pulled over to check the cargo bin of the stroller. Not there. I looked up at the convention center and realized I had to make one more trip inside. I was about to say “Forget It” and take off without them, but I had paid for them. I wanted my family to all wear theirs with me. I pulled back into the parking lot and for the last time, I unloaded all the kids and walked into the center. Now–I just hope someone hasn’t stolen them. We waded through the sea of women and came to the table. There, all bagged up and sitting on top a pile of t-shirts were mine. I opened the bag, counted the shirts, made sure the sizes were all right, and left for the last time.

This would be my first Race For the Cure. I prayed that my children would walk it every year in memory of me and not because they had been affected themselves by the disease. I prayed that I would be a more willing participant of the “Club” once I could see visually how many people are affected by breast cancer. I prayed Jasmine would come home. I prayed that I would have the strength of an army to get through the rest of this year. I was just happy I had made it out of the damn convention center without killing someone!

The morning of, it was chilly and rainy. Not bad, very spitting conditions, yet not my ideal forcast for my first race. We didn’t let it get to us. We donned our shirts, our race badges, and peeled Jasmine out of bed–she had made it. I’m not sure how with us she really was, but she was physically there and she was willing to participate–so that spoke volumes to me at least. I was overwhelmed and found my eyes tearing up on more than one occassion. I had never seen so many people! I even knew some of them–more members of this club of women–some I had even remembered seeing in the Center for Breast Health’s waiting rooms. We walked that day–all 5 of us. Jasmine pretty much walked ahead of us and at times I wondered if she were looking for an escape route somewhere along the way. We posed for pictures and I secretly wondered if I would be around for next year’s. I began to notice the little patch on the survivor caps that delineated how many years cancer free they had been.

I didn’t wear a wig and I was trying to own my baldness on that day. I had a baseball cap and a smile and my family. That was all that mattered to me. We walked the long route. We saw all sorts of crazy and funny things from t-shirts to dogs decked out in pink ribbons and booties. We saw memorials emblazoned across the backs of countless idividuals walking for loved ones they had lost or were battling their dragons. It’s hard to explain, but the whole time I walked, I had a lump in my throat. It was hard to swallow. Just as it is hard to swallow the fact that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed. Seeing that many women walking, and watching more intently to the chatter on Twitter regarding similar walks all around the country has prompted me to really think that statistic is not correct. “It just has to be lower than that”, I kept saying to myself as we walked.

One of my all time favorite movies is Superstar featuring Mary Katherine Gallagher, a clumsy parochial student who is just looking for acceptance. She always strikes a pose and cries, “Superstar” as an affirmation to her awesome-ness. When I passed the finish line I pulled my signature Superstar move. Everyone there laughed and cheered! The news crew came down and asked me to give my name so they could give a shout out to me on the radio. I told them I was Christina Heald, 3 month survivor so far, and I was a Superstar!

Superstar!

Moral of the story: Always pre-register for the damn race!!!

Okay so I’m a super-proud husband.  My wife just finished the Susan G Koman 3-day walk for the cure. I had the joy of going out to cheer stations and one pit stop to support her and cheer for the nearly 3000 men and women that raised a total of $7.5 million.  I had a couple impressions:

• The cheer stations were a lot of fun.  It’s one of the first times that I’ve been a part of cheering for something that wasn’t competitive. I was surprised how long I stayed, cheering long after my wife and church members had passed through…usually to the end.
• Every now and then, I’d see someone walking by with tears in their eyes.  I can only imagine the thoughts, memories or worries that they carried with them.  I’m sure that made every step harder and beautiful at the same time.
• This is more than a fundraising walk.  It is a protest–a protest against death…a march of unity that helps us deal with the threat from a source we cannot yet contain. 
• The joy and humor of the walk was incredible!  It’s been a while since I’ve seen that many breast related jokes but I’m not complaining.  Humor is a wonderful way to cope with our struggles and fears.  Here are two of my favoite slogans:  1) Save Second Base and 2) Stop the war in my rack.   Brilliant!
• Best moment (apart from seeing my wife succeed at something important to her and us): As the walkers processed into the closing ceremonies, two anonymous women handed pink roses to my daughters.  I have to admit, I cried (manly tears, of course).  What a powerful symbol for what these walkers were doing.  Walking today so that my daughters and their family will have the lifetime together that they deserve. 

Thanks be to God for the volunteers who supported walkers, rubbed their feet, gave them candy and cheered them on!

