Wow! What a wish I had!!! It’s half way through the day and my Facebook has exploded!!!! The number of well wishes are overwhelming. And the sentiments shared via private message are beyond surreal.
Best of all… The donations are trickling in $10 by $10!!!! Last I checked this morning between meetings I was just over One Thousand dollars!!! Incredible!!!
Thank you! Thank you everyone for proving to me and the world that what I have been doing has not been in vain.
My brother was once asked if he thought his glass was half empty or half full. He responded with “My cup runneth over.”
And that’s exactly how I feel today.
Thank you!!! Keep those donations coming!!! Please! Together we can help makes other birthdays a reality.
Wow! What a wish I had!!! It’s half way through the day and my Facebook has exploded!!!! The number of well wishes are overwhelming. And the sentiments shared via private message are beyond surreal.
Best of all… The donations are trickling in $10 by $10!!!! Last I checked this morning between meetings I was just over One Thousand dollars!!! Incredible!!!
Thank you! Thank you everyone for proving to me and the world that what I have been doing has not been in vain.
My brother was once asked if he thought his glass was half empty or half full. He responded with “My cup runneth over.”
And that’s exactly how I feel today.
Thank you!!! Keep those donations coming!!! Please! Together we can help makes other birthdays a reality.
I am very grateful to have so many wonderful friends wish me well on my birthday every year but this year my wish is for those wishes to turn into $10 donations. In exchange for your donation, you’ll receive either a necklace or an orange or purple beaded bracelete with my Momma’s signature “I LOVE YOU” hand sign silver charm. Turn my birthday into someone else’s birthday to beat cancer. Together we can! Anything is possible. Donate online here:http://pages.teamintraining.org/sctx/txtri14/mcardenasb
After every race, I have a photo made with me holding up my medal with one hand and throwing an “I love you” sign with the other hand. That was originally done so that my mother could see my progress on facebook while she was at MD Anderson getting treatment. We always held up our hands with this sign to each other in the same manner that Carol Burnett tugged at her ear after each show for her mother.
It is because of this that our little sign has now suddenly become so popular at our local races… many of us are racing for someone that we love and when we see the photographer around, lots of us show our love to others by showing the sign.
Please continue to spread the love! On Tuesday, my birthday, I have challenged my social media friends to donate $10 instead of posting a HAPPY BIRTHDAY on my social media walls. In exchange, they’ll receive a necklace or bracelet with the symbol that means so much to me… and hopefully will allow others to beat cancer and experience a new birthday for themselves.
Anything is possible. Together we can.
Oh… wait… you’re a guy? Or you don’t like to wear jewelry because you’re always working out??? Well, you must stink. A lot.
(How’s that for a sales pitch, eh?)
No worries, you can still help on my birthday!!! Because all those technical dri-fit jerseys, sports bras, bike jerseys, cycling shorts, etc… in fact… anything that is NOT cotton that you wear while you sweat can use this.
Click on the photo to get WINdetergent to launder your own sports gear and finally get that funky smell out!
WINdetergent has offered to partner with me on helping me fundraise in memory of my Momma and Sissy and Rodney and Donny and…. ya, it just goes on and on…
So why don’t you click here http://tnt.windetergent.com/myssie
and you can smell sporty fresh, celebrate my birthday AND help us with the fight again cancer!!! WINdetergent will donate $5 for every two-pack that you buy to my Mimi’s Miles fund with the Leukemia and Lymphoma society… but you HAVE to use THIS link
Posted in Uncategorized on February 22, 2014 by runmyssierun
First bike/run brick of the inaugural RGV Team in Training Triathlon team is in the books!!! I was super surprised with the gang today. Coach W was out at the Jalapeno Century ride today so Luis took the advanced group, I got the intermediates and Cat took the beginners. But before we knew it… we all joined in as one group!!!
Many of the team had already taken the initiative to join up with the 5am Wake up Rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays and some had done a couple of rides last weekend so it didn’t take much time for everyone to get familiar with group ride rules. I feel sooooo super stoked about this team! What a way to start this new era off!!!
We didn’t go too far but it was enough to get us to feel the effects of transition legs. Two loops around the NABA Butterfly Park and two miles immediately afterwards. Not bad… not bad at all.
