Like a Good Neighbor...

No, this is not another sponsor thank you to a popular insurance company whose jingle everyone can finish...  I wish that were the case.

About a year ago a new couple moved into our neighborhood.  Being good neighbors my husband, daughter and I tried to deliver brownies...several times.  This couple never seemed to be home.  So we did what anyone would do.  We "stalked" them.  (We kept an eye on the house so we could catch them at home.)  One evening we got lucky and saw a car pulling into the garage.  With a fresh batch of brownies in hand, we rushed over.  Within a few minutes we discovered why it was this newly-wed couple could never be caught at home.

A few months after becoming husband and wife, a few weeks after starting a new job and buying a new house and very shortly after finding out Mrs. Good Neighbor was expecting their first child, Mr. Good Neighbor was diagnosed with t-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma with acute leukemia.  Their "happily ever" would have to wait until after several rounds of chemotherapy and a declaration of remission.

Chemo was completed.  Remission was declared.  And, Baby Girl Good Neighbor was born!!

Unfortunately...Mr. Good Neighbor was told this past week his cancer has relapsed.  It's currently "only" in his lymph nodes (not in his blood or bone marrow), which means chances of survival are much higher.  He'll undergo two rounds of chemo then be rechecked to see how well the treatments worked.  If he is even in partial remission, he will be a candidate for a bone marrow transplant.

Here's where you have a chance to be a Good Neighbor.  There are countless cancer patients out there who are looking for bone marrow and/or blood stem cell donors.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, and are healthy, you could save someone's life by donating marrow or blood stem cells.  It all starts with a painless swab of the inside of your mouth in order to determine if you have what it will take to save a life.  After that, donating blood stem cells is very similar to donating plasma.  Basically after taking a series of injections prior to the procedure, your blood is drawn, the necessary parts are separated out, and then your blood is put back into your body.  Marrow donation is a bit more involved and requires an outpatient procedure where a needle is inserted into your pelvic bone allowing life-giving marrow (the juice in the middle of your bones) to be removed.

If you'd like more information please visit the National Marrow Donor Website's FAQ page.  The life you save could be your own neighbor's...the life she saves could be yours.  Won't you be a good neighbor today??

BB&T-Your Home Town Bank!

I guess you could say we technically started "fund racing" back in February (although our true "kick off" wasn't until March).  Probably the very day we had a team together, Captain Casey went to her employer, BB&T (a bank for those who haven't heard of them), and asked them if they could start us out and be our first corporate sponsor.  Impressively, they jumped in hole hog and became our first (and as yet only) "marathon" level sponsor with a $2,500 donation to American Cancer Society.  They have continued to help us by donating bottles of water for various events and by allowing Captain Casey time during the day to attend Dixie Daredevil functions in the community.

Not only have they helped us in major ways, in the weeks following the tornadoes that devastated parts of our state, BB&T allowed (even encouraged) their employees to take paid time off work to help with the clean up efforts.  The Huntsville metropolitan area's population is just shy of 418,000 people.  If you look up "banks in Huntsville Alabama" in the virtual yellow pages, you'll find 173 entries.  We are not a small town, and there are a lot of choices for your banking needs.  I don't know about you, but I personally want to do business with a bank that is interested in the local community, one that gives back to the area, one that cares for its employees and town.  From what I've seen, BB&T is that bank.

If you're in the market for a loan (small or large), or you need a place to stash your cash other than your mattress, check them out.  While you're there...stop in and tell Captain Casey, "HEY!!"


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The Girl With the Broken Foot

I'm NOT the girl with the broken foot who wrote "Five Weeks Without Running!"

Let me explain.  I'm not the only author for this blog, Carrie Wilson is one as well.  "Five Weeks..." was the first (and as yet only) post Carrie has written.  Now...when a post is completed, I have it automatically sent to my Face Book page and the Dixie Daredevil page.  It is also emailed to anyone who has subscribed (including my mother).  Can you see where this is going??  My mother, along with several of my friends, believed I was the girl with the broken foot!!  (You should go back and read the comment my mom left-it's pretty funny!)  So sorry for the confusion!  You can see who wrote the post by looking at the bottom of the entry--but only if you are on the page.  I think the email feed comes directly from ME so it will always look like I wrote it.  (Not to mention we have a very similar writing style!)