Thanks be to God for the community that comes from a shared purpose and goal!

Thanks be to God for the walkers who march against death and walk on to hope!

I have a confession to make, I hate conventional exercise.  Logging miles on the treadmill and elliptical are like slow torture to me.  Maybe it’s because when I was young, instead of learning a team sport, exercise consisted of dance lessons for hours most every night, which I loved.  Dance wasn’t exercise – it was fun.  Not so, running around the track, chin ups and all the other tasks we had to accomplish in elementary school to achieve the President’s fitness medal.  When I was young, even after those dance lessons ended, I was blessed with a fast metabolism and lots of nervous energy, so I could do little to nothing and not gain weight.  My lack of fitness didn’t slow me down, I guess because I was young. 

When I turned 22 , like most women, my metabolism turned on me, while I knew not exercising was no longer an option, not eating was so much easier.  Since then, I have gone through continuous cycles of exercising and not exercising; falling off the bandwagon much faster than I get back on, despite the fact that I feel much better when I’m “on the wagon.”  I have learned that not exercising, and not doing a variety of different types of exercise at that, can impact your everyday life in ways that prevent you from enjoying it and living it to its fullest.  For example, while I was training for the Breast Cancer 3-day (a 60 mile walk over 3 days), I could walk 20 miles at a 4 mile per hour pace without problem, but make me go up a hill and I was struggling for breath in 4 minutes.  Ditto when I hiked the Cinque Terra with my husband – a smoking overweight French guy was keeping pace with me!

A year ago I started taking pilates.  I really like pilates, for the stretching, for the core strength, but not for the calorie burn which is less than 200 per hour.  So cardio had to be added, and add it I did,  45-60 minutes of walking on the treadmill (I’ve never been a runner) 5-7 days a week at 4.4 mph and a minimum incline of 3.  I was finally back on the wagon and then in June, I was rear-ended and was forced off .  2 1/2 months of forced inactivity led to weight gain, loss of strength and an overall feeling of sluggishness.  I’ve received clearance to start exercising again (paying attention to how my neck and back feel) and encouraged to start pilates again, which I have.  I want to get on the wagon for good this time, and I want to get to a level of fitness where I can join my husband when he wants to run a 5k, play tennis with my lil sis, or go on a hike instead of whipping out my inhaler and making excuses on account of very mild asthma.  I ALSO WANT TO GET BACK INTO MY BIKINI! 

The bottom line is the sedentary lifestyle that so many Americans fall into doesn’t just make us heavier, it makes us unable to participate in all the things life throws our way.  So, I’m asking you all to make me accountable and hoping some (or all) of you will join me  in a little fitness challenge – don’t worry we’re going to start real slow.  Let’s set some goals and get to it!

My Goals: 

• Cardio 5+ days per week, every week
• Strength-training 3+ days per week, every week
• Be able to do 20 non-girly push-ups (I can’t even do 1 right now)
• Learn a new sport – tennis for me.
• Run, not walk, the Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Cure in Seattle in the Spring.  Would love to be joined by all of you who are local!
• Lose the 15 lbs I’ve gained since moving to the Emerald City – not by not eating.
• Washboard abs (one can dream).

November Challenge: 

Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 4 days per week.  We’ll officially start on Monday, but feel free to start earlier – I am.

San Diego’s Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure was this past Sunday at Balboa Park, so PineMark showed up to support it by walking in the 5k.  There were thousands of people there, and we were glad to see how enthusiastic and dedicated everyone was.  According to Race Co-Chair Jeremy Ross, about 12,000 people participated!

If anyone participated in the walk but did not get a chance to talk to us (or you were Sleeping in for the Cure), for a limited time we are offering a 20% discount off PineMark Certification with the promo code “komen”.

Here’s a picture of Karmel and I at the race. It was a sunny and perfect day in November.

We look forward to supporting more of Komen’s efforts. Thanks for inspiring us!

- Lauren

]]> http://astheworldchurns.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/a-fun-weekend/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:07:18 +0000 astheworldchurns http://astheworldchurns.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/a-fun-weekend/

Wow – Busy weekend!  It was wonderful…

On Thursday night all three kids and I went to the high school football game and watched our team beat the other team by something like 28-7.

