Local Business Round-Up - January

Its that time again folks - time to round-up the folks around RVA that have been giving the Massey Challenge some love in the past month as we live local, give local to cure cancer.

Just in time to kick off New Years resolutions, Yoga Source and Ellwood Thompson's partnered up to bring at bit of OM into our lives with a yoga class to benefit the Challenge:  

We all blissed out in preparation for the months ahead and all of the amazing opportunities we would have to get RVA ready to fight cancer.  And we raised a good bit of money to fund the fight to boot.

We also partnered up with our friends over at Clear Channel Radio:

Who are not only running some great ads to remind RVA to head over to www.run4massey.org and accept the Challenge and interviewing some incredible folks who have already accepted it (lets ignore the fact that I just called myself incredible - there are other great interviews on their way!!), but two of their radio personalities - Kat and Jackson - are heading up their very own Challenge teams!  So if you're hesitant to join the Challenge on your own or to head up your own team, tune into Lite98 and Q94 to find out how to join one of them (or find Jackson's team page here).

Just in time for 10k training to get really underway, 3Sports stepped up to partner with the Challenge:

You can still head over to either Richmond location and help fight cancer.  Through February 4, 2013, let them know you support Massey and they'll make a $10 donation to the Challenge for each pair of sneakers you pick up!  Thanks 3Sports!

With the amount of time I have spent at the various Greater Richmond YMCA branches in the last two weeks, I think I might qualify for status as one of the Village People:

I am in awe by the number of branch Wellness Directors that already have plans to get their branches involved in the Massey Challenge and by the outpouring of support they have already given to us.  I cant wait to see what they do together!

Psst - Its not too late to sign up for a 10kTT!!  Click here to sneak in before its too late!  I promise you wont regret it!

And who could forget:

Our dear darlings over at Sports Backers have been our partners in this journey for the last eight years.  January has been an amazing month of working closely with them - to hash out plans for the first ever Massey Mile, drumming up excitement among the media and the sponsors of the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10k, and traveling to each and every YMCA in the Richmond area to bring them the Massey message.

I have to admit that I love seeing the transition thats taken place as we've worked more and more closely with each other in the last several years - this year I probably could have lets the Sports Backers coaches pitch Massey for me - they are all such strong advocates themselves now!

This fun and warm-hearted group of folks is getting RVA moving each and every day.  So dont just stop at the 10k.  Plan on signing up for lots of their other events too!

Remember our deal, folks - these guys give us love, so we give them love right back.  Head on out and patronize these local businesses and tell them thank you for putting cancer on the run!

Honored

The first time I accepted the Massey Challenge, I didn't really know what to expect.  I was shy about it.  Nervous about sharing my story with friends and family (even though 99% of them already knew it!).  I felt like if I could just raise a couple hundred bucks, I would be able to give something back to Massey, and say thank you for my second chance at life.

What I didn't know?  How much the Massey Challenge would give back to me.  And how far that would outweigh any amount of money I could raise.

Grab us a couple of coffees and I will spend hours telling you about the people the Challenge has brought into my life.  The woman who participates with her son, to help him honor and remember the father who passed away from cancer before he was born.  The 30 year survivor who is my age - and who defied the odds when he was just a tiny boy - and continues to do so today.  The man who runs for a coworker battling the disease, and who told me that "Massey is the kind of place you hope no one you love ever needs, but when they do, you are awfully grateful that its there."

Ill tell you about the strangers who notice my SURVIVOR bib and give me quick one-armed hugs as they pass me running down Monument Avenue.  About the other slow runners who sidle up to Tim and I to tell us about the father who battled brain cancer.  The best friend currently going through chemo.  The people who were strangers until they logged half a mile of that 6.2 with us and became etched in our minds and hearts.

And after last week, I'll also tell you about Terry.

You may have heard that the University of Richmond and VCU have honored the Massey Challenge by making us a beneficiary of the 2013 Black & Blue Classic - a 2 game series pitting the cross-town rivals' mens basketball teams against each other.  The first of these games was held at UR's Robins Center last Thursday night:

Committee members were out in full force spreading the Massey message and selling competing cheer signs - "CANCER BITES" for the UR fans out there and "WREAK HAVOC ON CANCER" for those who prefer VCU.

