The Long Promised Race Recap

Our amazing running kilts were designed by Queen Mum Leah at Sparkle Skirts.  They each have a "Go Team" patch and will soon be available for purchase by the general public :) $5 of every purchase will go to Team Relentless 4 Raegan and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The night before the race we had a great inspiration dinner where we met our other Team in Training teammates and celebrated over $300,000 raised in this race alone for research to help fight this terrible disease! After the dinner we gathered in the Captain's Suite to check kilt fit and add sparkles to our team singlets. Tami was the queen of iron-ons and saved us a great deal of headache! As you can see from the pics, she did a great job!

We gathered in the lobby at 4:45 AM! That's super early!! (perhaps that's why my eyes are closed in this pic?) 

I can't tell if Dan was angry about the early wake-up and being made to wear a kilt or secretly excited. I'm so glad Dan joined us! Dan lost his wife, Karen, to cancer in September. While in the middle of his own grief, he was already thinking about others. When I told him we were signing up for this team, he hopped on board before I could finish the sentence. Dan has become a dear friend and I'm so glad he's a part of our life!

There's the smile! Recee always brings the fun! (loving the photo bomb from Manda in the background!) I love the pink purple combo Recee and Manda had going on. Still not sure Pete's Neon Compression gear matched the purple kilt!

Such a strong woman right here! Manda was training and fundraising while her US Marine husband was deployed to Afghanistan. She's also got a full time job and 3 beautiful little girls to keep alive! Strength wears pink and purple (and a neon green headband)!
 

The team minus 2 with our sign in the lobby. And then the back view so you can see our sparkles! The back white space is for us to fill in who we are running in honor of. Clearly, that was our baby Raegan!

Finally have the whole team together! We got to the venue more than an hour early so we hung around, stretched a little, made numerous trips to the bathroom, and milled about smartly until almost time for the race to start. We moved out to the starting line around 6:35. Who starts a race at 6:45?!?! It was way too early!!!!

It's always overwhelming and exhilarating standing in the line amongst this huge throng of people waiting for the gun to go off! We all gathered in Corral E so we could start together. Our 2nd leg relayers were allowed to watch the start then shuttled to the halfway point to await their partners. 

Sparkle Check-Jean

Sparkle Check-Tami

I wanted to check to ensure my sparkles were adequately sparkling in the sunshine - they were! We then did the same for Tami. The sequins on the front of her shirt are the same as the ones that I had on the back of my shirt. I am positive we were seen for miles!






Pete and Dan getting it done! Pete is always so happy to be out running! I have to say - those boys ROCKED those kilts!










We all were cheered for all along the way "Go Purple Kilts!" Jerry told me that he was sure to correct the people who mistakenly called them "skirts" :) What a great way to unify the team and get crowd support! I think the team was a little leery prior to the race of my insistence on the kilts, but understood by the time they finished the true value of the kilt.

Boys in Kilts - Beware of the wind!!

Mile 7 - still happy!!!!!!

Around Mile 8 someone yelled at us that "Sam said to catch up!" Samantha's relay partner, Manda, was super fast and so Sam had started her leg of the relay way ahead of us all. She told numerous people along the path to cheer us on. It was so encouraging and fun. We laughed every time!

Mile 11 - still happy!!!

Mile 11 is when I started to feel a little pain in my feet - I realized then that my shoes were officially done. I retired them immediately after the race!


I also have to tell you how much the Team in Training staff meant to us along the way. Every half mile or so we would run across a coach who was cheering for us, would check in on our mental and physical well-being, and run alongside us for a time. Around mile 11 I got a cramp in the weirdest spot on my leg. I mentioned it to a coach, who reminded me to take a salt pill to get my electrolytes back up and help stop the cramping. He had a water bottle that he shared with me so I could take it right away. Within a half mile the cramping had stopped and I felt so much better. Having the coaching staff looking after us for the entire half marathon made me feel at ease about my upcoming full marathon in October (More details on that at the bottom of this post!)