....and no, she is not the girl with the broken foot THIS story is about, I just thought it was ironic.

So, if it's not me, and it's not Carrie, maybe you're wondering who this is.  Or, maybe you're wondering why I'm writing about her.  Allow me to explain.

Several girls from Huntsville went over to Atlanta this weekend to participate in the Athleta Iron Girl Sprint Tri.  ANOTHER of my Dixie Daredevil teammates, Sarah Coleman, and I were among them.  Alas, Sarah is the girl.  (Yes, two girls on the team with broken feet...we're a driven bunch, what can I say!  ...but Carrie's is healed up, so we currently only have one...)

I digress...

About a week ago Sarah got the unfortunate news what she believed to have been plantar faciitis was a stress fracture.  She received this news only after it progressed into a full on broken bone.  You might think she opted out of the sold out race she registered for pre-injury.  You might think she went to cheer on her friends and collect her tshirt and swag bag.  You might even go so far to think she went ahead and participated in the 587 yard open water swim for practice.

You'd be right...but one thing led to another and the night before the race she decided she would swim, and bike...and then walk the "run" in her fancy boot.  However, as I was leaving T2 I bumped into someone and realized immediately Sarah was not only NOT walking in her boot...she was BEATING ME by about 10 minutes (because she started about 10 minutes after me) and here we were running together!!

Fleeting hopes of her needing to slow down quickly vanished as I reminded myself just how competitive she really is.  As I started to fade, we neared the middle of the first hill; I decided I "needed" a quick breather and walked a bit.  I told her she could keep going and to not let me slow her down.  She was gracious enough to tell me I was speeding her up, but seriously, the only reason she was even still on the course was that BROKEN FOOT of hers.  (Otherwise she'd have already finished, showered and had a post race massage!)

As we turned to go up the last hill that led to the finish line, I was about to walk yet again (because I thought I just couldn't make it up that thing)...she grabbed my hand and told me to come on!!  When we got to the top of the hill, and the end was in sight, I showed my thanks by attempting to give her a race for the finish.  But...even with a BROKEN FOOT she held me stride for stride and we crossed over together.  I can't wait to see those finish line shots!

Sarah is a hardcore Rock Star.  I was mentally whimpering over some cramps...I can't imagine the pain she must have been in.  She kept saying she had never hurt that bad at the end of a race, and yet, she powered through it.  How embarrassing... beaten by the girl with the broken foot!!  It could have been worse, she could have been wearing her boot!! 

Congratulations Sarah on a great race.  Now, please take some time off!!  Photos to come.

You Tube Love

I have to admit...even though I'm currently an author of four blogs (this one, my running blog, my "personal" blog, and my attempt at writing fiction blog), I have a Twitter account (for myself and with the team), and am on FaceBook (for myself and with the team) at least three or four times a week...I'm really not up with social media (or is it "down with"?  I forget).  I'm getting older by the day, and consequently a little more "outdated" (because I can't bring myself to use the words "old fashioned" just yet).  However, I am trying to learn.  And...I'm really loving it!!  Each platform has its own appeal.  Twitter is fast and just the facts.  FaceBook feels a bit slower paced and is more interactive.  Blogging allows me to get some thoughts out of my head onto "paper".

...and then there's You Tube!! 

I am developing a deep affection for You Tube.  I've only posted one video so far...but I set up our channel and I have to say I love it!!  I hate to admit it, but until recently I didn't even know why anyone would set up a channel if they weren't publishing videos like Fred.  But, I've learned it's much more than that.  It's a place for me to "save" all my favorite videos, and to subscribe to all my favorite channels.  If you subscribe to the Dixie Daredevil channel you will be able to have immediate access to anything we post as soon as it's out there.  Just like having a subscription to a favorite magazine--it's sent directly to you instead of you having to go out to get it from the store!!

Now, I know this is not news to most of you...but I didn't know before and I think it's exciting!!  Go on over there and subscribe to our channel so you'll be in the loop when we post our thrilling Dixie Daredevil videos!!  Because, thanks to my new-found You Tube love, our channel will be full of DD productions before you know it!!  And you know you want to be included in the fun!!

