Are you ready? I am…
Fasten your seat belts – I’m not backing down again. I have a promise to uphold and you can take that straight to your heart.
Announcement coming soon! And it’s ALL going public now the right way š
#RunMcAllen
Posted in Uncategorized with tags #4scott, #forscott, #halfmarathon, #kellerwilliams, #kellerwilliamsrealty, #kw team leader, #marathonmotivation, #marathonposters, #mcallenmarathon, #myssiebarajas, #myssiecardenas, #myssiecardenasbarajas, #runmcallen, #scottcrane, #waterstation, cheerleaders, inspiration, marathon, motivation, runspiration on December 13, 2015 by runmyssierun
Why in the world would someone get up at 4:45 a.m. go to a marathon but not RUN in it and stand in the spooky, pitch black darkness of town, on the corner of an intersection in the rain for four plus hours only to become sopping wet, voiceless and with a constant ringing in the ears as a result of excessive cow bell?
Because we care. That’s why. We care about each and every one of these runners and are genuinely happy for every single PR and personal accomplishment, realization and bucket list item reached today. We didn’t have to check anyone’s numbers on athleteguild.com. The smiles on their faces is enough validation to be proud and join them in happiness.
Super duper proud that some of the Realtors at Keller Williams and the School District leaders joined me in cheering on the runners at Water Station #2. I was even more excited that by the time the last runner passed us, a challenge to enter next year’s race had been accepted and organized by half of the volunteers around me.
And so it begins again… š
Deldi Ortegon Real Estate Keller Williams RGV #proudtobekwrgv
Posted by Strides Photography onĀ Sunday, December 13, 2015
What is your ONE thing?
Posted in Uncategorized on December 12, 2015 by runmyssierunI know… I know… I’ve been silent for a while. It’s been on purpose for a number of reasons. Mostly so I can re-focus on my ONE thing.
Long story short (hah! as if I could actually tell a short story!!!): Girl sets goal. Girl reaches goal. Girl talks about how others can reach their goals, too. Girl gets injured. Girl gets stalked/bullied. Girl fails at next goal. Girl gets back up and does it all over again. Tada! (* notice that I didn’t say “the end”?)
A lot of my family, friends, employment and workout dynamics have changed dramatically and as a result, so has my routine, perspective and goals. My promise has remained in tact as has my faith. I do believe that my destiny and journey have not changed nor have they ended. On the contrary, both have been fiercely burning in me.
I tested a theory. Prayed for guidance and then stayed in silence to listen, observe and understand. And then it happened. Not sure what to call it other than enlightenment? fate? the next chapter?
Unsupportive, negative and toxic people in my life all of a sudden were magnetized together and all went off on their merry way. Now, let me be clear: there will ALWAYS be good and bad in my life and in yours. But in this circumstance, the destruction that this group caused was completely beyond just me. They took down (or attempted to) not only my credibility and ability but that also of a worldwide causes credibility and ability to help millions of people in need. I don’t think their minds have understood what they did. For that, I pray for them.
“Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.”
I desperately want to go back and help BUT part of this theory is the title of this entry.
I have a new job (remember it’s taboo for me to talk about that on here) BUT I read a few books by the company’s founders and it dawned on me that the theory they touted as the reason for their success was the same daily practice I implemented while training for my marathons, triathlons and century ride. And if I really thought about it, I also did this for my pageant successes, too! What they said made sense. Doh!
And so now… I focus on my one thing. What’s your one thing? Figure it out. Because it works!
The McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Memorial 5k
So how did I do? Still not going to talk about my times or distances BUT I will disclose that I met and broke my goal time and went back to make sure that another runner (who is just beginning her healthy and fit lifestyle) finished with a positive mind and a bigger goal. And she did just that! So to all those runners who yelled at me for going back again, now you know. It’s not my race and not about me. And it sure felt good to test my legs/hips/back and pass.
SPI Tri – when purple beats red tide
Posted in team in training, triathlon with tags los dos guys, los dos guys race productions, olympic triathlon, red tide spi, south padre island, spi tri, Team in Training, triathlon on October 5, 2015 by runmyssierunAnd then sometimes I really do what people tell me to do without question and without them knowing. Thank you Janie for the thoughtful encouragement and spot on advice. Thank you Jo Lynn for finding and sharing that moment captured with me in your sweet message. Thank you Chris for being there at the perfect moment and freezing it not just for me but for everyone who’s ever shared a moment of advice with me. And thank you to the Dos Guys because you voluntarily choose to not sleep for days to coordinate an opportunity for me and my fellow cancer fighters to swim, bike and run alongside some phenomenal athletes as we try to do what we can to fight cancer for someone we love.
