Too Excited To Wait For Photos

Just finished state #23 in Muncie, Indiana and while I normally wait until I am home and can upload photos, I am busting at the seams to share my day and can't wait. Muncie Multi Sport put on this incredible race and I have to thank Steve Tamboni and Rich Morris for treating me like a queen. They embraced my campaign and went "all out" to provide a platform for me to spread the message about ovarian cancer. From Facebook and Twitter posts, a link on the race home page, teal wristbands for every athlete, announcements from the bandstand pre-race and mic time so I could introduce myself to the athletes, a morning radio show on WLBC FM, the newspaper interview and a shout out post race.... I can't begin to thank them enough.
The venue was gorgeous and the rain held off. I was in the zone and had a really good outing. Running has been my weak sport but rather than dread it, I psyched myself up during the run, telling myself, "I am a good runner and I can't wait to run". Well it must have worked. I took 1st in age but more important, it was a really pleasurable experience. The last Olympic distance I did was downright painful and this one wasn't.
Well Steve and Rich and their families are taking me to a fairwell dinner so I have to run. There is no way to thank them for this amazing experience. I KNOW we made a difference in some woman's life.

What Do You Get When You Cross A Chicken With A Charity?

....an amazing event! Some of you will remember I was on WGBB (1240 am, Long Island's first and oldest radio station) a couple of weeks ago. Broadcast from the Beach with Halftime Howie asked me to come on the show and talk about my campaign and ovarian cancer. The show went really well and live on the air, he offered to host a wing eating contest to benefit OCRF.
Next Tuesday at Just Wing It in Long Beach, the Long Beach State Championship Hockey Team will take on the 6th ranked Long Beach Wrestling Team in a wing eating contest. There will be raffles and prizes and fun for all... guaranteed!
Now I've never been to a wing eating contest before and I never envisioned combining it with raising money for my campaign. But we have an opportunity to raise some money and awareness and educate the folks of Long Island about ovarian cancer. So why not? It should be a hoot.
So come out and join me and the competitors for an evening of wings, laughs and fund raising.

New Territory

If you have followed my blog, you know I am not new to racing triathlons. My triathlon history started in 2005 and I have been non-stop since. Indiana will represent state #23 of my 50x50x100 campaign and I can easily double that in total races overall. I have lost count. BUT, I have never attempted two Olympic distances in as many weeks. To further this challenge, I will be competing in four races (3 Olympic, 1 sprint) in the next six weeks.... Indiana, Georgia, Alaska and North Dakota. All while juggling a couple of jobs, not sleeping much, sitting on a bunch of airplanes and spreading the message about fundraising for ovarian cancer. I try not to get ahead of myself or I would be tired already. It's day by day. That being said, the distances are a little overwhelming and I am a little nervous.
The outpouring of support from Indiana has been nothing short of amazing. The race director, Steve, has been onboard with my campaign since we connected last year. He has press and radio lined up and is really helping me to spread the message about ovarian cancer and early detection. A big shout out to Steve, who I have yet to meet, but to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. New state, new competitive challenge.... it's all good.

Where Do You Bank?

JP Morgan Chase is donating $5 million to worthy charities and the first round is complete. Yesterday, 100 charities were awarded $25,000 and will move on to round 2. I am not sure of the details of round 2 but there is another $2.5 million up for grabs. It was all through Facebook and the Chase Community Giving Campaign.

The amazing news is the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund was one of yesterday's winners and recipient of the $25,000. Way to go voters!!!! We are not done yet. On May 19, please log on and vote for OCRF in round 2.

Now I am not telling you where to bank. But with such bad news at every turn and economic downturn spiraling further, it is nice to know there is an institution giving back. Chase has my business.

Air All Booked

I made my last plane reservation tonight. With fuel prices going through the roof, airline prices have followed. I wanted to lock in my flights now before prices go any higher. So with 15 races this season, 12 of them require air travel. YIKES. Well I knew the 2011 season was going to be my most expensive. And you should see my frequent flyer mileage! I am hoping that next year there will be a few free tickets from all the globe trotting this year.

People have often asked me what the hardest part of this campaign is. It is not the training, it is not the racing. By far, it is the logistics. So with all the flights secured and that step behind me now, I can rest a little easier and concentrate more on what matters.... fundraising and passing the message about ovarian cancer and early detection.