Melissa Lee

I am elated to have been nominated and chosen to be part of the Dixie Daredevils. Dixie Daredevil’s charity of choice had my undivided attention before I was asked to join their team. I am running to honor both my aunts, Carolyn Morris (colon cancer) and Judy Pricket (breast cancer), who are both currently in remission from their struggle with cancer. Cancer’s ruthlessness has definitely affected my family over the years and the American Cancer Society efforts have had a direct impact on my aunts’ well being. I am excited about raising money to support the American Cancer Society!

A little about me: My motto in life has always been “work hard and play hard” and I believe I live up to that every day. To be completely honest, these days I may even play harder than I work! I am number four of five children and four of us followed my father’s footsteps and became United States Marines. Although I only stayed in the Marine Corps for a four year tour the phrase “once a Marine, always a Marine” is definitely true. There is no such thing as a former Marine and if you doubt that at all, just ask one. I have been running as far back as I can remember, from running from the torment of my older brothers, to trying to catch and tackle my younger brother, to training in preparation of OCS, to the years of Marine Corps Training and to now…just because. My favorite past times include swimming, biking, running, drinking beer, traveling to race events (triathlons, duathlons, run races, etc...), hiking, reading, traveling, laughing, eating and spending time with wonderful family and friends. In my professional life I am merely one of the thousands of engineers who are, literally and figuratively, running around Huntsville.

What is Hood to Coast?

I remember the first time I heard about the Hood to Coast race; I was either reading the book or the blog Run Like a Mother.  I didn't have a clue what it was.  I first thought it was some kind of cross country race-as in across the whole country, from the "hood"-NYC, to the (west) coast. 

Much later, while listening to The Marathon Show one day, the host, Joe Taricani, was interviewing the director of the Hood to Coast movie.  Because Joe is such a good interviewer...I found out not only all the details about the event, I was introduced to the spirit of the race. After seeing the movie, I was hooked.  (I've already confessed to you I might not be actually doing this thing if not for Captain Casey, but I knew I wanted to do it after listening to the interview.)  I'm just so thankful Casey went to the movie with me.

So...what exactly is H2C?  You probably know it's a 197 mile relay race that runs from Mt. Hood to Sea Side Oregon.  It's the largest relay race in the world in terms of participation.  ...I don't want to make this a Wiki entry, but the truth is since I haven't yet experienced the race, it's hard for me to adequately write about it.  My guess is it will be a lot like becoming a parent.  Everyone told me, before I had my son, there was no way to describe what it feels like.  I thought I knew how I would feel...but I didn't have a clue until I was feeling it because I had never experienced anything like it before. 

In my mind, this is "just" a really cool race.  But I've had enough experiences in my life to know I should believe all those people who say this is NOT just any other race.  I love what Bart Yasso (Chief Running Officer of Runner's World magazine) has to say in the Hood to Coast movie trailer:  "No matter what you read and what you hear, you have to EXPERIENCE it."

So...if you want the facts of the race, you can check out their official website or the Wiki entry...otherwise, you'll have to wait another 15 months if you want me to tell you about it....and trust me I WILL!!  Until then I'll just keep telling you about our Journey getting there!!

Five weeks without running!

Five weeks without running... That is NO FUN when you are a runner! I am so thankful to be a triathlete as well. At least if I had to give up running for 5 weeks to heal from a stress fracture in my 2nd metatarsal, I could still swim and bike. In a nutshell, the stress fracture was a result of going up a half size in my new trail runners then switching back to my smaller road shoes. I was just a couple of weeks away from ordering a new pair of Newton road shoes in the larger size. I was absolutely sick when it happened!

My Monday night run on March 28, 2011 was one run too many in the smaller shoes. There I was around mile 3 when I felt something in my foot crack. I shook it out and it just felt like something was out of place. I limped a few steps and the pain subsided. I continued the run and completed just under 6 miles with my friends. I iced the foot immediately when I got home. The next day I couldn't even bear weight on it. I iced my foot and popped Vitamin I (Ibuprophen) throughout the day.

Up to this point, I had never been sidelined from running. That is not to say that I never had aches and pains, just never anything I couldn't train through. I kept thinking the pain would go away and I would be fine for the back to back half marathons I had planned for the weekend and a marathon 5 weeks later. Wrong! On Wednesday I woke up and called The Orthopaedic Center immediately. I explained my situation and they worked me in that day. A bone scan later confirmed a stress fracture and by doctor's orders no running for 5 weeks. I did a lot of research on the best ways to not lose fitness when you can't run. The best solution I found? Aqua Jogging!