And I had the special privilege of getting to run onto the court during a timeout along with Becky Massey, Will Massey, and David Lyons to help promote our efforts.  And then hang out court side to watch the rest of the first half!

When I got back up to our table, Jay said he had someone he wanted to me to meet.  It was Terry - a sweet gentleman who was at the game with a friend.  He told me about his sister-in-law - also Teri! - who lived in Texas and had recently undergone a mastectomy.  He had purchased this sign in her honor and planed to mail it to her:

But he didnt just want to send her the sign.  Terry had been at Outback when we were live on the UR Coach's show with Coach Mooney the Monday prior.  And he felt like I could give Teri some inspiration.  So he asked me to write her a note on the back of the cheer sign.

WHAT???

For all the people I have met, all the conversations I have had, all of the stories I have heard - no one has ever asked me to do something like this.  And I was so touched, and honored.  I mean, this is what its all about, right?  We share our stories in large part to help others.

On the drive home - utterly exhausted physically from the long day and emotionally from a week of sharing my story - I tried calling both Greg and Tim to tell them what happened.  Neither picked up, so I took to my late night run with the question of what on earth I was going to write on that sign running along with me.

A mile later, I didnt have an answer.  I didnt have one the next day either.

So I sat down over the weekend and thought long and hard about what I would have wanted someone in my shoes to say to me nearly 11 years ago.  What words could bring peace and comfort and a reminder that one isnt alone in the battle against cancer?

It was one of the hardest letters I have ever written.

Because nothing I can say will make it any better.

I'm planning to deliver the finished product to Massey on Friday so it can be sent on its merry way to Teri in Texas.  I am hoping it will help buoy up her spirit a bit.  Although with a brother-in-law like Terry, I have a feeling she is going to be just fine.

Running Streak Rehash - Week 11

Week eleven on my running streak has gone by and it was a toughie. (Why does it always seem like Im saying that lately?  I guess I'm still not adjusted to being a winter runner!).  But it was good and empowering to know that even in less-than-ideal conditions, I can get out there in the world and log some miles.

Lets look back for a second on what this week looked like.

It was bitterly cold (for RVA):

  There was snow (yes - that counts here):

  And even though my phone was showing Monday as a sunshiny day:

Let me assure you, it was freezing rain when I hit the streets at 6:15.

So this is where we landed:

Day 71Wednesday January 23, 2013 - 1.03 miles
Day 72 Thursday January 24, 2013 - 1.01 miles
Day 73 Friday January 25, 2013 - 1.00 miles
Day 74 Saturday January 26, 2013 - 1.92 miles
Day 75 Sunday January 27, 2013 - 2.38 miles
Day 76 Monday January 28, 2013 - 1.09 miles
Day 77 Tuesday January 29, 2013 - 2.46 miles

Week Total - 10.89

There were no records set during week eleven folks.  But we plug along.

*   *   *

So I started this blog about 4 months ago?  5? 

Yes - I am too lazy to go back and actually look right now.

There are lots of things I didnt know about blogging.  One of the best lessons I have learned is that you can actually make friends out there in blogland.  Like, super sweet and darling friends.  Among those for me is Samantha over at Designer in Teal.  You really should check out her blog - she had me at interior design and weddings - two things I love to drool over.

Yes - I just admitted that I love weddings.  Take note.  You may never hear me actually profess that again. 

When I told sweet Samantha about what we were working on over in Massey Challenge world, she decided to help us get the word out.  You can find her post here.  And while you're there, follow along!

Mantra Monday

2013 has been remarkable so far.  And it makes me want to live my days even more passionately and with more purpose than I have in my 30-something years to date.

Source

*   *   *

If there is still some crazy reason why you are unsure about signing up for the YMCA 10k Training Team, catch Coach Dan and I tonight at 5:30 at the James Center YMCA or at 730 at the Tuckahoe YMCA (extra bonus at Tuckahoe - my dear friend Brooke is the head coach there, so you'll get to train with her!).  The price increases on February 1, so stop waiting!

Friday Five

What. A. Week. 

Thats all.  Here's a glimpse as what went down.

Yeah - i ran in that.

There are worse people to give all the power to.

  You might be a nerd if . . . The annual arrival of this book excites you.