I was reminded again of the importance and significance of what we do. It’s not just about crossing the finish line, losing weight, staying fit or challenging ourselves.. there’s a whole other component to this team. This note sent to me last night was read again this morning to the team as we reflected over our practice today:
“I have a cousin who just passed away an hour ago from Acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She was diagnosed this summer and underwent intense chemo. She was told in the beginning of Dec that she was in remission. Then, 1 week ago, she was told that the cancer was back, and it was bad. She was told she had a month to live. That month turned out to be 1 week. Thank you for all that you do to try to beat this terrible disease.”
When I was a teen, I looked older than I was and hardly hung out with the kids in my own class. When I was in my 20’s and 30’s, I was the most prim and proper princess and exuded maturity and good manners. In my 40’s, I began running and accusations of hitting a mid-life crisis arose.
In my deep core of myself, I’ve never really been very comfortable discussing my age, acting my age nor feeling age appropriate. So when birthdays come around… I freak out a little bit.
It’s that time again. Well not today but on Tuesday it is.
The thing about the sport of triathlon is that you MUST get over it. Triathlon isn’t like zumba in that you can do your thing next to someone else and never know if that person is 5, 10, 20 years younger or older than you. Not so in Tris. You get your age sharpied on the back of your legs for the whole world to see. There’s no fibbing, no fake facebook birthdays, no lies.
So here I am in an age group that I don’t feel like I belong in… again. But what can I do? I figure I’ll just make the best of it. Surely I’m not the only one. As I take a good look around at some of the competitors around me, I see them in similar situations. We put 110% effort in what we do. We crack jokes about those outside our age groups and now… I find myself zeroing in on those inside my age group.
I don’t care what the people in my age group look like. I don’t care what they do 9-5. I don’t care about the gossip and drama that surrounds them. I pay attention to what they do to make them excel and do better than last time. I pay attention to smile they have on the podium. I pay attention to the intensity of their workouts, their determination and their overall happiness. I’ve never done that before… pay attention to my own peoples, I mean.
It’s weird to me that when I first meet someone, no matter how much I stress the age difference between us.. they seem to forget it. Either age means nothing to them at the time or age means too much to me at the time.
It was quite comical how during casual conversation the other day that I reminded a friend of mine that I was older than her mother. You should have seen her face when that realization came over her.
Age is a squiggly topic for me. On the 19th, it was my brother’s birthday. He would have been 41. That was the age that I began running. It changed me. Had he been given the years I was, what would he have done to change his life if given the opportunity?
I remember turning 30 and crying while Raudel and Piper were giggling at me in the office at Mission Economic Development. I remember turning 40 and crying because I was alone. I had birthday parties until I was in 6th grade and then nothing else except for one dinner party when I was 23 and that was only because Xavie set it up so that he could pop the question to me and when Kristie threw a little get together for me with a running theme. Other than those… I’ve never had real birthday parties. I’ve never really celebrated my age.
And honestly, the party stuff will likely never change. But celebrating my age… I need to change my attitude about that. Quick.
It’s a pretty good thing that God has given me a chance to do all these crazy things I do… not just for me but for others, too. That’s a gift. It’s a gift that my brother never got. It’s a gift that so many others take for granted. I must stop taking what I have for granted.
I should not be ashamed of being “old”.
I’m an old woman who can run 9 minute miles.
I’m an old woman who can wear a size 6 without a “faja”.
I’m an old woman who can swim for an hour straight.
I’m an old woman who can ride her bike for 100+ miles.
I’m an old woman who has a pretty damn good life.
Unfortch… I’m an old woman who has some kick a$$ women in her age group that are training right this very moment… and I am not!!!
Solid week of training! I’m pretty pleased. I think what I’m most impressed with is that this last year, I was blessed enough to be able to focus on my training and not have to go to an office to work. Now that I’ve started working again, albeit the office is still very flexible with me, I was successful in fitting in my workouts, work, meetings, volunteering with the Colonoscopy Assistance Program 5k race, attending my son’s all-city honor band performance and taking my other son to his karate classes. Ok, laundry didn’t get done one day but like my missed workouts… I got it done the next day.
