Death Cab for Cutie performing “You Are A Tourist” on KC
Running song of the week xoxo
(Source: youtube.com)
Lenny Kravitz - “Stand, You’re Gonna Run Again”
Girl On The Run…Again
Hershey Half Marathon, October 21, 2012
It will be two years this fall since I ran my first half marathon in Philadelphia.The experience put me and my family through the ringer as my illness made training a bit tricky, but in the end we all crossed that finish line. So I figured when I broke the news this time that I planned on running the Hershey Half Marathon in October the response would be much less “spirited” and much more worry free. We’re armed with experience for the “second coming” along with concrete evidence that not only can I do this but damn was it addicting! Reactions have been mixed. My parents’ gut response was “Why are you doing this to yourself again? And you really haven’t been well lately so this will get you really sick again.” On the flip side my husband nonchalantly said “We figured it out last time and had a pretty good routine going by the end. We’ll work it out.” Training sucks up a substantial amount of time especially when you’re the tortoise like me and not the hare, shifting extra responsibilities onto your partner with the house and kids. But my immediate family is all in and that makes me ecstatic and very grateful.
Quite a contrast from two years ago where my daughter was asking me questions like “Are you going to have a heart attack mom- I’m afraid 13 miles is too long.” And I had to explain, “My sickness has nothing to do with my heart and I wouldn’t do this if I thought it would hurt me. It’s just the opposite- I’m doing this so you’re stuck with me for a long, long time. :) ”And then there was my husband who was like Cybil shifting from supportive to cynical prompted with each set back. All reactions both then and now are completely understandable and I take them all to heart. But my reasons for running this race are equally valid.
A running friend who happens to be a long distance rock star (and ran the half in almost an HOUR faster than me- giggle!) gave me some great advice. Her home was burnt to the ground within the past year and she and her family lost everything. She told me she ran the very next day and friends/family were surprised and asked why she wouldn’t give herself time off. Her reply was simple “I have no control over what happened and can crawl into a ball which won’t change anything or get out there and just get moving again.”
We all have our reasons for running. And we all experience great loss at one time or another and it can be paralyzing. Especially when we lose what we cherish the most and find a gaping hole where it once was firmly tethered to our side. Loss comes in many forms: loss of health, family, a best friend, our home, jobs, and the list goes on. Everyone copes with grief in their own way. For me it’s only until I start running again that I’m not rendered powerless in my loss, and with every step ensure that I won’t lose myself either. And anyway, I’ll be running through an amusement park set in chocolate heaven- how many more reasons do you really need to run? xoxo
(Source: youtube.com)
Jónsi - Boy Lilikoi (Live on KEXP)
October 21- running the Hershey Half Marathon. If 13.1 miles isn’t enough therapy there’s always all that chocolate ;).
“Go do, you’ll know how to
Just let yourself, fall into landslide
Go do, you’ll know how to
Just let yourself, give into flood tide
Go do!”
(Source: youtube.com)
Parents, Let me start by throwing out a few sentences and gague your reactions:
Peanut free school
No cupcakes or homemade desserts to be brought in for schoolmates on birthdays
School snack contributions must be clearly labeled with ingredients and stored in the original container purchased from the store
These rules incite most of my friends and I agree with them that it’s a pain in the ass and rules made to protect the minority of a much larger population. And there’s always that one parent who decides he or she needs to be the self-proclaimed advocate for all food allergy children and shoves her wisdom down our throats. I get it folks but there‘s more to the story.
Let me introduce myself- I’m a peanut butter freak- I’d fast all day or add three more runs to my weekly workout routine to indulge in a little slice of peanut butter pie heaven. And forget the Godiva chocolate- just give me a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup and I’m your girl. When expecting my first child I was disappointed when any dishes with peanut sauce suddenly made me sick but chalked it up to the joys of pregnancy. Flash forward over a year later and my daughter was ready to try the coveted first taste of peanut butter. Her expression was priceless when the sticky texture was shocking at first but soon turned into a “yum” and a smile. She went on her way to walk around the kitchen table still testing out her new walking shoes when I noticed within minutes she had blotches all over her face and her lips were beginning to swell. Let’s just say Benadryl quickly became my new best friend. My daughter is now 12 years old and hasn’t outgrown her peanut/tree nut allergy. Her blood tests still indicate she is severely allergic and in our doc’s words “most likely her reaction will be a swollen throat and tongue that will quickly obstruct her respiratory passageways.” Cheery. And oh how ironic for a PB-aholic mom. I understood the life threatening severity of her allergy but was adamant about it not inhibiting my daughter’s adventurous personality. I’m happy to report that there is a happy medium and it does help that we have the luxury of my daughter being able to be around peanuts/nuts unlike some children who will go into anaphylactic shock without even having to actually consume them.
My family has become quite well versed in the land of peanut/tree nut free and have learned to think outside the box or the jar in this case. Being the only kid who can’t have the homemade birthday cupcake at school or parties still totally sucks (in my daughter’s words) but she also feels that the other kids shouldn’t be deprived just because she can’t eat it. That’s my girl. But we’re getting smarter in our old age and so are the resources from new allergy friendly rated restaurant websites to food allergy product alternatives that actually don’t taste like cardboard (hello suncups ;)). We’ve had many “sticky” (I can’t help myself) situations to navigate including offsite field trips where the law prohibits teachers from administering the epipen shot and no funding for a nurse to tag along. WTH? Our final frontier is eating out as a family. My daughter has had a few close calls at some new restaurants (oh yes, I’m sorry miss- I forgot to tell you that the pizza has a pesto sauce with pine nuts) and no longer has the desire to take any more chances. Who can blame her- the thought of having a shot jabbed into your thigh that looks big enough to take an elephant down is not at all appealing. Oh and there’s that little snafu called not being able to breathe. But we’re finding that some restaurants are quite the pioneers in this area and not only have menus that feature allergy free dishes but also separate prep space in the kitchen to ensure no cross contamination. Bra. Vo.