I get a text at 6:27 a.m. on a Sunday morning from a breast cancer survivor filled with encouragement and advice. And I think to myself, “Shouldn’t this be the other way around? How awesome is she???” So I take her advice to heart and do it. And while this moment captured may seem like a comical rendition of a Sad Keanu Meme, it is the moment I cherish before every event I do. Meditation, prayer, my conversation with Momma… Thank you JoLynn for sending this to me š
We all have our different reasons for doing what we do. Always remember your WHY, respect it and respect why others are doing theirs.
I knew at that moment what I needed to do and I did it as best I could. This was not my race. It never was. And I’m so glad that I did what I did that day. And I’m so grateful for the obstacles that day presented me because now I know more than ever before of what I can do, what I need to do, how I can become a better person and why I need to. Weird how just a silly swim in red tide can burn your throat, make you cough and fill your head with decisions of a lifetime.
I will not be doing the Longhorn Ironman I had trained so hard to do in 4 weeks. God has a weird sense of humor and I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan but after this event and the rest of the signs came in, I understand now. I will be doing my Ironman in April 2016 in Galveston, Texas.
Exactly five years later and exactly four years later…. yep, exactly. And now you know.
Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s my sign.
And for those of you who follow me but don’t really care about my WHY or cancer and just want the low down on the triathlon this weekend… Here goes:
I purposely made myself the last swimmer out. I knew this wasn’t my race so I wasn’t going to go balls out in an event that had Red Tide. My throat was burning. I was coughing uncontrollably. My eyes were on fire and tearing up and my nostrils were acting as if they were auditioning for the Exorcist. From the get-go I kept a slow steady stroke with little to no kick so that my hips stayed in place. I never once lost my cool. I kept my heart rate down, calmed and steady. *That training that Coach Lori had me on was on full blast!
As I looked over my right shoulder when spotting every other breath, I saw a swimmer struggling so I stopped. “Myssie, I swallowed some water and I think I need to throw up!” She was frantic. What else was I to do… “So throw up. Who’s gonna know? Throw up and then take your time on the swim. You can make it up on the bike. Come on. Let’s go.”
She looked at me like I was a purple polka-dotted alien from Mars. So I slowly continued forward and looked over my shoulder for her every second breath. There she was. We collided several times because we stuck together so closely after that. I looked up again and saw the kayak.
“Did you throw up?” I asked.
“No” she said.
“Go hang on the kayak and do it,” again she looked at me like I was insane. But seriously. No really, seriously.
And we paddled on. There was another swimmer setting off into the direction of Port Isabel. I yelled out for her but her swim cap was over her ears and she was doing a phenomenal job of skimming her head with the level of the water. I yelled out to her three times before she heard me and made her way back. “I’m not a good at spotting in the water” she giggled.
And then we collected the last of the few who took the scenic route. The kayaks rounded us up to make sure we wouldn’t veer further off course but there I was… slow, steady, spotting, watching the others calmly, keeping everyone nearby as if the kayaks couldn’t do it better. As we passed the buoys and made our way into the channel, I realized that I must have lost one. I stopped and turned around. There he was. Hanging off a kayak. He’s ok if a kayaker has his back so I keep on going since there isn’t much more I can do – as if I can do anything really. As I got out of the water, I looked back for him again.
“He’s going to make it.” I said to myself and smiled.
“Is that a friend of yours?” Coach Carrie from San Antonio asked me as I made my way up the ramp.
“Yes, he’s TEAM” – and to this family, that’s really all I had to say.
I didn’t rush through transition. I made sure I got it all right.. and I did except for one part… the part I ALWAYS miss. Pushing the right Garmin button while on auto sport. You’d think I’d never done a triathlon before nor worn a Garmin! I still can’t get that darn thing right.
I admit, I struggled with the bike mount – but that was expected. After I wobbled on, it was pure bliss…My Mimi was perfect and I knew she couldn’t wait to show her stuff on the road. Poor baby has been handcuffed to a trainer for an eternity!!! I stood up on her to gain momentum and boom she took off!!! And then a block later I coughed… and coughed… and coughed… and loogied… and coughed. So here’s the thing, if you can’t breathe deeply while on your bike or on a run, your body becomes inefficient. There’s a rhythm to my training which is probably why I do so well with my music playlists. They keep me on beat. So when I get interrupted with coughing, that rhythm goes off beat and so do I. This is something that I really need to work on myself with for improvement.
