Paddle for Pink

I think I may have mentioned that I have joined "Team SOS (Save our Sisters)", a dragonboat team comprised of breast cancer survivors. I attended my first race and we brought home a bronze medal. The day was beautiful and the event quite amazing. It was inspiring to see and meet so many powerful women, so many who are living with breast cancer in their lives; who refuse to give up, who are fighting back and proving that a breast cancer diagnosis may only by a speed bump in the road of life. I look forward to our next race in July!

I"M IN!!!

I learned yesterday that I was accepted via lottery into the 2009 ING NYC Marathon being held November 1st. (A mere 148 days away!) I will need to start "official training" on July 13th.

I found myself musing yesterday about training for this event in such a way that made me laugh to myself - "You can do this", I said to myself - "You made it through being bald, six months of chemo, daily early morning trips to NYC for radiation...what is 26.2 miles through the greatest city in the world?" Here is where I laughed for a realized that as I underwent treatment last year I used the marathon as my point of comparison; my guide to mile posts achieved. Funny how things can radically shift.

My next Zometa infusion is a few weeks away and already I am dreading it. I figure this time I know what I am up against and will hopefully feel more at home returning to the recliners of the treatment room where I went through chemo. On the bright side, it is my last one for 2009 - woo hoo!

Last weekend was so beautiful here in NJ. Greg and I spent Sunday in the Poconos, checking out the new Mount Airy Lodge, taking in the views at Camelback and enjoying drinks at the LHYC along with our friend Greg followed by dinner at a great find - Alice's Restaurant - which could be no further than the establishment I imagine everytime I hear the song of the same title! Photos above from our day!

The Difference One Year Can Make

2009 Ridgewood Run 5/25/09
2009 Spring Lake 5 5/23/09
I did not sleep all that much last night. It wasn't my hot flashes or too much caffeine keeping me awake. It wasn't thinking about the upcoming Brooklyn 1/2 marathon on Saturday or making dinner for my girlfriends tonight either. No, it was more than that.

Last night I had the honor of attending the 2009 Gala for the Northside Children's Center at Cipriani's in NYC where they honored the CEO, Dave Snow, of my employer: Medco. Dave graciously accepted the award presented to him in honor of another - Victoria Rubino. Victoria was the 21 year old daughter of Medco's CFO, Rich Rubino. Victoria passed away recently in her sleep due to an undetected heart defect. She was a senior at my alma mater, Boston University.

It was this event that kept me awake. It was thinking about the loss the Rubino family had endured. It was realizing that 20 years ago, I too was a senior at BU. 20 years ago!!! Had you told me then that I would one day face cancer I would have laughed at you. As I drove into the event I thought about how I had been driving into the city a year earlier but for a much different reason - I was heading to NYU Medical Center to get my chemo port. As I tried to sleep last night, I wondered about how weird the world is and why we are given the path to follow that we do. I contemplated this past year and the fact that today marks one year since I started chemotherapy to combat the cancer detected in me. My mind raced all night as I tried to remember that chemical taste and lethargy that the drugs pumped into to caused. I thought about the fact that here I was one year later, attending a grand event looking a bit different but feeling wonderful. Amazing what can transpire in 365 days.

Yesterday I also heard from my oncologist's office that lab work I had done last week came back and my results were "perfect". In the big scheme of things, it really doesn't get any better than that.

Ragnar Relay - New York

The Missing Winks
The Start


Twelve people. Two vans. 181.9 mile route from Kingston to the Bronx. Bright orange everywhere...that would be the Ragnar Relay!!!

Quite the experience! My team, "The Missing Winks" was comprised of myself, Jess, Denise and her husband Joel, my cousin Lisa, some Medco co-workers: Jim C., Jim S. and Sam as well as My neighbor Hank his friend Pat and Sam's friend Jessica. Special shout out to my husband Greg for being the designated rive of Van #1.

We started at Dietz Stadium in Kingston and ran our way down to Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. It took us about 26 hours. It was sunny and hot when we started and cool and overcast when we ended. I've a very patient bunch of friends. Me, I get pretty crabby when running in the hot sun without water. (poor planning on my part) I get even crabbier when I have to run in the pre-dawn darkness after sleeping for about two hours in a tent... I do admit I felt much better after running even if it was mostly uphill!

So why Ragnar? Why not? Had you said to me one year ago as I sat facing the start of chemotherapy, baldness, weakness, etc. that I would be running the streets of New Paltz at 10pm wearing a headlamp of all things as part of a relay that was 181.9 miles long, I would have told you that you were crazy. Now I am wondering just who is crazy enough to want to do the Reach the Beach relay in NH with me...

Lehigh Valley 1/2 Marathon 5/3/09

I missed the Lehigh Valley 1/2 last year; I was sitting home with a drain coming out of my side pondering the bizarre path my life had just stumbled upon.

It was a great race - the day was cool and damp but not pouring down rain. The course was beautiful; we even crossed a covered bridge! There were different bands every two miles and "fan support" the entire race. I was joined by good friends (Jess, Denise and Joel, David and Dennis) and we all had a great dinner teh night before. Denise and I crossed the finish line together at 2 hours and 7 minutes (which you Facebook users already know!)

Next up - the 175 mile Ragnar Relay! BRING IT!!!

More 1/2 Marathon - 4/26/09

Running in Central Park
Waiting for the Start
Team Aquaphor
Wanted to get these photos posted. Last year the day after running the More 1/2 marathon I found out I had breast cancer. This year, the day after the More 1/2 marathon I got up and went to work - enough said!

Earth Day 2009

Amazing the difference a year can make. Last April 22 I was up early getting ready to drive into NYC for my lumpectomy. I was not yet aware of my need for chemo and thought this would just be one of life's small annoyances but I would get it over with and that would be that.

I then awoke to find myself with drains and the news that my nodes were positive and knew it was going to be one very long year! Incredibly enough that year has gone by and I am awake early this April 22, 2009 to catch a morning workout, have breakfast and head off to work. It is Earth Day and I am so thankful to be alive and feeling good that my goal today is to do somethign good for both Mother Earth and myself: join a CSA farm nearby.

What is a CSA farm? CSA = Community Supported Agriculture. How it works is you buy into the farm for the season and you are guaranteed part of the crops it grows that year. I actually found an organic farm less than 20 miles from my house with a reasonable share fee. I firmly believe in supporting local business and try my best to eat organic (even before my diagnosis!) so I think this may be a match made in heaven! I look forward to whatever bounty the farm my offer: fresh lettuces, tomatoes, squash in the fall - I can't think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day and yet another year one milestone passed in this journey I am on!