Balance is a tricky talent. But even more important than mastering a balance in your life, the ability to adaptto any situation, obstacle or interference is critical… not only in training … but in life.
That is what my mother taught me. She was incredible at it.
I attended my second time trial for Team McAllen’s cycling team individual time trial this morning. We’ve been getting a lot of fog lately so for safety reasons, they pushed down the start time to 9:00a.m. The thing about pushing it down into the day is that the wind picks up closer to noon and the wind here in the gulf coast area is a biotch.
My first time trial was a bit scary for me. It was cold, drizzly and new. I wasn’t familiar with the race course and didn’t really know what to expect. This time, there were no excuses. I knew what to do. I knew how to do it. It wasn’t cold. It wasn’t drizzly. But there was wind… and a lot of it. So, ADAPT.
Many of the usual suspects were right there along side me. Mike, a regular 5a.m.’er on Tuesdays and Thursdays with me, had just finished his race and chimed in with his insight. “Start off slow otherwise you’ll lose your oxygen at the turn.” He gave me turn by turn advice that was spot on. This guy knows what he’s doing and I’m so glad he shared it with me!
Mike Padgett demonstrating his tactic to beating the wind today… Just create an aero bulge to the front and the let nature do the rest…exhale through the back.
Team McAllen Cycling Individual Time Trials begin
I did almost the whole entire TT on my aerobars that Wally got for me. I smirked a little as it dawned on me that it took almost an entire year for me to get used to aerobars!! And I think it was my excitement of me being on my aeros that it wasn’t until after the race that I realized that I had stayed on my big wheel the entire time. I should have shifted more because of the wind. Hindsight is always 20/20. Next time.
Sure enough, Mike’s advice kicked in. Just when I turned the corner to book it… I felt a little like an old school Looney Tunes cartoon. You know that cartoon character that churns his legs so fast that smoke arises… but goes no where? I was pushing so hard on my legs that I promise you, my thighs were on FIRE!!! Terri passes me. Mike Overly passes me. Ugh… I feel myself slump over in defeat. I glanced at my Garmin and see 20mph. Ugh! I don’t know what was going on. I was pushing hard and didn’t seem like I was going fast at all.
“Go Myssie!!! WTH! GOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Don’t you slow down! Don’t you slow down! You can push for this short time. Don’t you dare tell me you can’t! Throw up when you’re done. GGOOOOOOOO!!!! What are you waiting for??? What you waiting for?????” my inner voice was having a Gwen Stefani conniption!
Ok, so I gave it all I had. Front 242 was blaring. (Yes, I broke the rules and wore my earbuds… but it was a controlled closed course so it was safer for me to do it here) I hit it harder than I ever thought I could. And then I scared myself… I actually heard myself grunt. No, I’m serious! I grunted… like a possessed horse or something!!! I was busting a gut to keep up with the two hammerheads that passed me. Oh man hit it hard and I was back up to about a block away when I saw Mike take the corner and go into lightening speed. The volunteer at the corner waved me down and yelled “car back!”. I glanced over my shoulder to see if it was safe enough to take the left turn without getting hit when zoooooommmmm Spish passes me!!! The car slowed enough for me to go but good lord my spirit was crushed. I couldn’t even see Terri anymore, Mike seemed like he was a gazillion miles away and Spish was just about to eat Mike’s tire. I glance down again at my Garmin.
14.
Oh crap. Seriously? The wind took it’s beating on me and it won.
One last right corner… my head is hanging low. I look up and see the crowd and here comes the adrenaline!!! It’s the finish!!! I tuck in and give it my all. BOOM! pump pump pump!!! And then I look up…
Hey… why do they seem to have moved further away from me?????
smh
I cross the finish and go a bit further just to gather my bearings and take a peek at my Garmin and Strava. Pathetic. I realize that my time is unofficial and wrong off the bat because I hit my start time about 15 seconds before the actual start and hit the stop way after I stopped… but still. I had hoped for a much longer margin of difference between my time last month and this month. How could I have done worse than I did last month???
I rode back to the gang with my tail between my legs and disappointment on my face, I’m sure. That’s when Mike Padgett came up to me with a big old fist bump and the news that I had shaved a minute off my time from last month!