Just when I’m down in the dumps about my lack of speed and breath control, a cyclist yells out “On your left” and I scoot over to let him pass when just a few seconds later, he slows down and levels out with me.
“Don’t let them catch you!” I told him.
“I’m not drafting if I’m beside you.” He smarted. “You do this for your mom, right?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I’ll be thinking about her and you now.” click click… and he zoomed off.
Wow. Just wow.
And I’m not going to talk about the run. I said some cuss words in my head that you probably don’t need to know about. But I loved that Cat took my hand and smiled and in that small little gesture of kindness, she said all that I needed.
This is the third year for me to do SPI Tri. Each year I do more and better than the year before.
And isn’t that how life should be? Triathlon is a combination of different sports slapped together to challenge how well you can balance all of them. It’s not about mastering one sport or one challenge. Because life isn’t really like that. You can be really really good at one thing… but the other things in life fall behind. My life is like a triathlon. I’m not really really good at any one thing but I do my best at every challenge that is thrown at me and I’m ok. In fact, my finisher medals in many times represent my struggles in real life to me. So far, I think I’ve done a pretty good job at conquering my challenges.
I love what the sport of triathlon has taught me. You can choose to have balance and make it to the finish line. Or you can achieve the supreme position by placing all your energy on one thing and doing it well and sacrificing a supreme position in other parts. Some people may accuse you of being obsessed if you choose the latter. Some people may accuse you of being lazy if you choose the other. And what took me forever to learn was what some people say doesn’t really matter at all. Just tri. Which ever you choose to do, do it for you.
Click here to see all the photos from SPI Tri
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.970827169641727.1073741853.410683885656061&type=3
Slow Ride – Take it Easy
Posted in cycling with tags bicycle, bike, bike ride, felt bicycles, felt bikes, group ride, port isabel, Rgv, ride my bike, riding my bike, rio grande valley, road bike, road race, slow ride, south padre island, Team in Training, texas on October 2, 2015 by runmyssierun40 miles in one minute
10lbs, drugs, politicians, money, boots and music – it’s probably not what you think.
Posted in cancer with tags acs, american cancer society, cancer, cancer society, cattle baron's ball, costello country, costellotxmusic, country music, country music local band, don cardenas, ktex, mark chesnutt, mimi cardenas, Mimi's Miles, myssie cardenas barajas, pharr event center, rio grande valley, runmyssierun, south texas on September 24, 2015 by runmyssierunWhat a day! What a week! What a month it has been! Too much awesomeness for me to write about in full detail and you know how I abhor vague, cryptic messages!!!
So here’s the summary:
Lost 10 pounds. 10 more to go to fit and perform best in my wetsuit and run light for Ironman.
Sissy’s anniversary was miracle driven. <—ok, so that’s cryptic. Sorry. Not Sorry.
Because of a new job, traveling back and forth (insert a myriad of flamboyant excuses here including the Pope’s visit to America) I have only been able to train with the TEAM on weekends. I have good days and bad days, decreased my caffeine intake and heart rate levels, increased my distance and endurance times. pace is still pathetic and no longer publicly posting my workout paces because I feel extremely awkward when being compared amongst people I thought were my friends. I am not your competition. You are not my competition. I am MY own competition.
The halls of congress are busy with activists begging legislators to co-sponsor the CANCER DRUG COVERAGE PARITY ACT to ensure that cancer patients can afford to receive treatment. I’ll post a letter at the end so that you can copy, paste, sign and send to your representative in Congress.
The above is a result of this happening in the cancer treatment industry (I was one of the lobbyists that was part of the movement last year talked about in this article):
I had a meeting this week that started out business and ended up being almost three hours long with some of the most phenomenal women in the Valley who have beat cancer and a couple of others who have dedicated much of their lives and talent to help others beat cancer. I should have taken a selfie of the group. There I was, sipping lemonade with Sylvia Fortuin, Fran Prukop, Melissa Smith, Stacy Madden and silly ol’ me. With all that these women at this table have endured and conquered, something as trivial as the enigma of world peace could be strategized, executed and pinned perfectly on pinterest by next Tuesday without a single hair out of place if given the challenge. We talked a bit about cancer but spoke mostly of God with smiles on all our faces. Interesting, huh?