Aqua jogging is not just for cute little old ladies anymore kids! Aqua jogging is COOL! Well maybe not cool, but definitely a great way to maintain fitness when you can't pound the pavement. Lucky for me another Dixie Daredevil, Melissa Lee, was willing to log the minutes and hours in the pool with me. Talk about a good friend! My longest aqua jog in the five weeks I was sidelined was two hours. That's a lot of treading water!

On Tuesday I went back to The Orthopaedic Center for my 5 week check up and guess what??? I was cleared to run again!!! For the next two weeks I can run up to 2 miles 3 days per week, after which I can continue to increase my mileage slowly. I went to Fleet Feet ordered my new Newtons immediately! That night I ran the road in my trail runners and felt GREAT! On Thursday night I attended Fleet Feet's Cinco de Mayo fun run and ran another 2 miles. Today is my normal "long run" day, but I have opted to run tomorrow so I can run 2 miles of the bike after my "long ride."

When all was said and done I had to miss a couple half marathons, a full marathon and a Half Ironman in July. The important thing is that my stress fracture is healing well and I should be able to run the sprint triathlons I have scheduled for June, as well as an the Rocketman Olympic Triathlon in late August. I am picking out a fall Half Ironman and am also planning on a late October marathon. I really missed running over the past 5 weeks, but I have had a lot of fun on my new bike as well as cheering on my family and friends at their races! Injuries are never fun, but taking the necessary time off is super important in the long run... pun intended!

Diva Dixie Daredevils

Last Tuesday night was Diva Night at Fleet Feet.

For those of you who might not know what Diva Night is...basically it's a night for women to get together at the store and celebrate fitness.  Fleet Feet has two such nights a year-spring and fall.  I have to say, the spring Diva Night is "always" the best.  It's as if we're all coming out of hibernation or something; we flock to the event like bears to the first food of spring.

They always have good food, bra fittings, great door prizes, and DISCOUNTS on women's apparel!!  This year they invited Terrame´ Day Salon into the store to make it a Diva Spa Night complete with massages!!  All this was enjoyed while listening to the sweet sounds of singer/songwriter Cristina Lynn, live and in person!

The Dixie Daredevils contacted Suzanne Taylor (owner of Fleet Feet, along with her husband Dink) a while back asking if we could possibly set up a table to promote our fight against cancer and spread the word about our cause.  Not only were we allowed to set up a table, Fleet Feet allowed us to accept donations made to American Cancer Society for chances to win great prizes they provided!

We had a great time coming together as a team (minus Shari and Heather--we missed you ladies terribly).  We were also able to collect over $2,000 in donations!!  Although I didn't get a massage, I did buy two running skirts-25% off!!  Thank you to everyone who made the night a great success!

Here's a little video of the fun we had...

And Now A Word About (one of) Our Sponsor(s)-Fleet Feet Huntsville

This post will be hard for me to write.  I want to be objective, however, I'm fairly certain I will start to gush profusely as I talk about my love for my favorite local running store-Fleet Feet Sports Huntsville.  I'll do my best to contain it, but I'm not making any promises.

When I started running, just a little over a year ago, I was determined not to get sucked in to the running hype.  I had purchased a pair of shoes from a big-box sports store based on the recommendation from a weight-lifting friend of my husband's.  He told me the kind of shoes he ran in and said he loved them, so I figured they would work for me, too.  I threw on my cotton shirt, sweat pants, cotton socks, and my new kicks and hit the road for a 30 minute walk/run.  I was following a Hal Higdon plan I found on-line.  It was basically a couch to 5K kind of plan wherein I would walk/run for 30 minutes every other day for 60 days with the intention of working up to a solid 30 minute run by the end of that time.

It was January and it was FREEZING outside.  After a little bit of research on Google I decided I needed some running tights under my sweatpants because the long johns just weren't working for me.  Now, even though I had bought my shoes from a big-box store, I have somewhat of an aversion to chain stores of any kind (except gas stations...but that's almost unavoidable).  I would rather eat at a mom-and-pop restaurant, buy my produce from a farmer's market, and do all my shopping from locally owned and operated non-chain/franchise stores.  So, I found a little shop that sold running tights and prepared to fall in love with my LRS (local running store).

