Kicking Cancer's Butt...One Mile at a Time

Curious about how training and fund-raising is going for the Chicago Marathon? Check out my e-update below.

Howdy friends and family,

Brooke and I are pleased to share another e-update. This month’s letter is info-packed (i.e. lengthy) so please sit back, relax and enjoy our letter!

We want to extend a big thank-you for supporting our efforts to raise money and awareness by running the Chicago Marathon for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Since our last e-update, we reached a major fund-raising milestone: we surpassed the $2,000 mark! To date, we’ve raised approximately $2,290 for the MMRF. We couldn’t have done it without our friends and family! We feel blessed to be surrounded by such supportive people!

Fund-raising

We’re ecstatic about the money we’ve raised, and we hope to raise more for an organization in which we strongly believe. We want to help the MMRF fund new cancer treatments and extend the lives of patients.Our dad couldn't be saved, but we hope current and future patients will be!

Here’s a snapshot of some ways we’re trying to raise money for our charity:

Hy-Vee, a grocery store in eight Midwestern states, has offered to host a pie fund-raiser. If you live in Marshall, Minn., or will be in the area July 1-3, please stop at the store and buy a pie! Some of the proceeds from every pie we sell will go toward our MMRF fund-raising campaign. If you want to contribute your baking skills instead, please let us know! In addition to selling the pies, we’ll be making them at Hy-Vee the evenings of June 30, July 1 and July 2. Please e-mail brooke.averill@gmail.com for more details!

The MMRF is currently promoting a program called “You’ve Got Our Back”. In return for $500, companies that sponsor our Chicago Marathon team will get their logo on 300-plus shirts worn by our team and supporters at the marathon. Additionally, the companies will receive national goodwill publicity. If you know of a company that might be interested in supporting an awesome cause, please e-mail me at brady.jean@gmail.com for details. The deadline is June 25.

Training

During a recent trip home, I had the opportunity to run with Brooke. In an e-mail exchange following our run, she said our roles have reversed. When we were younger, Brooke easily left me in her dust. She was a track star; I golfed. But during our run two weeks ago, I “kicked” her butt. “I used to be the one to always beat you, but now you're well ahead!” she said.

We’ll see about that. I think we’re both going to have an excellent race on Oct. 10! I envision us crossing the finish line hand-in-hand.

Before we reach the finish line, we have to properly train. We each kicked off our 18-week training plans on June 7. One week down, 17 weeks to go!

Chicago Marathon information

Some of you have expressed interest in attending the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10 (Sunday). Please come! We’d love to have a giant cheering section! If you’re on the fence, I still encourage you to book your hotel room now for the best rate and location. You can always cancel if you choose not to come. But if you wait to book, you might be left with few hotel options and high prices.

Bidding on a hotel through priceline.com is an excellent way to score a deal. You can’t pick your hotel, but you can pick your location (neighborhood area) and name your price. I’ve stayed in four-star hotels in Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit for between $60 and $80 because of priceline.com.

Click the below links for additional information:


Hotel, transportation and tourism information

Hotel distance matrix

Priceline


Best,

Brady and Brooke

P.S. If you'd like to donate to our cause, you can do so by going here.

"I don't talk while running." -- my sister, Brooke

I received an e-mail this week with the subject line: May 25. My cousin wanted to remind me that May 25 was the date of my last post.

Oopsie.

I can explain my absence. I was in Minnesota from June 2-6, and I spent June 8-12 touring ballparks with Ben. But, sigh, here I am, back on my couch, with a few minutes to blog.

During my trip to Minnesota, I was finally able to run with my sister. I hadn't run with her since she signed up for the Chicago Marathon, and even though we're separated by about an eight-hour drive, it's important to me that we train "together."

When I woke up Thursday (June 3), I immediately dressed in my running clothes even though my sister Brooke had to work (she's not a morning runner...yet) because I was intent on running. I knew if I didn't push for a run, it wouldn't happen. Brooke was less enthusiastic about running, but I convinced her to go with me before dinner. Before leaving, she grabbed her iPod and told me, "I don't talk while running." Her husband turned to me and said straight-faced, "She doesn't like to talk when she runs."

How am I going to get through 26.2 miles running with my sister in silence? Nuh uh. No thanks. There will be talking. Not a lot, but there will be some conversation. Growing up, I was the one who talked and she listened. So I totally get how she likes her silence. But...words will be exchanged on Oct. 10. And she'll like it.

Run Forrest Run

My husband Ben and I were in St. Louis this weekend for a wedding, and the one activity I cared about -- other than going to the wedding -- was going for a run. Ben and I have done a decent amount of traveling over our years together (I started dating him when I was 15!), but we rarely run on our trips. Running is one of the best ways to explore a new city. So, from now on, I'm going to make every effort to run when I travel.