Home away from home this week - 4 YMCA's visited - 5 to go!

I had the chance to watch the VCU/UR game from court side - Amazing!

We're getting down to the wire for purchasing shirts from Bonfire Funds.  Head here to purchase your shirt and remember if you live in RVA or I see you often you can use free shipping code oa5y1138 and I will deliver your shirt to you - with a bonus hug (yes - even if we haven't met yet!)    

A Day In The Life

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about how I manage to fit in running, yoga, my law practice, and the Challenge.  So I thought I'd throw together a bit of a play-by-play of my typical weekday.  Things can be busier.  They can be slower.  But since the first of the year, this has been it on the average day:

5am - Alarm goes off.  Hit snooze.

510am - Alarm goes off.  Hit snooze.

520am - Alarm goes off.  Hit snooze.

530am - Crawl out of bed.  Cuss several times.  Check email

               Part of what makes this waking up experience what it is is the joy of having an old home
               with inadequate upstairs heating.  And the fact that chemo sent my body's ability to regulate
               its temperature totally out of whack - making me crazy hot when I sleep at night - and
               bitterly cold when my bare feet hit the floor come morning.

               I quickly triage any emails that came in overnight, responding to the ones that are somewhat
               pressing while I'm throwing my running clothes on.

6-650am - Run. 

               This includes driving to the yoga studio if I have a class that day, and then running from
               there.

               Other than the fact that I need to get up earlier than I'd like and that its bitterly cold out, I
               dislike these morning runs because I am just not a good morning runner.  My morning runs
               are always slower.  More sluggish.  I'm at my best late morning or early evening when my
               neighborhood looks like this:

                Not when it looks like this:

                  But that just isnt happening these days!

650-7am - Quick catch up session with Lauren.  

                  This is actually one of the rare moments in our friendship where Massey almost never
                  comes up.

7-8am - Yoga

                  This hour has become SO important to my sanity.  It lets me ground myself and breathe
                  before the day ahead.  But there are days where I find myself using Shavasana to lay out
                  my day rather than connect and reflect.  I'm working on that.

                  On the way out, Lauren and I quickly regroup and chat about whats on tap Challenge-wise
                  for the day, chat about anything pressing in the next 2 hours, and usually trade off some
                  kind of materials (posters, t-shirts, postcards).

8-9am - Run home.  Get myself ready for work.  Grab breakfast for the car/office.

                  An older home also means it takes a bit of time for the shower to warm up.  While it is, I
                  try to triage any important emails that came in during the last few hours, and respond to
                  any that are urgent.

                  I had a really good habit for awhile of making a smoothie for breakfast every morning.  I
                  still do if I have time while Greg's getting ready, but I think the guys at my local coffee
                  shop have noticed a significant uptick in the number of bagels I grab on our morning
                  coffee stop.  Oops.

9-930am - Drive to the office.  
     
                  I use this time to make calls to any Challenge contacts I have been meaning to reach out to
                  or to to run through my to-do list in my head.

930-10am - Settle into the office.

                  Check in with Malissa about any work-related deadlines we may have that day, finalize
                  the day's blog post, write out three separate daily to-do lists: (1) work (2) Challenge (3)
                  personal.

10am-5pm - Be a lawyer.

                  But mixed in here are at least 50 emails/calls/texts about the Challenge, as well as a
                  consistent off-and-on gchat stream with Lauren to address issues/ideas/opportunities as
                  they arise throughout the day.  Unless a matter is urgent or a question can be answered
                  quickly, I have a quick system for flagging emails and texts so I can respond to them in
                  the evening.

                  I used to have a pretty heavy lunch out habit, but the last few months have forced me to
                  start bringing my lunch and eating at my desk.  My waistline thanks me.  My social life,
                  not so much.

                 This office time can definitely be interrupted though, and at least a handful of times a week
                 I run out for a Challenge related meeting, lunch, or event.  Like this:

5pm - Scoot out of the office to head to the evening's event.

                  Especially when its so cold, I try to grab some tea on the way.