And the grand highlight was being honored at the American Cancer Society’s Cattle Baron’s Ball for the promise I made to Momma and Sissy. Every single emotion a human being can have was experienced there in that ball room but I exited with only one… GRATITUDE.
But the really cool thing was that the opening band, COSTELLO, came back after the preview party a few months ago and DONATED themselves as a musical entertainment act for the cause after hearing my story. Ā Which goes to show that all of us can do something, anything for the cause because we all have value. I may not be super rich and be able to buy a cure and I may not be super smart and be able to invent a cure but I can run, albeit very slowly, and I can swim – or at least float or dog paddle any crazy long distance, and I can ride til the sun sets… and in some cases, til the sun rises. This is what I can do to make a difference. It may not be much but if you put together the little that I can do with the little that you can do and the little that everyone else can do.. together, we can change it all. For good.
So with that… I have to share with you COSTELLO‘s newest single and video that was just premiered a couple of days ago! it’s also available to download for free on their website! Thank them for their kind gesture by giving them a listen, d/l’ing their song, and requesting them on your local country music radio station like KTEX-100Ā and liking and following them on social media!!!Ā @Costellotxmusic
Momma would have been over the moon! Thank you all for helping me keep my promise to her.
TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR CANCER PATIENTS CLICK HERE TO EMAIL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
Falling Slowly
Posted in Uncategorized on September 1, 2015 by runmyssierunSometimes a story needs to be told again. The author needed to remember how it felt to ride well, strong and fast even when she fell and after fully expecting to be flattened by that 18-wheeler on that beautiful morning three years ago. I am doing really well on my trainer but I can’t seem to transfer that same ability onto the road again. Call out to other cyclists… how do you deal with the anxiety of road cycling? I have less than 10 weeks to get over this. Your help and advice is appreciated.
My big ride this week was an 80-miler scheduled for early Saturday morning. Funny how I had planned all week going over route after route and getting advice from all the local experienced bicyclistsā¦ and I ended up not doing any of the discussed routes!!! But everything worked out in the end.
Hereās how it went:
3:45 alarm blares. I smash it into snooze oblivion.
3:50 alarm blares again. Ok Ok!!! Iām up! Iām up!
4:10 Iām all dressed, teeth are brushed and hair is braided back. I grab my garmin and the two lights charging in my office. I get my water bottles out of the kitchen. I make my coffee and bagel and say a cuss word when I see that someone ate all the peanut butter!! (Iām not nice in the morning)
4:30 I put air in the tires, attach the lights, pack my chomps, gu andā¦
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When Women TRI Harder
Posted in triathlon with tags bicycle world of the rgv, female athlete training, female triathletes, girls triathlon, girlstri, half ironman training for women, harlingen texas, ironman training for women, Rgv, rio grande valley, sprint triathlon training for women, tri like a girl, trigirls, women in sports, women marathon training on August 30, 2015 by runmyssierunThis weekend was the first opportunity I had to participate in an event since my injury in March earlier this year. Honestly, I was super excited to test my body. I’ve been in a state of mind that I hope I can continue and I was more than ready – mentally that is. Earlier in the week, Coach Lori pulled me from the Time Trial. The rest of the team did awesome and I had to swallow my pride as they zoomed off past me…. no, you don’t understand… like WAY past me… FAST. I did a slow zone 2 4 mile jog as they huffed and puffed. But she had a point and I understood. Why risk re-injurying myself this close to Longhorn Ironman just to see how fast I can go? I understood but sulked a bit like a whiney baby. I probably would have been upset with my time anyway and it would have brought me down emotionally. And one big thing I’ve learned in triathlon is that 90% of all this training is all in your head. If you think you can do it, you’re right. If you think you can’t do it, you’re right, too.
Go back another weekend and the team did an open water swim and bike ride out at South Padre Island. I’ve been swimming a lot – probably the most I’ve ever swam (because of my injury) – so I’m feeling a lot more comfortable in the water. However, since getting hurt, I haven’t been able to run the way I used to or ride with the groups like before and when your body is used to doing a certain amount of exercise on a regular basis and you suddenly stop… you blow up. Ā I gained a lot of weight back. And it was evident when I attempted to squeeze into my wetsuit. Wetsuits are supposed to compress your body some… but they aren’t supposed to crush you like a boa constrictor.