On Friday night Doug and I went out to dinner with a group of people from his team at work who were in town from other countries for a few days.  To begin with, we went to one of my favorite restaurants (North).  Then we sat out on the candle-lit patio on a wonderful night with a patio heater keeping me toasty warm.  Add in a few martini’s and some fabulous food…. great.  Doug and I were seated next to a gentleman from Japan.  Doug has always explained to me how the Japanese are very subtle in their conversations, very much not willing to offend, very passive aggressive in some ways.  So we were discussing with this guy the cultural differences between Japanese and American ways.  I was saying that he must find Americans to be so incredibly rude and in your face.  Then Doug asked him if it was the same way in their personal life as in their business life.  Were the always incredibly polite and quiet in their interactions?

“For example,” Doug asked, “what happens when your wife is mad at you?  Does she tell you?  Does she raise her voice? ”

“No no, not really, but she lets you know.”

“how?”

” Well for example, instead of cooking you three dishes for your dinner she may only cook you two dishes or instead of two pieces of toast in the morning she may only cook you one.”

Wow.

Wow.

Can you imagine me in Japan?  When I get mad, you should be worried about more than just how many pieces of toast you’re going to get!

I think Doug wants to move to Japan.

_________________________________________________________

Here’s a few more things we did this weekend:

–Garrett had a football game.

–Trick or treating and a little get-together at our house for a few friends and neighbors.  Watched UT win another football game and enjoyed some snacks and wine. 

Karina was a witch and Garrett was an anti-terrorist.

–Karina had two soccer games – one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  She is an amazing defender!

–Sunday we got up early and we did the Race For the Cure.  It was a gorgeous morning and a very fun and meaningful family activity. 

I’m putting this everywhere, so if you follow in other places, you’ve probably seen this before… but I did Komen Austin’s Race for the Cure! It was wonderful, and yes I am proud. As  people passed I read their ” in memory of” signs and wanted to just stop and cry a few times, or cry running. To see ” mom” written, and beloved family members, I just couldn’t imagine.

I have a friend whom I met at my daughters therapy clinic in 2004. Her daughter was visually impaired, and was projected to lose her sight over time. A few years later, 2007 I believe, she got pregnant with her third. In all the excitement, early in her pregnancy she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At first hearing the news, doctors thought she may have to choose to terminate the pregnancy. Fortunately that was not the case. She fought her cancer, and delivered a healthy baby girl. She continued to fight as her baby was small, receiving treatments and surgeries. As all of that was going on, her oldest daughter began losing her sight faster than suspected, and became blind just recently this summer. They thought they would have more time to show her the visual world. I ask myself, how can she maintain, and stay strong? She inspires me everyday, and I am proud of her for never giving up.

I also have a lifelong friend I grew up with whom I saw lose her mother, only when she was very young, to breast cancer. In her loving memory , for fighting friends, and others,…. the least we can do is support to find a cure. We love you all,…

In an exact opposite post to Ashley’s great time at the Race for the Cure, I finished the 5K at my slowest time ever, at 51:28.

But for a great reason!

I think it’s pretty obvious 2009 blows. One of the reasons is the fact that my husband has been out of work since March and it’s been pretty trying on both of us. As part of the healing process that goes along with a loved one who is suddenly out of work, I’ve put it on myself to help him get in shape while I also tried losing weight. Because let’s face it, it’s really easy to become complacent and spend most of your time on the couch watching reruns of 80s and 90s television shows (as was my case when I had no job after college).  In Justin’s case, he now has a greater appreciation for ESPN Classic

So Justin and I made a deal earlier this year: he would have to do a 5K with me.

And after working out a few months, getting into shape (he now goes to the gym three times a week at midnight… so if you see a redhead pumping iron at weird hours, tell Justin hello!), we walked the 5K!

We tried holding hands to be that disgustingly cute couple, but gave up after the first quarter-mile and didn’t talk much to each other because Justin had a goal of walking under an hour – and we beat it!

Even better, I think Justin wants to do it again, because he already told me his next goal is to finish one in under 45 minutes.

And the running bug bites another victim! Yippee! Though the rest of the afternoon, he did complain about how sore he was… haha.

But the best part, Justin calling his mom after the race and telling her he walked the race for her (she wrapped up her chemo treatments this summer) and his grandmother (who is currently at M.D. Anderson in Houston for additional testing). Despite the cold heart exterior, Justin has a soft spot for the ladies

And I walked for my grandmother, who is a 20+ year breast cancer survivor (and 91 years young). Who did you walk/run for this weekend?

Justin posing with his Pink Water after the race. He wanted to send a picture to his mom.