530-830pm - Attend Challenge events

                  This might be a committee meeting.  This week there have been lots of back-to-back
                  events - like the UR Coaches Show followed by the John Rolfe YMCA, or the Downtown
                  YMCA followed by the Chester YMCA.  It could be a third-party event.  Other nights,
                  Lauren and I will hit up an event being hosted by an organization or company that we
                  think would make a good partner, in hopes of connecting with someone who can make
                  that happen.

830-11pm - Home

                  This depends.  If things at work are busy, Ill quickly grab something from the kitchen and
                  settle into my desk to knock out a few more hours of work.  If work isnt calling, I catch up
                  on emails, draft the next day's blog post, pay bills.  If Greg and I have a "date" (or what
                  counts as one these days with our schedules) we'll cook dinner while we catch up and Ill
                  usually fall asleep while he watches a movie.  I almost always text with Lauren in
                  preparation for what we have planned the next day.

11pm-12am - Get ready to do it again

                  I pack my lunch, lay my outfit out for the next day, get my running and yoga stuff in one
                  place, and pack up my tote bag.  Read a chapter from my Bible and a passage from Daily
                  Om.  And then crash.

So there you have it - a typical weekday.  Weekends are reserved for catching up on work, writing any guest blog posts, and moving my own personal fundraising projects along (dont forget to click above to make your contribution toward $25,151!), as well as hanging out with the YMCA training teams on Saturdays and squeezing in some other community outreach activities.  Sleep is hard to come by these days.  Gratitude is not. 

Clear Minds, Strong Hearts, Can't Lose

Yes, I just quoted Friday Night Lights.  Get over it.

Last year, my darling friend Rachel and I logged hours upon hours dreaming about where we'd love to take the Massey Challenge.  She was my Lauren last year (aka - a development office liaison who turned into a bestie pretty fast) and we each had this feeling in our guts that the Massey Challenge could be so much bigger.  So much more. 

So lucky for me, when Lauren joined me this year, she was ready to hop right on board that train.  We culled together our fantastic committee.  We brainstormed for pages on end.  We emailed.  We called.  We met.  And RVA responded.

It became clear in our minds pretty early on - it was up to us to turn the Massey Challenge into the best version of itself, and we totally had the partnerships to do that.

But what we didnt realize is quite how many partners we had out in that community.  Its been a whirlwind, but one that strengthens our hearts each time we take another step.  Its crazy to experience what Rachel and I imagined coming true.

The last two weeks have seen a ton of that support.  Starting over at Clear Chanel Radio.   

Isnt Kat just adorbs?

And if you missed it when the interview aired, you can catch it here:

 

Not only will we be on air with Kat once a month, but both Kat and Jackson are having their own Challenge teams this year!  Listen in to their shows to find out how to join them if you dont have a team of your own. 

Then there was Sportsbackers sponsor day.  Can you tell that talking in front of the likes of Bobby Ukrop might have made me a bit more nervous than usual? 

For reference - "usual" involves no notes.

Monday I had the chance to make my sports radio debut with the Richmond Spiders mens basketball team and Coach Mooney.  For a gal who once considered becoming a sportscaster (hey - it seemed like a good way to cross "meet Boomer Esiason" off the bucket list), this was a pretty amazing night.

But these aren't the only moments filling my heart in the last two weeks.  In just two nights speaking at area YMCA's, I have met two survivors and the father of a survivor.  The number of people at the Swift Creek YMCA who declared their acceptance of the Challenge last night was beyond moving. 

 

And perhaps most of all was the response I received to this piece that appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch on Sunday morning.  Not only did I receive several sweet emails from friends and colleagues, but I have received an outpouring of emails from folks I have never met before.  I have often said that part of why this small-town girl has fallen in love with RVA is because in many ways it is a small town itself.  And the support I've been shown by total strangers in response to a piece that I was admittedly pretty nervous to put out there confirms that for me once again.

 

I feel like I am living what Rachel and I dreamed last year.  Thank you RVA for making that dream come true!       

 

We know with all the support you're showing Team Massey, there's no way we can lose this battle!







Running Streak Rehash - Week Ten

When I was a wee little lass, I was an early bird.  Not the wake-up-at-7 kind.  I was the wake-up-at-5:30-and-tip-toe-into-mom's-room-to-force-open-her-eyeball-and-ask-if-she-is-awake kind.  Every. Day.  My mom still likes to remind me of this. 