I got it zipped up but just like so many Walmart customer memes state: just because you can zip it up doesn’t mean it fits you right!!! I seriously had no business in that wet suit. I swam out about 100 meters and my boobs must have imploded into my lungs. I seriously could not breathe. Not wanting to panic, I flipped up and floated aimlessly staring into the sky until I could bring down my heart rate and try my swim again. After a few minutes, I flipped over again, swam a few 100 and then freaked out when I could breathe and again, floated until I got my heart rate down. This scene repeats itself a few times. Pathetic, I know. The awful part of this is that the water was so beautiful and still! It looked like sparkling glass!! chances to practice in situations like this are so rare… and my weight gain blew it for me! I was pissed, humiliated and out of breath. So I called it in.
Angel, who also ran his first marathon when I ran my first in San Diego, just a year ago had talked about wanting to be part of the triathlon team but didn’t know how to swim, was dangling his legs off the dock. He was staring out into the water in a way that was similar to gang members staring each other down before the big rumble. After a few minutes, he jumped in and did a good 800 meters out there. See, whether you think you can do it or can’t do it, you’re right.
After everyone finished our swim, the team got together on the dock to take our team selfie. After all, if it’s not posted on facebook, it didn’t happen, right?
I was so upset with myself that I purposely chose a filter that exaggerated my belly bulge and posted it for all the world to see, laugh scrutinize and ridicule me with. Ā The thing is that the world didn’t say a thing about my belly or my weight gain. I did. If my friends and family actually did notice my weight gain and the tire around my belly, they never made me feel uncomfortable about it. I was the one that made it a big deal to me. This is MY issue. (I’ve lost some weight but that’s for another post later – I know, right? I was actually bigger than this just a few weeks ago!)
So, if any of you women (and men, too) feel like you’re too embarrassed to go out in public in spandex, lycra or wetsuits because you’re too this or too that. Stop it. Suck it up. It’s no big deal. The only one making a big deal about it is probably just you. Ā We all have our little issues. Let’s empower ourselves to get over them together.
Ok, so next was the bike ride… and boy was it HOT and WINDY!!! Now, I love the bike part of triathlon. I’ve made it very clear that this is my favorite of all three sports but that day… that day was tough. I hadn’t been on my bike on the road consistently. Being on my trainer, in my bedroom office, in the air conditioning with the playlist blasting and fans blowing, not having to worry about drivers who text or drink or drug or and just plain old bad drivers or pot holes or beer bottles or soiled diapers, gravel, sand, rabid loose dogs, etc. has spoiled me. My confidence on my indoor trainer, using Zwift, has helped me tremendously BUT if I cannot transfer that confidence and experience and replace the anxiety and fear I have to losing my life on the road while riding… it’s all useless. My time on the road compared to my time on the trainer is like night and day now. I need to work on that. And I don’t know how other than just getting out there and being thrown to the lions.
I was, again, the last one in.
Hey, it is what it is. I got hurt. I went through therapy. I’m healing as fast as I possibly can. I’m training as much as my body can safely do without reinjury. I’ve gained weight. I’m slow. So I went into the Tri Girls triathlon this weekend without any blinders and accepting of the facts of my situation. At this point, there really wasn’t anything more I could do. So just enjoy the event and do my best, right?
So I did.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. This is NOT your race Myssie. This is just a practice run to see how my body reacts to the workout. Do your best but don’t push it.
I had so much fun watching so many women complete their first triathlon. Yelling out cheers to them as we all crossed paths on the bike course was exhilarating, empowering and a great indication of how far we as a community have come since being labeled “Fattest MSA in the Nation”
My run is my biggest hurdle but this old lady did ok considering I have a bulging disk at L4-L5, a herniated disk at L5-S1, a popped IT band with excessive scar tissue and piriformis syndrome that plagued my hip at mile 2. Begging the volunteers to trade places and joking with everyone else along the way to jump in as my stunt double or relay partner kept my attitude light and everyone laughing.
I did this event last year as a relay with my JTI Three Amigos, Alex and Maritza, and we won 1st place.
This year, I was solo. I have to admit, I’ve done almost every triathlon either with both or one of them or they were in attendance cheering me on. It wasn’t the same without them there.
