Being a Medtronic Global Hero...

Medtronic Global Hero

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend

October 2, 2011 (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) 

Each year the Medtronic Global Heroes program chooses 25 runners from around the world who benefit from medical technology to participate in the Twin Cities Marathon or Ten Mile Run (2011 included runners from Spain, Australia, Brazil, Sweden, Israel, United States and more).  Most of the runners chosen benefit from the use of insulin pumps, pacemakers and stents but I was chosen for being a runner with an Interstim device (sacral nerve stimulator).  Further explanation perhaps….

On October 1st, 2007, we joyously welcomed our third daughter into the family.  The C-section went smoothly and we were looking forward to a speedy recovery.  Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.  Sixty hours after her birth, barely alive, I was rushed into surgery to evacuate a massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage that had displaced my bladder and kidneys and caused my lungs to collapse.  Unfortunately due to the size of the clot and the length of the pressure, permanent nerve damage had been done to my bladder and it no longer emptied naturally, requiring the use of catheters.

I woke up in the ICU on a ventilator, minus a uterus, 57 staples running from my chest all the way down my belly and a long way from recovery.  My baby, along with my dreams of a large family, went home two weeks before I did.  It took an amazing nurse, numerous blood donors, extremely supportive friends and family, and a lot of inner strength to begin my journey back to health.  As we began to search for answers for the bladder issues, with a seven month old baby in tow, I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and had to have a double mastectomy.

Enter the run…

I was extremely athletic but never able to run long distances due to my large breasts.   My newly created physique from the mastectomies enabled me to run, and run I did.  Within a year I was logging 50 miles a week on average and found that it really helped me heal emotionally as well as physically.  During this time I also found a Urogynecologist at Washington Hospital Center that not only was able to diagnose the exact nature of my bladder issues, she was able to FIX them with a sacral nerve stimulator, bye-bye catheters…hello long runs with the ability to empty my bladder.  I entered my first race, the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in 2010 and finished with a time of 1:22:01.  My second race, a week later was the Hospice 10K in Leonardtown; I came in second for women and first in my age group.  The seed had been planted and I was hooked.

Living LARGE in the Twin Cities!

When I heard about the Global Heroes Program, I decided to apply never expecting to be selected.  I really liked the premise of the program, it helps illustrate that your body can overcome so much and with enough work, passion and dedication it is possible to come back and be as strong as or even stronger than ever.  We are often surrounded by people with excuses or an “I can’t” attitude, this program is for the people who stand up and decide that obstacles are meant to hurdled, cleared or completely obliterated!

Beautiful City, Beautiful People

Medtronic paid airfare, race entry, hotel, food, and limousine transportation for my husband and me while we were in the twin cities (in addition to making a $1000 donation in my name to the National Association for Continence).  As a Global Hero I also had special race recognition and a ton of free swag from Medtronic and Twin Cities in Motion.  At some point I decided that this race was going to be an experience for me, NOT just another race.  I gave myself a broad goal of a 5 hour finish time and decided I was going milk this experience for all it was worth.  As a mom to three young girls it is NEVER about me, I thought that for these five hours I would make it ALL about me!

Medtronic Twin Cities is dubbed “The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America” and I have to agree.  For 26.2 miles we ran through park like settings, around four beautiful lakes with historic homes on one side of the road and water on the other.  At about mile 20 we began a pretty good climb which took us across the Mississippi River into St. Paul where we ran down streets, including infamous Summit Avenue, with it’s gorgeous mansions and immaculate landscaping.  We started off in the heart of Minneapolis and finished in front of the State Capitol in St. Paul. 

From the start of the race to the end, there was always someone nearby ringing a bell, blowing a horn or banging blue Medtronic clappers, the course was stacked with people 3-6 deep waving signs and wearing costumes.  Most of these “cheerleaders” also knew what the Global Hero shirt meant and gave us a little extra hoot and holler.  The whole city comes together for this race and it is literally a giant block party. 

Love Medtronic

At mile 19.5 I hit the Medtronic tent and as one of their Global Heroes I felt it necessary to crack out a few cartwheels for posterity (and because that is just the kind of energy I have) and then move on my merry little way (with a few hugs and smiles (plus I was only at 3:00:30 (a good 55 minutes ahead of my goal time)).  At mile 21.7 I met a nice man named Jerry sitting in front of his HUGE MANSION handing out beer, I decided that this would be a good time to sit down and make a new friend while drinking a (3 ounce) beer (again, still at least 50 minutes ahead).  He even let me use his chair, since I was running a marathon and had clearly exerted myself a trifle more than he had.  At mile 23.2 I met a lovely woman named Nora, she makes the best bloody Marys EVER.  We sat and chatted for a few minutes while sharing (a very small) drink and a piece of celery but since I WAS in the middle of something I had to get going.  At this point I was still well ahead of my goal time so when I came along a line of bounce houses at mile 24 I just had to take a turn.  Surprisingly not many of the runners took the time to enjoy the toys and games along the way.  I had fun taking off my sneakers for a few minutes and playing with some of the children that had been cheering for the runners all morning. 