I like to remind her that this was at least partially due to the fact that I had a 7:30 bedtime until I went to high school.  (No - This is not a joke or an exaggeration.  Cara can vouch for me.)

Even in college, I never slept late.  I honestly could not comprehend my friends' issue with 8am classes.  Or why they couldnt make it to breakfast before them. 

In law school, I got my best work done when Neal and I would be the only people in the journal office bright and early.  I dont think I ever even realized parking could be a problem at UR.  When I got there, the lots were still barren.

And for my first three years practicing law, I easily got out of bed at 4am each week to commute from my home in Durham to my office here in Richmond - often making it in before my locally based colleagues. 

So why 2012 brought with it my complete and utter inability to get out of bed on time is beyond me.  Its like I used up all of my morning person-ness and now my body is catching up on 30+ years of missed sleep.  And in 2013 it seems I am still working on clocking more z's.   

Admittedly, the cold temperatures and snow of late haven't made it any easier.

I started this week with a commitment to run BEFORE my 7am yoga class each day.  With the YMCA information sessions, and a UR/VCU game, and work going on this week, its really the only time I have to fit anything over a mile in. 

But instead, I find myself hitting snooze until the very second I know I MUST get up to get to yoga and running turns into something I need to fit in later.  Like last night - when I got just one mile in after running around all evening and finally getting home around quarter-to-nine.  And I found myself cursing that little snooze button and my laziness earlier in the day.

Day 64 Wednesday January 16, 2013 - 2.32 miles
Day 65 Thursday January 17, 2013 - 1.03 miles
Day 66 Friday January 18, 2013 - 2.42 miles
Day 67 Saturday January 19, 2013 - 3.95 miles
Day 68 Sunday January 20, 2013 - 1.00 miles
Day 69 Monday January 21, 2013 - 1.00 miles
Day 70 Tuesday January 22, 2013 - 2.44 miles

Week Total - 14.16 

Anyone have the secret to finding my mojo early in the day?

In an attempt to rekindle the morning light, I scooped up these kicks last night from 3Sports:

They are all shiny and its totally possible I have imagined I was Queen Neptune and/or a fish while running yesterday and today. 

(And no, thats not the camera angle.  I have amazingly huge feet.)

Remember to head out to visit them in the next two weeks, let them know you support the Massey Challenge and $10 from your sale will support the life-saving work Massey is carrying out!  And if you head to the River Road location, tell my sweet friend Ruthie I say hello! 

And if you missed me at the John Rolfe YMCA last night, you can catch Coach Dan and I at the Swift Creek YMCA tonight at 7!  Hope to see you there!

Mantra Monday

"Manifest" is the word of the week in the 40 Day Yoga Challenge.  After reflecting on 2012 and gaining clarity with respect to what we want 2013 to look like, its time to determine how to get there.  Which makes this quote particularly poignant:


Source

I have a feeling there are some first steps coming my way.  And goodness knows I have no idea where on earth this staircase is going.  But my personal focus word for January and February is COURAGE, so I'm going with it.

*   *   *

This is a busy week in Challenge-world, folks!  Tune in tonight at 5:30 pm to the University of Richmond Coaches Show where Jay and I will be chatting about the Massey Challenge as a preview to the VCU / UR basketball game on Thursday night! You can listen in at ESPN 950 or via the web here.

Once I scoot out of there, Lauren and I will be over at the John Rolfe YMCA for its 7pm information session.  Join us to learn all about why the YMCA training teams are such a great way to get ready for the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10k!  And you'll hear more about the Massey Challenge too (of course!).  Come out, say hi, and join this awesome program!

And if you're training for the 10k and find you need some new kicks to get yourself going, head over to see our friends at 3Sports. This week and next, let them know that you are supporting the Massey Challenge and they'll donate $10.00 from each pair of sneaks you purchased to help put cancer on the run!  Whoot!

Friday Five

This has been an amazing week.  Perhaps the most stressful week I have had since studying for the bar exam, but amazing nonetheless.  It brought with it a plethora of opportunities to talk to RVA about the Massey Challenge and the extraordinary work being done at VCU Massey Cancer Center.  It brought some good (although short) runs and extreme clarity through my yoga practice.  It brought time with my amazing committee - and the realization that the Monument Avenue 10k is only TWELVE WEEKS away.  It brought doors swinging wide open that I couldn't see when they were shut. 