BUT it was also phenomenal to see over a hundred women, mostly aged 30 and older, finish a triathlon!!! Maybe this isn’t a big deal to you – but to this community… IT’S HUGE! BIG! GARGANTUAN!!! This may get me in trouble for stereotyping but just so that the rest of the world understands how we do things down here, it usually goes something like this:
Girl grows up. Minimal education – just enough to get by living paycheck to paycheck. Marries young. Starts family young. Has more children than the national average. Puts children first since divorce rate is also extremely high and women have learned not to depend on husbands or baby daddies. Holds down multiple temporary jobs and sells at least three MLM products in any given year to be able to buy her children what all the other kids have and pay rent. Drives them to school, soccer practice, dance class, football practice, first holy communion classes and studies in the car while waiting for one online college class because that’s all she can afford to do. Her health deteriorates because she doesn’t exercise sitting in her car or stadium seats all this time. Her family meals consist of Little Caesar’s $5 pizza, Mickey Dee’s happy meals, ramen or other highly processed just add water boxed meal.
This is how we live. This is our way of life. This is why we have such high rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Women here put ourselves last in the totem pole of priorities.
And this… plus or minus a few details… is exactly what happened to me.
However, a few years ago, a wave of health and fitness caught me and I am so very grateful for it. My brother died at the age of 38. I may also still have a chance of dying young. But in my heart of hearts, I think I really was well on my way there. It might not be much but I do believe I’ve added three years to my life because of swimming, biking and running. I may not be here tomorrow but had I not done what I did, there’s a really good chance that I could have never made it to today.
It isn’t easy to devote time in this day in age to train for a triathlon or a marathon or a 5k or just one class of zumba or crossfit. And unfortunately, in this historically macho driven community, it’s harder for women who have children to take time for themselves to take care of themselves. This is a luxury that we are thought to believe is too good for us to have. And it’s wrong and needs to stop.
So with that, I applaud all the champions of life this weekend who took their health and fitness matters into their own hands and did something about it. Get up. Get active. Find something that you like to do and go do it. Who cares what you look like or if you’re good at it. Who knows what can become of it. Maybe, if you give yourself the chance, you’re actually really good at whatever you choose to do. Just go out and be. Do you get that? Just BE. Be alive and well and happy for you, your family and everyone that loves you and everyone that hates you. Go out and be. Live life.
Want to see all the photos from the TRI-Girls Sprint Triathlon this weekend? Click here.
That’s me with a big old smile on my face after I did the absolute worst triathlon time in my history and I loved it because I didn’t give up. That’s how I started my day. How was YOUR day?
“When I grow up, I want to have cancer,” said no one ever.
Posted in cancer with tags american cancer society, austin texas 70.3, blood cancer, cancer, Cancer Cure, cancer donation help, cancer patient, cancer sucks, cancer survivor half ironman, cancer survivor ironman, cigna cancer insurance, colon cancer, colonoscopy, cure, dave martinez, how can i help someone with cancer, how do i donate to cancer, insurance, ironman austin 70.3, ironman training cancer, leukemia and lymphoma society, myssie cardenas barajas, Team in Training, training for first 70.3 on August 28, 2015 by runmyssierun“When I grow up, I want to have cancer,” said no one ever.
I walked into Starbucks this morning and was greeted with a hug by an old friend, Dave Martinez. He sat with me for a short while to chit chat about cancer, what I do and what he does and how to reach those who need help.
No one ever thinks this will happen to them. We don’t prepare properly and maybe we do this as part of wishful thinking. Truth is that every person that I’ve ever talked to who is currently battling cancer or has successfully fought cancer has told me the same horror stories as they dealt with medical costs. In fact, I can honestly say that I have never met a single person touched by cancer who has told me that medical bills have never posed a problem and they are doing just fine and dandy.
No one has ever told me that they felt they were prepared enough to handle the financial burden of cancer treatment.
No one has ever told me that their employer or their business was completely ok with taking a few years off to heal.
Do YOU know of anyone who has it all together and ready to beat cancer if and when it comes knocking at their door?
I don’t. Even with as much as I have witnessed, I still don’t feel secure enough to know I have a fighting chance.
So what stops us? Do we feel invincible to cancer? Do we feel like cancer is something that hurts other people and not us? Do we just want to avoid the whole idea of it all? Is ignorance really bliss?