So… as I sit here typing away… I am eagerly awaiting the official times to be posted.
A minute… ok, that’s encouraging!
Hindsight visions: 1.) Stop worrying about reaching your goal weight and eat something good those few days before you know you’re going to book it for this long! 2.) Lock up your heart so it doesn’t get broken and drink all that wine before an event like this! 3.) Get a better bike playlist on this phone! 4.) It’s ok for those guys to pass you. They’re rockstars and on a completely different level than I am. But one day… ya, one day… I’ll be there. Until then, just do my best and don’t let their best get me down. 4.) Make arrangements for a babysitter for the kiddos so I can go for coffee and pancakes afterwards. This is a really cool crowd. 5.) Wear a heart monitor and a go pro next time. Let’s do this right.
This morning’s fog may have blurred my mind a bit. Still unsure of where these *signs* are leading me, I questioned my purpose.
I got up and ready after a pretty tough emotional week (again) and headed over to Bill Schupp Park for our team’s Mission Mile for our honored heroes and those we’ve lost. I’m sure it was just my inner me that didn’t want to confront the dark corner inside me that doesn’t like to deal with this emotion that was likely to come up and the memories that it tags along with it. But I did it. Plus I needed to turn in my fundraising letters so that I could win the “Go Getter Grant”.
It was both the TNT Marathon team and the Triathlon team together. I handed out purple, green and white ribbons for all my team mates to wear during practice. Each color represented someone who we were running for in 1.) honor of, 2.) memory of or was a 3.) survivor.
Many of us had several ribbons in various colors.
I decided to wear only two. One for my Momma and one for Sarah. Sarah is my honored team mate this season and has been before in other seasons. She was there at the park with us and greeted me with that bright cheery hug she is so famous for.
Her mother, Anita, took center stage for our mission moment. She announced that Sarah had been declared officially in remission earlier this week.
Honest to God, I could not remember any of the rest of what she said because I was overwhelmed with joy. My tears propelled from my eyes and there was nothing I could do to stop them.
I had been so heartbroken just a few days ago for personal selfish reasons and took this as my little sign to let it go and see the happiness that is happening around me. And then Dezma’s grandfather took the stage… err … trail. It was then that he reminded me that it was just a year ago in a few weeks that Dezma lost her fight with cancer. He uncovered a larger than life sized photo of her and paraded it in front of us and I was right at the very end of the line of teammates. It was when he got to me that he exploded.
“God Damn It! I HATE LEUKEMIA!!!” he cried out.
I lost it. I seriously lost it. I hate it, too.
He led us into the Mission Mile holding her picture up. We all followed in silence.
Posted in Uncategorized on February 15, 2014 by runmyssierun
Today’s ride was …. Enchanting. Maybe it was the day – Valentines. Maybe. Today was just Friday to me… An ordinary day in an ordinary world. But the big bright full moon tried to convince me otherwise.
It followed me all morning like a spot light illuminating the trail for me and the 5am Wake up riders. Almost like it was flirting with me. *blush* I guess it was a little romantic. And who doesn’t like a little romance I their life???
My practices have been pretty good. I’ve been dedicated and haven’t missed one (ok, I missed Mondays but I made it up the next day).
I’m super proud of the teams swimming!!! You saw the fear in their eyes… And they pushed on anyway. THATSWHATIMTALKINGABOUT
I still have to wait until the 22nd to see how everyone does on their bikes. I can’t wait!!!
Alex went panhandling with me on Monday. We did eh eh. Not like last season. But we’re going to try again next week during peak driving hours.
Being Valentines week… I was a little taken back by the gifts I received from people I never really thought had been paying attention. Humbled and honored and clearly blessed to have them in my life.
If you follow any of my social media accounts, you can probably agree that one of my most iconic photos was the one of me crying as I crossed the finish line at the LiveSTRONG half marathon (my very first half marathon) on my baby brother’s birthday a few months after his death while listening to his voicemail on my iPhone.
That was on February 19th. Donny’s birthday. Two Nineteen.
