Brooke makes news at Bavarian Blast

Over night, it seems my sister has morphed into a super athlete. According to the New Ulm Journal,. Brooke was the top female finisher in the Bavarian Blast 10k Saturday. Congratulations Brooke!

Not so fast.

She ran the New Ulm Bavarian Blast 5k Saturday. She originally signed up for the 10k but the small field intimidated her. She found safety in numbers and ran the shorter distance with friends, with the OK from race organizers. She finished in approximately 31 minutes, an admirable time for a beginning runner.

The data was wrong, and the reporter failed to double-check it. He could have easily called Brooke for a quote (he got one from the top male finisher).

Brooke thought the article was funny but also annoying. She lives in a small town, and her clients and friends likely will ask her about her spectacular race! I, too, think there's humor here. But as a former newspaper reporter, this article requires a correction.

Whether Brooke is the top finisher or middle-of-the-pack runner, she's a winner in my book. I'm so proud that she's out running and racing.

I lost the battle, but I still got a watch!

I may have lost the custody battle, but I'm now the proud owner of a new Garmin Forerunner 305 watch. I convinced Ben that a.) it would be a good investment, b.) even when we live in the same zip code, we don't always run together and c.) we have only raced together once. Basically, we couldn't share his watch.

He was tired of hearing about the watch accepted my well-crafted proposal for a new watch, and he suggested I buy one as soon as possible. I got a heck of a deal on it from Walmart, and I ordered it July 5. It arrived either Friday or Saturday while I was out of town.

Thanks to the watch, I'm able to track distance, current pace, average pace and time. I have the option of using a heart rate monitor. I can connect the watch to my computer to download data from runs. Curious? Learn more here.

I wore it today on a run (5.25 miles, to be exact), but I failed to take a picture. I will model it soon. Until then, here's a photo of the watch, sans me.

Why I Run

This week I entered a short essay contest here on why I run. I couldn't come up with a single reason. Instead, I came up with several. This is what I submitted:

Why do I run? It can’t be confined to a single reason.


I run to escape. I run when I need to think, relieve stress, and be alone. I run to be with friends or make new ones on the lakefront path. I run for its discipline and sense of accomplishment. I run for my health and to kick cancer’s ass. I run because I wasn’t an athlete in high school; now I am.


I run to eat. So I can indulge in a slice of ginger peach apple pie or a pear scone without the added ingredient of guilt.


I run because it’s my antidepressant. The simple act of lacing up my shoes and running makes me instantly happy. Whether my run is sluggish or fast, I’m able to start the day on the right foot or end on a positive note.


When I’m not running, sharing my love for the sport makes me happy. I’ve supported friends who want to get off the couch and get moving. I’ve encouraged them to run their first 5k. I’ve toed the line with them at their first marathon.


I’ve been running for six years. This winter I had my first injury. I hated being stuck on a stationary bike and mourned the loss of my feet on the pavement. Post-recovery, I cherish every step and look forward to every mile ahead.

Be Magnificent.

While in Estes Park this weekend, I picked up a bookmark to remember my brief trip to such an awesome place filled with beautiful people and scenery.

I love the phrases on the bookmark, and I wanted to share because I find such inspiration in them. I hope you do, too.

Advice from an Elk
--by Ilan Shamir --
Don't Get Stuck in a Rut
Cherish Wide Open Spaces
Appreciate Life's High Points
Be at Home in the Woods
Make Your Voice Heard
Know When to Make Tracs
Be Magnificent

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day, and I spent most of the time on the road, behind the wheel. I feel most connected to my dad when I'm driving alone. He was a Justin Boots sales representative, so he spent several weeks out of the year on the road visiting stores. Maybe that's why, of all places, I feel the closest to him on a long stretch of asphalt.

Returning from Omaha, Neb., where I visited Ben for the weekend, I considered what my dad would think about my sister and I running the Chicago Marathon, spreading awareness about multiple myleoma and raising money to support important research.

Although 15 years have passed since he died, I still get upset -- more so now than ever -- that more couldn't have been done to save his life. That's why Brooke and I are running for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. This is an organization that is having an impact and the research it's funded has already resulted in new treatments for myleoma patients.

I know my dad would be proud. I know he'd be happy that Brooke and I are doing our part to prevent other families from being hurt by such a horrible disease. I believe our decision to run the marathon for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is the best Father's Day gift we could ever give him.

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.