By the time I get the inbox full of questions that looks something like…Ā 
Every cancer patient’s situation is different. How I chose to help as many as I could is by speaking openly and candidly about cancer to as many as will listen, participate in fundraising activities that help in identifying both the CAUSE and the CURE of cancer world wide and for the treatments, co-pays, colonoscopies for early detection, transportation and housing of current cancer patients. How YOU choose to help may be something completely different but if we all do one thing, something, a little bit… together we can do so much!
I still have a few hundred dollars to raise and ask for your help. This half Ironman that I have scheduled in less than three months is the last big event I’m doing with Team in Training. Please find it in your heart to give just a bit if you haven’t ever before. $10, $20 any amount helps. My mother counted on this very same organization to help our family and I am very very grateful to have had the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society help our family. I was gifted six years after Momma’s diagnosis and almost three years after Sissy’s to live precious, sacred memories with them. A $20 donation can help another family with the opportunity to make one more special memory. Please grant that to them.
Donate online here on this link: Ā http://pages.teamintraining.org/sctx/yourway16/mcardenasb
or here: Ā DONATION LINK
Invest in Finding Cures
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the largest voluntary cancer research agency specifically focused on finding cures and better treatments for blood cancer patients. With the scope and scale to fund many projects at the same time, LLS supports hundreds of cancer scientists around the world.
Research Depends on You
Unlike commercial enterprises that consider blood cancers as “orphan diseases” with small markets and limited profit potential, LLS funds research based on medical need without regard to commercial return or market size. Every dollar invested comes from charitable support from concerned donors.
Extend Your Reach
LLS funds hundreds of promising researchers at leading cancer centers and universities worldwide. And since LLS has no campus or laboratories to maintain, your investment funds more research and less overhead than a donation made elsewhere.
Why Invest Now?
Many scientists, clinicians and clinical trial participants have developed and improved current standards of care over time. It takes about eight years to develop a successful new drug. The time to invest in new therapies is now.
What Will My Donation Do?
- Encourage scientists to pursue blood cancer research. Grants to young scientists help grow research talent even as federal research funding becomes increasingly limited.
- Develop “targeted therapies” that kill cancer cells selectively. By hitting specific molecular targets, these treatments don’t harm patients’ healthy cells, resulting in fewer dangerous side effects.
- Test immunotherapies. Immunotherapies strengthen a patient’s own immune system so it can better fight infections and attack cancer cells, reducing the need for damaging chemotherapy.
- Improve the safety of today’s cures. LLS funds research to predict, manage and prevent complications in patients most at risk for long-term and late effects of treatment.
- Help patients and their families make informed decisions. LLS supplies information and counseling to help guide patients through their cancer journey and access current treatment and clinical trial options.
- Provide financial aid and co-pay assistance. A cancer diagnosis is hard enough without having to deal with its financial burden. We provide programs to help relieve the economic strain of a blood cancer diagnosis.
- Offer community services. Among the wide array of programs LLS provides are those that link newly diagnosed patients with trained volunteers and that help young cancer patients return to school after an absence resulting from treatment.
- Encourage our state and federal legislators to support blood cancer issues. With your help, LLS brings to the attention of lawmakers the urgent need for increased government funding and support of research and patient access to affordable treatment and quality care.
Make a Difference!
Donate online here on this link: Ā http://pages.teamintraining.org/sctx/yourway16/mcardenasb
or here: Ā DONATION LINK
Throw Back Thursday
Posted in Uncategorized on August 20, 2015 by runmyssierunToday is #throwbackthursday so I went back a year ago on my blog and found that I wrote about #tbt then. What I truly enjoyed though was that I had recognized that my life was coming back together again. I was able to attempt a fearful challenge and complete it… and not just complete it but actually do quite well with it. I’ve come a long way since that July 4th afternoon in 2006. And I have you all to thank for it. THANK YOU!!!
I havenāt had time to post this week. Soo busy!!! Considering this is taper week, youād think Iād have a little extra time but itās also the first week of school for my little and a busy week at work and as alwaysā¦ New adventures!!!
Last weekend though I made it out to the beach for a mini TRI with open water swim. I felt good. Strong. Both physically and mentally.
The swim in the bay was picture perfect! The water was like glass but was so stagnant, murky and extra salty!!! My head was on straight and Iām proud of myself for beating my demons. I didnāt allow for anything to take me off focus.
I showed up. Did what I needed to do. And thatās it. All business!!!
The bike was wow!!! Again, it was like Mimi was ready to go play. We kept a good pace āā¦
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RunMyssieRun 