When I went in and asked for tights, I was sold tights.  You might think that was a successful venture.  However, the reason I love "mom-and-pop" shops so much is the personal attention one usually gets from such places.  As I attempted to engage the three different store workers in conversation about my new found love of running, none of them seemed interested.  I'm sure if I had asked them to point me to the fuel belts they would have obliged, but there was not an apparent desire to assist.  I left feeling incredibly let down...certainly not "in love with my LRS" as I had hoped.

As my running time increased, I began to experience pain in my calves.  Someone pointed me in the direction of Fleet Feet, although I can't remember who it was for the life of me or I would go hug his/her neck!!  I remember this person telling me about how they would put me on a treadmill and watch me run in order to determine the kind of running shoe that best suited me.  Now, let me tell you, this was news!!  I knew there were different styles of shoes, but I just thought it was about comfort and fashion.  I knew Fleet Feet was a chain store, but I was ready to try anything in the hopes of being able to run pain free.  I have to admit, I didn't have very high hopes when I went in.

Boy was I shocked.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted warmly and was asked, "What can we do for you today?"  I told the man I needed to get a new pair of shoes.  After he asked me a few questions he found out very quickly I knew nothing about what kind of shoe I needed and he proceeded to "fit" me for my first pair of proper running shoes.  He was a wellspring of information, most of which I'll confess I didn't fully buy into (such as the cotton socks I had been wearing weren't going to cut it for long).  He not only went the extra mile, he ran the full gamut and introduced me to the idea of a training group called NOBO (No Boundaries).

As much as I didn't want to love this CHAIN STORE, I was smitten.  The thing is, it doesn't feel like a chain store.  If I'm being very honest...it feels like going to my sickeningly rich sister's house to re-appropriate things from her closet (all except the fact I have to pay for the items I want to keep!).

...Listen, I warned you I was going to gush...but I promise I'm holding back as best I can.

I know a large part of why I personally feel the way I do is the attitude I have when I go to the store, and the fact I have developed relationships with many (if not most) of the people who work there.  I have not only been a participant in a training group (Next Steps), and will take on that role again this summer with Tri 201, but I have also coached NOBO, NOBO2 and Next Steps.  I've also participated in many of the fun runs the store regularly puts on, and  have volunteered to work many of the races sponsored by the store.  However, I've seen too many people come in and receive the same treatment I have to believe their hospitality has anything to do with me.

The owners, Dink and Suzanne Taylor, work tirelessly to promote health and fitness in our area.  They genuinely care about the people they serve as opposed to caring about the dollar they might make.  They have been pouring into our community ever since they opened the store several years ago.  Not only have they sponsored our team with a generous monetary donation to American Cancer Society, they also provided our team shirts at cost and will provide the shoes we'll all race in when we finally make it to Hood to Coast 2012.  Additionally, they allowed us to lead a "FunD Run" before the showing of My Run the movie and invited us to be a part of their annual Diva Night (held last week) where we were able to raise about $2,500 in donations.

On behalf of the entire team, I want to express my gratitude to Fleet Feet Sports in Huntsville.  It's so much more than a running store.

(We're missing two team members...Heather and Shari.)

Hey...I warned you I would gush.



 
((For the record, I do not work for Fleet Feet; aside from the donations to American Cancer Society and the sponsorships mentioned above, I, nor anyone on the team, has received any compensation from Fleet Feet or their affiliates.))

What A Difference A Week Makes

Most of our readers are here in Alabama and know all too well why it is there have been no updates in the past week.  But, for those of you who don't live here and are like me (a non-news-watcher)...to say we had bad storms hit us would be a colossal understatement...

As far as I know, no one on the team suffered any damage other than extended power outage.  We have a lot for which to be thankful.

There's quite a bit of "news" I want to share with all of you, but for now I would ask you to pray for the families of the 340 people who lost their lives in the storms that raged across seven states (254 of whom where here in Alabama), the hundreds if not thousands of people who were injured, and the countless number who sustained damage to their homes...not to mention those who remain without power.