And I am excited that not a scrap of work lies in front of me this weekend, and that lots of time with dear friends is waiting in its place.

A few highlights from the past seven days:

How can a chalk cow in the restroom not make you smile?  Especially when some of your favorites are waiting for you on the other side of the door?

I spent lots of time on-air this week with some awesome radio personalities getting the word out about the Massey Challenge.  So fun!  Stay tuned (pun intended) for the interviews!

Another clean bill of health!

Even if its was a sad excuse for a winter storm, this dusting made this Yankee feel right at home.

I'm still in love with the shirts Bonfire Funds created for me!  You've only got 18 days left to get yours!! Click here before its too late.

*   *   *
A few notes for the weekend ahead:

If you are too eager to hear the interview Lauren and I did with Kat Simons of Clear Channel to wait for me to post it, you can tune into 1140 WRVA at 7am on Saturday or Q94 or Lite 98 at 7am on Sunday.

Considering joining a YMCA training team to get ready for the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10k?  You should!  But if my saying so isnt enough to convince you, join us at one of the information sessions in the next two weeks to meet the coaches and learn more about this amazing program (and hear more about the Massey Challenge too!).  Scroll to the bottom of this page to see where we will be each week night for the next 2 weeks. 

On Monday I'll be live from the University of Richmond Coaches Show chatting about the Massey Challenge as a preview to the VCU / UR basketball game on Thursday night!  You can listen in at 5:30 pm at ESPN 950 or via the web here. 

Fundraiser Spotlight - Julie Dillon

Today' spotlight is on my dear friend, Julie Dillon.  Julie was one of my first "survivor friends" and its been so helpful to not only have someone to gauge my "normalacy" against, but to also be surrounded by her spirit and desire to kick cancer's booty.  Read her story and make a donation in support of her run in the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10k!  Or if she inspires you (and really, how could she not?) head over to www.run4massey.org to start your own Challenge journey!

*   *   *
 
When Kaity asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I instantly said, “Sure!”  Thinking there could be nothing easier.  I share my story all the time.  I talk about Massey and why I’m invested in its mission all the time.  I talk about my participation in the Challenge all the time.  But boiling it all down to a blog entry that makes sense is more—ahem—challenging than I expected.

Kaity and I have many similar perspectives related to our respective cancer experiences.  One of the most notable is that I, like Kaity, at this moment in time, am amazed to be able to say that cancer has given me way more gifts than it has taken away.  I always qualify that statement with “in this moment,” because, if there is one thing you learn from cancer, it’s that a whole lot can change in a moment.   Like all survivors, my risk is high and I know that cancer could be lurking around any corner of the avenues of my life, and there may be a time that I wholeheartedly retract the statement.  But for now, someway, somehow, I can tell you cancer has brought the most amazing gifts to my life.  But that’s another post in and of itself.

The short version of my story is that I was diagnosed with a liposarcoma in my chest when I was 28 years old.  It came out of nowhere—it was not something to be prevented, expected, or avoided in any way.  My son was ten months old, so on top of it all I got to add in the worry that my pregnancy had somehow contributed to the growth of the enormous tumor that was removed from my chest.   Following surgery, I underwent three months of radiation treatment—cake, really, compared with many cancer experiences, though the radiation was risky and only possible thanks to the latest and greatest capabilities at Massey Cancer Center.  Sometimes I feel like I can’t even claim the cancer experience, not having gone through chemo or lost my hair or spent days vomiting.  
 
But having spoken and shared stories with many cancer survivors over the last eight years, I know that none of those things are the primary definers of the cancer experience.  The true bonds of cancer survivorship go a little deeper.  I claim the cancer experience because of the night I bolted awake in the middle of the night, with the startling realization that I could die and my son would have no memory of me (I believe that’s called facing your mortality).

I claim the cancer experience because I spent an afternoon in tears with my mother when we my doctor said he would guarantee me three years…and the tears were of joy because surely my son would remember me if he had three more years with me.  