I have since turned this number into a goal, a race goal. And the thing about me is that once I set my mind to something, I make a plan, practice, practice, practice, and then I go get it.
Oddly enough… when I tried to achieve this goal at the McAllen Half Marathon, I cramped up twice and missed my time. I failed.
I went back to basics. I went to Hector Gandara, my run coach and instructor for Valley Running Company’s Running 101 class, and told him that I wanted to sign back up for his class so that I could go back to LiveSTRONG this year and finish at 2:19 for Donny. He put me on a plan.
However, life happens… and I ended up missing a TON of classes. Doing his workouts on your own is very difficult. You don’t really know if you are doing them correctly, if your form is slouching and what hurts the most… the encouragement from your fellow runners. I felt like a foreign exchange student – part of the class but not really.
On that note, I questioned my ability to have progressed like how I was expected to or felt I should have.
After the Port Isabel Longest Causeway 10k run, I was extremely pleased with my time and knew that Coach Hector’s plan was working!!! But that was almost a month ago already. Had I been able to keep the momentum? Enough to finally reach my goal of 2:19? That was the question lingering in my head these last couple of weeks.
Well, as my life goes, everything I plan for ends up changing. Not having a “normal” 9-5 job with a regular income kinda hurt when it was time to pay property taxes so as I crunched the numbers in the family budget… seems that a weekend in Austin running a race was no longer an option. I should have known, too. The signs were everywhere.
I started a new business venture and am super stoked about it. *I’ll talk about it later I’m sure. But the work and the weather conspired against me and cut my workouts to a bare minimum making me really question whether I was able to reach 2:19 at the next available race, the “Get Up And Train” half marathon in Pharr, Tx. This race is now abbreviated to #GUAT.
Race packet pick up for GUAT was yesterday from 9a.m. – 6p.m. I drove up at about 5:30p.m. to late register. I must have sat in the parking lot for another ten minutes thinking to myself “How can I just show up like this so late?” I know most of the race event producers and they’ve become good friends of mine. I can just imagine the headaches I’ll cause being so late. After all they have done for me, this is how I treat them???? Good Lord Myssie!!! Just pass on the race. Suck it up and wait for another one to do when you get your act together.
*sigh*
I walked in trying desperately not be to noticed but the gymnasium was already clearing out and, honestly, I stood out like a sore thumb. I walked up to the registration table and asked to sign up expecting to be immediately turned down because it was too late or too full or too… something. But there she was… beautiful Amanda and her big smile multitasking while turning out some fires that always happen at registration events. With a nod of her head, her eyes pointing in the direction of a registration form… my registration was handled seamlessly.
I returned home to do everything you should NOT do the night before a marathon. I didn’t eat dinner. I stayed up way too late. I didn’t even shower much less shave. TMI? sorry… at least you weren’t running next to me today eh?
Before the race even started, I had already tied my orange jacket around my waist because I was already stoked and warmed up. I wrote “Donny” on my hand so that when I looked down at my Garmin, I would be reminded to go for my goal… Donny’s birthday.
The first mile was difficult. It always is but I found my rhythm by mile 2 and kept with it. There were actually times where I was going too fast and had to slow down a bit. How about them apples? Again, the high fives and hugs and cheers were awesome! Overwhelming at some times, too! But very welcomed 🙂
Once I got to Nolana, I closed my eyes and welcomed the mist as it cooled my face. I remembered the moment I reached the top of the Causeway and felt the same feeling… a euphoric dreamlike state of ecstasy. The playlist helped a bit with that, too.
Surprisingly, the entire run went really smoothly. Just like at the McAllen Marathon, my legs cramped up. I felt the ball of my foot and my toes go numb. While I was running, the thought came through my head… “When was the last time I cut my toe nails? Ouch! I think that’s what I feel. Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now. It’ll probably cause a blister or cut into my skin and bleed. I don’t have my trusty fuel belt with my little band-aid kit so… oh well… run through the pain. Deal with it.” I was pretty strong today. I had to do it. Foo Fighters were screaming in my ear. I had to do it for Donny. I’m not gonna fail again. No sirree!!!