As we stepped outside of our hotel Saturday morning, a group of at least a dozen runners filed past us on the road. Ben suggested we join them, and -- think group running scene from "Forrest Gump" -- we did. Between the heat and my injury recovery, I didn't think we'd be able to hang with the group. We quickly caught up, and they noticed. Instead of telling us to buzz off, they asked us where we're from and wanted to know if we had water because of the heat. We hung with the group for a only a little over a mile. But during those steps, we learned about the group and they learned about us. They call themselves a happy family, and they get together for long runs consisting of 12 to 16 miles. We talked about St. Louis, marathons we're training for and our backgrounds. Yes, this all transpired in a mile.

We continued running with them to the Arch, where the group made sure we hydrated. Then, we parted ways. We ran around the park, and they resumed their 14-mile run.

Custody Battle

My husband is moving away for a summer internship and we are left with the decision: Who gets the Garmin 305?

We share it and, by that, I mean that Ben purchased it about two years ago and I take it whenever he isn't using it. It's been with me for long training runs and guided me during the Fargo Marathon, at which I PR'd.

As I ramp up training this summer for the Chicago Marathon, I think it's only fair that I get it, right? And my friends agree, until I tell them that Ben is also running the Chicago Marathon.Woops.

Had I not just bought a new bike, I would go out and buy a Garmin watch for myself. And I would justify it because Ben also got a bike (which was "a bit" more expensive than the one I got, by the way). There's a big sale at REI this weekend through Memorial Day, and the Garmin Forerunner 405CX will be discounted $100. This baby spits out average pace, current pace and distance and is well worth the money.

Early birthday present? Mine is only six months away. Anniversary gift? We'll be married for three years in July.

Garmin execs, if you're reading this, please help a runner out. I will put a GPS watch to good use while training for the Chicago Marathon for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation's team. I promise!

In other news, I got my deferral certificate in the mail today from the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. I would have run the marathon on May 2 had I not gotten injured. I wasn't certain my application would get accepted. Unfortunately, injuries while marathon training aren't all that uncommon. Because I received a deferral, I can run the marathon next year for a minimal fee ($10) if I want. So, I guess my spring marathon is decided. Yay!

I run because...

I'm too emotionally spent to write a decent post, but I don't want to leave you hanging. I've seen the below quote many times, and I came across it again tonight, thanks to my darling sister, Brooke.

I thought I'd share since it reflects how I feel about running: I run so my goals in life will continue to get bigger instead of my belly. -Bill Kirby

Look out, Lance Armstrong!

For the first time in nearly 12 years, I own a bike.While I'm first a runner, I want to incorporate biking into my repertoire of athletic pursuits. I don't necessarily plan to race in any triathlons any time soon, but I'd like the option if I so choose. And as I train for the Chicago Marathon this summer, cross-training will be a major component of my training program. Whereas I used to only run, I'm going to bike and strength train two days a week.

And it should be interesting. 

I'm the kind of bicyclist who on my honeymoon in Hawaii had to ride with the guide at the front of the group because I biked too slowly, and our group could go only as fast as the slowest rider.

Even last night, as we biked 3/4 mile to Lake Michigan and then back home, my knees shook out of nervousness. I was sharing the road with cars. Scary stuff. I grew up in a town of 2,500, so I'm not used to sharing the road with cars. On the rare occasion that I met a car, it was moving slowly. Since I was a kid, I could bike on the sidewalk without getting hassled by the two cops that worked in town.

During the ride on my new wheels with my husband, Ben, he passed along the following tips:

1. Do not bike in the middle of the lane.

2. Do not take busy streets without a chaperone, er, I mean Ben.

3. Be aggressive. B-E aggressive.

We don't even need to address the helmet issue. I got a deal that included one, and I would have bought one had it not. My life is too important for me to not wear a helmet.

Look out, Lance. Brady's comin' for ya!

On a side note, my mom (Becky) and aunt (Lori) raised nearly $200 at a staff meeting today for the Multiple Myeloma Resarch Foundation on my sister's and my behalf. This money, combined with some cash my mom received from friends, will put us at approximately $1,550 raised since Februrary. Now, that's pretty awesome.

Getting back on the horse, or something like that

It was two weeks ago when my doctor gave me the okay to run. That night, I went for a two-miler on the treadmill. Mentally, I felt great. My toes? Not so much.

But slowly, ever so slowly, my body has started to feel normal while running. Heck, it feels better than normal. It feels kick ass. And I think I know why:

During my transition back to running, I've been using this wonder drug from my doctor. It's called common sense. I'm easing into running slowly. At the first sign of real discomfort, I stop running or take a few days off. This has meant that this week will be the first that I hit 12 miles. My doctor said I could start running between 12 and 15 miles a week and could increase my weekly mileage by 10 percent. I'm only now hitting 12 miles because I reined myself in during that first week. I guarantee you pre-injury Brady wouldn't have done that.

I value and respect every mile I get to run, whether it's on the dreadmill or along the lake front. And my body is responding with gratitude. It feels mighty strong.

On a related note, my sister and I have now raised $1,345 for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. We are so close to our goal. Tomorrow I'm putting a letter in the mail to ask my dad's longtime employer for a corporate sponsorship. And I'm contemplating having T-shirts (technical T's perhaps) made in order to raise money.