I claim the cancer experience because I will never go to the most routine of doctor appointments without having an annoying amount of medical history to share.   I claim it because I know what it’s like to wonder if a headache is a brain tumor or if a cough is more than a cough, and I claim it because a direct result of being cured of your cancer is to be automatically at higher risk for the next one.

I claim the cancer experience because not a day goes by that I don’t actively feel extraordinary gratitude that I was able to receive the most incredible care for my disease by the most remarkable, compassionate, brilliant doctors and nurses at VCU Massey Cancer Center.

About a year after I completed my treatment and life was starting to return to a new form of normal, I was simultaneously compelled to do several things.  I wanted to show gratitude to those who had saved my life.  I came from a nonprofit professional background, so I knew that meant getting involved, volunteering, making contributions—whatever they needed that I could manage, I was all in.  I also wanted to reclaim my health, to show my body who was boss after more than a year of mental and physical fatigue from the constant beating and battering that cancer imparts on your body and soul.  I took two actions that seemed at the time quite separate and distinct.  I wrote a modest check and mailed it into Massey Cancer Center with a short note about my experience, my gratitude and my desire to help.  I also signed up for the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.  

It was January of 2005 and I became a runner.  Having never run more than two miles on a treadmill, I joined the training team at the Midlothian YMCA, determined to prove that my scarred lungs were not going to hold me back from the physical fitness I now value more than ever.   The 10k was so much more than a 10k.  It was a ticket back into life.
 
Over that year in 2005, I not only continued running, but I got involved with Massey as a volunteer.  A strange twist of fate gave me the opportunity to work at Massey—a most wonderful opportunity and a gift that never would have come my way if I hadn’t had cancer.  Oh, life and its irony!
 
The following year was the second year of Massey’s partnership with the Monument Avenue 10k and there was no question that I was running again and that I would use my run to support Massey.  That year I raised a little more than $600.
 
Eight 10ks, seven Massey Challenges and more than $27,000 raised later, why do I accept the Challenge?  I have four reasons:

           1. Because I can.  I do not take my lungs for granted.  I see people who—for many reasons—need assistance with their breathing just to walk down the street.  That could have been me.  My lungs, my body –it can run and run far!  I don’t love running, and don’t really want to run MORE than a 10k, but as long as I can run 6.2 miles, I will run. 

           2. To celebrate.  Every year I run the 10k with a race bib that proudly declares my run to be in honor of Dr. Ted Chung.  I run to celebrate my health and those who gave it to me through their dedication to science, medicine and saving lives.  

           3. For maximum impact.  I will give to Massey Cancer Center for the rest of my life.  However much I can, however often I can.  But my dollars are turned into so much more when they are combined with the generous donations of my friends and family each year.  Over the last seven years, I’ve raised more than $27,600 through the Challenge!  I certainly can’t write a check for that amount of money, but nothing makes me more proud than being able to claim responsibility for those funds being put to work saving the next life that needs it.  One day that the life that needs saving could again be mine.  Or worse, my son’s.  I will never stop doing my part to find better treatments and cures for cancer.

           4. For FUN.  The Monument Avenue 10k is addicting, and the Massey Challenge is even more so.  The question is not so much why do I do it, it’s why wouldn’t I do it.   Each year has been unique and rewarding it its own way.  I’ve conquered the race course alone.  I’ve run with a group of the best friends a girl could have.  I celebrated my five-year cancer-free milestone by running with my sisters and their husbands.   Ever since cancer tried to take my life away, I very consciously do things that are life-giving.  The 10k and the Massey Challenge are just that.
 
To me, my 10k is a little like life itself:  The race is mine to run.  I can do things to make it as easy and as fun as possible, though there are always challenges beyond my control.  But at the end of the day, I always know I’ve done my best and I’ve done my part to make the world a better place.

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Want to support Julie in her run for Massey?  Click here to find her personal fundraising page.  Want to start your own fight against cancer?  Click here to join the Challenge yourself!

Running Streak Rehash - Week Nine

First of all, how the hell did it get to be week nine?  I am officially an old lady for whom the time flies.

I am also way too busy to get any significant runs in, it seems.  And in 2013 I am trying to be okay with doing just enough when thats all that can be done.  This week was crazy.  My 40 Day Yoga Challenge continues on (and I'm crazy in love BTW), we have radio interviews for the Challenge, Sponsor Day coming up with Sportsbackers, subcommittee meetings.  Oh - and theres that little thing called my job wherein I try to be an attorney.   