Alright!!! My time is good! My time is really good! Not like Gandara or Kenyan good… but good for being me!!! Just before I hit mile 12, I sneak a peek at my Garmin. I’m way ahead of schedule. I’m going to finish before 2:19.
sooooooo guess what begins playing in my ears?
That’s right… it’s a sign.
2:19 was not a goal. My goal has and always will be to help those who have cancer and find a cure for cancer. THAT’s a goal. 2:19 was a sign.
Yep, a SIGN.
Just knowing I COULD finish in that time was good enough for me. Simple as that.
sooooooooo what do I do?
I took my phone out of it’s case. Went onto Facebook and sent Javi a message. I asked him what Lisa, his wife, was wearing. He responded two minutes later: “pink, long sleeve” The time was exactly 9:23 a.m.
HINDSIGHT: That is not a time. That is a sign. Sissy passed away on September 23, 2011. Nine Twentythree.
I went BACK.
See, I’m a woman of my word. If I tell you I’m going to do something, I’m going to do all I can to make sure I fulfill that promise.
Someone I run with in my all women’s run club (Run Walk or Crawl) had posted a while back about being upset that she may have to cross the finish line by herself and without her family. I could tell it was tearing her apart. There were countless posts that followed hers that stated so much support and understanding from our other sister runners. It was really heartwarming how this group uplifts and encourages each other. My response was something like “I’ll be there with you” or something of the sort. All I remember was that it was the shortest response of the entire string.
So I went back for her so that she wouldn’t have to deal with these last few miles by herself and cross alone. If you’re a runner, a beginner runner especially, it really does help when you have someone by you to push and encourage and drown out that doubter voice in your head. I know.. my inner voice is very loud… and rude.
I began to run the opposite way. I have to admit.. the faces of the runners that saw what I was doing were priceless. “Hey, you’re running the wrong way!” was said over and over and over again. But I kept running – at a good pace, too! – until I saw the familiar face in her long sleeved pink running sweater.
It was exactly 2:19 into my run according to my Garmin.
Lisa looked physically exhausted but still super cute. You know those running shoe advertisements you see in magazines with the sweat beads perfectly placed on their noses??? Ya, she had that.
“How do you feel?” I asked.
“Good!” she responded cheerfully.
“You’re a really good liar. These last few miles are the toughest of this race. I told you I would be there for you when you crossed. I’m here,” and onward we went!
I could feel her pace dropping and she was getting frustrated. I didn’t want her to stop and I could tell she wanted to quit and walk the rest. “We’ll keep running until the sign and then we’ll speed walk. You see the sign? Can you make it to the sign?”
“Yes, ok.” She replied with heavy breath. “Wait.. the first sign or the second one?”
“The second one,” I giggled. She knew now I was there to push her. I wasn’t going to let her give up on herself.
This pattern continued until we turned the corner and saw the finish line. Have you ever heard a smile? I have! And it came from her.
“Look Myssie! There’s the finish line!” she eagerly proclaimed.
“Smile real big now for the cameras. Make it look like this was easy. Papitas!” I told her. And then I cramped. Not just any cramp… it felt like a bolt of electricity was stuck on my calves. “Ayyyyyyy!” I screamed out (while smiling of course). “I’m cramping!”
“Don’t give up Myssie! You can do it. The finish is right there!!!” and the student becomes the teacher.
“Why does it seem like the finish line is moving further away???” she said. We laughed and we crossed and we hugged and we cried and we hugged again.
