A Little Bit o' Press

Coming off a whirlwind weekend from the IM 70.3 at Jones Beach, I am happy to have it in the rear view mirror.  Don't get me wrong; it was a great event.  But Mother Nature once again had her way with us and we were blown all around the course, on the wings of the remnants of Hurricane Helene.  That makes two years in a row of REALLY bad weather.  But the spirits were high, the volunteers amazing and IM (true to its reputation) put on a great event.   

The good news was my story received a little bit of traction and the Long Island Herald did a nice piece.  You can view it here.  Of course, all in an effort to discuss signs and symptoms and early detection of ovarian cancer.  And a big shout out to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, where it all began.  

Of note, if you're following along on my blog.... not all the widgets are active anymore so don't be surprised.  This blog is resurrected from 2015 and much of the technology has changed.  I am just adding a few posts along the way but the blog, in its entirety, isn't fully functional.  

Next up, race #99 in Lake Worth, Florida.  

Been A Long Time

Obviously if you look at the date of my last posting, you'll see I've been "dark" for years.  After completing all 50 states by age 50 and raising well over the goal of $100K, I needed some rest.  I also wanted to turn the page on my ovarian cancer journey, as it had defined me for so long.

That said, last year I got a little antsy.  Mind you, I never stopped competing.  In fact, every year I ticked off a few more races and lo and behold, one day I realized I had topped 90 races.  If you know me, you know I like a dangling carrot... a reason to get out of bed for a 5:30 am swim practice, a reason to skip (maybe) the chocolate cake for dessert.  Well, maybe not skip dessert entirely, but maybe not eat the whole cake.  

So I find myself having registered for race #99 and #100 today, to be completed prior to my 60th birthday in December.  Both local Florida events, sponsored by GameOnEvents, I am very excited to proclaim this new goal.

Cancer free for 18 years, I want to give a huge shout out to all the people who have supported me along the way.   I am so grateful to have been surrounded by a tribe along the way.  Through my diagnosis, my training and my 50x50x100 campaign, I have felt so loved.  You know who you are.... thank you!

I continue to fundraise for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.  I continue to tell women about early detection and signs & symptoms of OC.  I will always be a voice for those women who have lost the battle, those in treatment and those yet to be diagnosed.

Yahoo! Health for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

I was contacted by my GynOnc, Dr. Stephanie Blank, about doing an interview for Yahoo! Health.  This is the result.  Click here for the article and tell every woman in your life what you learned.  It could save a life!

A Full Page

The Long Island Herald did a full page piece last week on my campaign and our Southeast Asia trip that followed.  Click here to read the article.  I was really blown away by the support.  Thanks to the author for taking the time to write such a thoughtful piece.

Rev3 Poconos 70.3 or Bust

Last weekend my buddy John Lee and I completed a half Ironman triathlon, measuring 70.3 miles in distance in the beautiful Pocono Mountains.  It was put on by Rev3 and included a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a half marathon or 13.1 mile run.  He talked me into it as it was NOT on my bucket list.  But in for a penny, in for a pound.  With an 8 1/2 hour cut-off, I was hoping for 7 1/2 to 8 hours to complete the event. 

I am happy to report we both surpassed our goals. My time was a stellar 6:28 and qualified me for 3rd place in age.  I am still in shock!  I knew I was prepared (I had hired a coach to set up my training program but really so I could blame her if I couldn't complete the event) but never expected to feel so good throughout the day.  

I was fortunate to find someone to draft off of on the swim and stayed in her bubbles for most of it.  Saving energy I felt fresh out of the water.  However the freezing air temps quickly took the wind out of my sails.  46 degrees with a 5 mile bike descent, I could barely control the bike because I was shaking so much.  By mile 30 I was warm enough to take my first bit of hydration and nutrition.  The scenery was spectacular and before I knew it, the bike was over. 

Ugh, the run.  My nemesis and the sport I suffer through. Another suffering runner and I teamed up at mile 2 and ran the entire rest of the way together.  I paced us; he talked non-stop and distracted me.  A match made in heaven.  The miles flew by with cramping only starting at mile 10.  Some walks in between and before I knew it, I was rounding the corner to home, hoping my family was there because I was so ahead of schedule.  I could hear my mom in the distance screaming, "there she is, she's coming".  

In the 30 minutes after the race, I declared I never need to do that again and then changed my mind 4 times. My cousin and husband have an ongoing bet. If you ask me today, yep, I'll do another next year. But there's plenty of time to change my mind.