Aren't we BOO-tiful? I'm in the one in the middle.. I actually look a little creepy

Halloween kind of came and went this year, didn’t it? It came before I was ready for it to be here (but not fast enough before my pumpkin rotted), and it left as swiftly as it arrived. I was an old fogey both nights this weekend. Friday I watched The Office and The Real Housewives of Atlanta that I had recorded, and then proceeded to crawl into bed by 10 pm, lame.

Saturday, my room mates and I were SO pumped up for trick-or-treaters! We filled a garganteous bowl full of candy in hopes of seeing little girls in princess costumes and toddler boys dressed up as the creatures from “Where the Wild Things Are”. After a “threat” from out self-righteous neighbors, who warned us “we better have lots of candy”, we were sure we would be getting plenty of traffic.

Two small groups of trick-or-treaters. That’s it! It was such a disappointment. Maybe our neighbors don’t like us? Actually, I’m sure of that one. The third group was a gaggle of kids that were way too old too be doing this sort of thing.

Can we take as much as we want? They asked.

Sure! Anna replies.

They start shoving down candy into their bags as if it was their job! 3/4 of the pictures above disappeared in a matter of 2.5 seconds until Anna had to do everything short of fight them off the front porch. The night was an awful disappointment all together. I finished my bottle of pumpkin beer and went to bed. 10:30? That’s thirty minutes later than last night. Quite impressive since apparently I’m getting old. Next thing you know I’ll be taking out my dentures as well and drinking a glass of prune juice before bed time.

At least I had an excuse for going to bed so early on Halloween. My mom and I ran in The Race for the Cure Sunday morning! A field full of sponsors had tents set up, giving away all sorts of delicious free-bees. Austin owned Sweet Leaf was there handing out an assortment of tasty tea flavored drinks such as mango green tea, pomegranate green tea, mango tea, and yummy lemonade. And of course their original sweet leaf tea.

Sweet Leaf Sponsor Tent

Race for the Cure is a 5k, 3.1 miles. I will tell you one thing: it took everything I had to keep up with my Mom. I mean, that woman can run. She may be short, but she’s quick and spritely. She could have run circles around me if she wanted to. Put me to shame.

Race for the cure was great. I always love seeing everyone’s team names and all their enthusiasm for such a great cause.

Team Hall "Runs" Race for the Cure

This morning I was excited to get up and get to wake the triplets up for the big RACE! Usually, they wake me up, so it was a nice change of pace … I had told them about the Race for the Cure and they were very excited. Especially after we all went and bought new tennis shoes. We had about 40 people join Team Hall and wear our fabulous t-shirts that said “Your Breasts are in Good Hands” … very clever and attention getting! We also had a great, handpainted sign that the announcers read at both the start and finish of the race that said “Your Breasts are in Good Hands with Dr. Hall.” Overall it was a great day of celebration and fun, and we did it honor of Granny, and all of the amazing patients and friends and family who have been faced with breast cancer. It was the triplets first race, and I think they were great troopers … I’m sure there will be more races in the future … it’s never too early to teach them about health, fitness and philanthropy! (Oh, and the triplets enjoyed a sushi dinner after the hard race!)

More pictures from our fun day are at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/Hall-Rejuvenation/75865944991#/album.php?aid=166084&id=75865944991&page=2

As you read before, the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure is two days away. I know that it may be hard for some of you to be dragged out of bed the morning after Halloween, but it is for a great cause. Breast Cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the world, affecting both men and women of different ages and races. 1.3 million people are diagnosed annually and there is currently not a cure.

This race is a way to show your support for people who live with this cancer and to promote strong, healthy way of life for yourself and those around you. It is not too late to make a difference with not only this race but to donate to the cause as well.

Here is the race information:

Place: The Domain, corner of Braker and Burnet Rd.

Time: Nov. 1 at 7:30 AM (Timed runners)

Miles: 3.1 (5K race)

There will only be one course but there will be different starting times for timed runners, untimed runners and walkers.

Here is the cost for particpation (excluding donations).

On-line (Deadline to register this way ends today at 6 pm):

ADULT  $30

CHILD (12 & under)  $20

In Person:

ADULT  $35

CHILD (12 & under)  $25

Race Day (at Registration Tent):

ADULT  $40

CHILD (12 & under)  $30

If you are not in the area, or if you cannot attend, please donate here.