And here’s her side of the story:
13.1 miles. The Get Up and Train Half Marathon this morning… I started out with the best intentions, vowing to train and PR right around the time that Javi was rounding mile 18 at the McAllen Marathon a few months ago. I was doing pretty well; the most consistent I had been in a while, then the bipolar weather go the best of my training schedule — I showed up this morning having run only once in the last two weeks with a hand full of bike rides sprinkled in there. I was nervous, a little scared… but determined. I knew I would finish… it wasn’t the first one I’d done, but for whatever reason it felt different… probably because I was running this one solo… Javi taking the sideline for me this time. The first 8 miles felt like 3… and I was on track for a 2:30 finish… right around mile 10, my ankle started to ache… and right before 11, I had made the decision to just walk the rest of it…. I had seen Javi a couple of times by now… with water, peanut butter (my drug of choice), and all the encouragement a girl could ask for… but I was feeling pretty defeated… oh well… walk, walk, walk… then, I see this crazy woman running the wrong way… she got closer, and closer, and finally stopped… it was Myssie Cardenas-Barajas… it took me till the end of the race to realize what happened… she had said she would run it in with me… the story behind how this all unfolded is one that only she can tell… but she did… and together, we finished the last couple of miles — approaching to the finish line, the first face I saw was my mom’s… then dad… then Javi… then the babies… then my little brothers… they were all smiling and cheering… something that I had never had at a finish line…that meant the world to me… when Myssie and I crossed the finish line… I hadn’t hit 2:30; but I had PRd… and all I could do was hug her and cry…. I realized she had not only kept her word to me… but, she was kept me going… even reminding me to smile like nothing hurt for the cameras This life is full of obstacles… trials….accomplishments… running is a metaphor for all of it… life is also full of blessings… angels…. and wonderful signs… and today, I experienced all of those…. thank you Myssie… I don’t know how I will be able to repay you for the kindness you’ve shown me. I love you, friend… to my family… it meant everything to me to have you there for me! and for Javi… ay mi amor… there are no words for you
I pick up the phone and see on the caller ID that it’s my doctor’s office. Oh God! They have my results from the mammogram and my cancer screening blood counts. If I let it ring and they’re forced to leave a message, then I’ll know, right? I’ll just listen to the message…
No. I have to know NOW. I pick up the phone just in time.
It’s the nurse. Whew! The moment I heard her voice and didn’t hear her say I needed to come in to see Doc ASAP… I had a feeling.
“Your results came in. You’re normal,” she said.
I think I may have screamed a little and that may have been what caused her to laugh a bit.
I admit, I am one of the lucky chosen few who did not receive the phone call with dreaded news, news that would make you drop to your knees, news that would suck out all your tears, news that would empty your soul of all your dreams and leave you empty of dreams and afraid of time.
My good news was kept to myself and ignited a fire within me to continue my path for those who got that other phone call.
Because the truth is that from the moment you clicked open this blog to read what happened in my day… someone else just got that awful phone call. In fact, every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.
Today was our Triathlon team’s first bike practice. We held a bike rodeo at the Convention Center parking lot and was taught how to change a flat tire, clean and degrease our chains, what tools to have handy, etc. by my bike guru, Wally. He had set up a little tent to shield us from the freezing mist. Poor thing had to speak up because it was hard to hear above the chattering teeth and shivering bodies of my team mates. It was then that even in that dreaded dreary cold weather that I saw the faces of my fellow teammates and how eager they were to learn about how to take care of their bikes (or borrowed bikes) so that they could do well at their first triathlon for TnT. They truly wanted to do well….
Why?
Gosh, I’m really learning to love that question… why.. why?
Just before we got started, Cindy gave us her mission moment. Her honored hero had just lost his battle with leukemia a few days ago. She was quite choked up about it but tried with all her might to be strong and upbeat and positive.
Katherine posted this on our facebook page:
So, today was cold. Today was miserable. If we asked ourselves, deep down, did we want to be at practice today or snugly warm in bed? But we got up and showed up, this is what makes us TNT…. We are like postal workers: neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, etc…. we deliver! Cause Cynthia gave us all a sobering reminder as why we have to keep fighting. Why this dreadful disease needs to be stopped…..
We all have our own reasons for being a part of Team. No one reason is greater than the other. Bottom line, we’re all in this together. I feel Cynthia’s pain. It is still very fresh in my heart.
My prayers go to the Rodriguez family and especially his wife and two very young children.
It is this very instance that breaks my heart as I remember my two nephews. I haven’t seen them in over a year. Sadly, since the death of my baby brother, it will likely be years before I am ever able to see them again.
Cancer and death does horrific things to a family.
If you’re the praying type, keep families like the Rodriguez’s and mine in your heart as you pray. I’d appreciate it.
Thanks.
Oh! And don’t forget… I’m fundraising again. Please give what you can. Top right corner icon if you’re reading this on a PC. Scroll just below if you’re reading this on a phone.
RunMyssieRun 