Making this an experience rather than a race was probably the best plan I have ever had.  This is a race where the whole city is involved.  The number of signs, costumes and bands along the way was simply overwhelming.  For the six days we spent in the Twin Cities I truly felt like a hero and the marathon was the ultimate expression of that feeling.  As I crossed mile 25 the tears came, unexpected and unbidden, tears perhaps of gratitude for being included in something extraordinary, a once in a lifetime experience.  Yet, as I crossed mile 26.2 my cheers and screams of joy could be heard above the announcer.  I finished in 4:19:14, I ran well, I ran strong, I think that if I had pushed just a little I would surely have had a Personal Best, but I think there is a lot to be said for having a personal best time emotionally.  For me, this marathon was 259 minutes of consecutive smiles, a chance to celebrate life and appreciate the obstacles that make each footfall of each mile so meaningful. 

Here is the link to the Global Heroes Program, if you or anyone you know qualifies I encourage you (or them) to apply.  It is a once in a lifetime experience and truly a celebration of life.

http://www.medtronic.com/2012globalheroes/index.html

I leave you with a thought that a good friend shared with me:

I do not run to add days to my life but rather I run to add life to my day!

This is one happy Global Hero

Boston Derailed...

Coast-to-Coast for Cancer

Not this year for me...
maybe one day,
but then maybe not.
Life will certainly
go on...which is awesome.

So as we all know I have been training for the Boston Marathon for quite some time now…Boston is officially out and I have been derailed, sidetracked and otherwise redirected.  About 10 weeks ago I began having a lot of pain in my left tibia…I assumed this was a previous stress fracture from two years ago reasserting itself.  Turns out my last tibial stress fracture was in my right leg and this one was brand-new.  DAMN.  Broken.  THIS does not make Boston look very promising.

Looking for a bright side to this situation I decide that I will take up swimming (immediately jumping into two slow miles a day) and preparing to unleash my inner triathlete.  Since running is out I decide that it is time to get my Interstim replaced (bladder pacemaker) it had not been working for over 4 months and having the ability to empty my bladder is always an added bonus in my very unique little universe.

Running Boston has never been a bucket list item or life goal for me and I am not devastated to miss it, but I am disappointed…for me there would be a kinship with people insane enough to train at that level, shocker right?

Whatever happens at least I won't be doing this for 26.2 miles...

Still swimming and finding comfort working towards a new goal of a triathlon I find out about this AWESOME marathon opportunity.  They are having a Coast-to-Coast marathon to raise money for cancer (Donate Here)…all types of cancer.  There will be 160 runners passing a baton across the ENTIRE country traversing 4,000 miles from Washington State to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and I am going to be one of those runners…WOO-HOO…this is WAY better than Boston for me.

This is me knowing that I get run
 and help patients with cancer at the same time.Oh yeah...I've got swagger.

As a breast cancer survivor people always want to know why I do not do more Komen events, the three-day and all of the races…etc.  I am a HUGE supporter of Komen and breast cancer fundraising in general, but so are a lot of people.  The Coast-to-Coast marathon assists patients with ALL types of cancer and that makes me happy. 

Having gone through breast cancer I can assure you that thanks to Nancy Brinker and the Susan G. Komen foundation every single aspect of breast cancer is either covered by your insurance or financed by any one of a number of amazing organizations.  I have watched too many of my friends with other types of cancer fight tooth and nail to get even very basic needs covered by insurance. 

Please come and be
indomitable with me!

Needless to say this race is the first of its kind…runners going from Coast-to-Coast with the goal of raising a million dollars towards cancer research and direct patient care.  My portion is $7,500 and I am going to need your help to get there…please consider donating or even “buying a mile” for $200 (Donate Here).  You can also form your own team or join mine and raise money with me and join me on race day (sometime around July 25^th in the DC area…specific time and day soon).

I would love a crowd of my friends and supporters there to fight cancer with me.

Although Boston is not in my immediate future I am feeling lots of new and exciting things on the horizon…Boston Derailed…absolutely.  Opportunity knocking?  Always.  Swimming, Triathlons, Coast-to-Coast for Cancer and a chance to give something back.