Scribbos team launched our Susan G. Komen initiative to give back to the community and we dedicating up to $10,000 in donations! The only thing you have to do is tweet, add or register help get us to our $10,000 goal to help the race for a cure by October 31,2009.

• Tweet: If you tweet #scribbacure Stonebranch will give $.01
• Add: If you follow @scribbos we will give $.10
• Register: If you register for a free trial we will give $1.00

We can all make a difference during 2009 breast cancer awareness month!

Once the month is over we will provide an update on where we are for our $10,000 goal for the cure.

Our friends at Buzz Gain are going to help us count the hashtags, so many thanks for their help.

Click Picture to Donate Now

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Turned Fresno State Campus Pink. More than 6,600 runners and walkers joined together to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.

Saturday’s race raised more than $372,500, with pledges still coming in, that the Central Valley Affiliate will award to community programs that promote breast health education and treatment in the Central Valley, as well as breast cancer research, “Even though our community has been hit hard by the economy, the thousands of people who joined the race today demonstrated that our community is passionate about finding the cure for breast cancer and supporting their loved ones who have faced this illness,” said Sharon Johnson, executive director of the Central Valley Affiliate of Komen for the Cure.

In addition to raising funds, participants celebrated with approximately 500 breast cancer survivors dressed in pink shirts and honored those who have lost their battle with the disease.

The event also included performances by local musicians, a timed 5-kilometer run and noncompetitive walk around the campus and a children’s carnival area. New at the 2009 Komen Race for the Cure, attendees not only fought breast cancer, but also hunger and filled bins around the race site with canned goods to benefit the Poverello House.

The Fresno State Athletic Department served as the 2009 Honorary Race Chair in recognition of their continued support of breast cancer awareness through programs such as their annual Pink Zone women’s basketball game and Volleyball Breast Cancer Awareness Night. Sue Behme, head coach for Fresno State’s women’s lacrosse team, represented the department and shared her personal inspiration to promote breast cancer awareness with Race participants, “We all know someone who has been touched by cancer who inspires us to fight this disease. Early detection is the key and it begins with education and knowledge,” said Behme. “Every woman should know their risk, listen to their body and have annual exams with their physician because that is the best defense against breast cancer.”

A minimum of 25% of the event proceeds support national ground breaking breast cancer research and up to 75% of the funds raised at the event remain in Fresno County to support local breast health education, breast cancer screening and treatment programs. Local grant recipients in 2009 include Association for Community Enhancement, Centro La Familia, Community Lymphedema Clinic, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center, Fresno Health Consumer Center, Hinds Hospice, Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, Khmer Society of Fresno, and West Fresno Health Care Coalition.

http://www.ksee24.com/internal?st=print&id=65923342&path=/news/local

Last week, I woke up just before 6 a.m., made myself some hot chocolate, wrapped myself in hat and scarf and headed to meet my friend Cait Fultz for the 2009 Race for the Cure in Hunt Valley.

Cait and her boyfriend ran the 5K race to support the fight against breast cancer. Check out my personal portfolio to see and experience the event yourself!

This morning my daughter Lydia, and eight of her cousins, aunt, and uncles from her father’s family are gathered in Orlando, Florida to participate in the Central Florida Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure. They are walking or running in the Florida event, the “Fight Like a Girl” team, to support their Aunt Linda in her long and courageous battle against breast cancer. Linda has been fighting this disease for over ten years. She is weak from her latest round of treatments as cancer continues its attack on her body.

Both my mother and my father are cancer survivors. I have cousins and friends who have died, and others who continue the fight. Anyone who has held the hand of a cancer patient knows the harsh cruelty of many cancer treatments. My mother has had many physical challenges, many treatment regimes, but the radiation and chemotherapy she and other cancer patients endure is a walk through the valley of the shadow for the patient and their families. My former brother-in-law, Jay, has stood with Linda every step of the way.

Somehow this year the Komen Foundation has accomplished the impossible and captured the minds and souls of America. Companies across the nation sponsored pink days last week to support the race. When I arrived in Michigan on Friday my brother was wearing his pink shirt as he led his company’s campaign. Football teams have all supported the event, calling attention to it with their pink cleats and pink helmets.

Thousands and thousands of people will walk this morning in honor of their friends and loved ones who are fighting the good fight, and to help find a cure so others will not have to endure what Linda, my mother, and so many have endured. I am proud of my daughter for being there this morning.

For Linda.