But I love it so please don't misinterpret this as complaining.  

Its just more of a "why my running distances are so short" excuse making vent.

Week Nine

Day 57 Wednesday January 9, 2013 - 1.56 miles
Day 58 Thursday January 10, 2013 - 1.02 miles
Day 59 Friday January 11, 2013 - 2.35 miles
Day 60 Saturday January 12, 2013 - 1.04 miles
Day 61 Sunday January 13, 2013 - 1.01 miles
Day 62 Monday January 14, 2013 - 2.67 miles
Day 63 Tuesday January 15, 2013 - 1.01 miles

           Week Total - 10.66 

But even though things get so busy, this is the time when things get really fun, too.  I was super excited to get a call from Coach Dan this week - he and I are teaming up to bring the Challenge to the YMCA training teams again this year and I simply cannot wait.  And lots of our community partners are helping us get the word out - and their support always fills my heart right up to bursting.  Heres a peek at something were were up to this week:  

More on that in a later post.

So for now, at least through this week when every area of life seems to have spiraled out of control, I'll let the shorter runs be enough.

But next week - Its totally back at it.  For realz. 

Under Surveillance

There is a problem with having a best friend and a brother who are both not only totally willing to push you, but also totally bananas creative.  So when Tyler, Tim, and I hit the shops in Georgetown after Christmas, there were lots of talks about this blog and my goal.  Talks that can't be shared in full here yet.  But one idea that can be shared was that despite the meaning behind my blog title, something shorter and catchier was needed.

About a week later Tim and I were kicking around ideas.  Bad ideas.  Really horrible hang-your-head-in-shame ideas. 

And then Tim had a stroke of genius.

UNDER SURVEILLANCE 

We knew it was perfect.  Because I basically am.  Between 3 oncologists, a gynecologist, and my primary care doctor, CT scans, MRIs, xrays, blood work, ultrasounds, and physical exams, someone is up in my business all.the.time. 

But its also perfect because everyone should be.  Thats part of my point in talking to folks about my history.  Every single one of us should be paying attention to our bodies.  Having doctors check what is weird.  Maybe we dont all need the high-security-level of surveillance that Im under, but we all need some level.

So I quickly drafted up this little sketch:

And asked Tim, Lauren, and Worth if it looked anything like what I was going for.  Worth informed me that its what men's eyes look like almost all the time.  So I knew I was on the right track.

Then I hooked up with Brian over at Bonfire Funds.

I sent him an email and received an enthusiastic response right away.  For real - within about an hour.  We set up a call for Saturday and spent nearly an hour chatting about what I was thinking. 

(I did not, however, send him a picture of the boobie-binoculars.  Although now that I know how awesome he is, I might consider it if timetravel were an option.)

Well, dude is bad-ass, and by Sunday he blew me away with a ton of amazing drafts.  And ultimately, just a day later, we ended up with this:

Part of why I like Bonfire is because you can pick your type of shirt - a guys T, a ladies (thats what won my heart), long-sleeved, or a hoodie.  And $15 from every sale supports the Massey Challenge!  Whoot!  Plus they're another amazing RVA business.  So having their support means tons.  Love #RVA.  And Bonfire!

Go here to purchase your shirt today!  Note that if you're in RVA or if I see you often you can use the free shipping passcode oa5y1138 and your shirt will come to me and Ill deliver it to you - complete with a big hug!!

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PS - I need throw a shout-out to my assistant, Malissa, who has been so totally helpful in getting these blog posts done.  I dont know anything about JPEGs or PDFs or converting things, and at least once a week she helps me do it so I can share things like the boobie-binocular sketch with you.  So lets all thank Malissa for the boobie graphic today.

Mantra Monday

Our focus for the week ahead in my yoga challenge is clarity.  I feel like moving into 2013 I am able to see more clearly that in many years before.  Maybe more clearly than ever.  But my eyes are still adjusting to some of the things I am now able to see.  Which is both exciting and frightening. 


Source

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I'm working my way toward the $10,000 mark and would love to hit it by the end of January.  Click the "donate now" button above to make your contribution in the fight against cancer!