Life is full of amazing blessings.

I came across this just this morning:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”

-Erma Bombeck

Do you want to join me on my big run?

Can you donate?

Do you always try to find the opportunity in the disappointments? 

Boston Training: The Good, The Bad, The Stupid…

Boston is officially under three months away and I have amped up my training schedule slowly but surely.  When my friends are training for Marathons or ½ marathons they often ask me for my advice or how I have trained for specific distances.  Since my running consists of less than 4 years of experience and I am always in the hospital with a bowel obstruction or having surgery I am not sure I am the best person to ask…but I am always happy to help.

Pretty much sums it up....

Typically my response is to encourage them to look online and find a training plan that fits into their schedule and help them reach their goals (faster pace, longer distance, whatever).  If they tell me they want to train like I do I remind them that I am crazy but will give them some of my “trade secrets”.

1.          I have never followed a training plan.  With three children, one husband, two dogs, and recurring hospital stays I cannot consistently follow any training plan.  When you layer in my part time job teaching aerobics it really becomes tricky…trying to run 15 miles after teaching two Spinning classes is not something I can do on a regular basis.

2.         On any given day I am *READY* to run a marathon.  I may not be ready to have a BQ time but if I’m given 24 hours notice chances are I can pop out 26.2 miles…no problem (this is NOT sarcasm).

3.         When preparing for a marathon I am typically registered for 2 or 3 ultra marathons as well…my long runs are actually long races.  For example, the Boston Marathon is on April 15^th, 2013 my training “plan” includes running an 8 hour race on February 2^nd, and a full marathon on March 10^th.  

My general attitude towards maximum weekly mileage.

4.         To clarify, an 8 hour race is basically what it sounds like.  A bunch of crazy trail runners line up in freezing cold weather and try to run as many miles as they can in under 8 hours.  Whoever runs the furthest gets to win.  I am not classifying this effort as sane, but it certainly helps you get your long run in for the week.

Race Cartwheels...a must.

5. There are several things that I personally find especially helpful while in hardcore training mode.  I do a lot of weight lifting (Body Pump) and yoga (Body Flow), granted as an instructor in these programs getting paid to train offers a bit more incentive.  Additionally it keeps me strong and limber for when I need to do cartwheels at rest stops or headstands post race (and yes, these are necessary skills to demonstrate at races).

Always SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT!!!!
It's just a good idea =)

6.         Speed and hill work are always on my list of must-dos.  Usually my idea of a speed workout is to go on a 10-12 mile run and sprint for ½ a mile and then jog slowly for a mile.  As for hill work I get on the Step Mill/Gauntlet at the gym for 60 minutes and try to climb 7-8 miles of stairs, it is not easy but it makes for a strong butt.  Lately I have been reading a lot of articles saying that runners get a lot of injuries due to weak glutes, I hope to not have that problem.

The law of my run.  Single track trail, slowest runner in front of me
will NOT let me pass.  No speed work today.

7.         Lastly my general philosophy goes along the lines of: just because you’re training for a 10K does not mean that you cannot follow a ½ marathon schedule.  When I train my goal is to increase my ability to run longer distances a little faster over time…without getting hurt.

It has taken me almost four years to get where I am and I have no clue what I am doing.  Essentially I have learned to run through trial and error, asking my running friends for advice, and a whole lot of research and reading.  I have tried a lot of different methods and strategies and have finally found what works for me. 

I love to run really really far and as I get stronger my speed gets faster.  My advice is to do what feels good for you and if it hurts...don’t do it. One thing I always remind myself when I start to overdo is that I would like to be able to run for a very long time.  It’s my happy place and I pray I will be doing it into my 80’s…and yes, I realize I will eventually have to scale back my training.

Good luck!

What’s your next race?

Do you follow Hal Higdon or one of the other popular training plans?

Which have you found to be the most effective?

TSA and No Resolution

First post on my new MacBook
HTTR

In mid December I drove one of my friends and her baby from Maryland to Florida and then flew home.  It was one of those situations that just worked out, she needed to get her parents house and I wanted to visit my sister who lives 20 minutes from her parents house.  

It was a long drive down with a 7 week old baby and we arrived exhausted but happy.  Hanging out with my sister (who also loves to run) and her family was so much fun.  I got to see my nephew play ice hockey, go to a show performed by the AMAZING West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, and run a new and stunning route everyday in perfect weather.  