Though, this month is almost over, let’s not forget that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month! Not only am I a huge supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness and the search for the cure, I love pink. Don’t believe me? Check out the Lindsey Chen Loves Pink video. Anyway, back to the point. If you are in need of running shoes, these are definitely ones that you should have! They are super cute and support Breast Cancer Awareness. I am actually thinking about buying these as having alternate training shoes for when i run the Rock n’ Roll Marathon! Also, why not add some cute pink clothing to go with it? After all, who wouldn’t want to work out in style?

]]> http://komenoc.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/tough-guys-with-a-soft-side/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:37:46 +0000 Komen OC http://komenoc.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/tough-guys-with-a-soft-side/

L to R, Braden Peters, Fire Capt. Jeff Peters, firefighter Andrew Harris, firefighter Philip Storey, firefighter/paramedic Anthony Vitello

Firefighters are tough guys who do tough work, right? It turns out that they clean up well AND they have a soft side. The Komen Orange County Affiliate was blessed to have members of the Costa Mesa fire department on hand at Race for the Cure as volunteer “Tux Men.” The Tux Men and Tux Women assist during the Survivor Tribute – escorting survivors safely up the stairs and to their seats, wearing formal attire as one more way to honor the ladies in pink.

When Costa Mesa Captain Jeff Peters was asked to volunteer, he recruited a rookie fireman and his teen-aged son (Tesoro High School), then brought two more firefighters along for good measure.  Were these “tough guys” touched by the emotional tribute? Yes, just like the rest of us.

Capt. Peters said after the Race: “What was truly eye opening was how many peoples’ lives this disease touches. You hear the commercials and the statistics and you know it is a big disease, but seeing the people firsthand and their supporters really brings it home.”

“Watching all the survivors walking up had me happy and sad at the same time. I found myself smiling and crying. Me and my son knew two of the survivors.”

“We were a very small part of this event but it appeared the ladies enjoyed having us there and we enjoyed being there to assist them,” Capt. Peters said. Sounds like a repeat volunteer, doesn’t he? In fact, both Jeff and Braden Peters plan to volunteer again at the 2010 Race.

Thank you to the firefighters and all the Race volunteers, and to Friar Tux for donating the classy tuxedos.

When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I was relatively new to Performance Marketing, not sure where to turn and facing an uncertain reality with my mom. Each day and each test brought new, more difficult news and keeping it to myself was killing me.

Thankfully when I came to PM, Kevin told me it was “one big, happy family” — he was right. Initially, it made me a little crazy. OK — it made me really crazy some days. You see, I’m just not an “open book” type of person (you can reference Todd for open book personality). In the end, I turned out to be in the right place at the right time.

I initially told a few co-workers so I could get it off my chest and when others found out, some gave a card, others a knowing smile, but all cared about my well-being and my mom’s health. It helped to have my other “family” as a sounding board. We can’t spend 8+ hours together each day and not begin to know each other really well.

Since that day, there have been many ups and downs in the treatment. I wish I could say my mom is cancer free, but I can’t. And in the past year, three other women in my life have been diagnosed with breast cancer too.

Saturday is the Des Moines Race for the Cure, and the PM team has joined my family’s team as individual and corporate sponsors. They will be joining almost 70 others to form Calamity Jane’s Crew and to walk for the cure. If you’d like to join the cause: http://tinyurl.com/yftllyx.

It’s this focus on community, family and volunteering that makes PM such a wonderful company.

Costa Mesa High School cheerleaders at the Race

Did you notice all the high school students at Race for the Cure? Being at the Orange County Race as a volunteer is now cool, and the OC Affiliate is better for it. One group, the Costa Mesa High School cheerleaders, has been volunteering for Komen for five years. Besides volunteering at the Race, the cheerleaders have helped out at events at Angels stadium and the Honda Center, to name a few. They give meaning to the word “pep.”

 For many of the Costa Mesa cheerleaders, and for their coach, breast cancer has touched someone in their family or circle of loved ones. It has become personal. They’ve learned about their risks and about breast health, along with cheer routines. The high school added a Pink Ribbon Club last year.  Pink Ribbon Clubs are the perfect way for high school girls to learn awareness, do community service and raise funds to fight breast cancer.

 To learn about volunteer openings at the Komen Orange County Affiliate, visit www.komenoc.org, and to see all the cool activities at Pink Ribbon Clubs, go to www.prc-foundation.org.

 Join us in giving a spirited thank you to the Costa Mesa cheerleaders and all the other squads who bring energy and service to the Race.