There’s still a way to go, many times the allergy free dessert option is a lame ice pop better suited for little kids (channeling my 12 year old again). Disney World of course has the allergy free food down to an art form. Not only does the chef come out and personally greet your kid like she’s a rock star but makes her a treat that would kick that ice pop’s ass and then some. We finally got hip to our daughter’s off the chart delish dessert and in the famous words of When Harry Met Sally, “I’ll have what she’s having.” Woo hoo Disney. So folks, I’m always excited to learn about resources to allow your kid to try new things while keeping them safe- and maybe we can all learn from Disney too. Safe doesn’t always mean isolation or exclusion, sometimes it means finding alternatives so everyone has a chance to experience life’s sweet pleasures.
INGRID MICHAELSON Sings “Soldier” “Maybe” and “Everybody” Live (by bordersmedia)
Running Song of the Week
Soldier on friends xo
Sinead O’Connor - This Is To Mother You
For all the mamas and loved ones.
Happy Mother’s Day! xoxo
(Source: youtube.com)
UPDATE: Ivonne placed 5th in the Y’s sprint Triathlon in her age group (35-39) and rocked the course with an overall time of 1:22:17. Inspiration with a side of kick ass! Read more below.
April 28, 2012 (WPVI) — A Chester County woman is truly an inspiration, she will compete in a triathlon on Sunday, and she won’t be able to see any of it.
She lost her vision to retina cancer at the age of two. But to see 35 year old Ivonne Mosquera-Schmidt prepare for the U.S. National Para triathlon Championships, you’d find that hard to believe.
Believe it or not, the Colombian native will be competing Sunday along with her sighted partner Rebecca Smith with over 300 other athletes in the Philadelphia Insurance Companies Upper Main Line YMCA Triathlon.
This will be her 10th. She’s also completed in 13 marathons, 2 ultra marathons, earned World Champion in Australia and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
“You have that ability within you,” said Ivonne. “It’s your choice whether you sit on the couch and feel sorry for yourself or whether you say, ‘No, I want a different outcome for my life despite what anybody else tells me’.”
Competing in these events under normal circumstances is tough enough. But competing in them without vision is an extra dimension that most people could not comprehend.
“I have no light perception, no shadows, so everything that I do when I’m on the run, when I’m on the bike, I’m dependent on the guide for verbal cues,” Ivonne said.
Her biggest challenges, she says, is finding a sighted partner who can keep up with her.
“At my level, it becomes harder and harder to find people who are strong in all three disciplines,” said Ivonne.
With her own website,www.iminmotion.net she hopes to inspire and encourage others with disabilities.
“The change you want in your life has to come from within you. Inside you, you have to want to reach for the stars,” says Ivonne. “Don’t be afraid of failing you have to fail in order to know what you’re capable of doing.”
And in the end, it is not her lack of sight, but that winning attitude that defines this remarkable woman.
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
Rock that run! Best of luck to everyone racing in Philly’s Broad Street 10 miler today. Run baby run! Details: Broad Street Run Like The Boss says “Nobody wins unless everybody wins.”
(Source: youtube.com)
Beyoncé Knowles’ “Move Your Body” video in support of Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity. Today marked the one year anniversary of the Let’s Move! flash workout which debuted with Beyonce’s video and a pre-choreographed dance routine performed simultaneously by thousands of kids across the country. The first lady’s mantra is that a healthy lifestyle and being active can be fun. Amen sista. And the word is spreading- I found out about today’s event thanks to my own 12 year old ;) More on this year’s anniversary event here.
And betcha didn’t know this: Your 7th grader is eligible for a FREE YMCA membership. All he or she needs is a school ID and to be a Chester County resident- Get Moving! More details here.
(Source: youtube.com)
Raphael Saadiq - 100 Yard Dash
New top pick for the running playlist- literal and soulful- mmm mmm good.
“Every time I run I need you oh so bad
but I’m running scared, my heart’s beatin’ so fast
I heard you could make a man change his plan
That’s why I’m running fast, I’m running the 100 yard dash”
(Source: youtube.com)
We've all heard stories where a friend caught some mysterious virus with symptoms straight out of urban legend. As fate would have it- I'm that lucky girl. What started out like a stomach bug on steroids ended up being an illness that wreaked havoc for years. After a five year comeback I’m on the mend but my life is far from emulating the quintessential wellness guru or Kashi commercial. It’s time to fight back and regain my stride with a half marathon challenge. Follow my journey as I strive for 0 - 13.1 miles and meet some inspiring, everyday heroes along the way. Get ready, set and go forward with hope, determination and laughter… and I’ll see you at the finish line.
About Kelli: Marketing/PR professional by day; wife and mother of two by night. Recently reclaimed title: runner. 2010 Goal - Philly Half Marathon. Future Goal- The Whole Enchilada- 26.2 miles. Loves a good health success story- please share yours!