When I tried to get on the plane to get home my perfect trip took a drastic turn...TSA did not want to let me on the plane.  Apparently I used to be a pretty hot and tempting little dish (NOT) and my new physique does not match my picture.  After showing the man about ten different forms of ID I was finally very carefully molested by the female TSA security "professional".  ARGH.  Needless to say I was not seeing losing weight and getting in shape as a huge positive at this point.  In fact I was wishing I still smoked and weighed 250 pounds, except I would have had to walk back outside and go through security again given the new tobacco policies.  NOT HAPPENING.

Very pretty license picture
from about seven years ago.

Apparently I don't look as hot and sexy anymore.

 On my flight home I began thinking about the holidays and how 2013 might unfold.  Years ago I gave up on the resolution idea realizing that I do not subscribe to the idea of someone telling me when to stop or change a behavior based on a calendar or their idea of tradition.  Add the statistics of how many people actually keep their resolutions and the entire idea seems archaic.  
Certainly I have areas in my life that need to be worked through and improved upon (although I honestly may have accept that certain things are part of my genetic make-up and are not going to change no matter how hard I try) after 41 years it's inevitable.   For example; I will only put my shoes away twice a week and this is a HUGE improvement to the thirty pairs that used to scatter the house at all times.

As for losing weight...I've done that:

Rounding out.

Living large...

Additionally I have quit smoking so I cannot do that again.  At the end of the day I am simply going to focus my energy on things I am doing well and try to do them better.  As a mother and wife I can be more patient and spend more time doing simple, fun things with my beautiful family.  As a daughter and sister I would like to spend more time with my family which is difficult since they all live so far away.

For my friends...God bless you all.  You have seen me at my best and worst and with no obligation you continue to be beacons of love and support...I am not the easiest person but I make up for it with a lot of loyalty, love you!

This year I hope to post a lot of pictures of me with my girls, my husband, my family and friends.  Screw changing me, I am forever flawed and am very comfortable apologizing and changing poor behaviors as they arise.  Increasing the amount of time I spend with the people I love is not a resolution, just a good idea.

My perfect angel.

National Christmas Tree...

The girls are so much prettier.

Did you make any New Years resolutions?
How bad is your worst Driver's License picture?
Can it rival mine for worst photo ever (before you say yes notice the chunk of hair missing from my eyebrow)?

The day the technology got flushed away….

It’s official; I am now an idiot because of my smart phone. 

Yesterday I had planned to go to Annapolis for the day with a friend for a doctor’s appointment, no problem.  By 8:45 a.m. I was organized, ready and all set to be away from the house straight through until about 9:00 p.m. since I was teaching at the gym in the evening.

Then it happened.  My calm, cool, collected and very smart world went right in the potty…that’s right, I had my iPhone (with all of my aerobics music on it) in my back pocket and when I went to sit I heard a loud splash.  Bye bye very smart phone and organized world.

OH POOP!

PANIC….why you ask?

I grab my stuff, add a few extra Body Pump releases to my bag (knowing full well that the CD player at the gym is “iffy” at best) and fly out the door to drop my Clara at kindergarten (the parents there know just how quickly I sprint now).



Pretty much sums up my drive yesterday.
At least I was NOT on the phone.

From there I bolt to my friend’s house to tell her to meet me at the Verizon store next to Starbucks, why not call???  Since my phone is so smart I am NOT…I do not know her number and did not have it anywhere handy.  CRUD.

I get to the Verizon store and do you know the one thing they do not keep in stock at the Verizon store? 

PHONES.

 Seriously? No phones at the
Verizon Wireless Phone store????

I am not lying.  They seriously do not keep any phones in stock but the a$$hats will overnight them to you for free IF you are at home at the time of delivery…no signature release.  So my panic is now at EPIC proportions, I do not like to be 1 ½ hours from my children with no communication skills.  The only reason I did not walk to BJ’s where I very easily could have left the store with a nice, happy programmed phone is because I have the insurance.  ARGH.

When my friend walks in I am in a complete frenzy, I am on Verizon’s landline phone laying into the insurance lady, explaining to the two employees at the front of the Verizon store the complete asinine nature of their new “no phone in store” idea of customer service and shooting a comment to anyone who even remotely gives me the stink eye.  My friend very sweetly suggests that we go get a cup of coffee…my response: “Do you SERIOUSLY want to put caffeine in this????” pointing towards my very frantic looking face (I am pretty sure the Verizon employees are still laughing about it, I had really ticked them off).

Pretty much sums up my level of cool and calm.
NICE.

Once we got in the car and on our way I was much calmer but it took a while and led to a very interesting conversation about how stupid we all are since we handed all of our brains over to our phones and computers.  Essentially we are so driven to have more information and more data that we no longer memorize anything on our own hard drive, we have simply taught ourselves how to access the information.

Remember the days of memorizing the states and their capitols, being able to recite a Robert Frost poem verbatim, or entire acts from Shakespeare?   I used to know the phone numbers of almost everyone in my class by heart, if you had asked me yesterday to rattle off my best friend’s numbers from 8^th grade, no problem.  However, someone that I talk to or text almost daily?  Not a clue past the first 6 digits, I have never had to actually dial her number.

Today I knew I would not get a new phone until late in the day so I went for a nice long trail run after I taught my class and decided to do it technology free to see what it felt like.  I left my Garmin and heart rate monitor at home, all I carried was a really old cell phone in case I had to call 911 and water; it was AWESOME. 

Sometimes you have to tune out to tune in. 

Granted; I know this trail like the back of my hand and it has mile markers every ¼ mile so I know essentially how far I ran but I have no idea of my pace.  Today I walked a lot and simply enjoyed the lake and peacefulness of the trail.  I thought a lot about my friends and how I am going to learn their phone numbers, from now on I am not going to just access information, I am going to start really learning it again. 

That's right...I am going to get smart while doing yoga..
I'll be all calm the next time Verizon stops stocking their ONLY product!

No more keeping all of my smarts in the phone…I am setting my brain back in the “ON” position. 

Watch out…game on!

So where are you on the smarts scale?
Did you hand it all over to your phone like me?
What random piece of information do you remember from childhood?
(I still know all NINE verses to Maryland my Maryland, thanks Mrs. Payte.) 



I think I just landed a snot rocket on your car...HA!

Running in a small town…

Following are a list of my rants, compliments and experiences of running in a small town.

Most of the roads in my area to run on do not have sidewalks or shoulders, it is one lane each way and usually edged by fairly tall grass (littered with empty liquor bottles) on the side of the road. 

Typically I run with headphones but they are on so low that I can hear everything going on around me including snide comments from pedestrians on the road.  I always run facing traffic and get as far to the edge of the road as humanly possible, I have even had to jump into the woods on several occasions when the idiots are out…which is essentially everyday.

My observations in no particular order:

1.       Older women drivers WILL NOT veer out of their lane to give me an extra inch of running space for any reason.  Apparently their driving instructors told them to stay in their lane no matter what, even if it means killing the mother of small children. 

Guess what lady????  I probably just spit or landed a massive snot rocket on your car. If your car is within spit range…I land it EVERYTIME!  Classy =)

That's right old lady...come a little closer!

2.      My friends like to honk at me…STOP!  I am in my quiet happy place.  When you honk I practically jump into oncoming traffic, I do not like it.  Wave or text me later.  I LOVE YOU ALL!



Me leaping when you beep your horn....
but with cars to run me over.

3.       Apparently I run with my fingers in the “I love you” sign for sign language.  This has been pointed out to me several times, I kind of like it.  Take is as a compliment my love.  I ran near a woman for about 8 miles of a race who I will swear was extending her middle finger the entire time, be happy I love you!

4.      People tend to notice you out running.  I often get called out on sightings….heard were you running at ________.  Word has it that you were cranking out miles yesterday with _____.  Keep the sightings up, it makes me feel like I am the mysterious running chick,sort of the female version of Caballo Blanco or Micah True for those of you familiar.

A rare sighting of the Mysterious Trail Runner

5.      Old men in pick-up trucks like to talk to the funny running lady.  Most of them are lacking teeth but are super nice and always tell me how pretty I am…it's one of my favorite parts of living in a small town.

6.      Texting and talking on the phone while driving are NOT dead regardless of the law and are NOT safe.  Eyes on the road people…I think I am about out of extra lives.



Keep texting and driving; go ahead, run me down I will keep trying
to catch up and land my snot rocket.

7.       I live in a nice quiet neighborhood with homes on 3 acre lots, we have a nice and easy 10 mile run built right in along with the pool and tot lot.  The problem is, everyone is finishing up their breakfast, checking their purse, and sending out last minute texts as they drive WAY TOO FAST through our quiet little streets.  Your drive begins when you pull out of the driveway my friends.

I am sure I will come up with some more of my love/hate relationship with running in a small town and will be sure to keep you posted.  So keep your eyes on the road and your hands off your phone and your horn.

Always finish happy =)

 

Thanks!

What have you noticed while running?
Are you a honker?
Is spitting on someone's car rude when they are about to rudely mow you down?