THIS is why I started this team!!! To get Samantha out running to help her release some of the stress of having a baby in chemo.
 



What makes me even more proud...a week later Samantha ran the Broad Street Run in Philly!



AND she's already signed up for the Rock n Roll Philly Half Marathon in September! Mission Accomplished!




Lynette caught up with us at mile 12. She was chasing Samantha! The three of us finished together. Lynn is a freaking beast!!! I'm so proud!

 

Perseverance Personifed

Julia and Recee came in a few minutes apart. I cannot tell you how proud I am of these two ladies! Their dedication is inspiring!

Required selfie with my girls!

Our Inspiration

After the race was over, I got a chance to hang with Raegan for a few. She's so beautiful and amazing! It really makes it worth all the training and fundraising when I remember that the money we raised may be what helps find a cure for babies like our Raegan.

Me & Hubby Post-Race

Post-Race Lunch

Once the race was over, we cheered in the rest of the team, signed up for post-race massages, and headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up. We found a great lunch spot with Gluten Free options and had a blast chatting and eating everything in site before heading off. TNT held a post-race bonfire for us on the beach. We all got a chance to hang with Raegan and her family and just relax together

Hunter, Pete, Recee, Jean & Sam at the Bonfire

Big Sis Rylee wants some time with Mom! Stop taking pictures!

Recee with her inspiration to run!

So here's the hard part: Chemo continues for Raegan through August. The lesions on her brain are gone - YAY! But now there's a new issue - she's got a skin irritation that resembles eczema but is actually the LCH (Langerhans Cell Hystiocystis). The chemo regimen may need to be changed, we will know more soon. I've committed to keep running with Team in Training as long as this precious girl is in chemo. SO - I've signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon in October! To donate to the cause, please go to my page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nj/corps14/cpskttn

When 22 Degrees is a Blessing...

In case I haven't told you, like, a thousand times, I'm a Floridian. I was not made for cold. I don't DO cold. So when I signed up for an April half marathon, it was bigger than the distance-it was me committing to run through a Northern winter in the very very cold, often sub-freezing temperatures.

Today while I was whining to one of my Florida friends about the current temp (14 at the time. That's FOUR-TEEN!!!! As in 18 BELOW freezing!), I was also whining about the fact that I have a 10K on the running calendar for today. Then she told me something that snapped me out of my whining. One of her family members, who I simply adore, has been battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She was in remission for the last few years...WAS being the operative word here. It's back. The horrible battle with this awful disease is starting over again for their family. I have no words to express how upset I am - for myself and the thought of possibly losing this woman who I rarely see but love and adore, and for her family who I love as my own and knowing the path they are walking now and may walk in the future. It makes you want to curl up in a ball and just cry. And that's when my friend reminded me that I should be grateful that I get to go run in sub-freezing temps, because it means I CAN RUN!

I'm not battling cancer. I'm not crippled. I have asthma, but it doesn't impede my ability to run. I have Celiac Disease, which forces me to eat cleaner than ever. When I tell my legs to run, they do. Sometimes they scream back at me in protest, but they move. I don't run like the wind, I'm probably not graceful like the pros, and I know there are days I whine about it a lot. But I CAN!

In a couple hours I'm going to put on lots of layers of warm running gear and two layers of socks. I'll lace up my shoes. Then I'll add head and ear protection, a neck garter to breathe through, and a wind breaking layer on top of all that. Then I'll start running. By the end of the first mile a layer will come off because I ALWAYS overdress for the cold. And I'll just keep running until today's goal is met. Every mile will be a reminder of how blessed I am and every mile will come with a prayer for the people in my world who aren't as lucky as I am. Because today, I GET to run in 22 Degree weather!

Facebook Giveaway

Click Here to enter our Giveaway. 

The prizes are:

1 Race Addict app for Apple Products

1 Leukemia Awareness Paracord Lanyard

1 Exclusive R4R Charm Bracelet Beach

 

1 Races for Awareness T-Shirt

Tami's Story

This is why I am a proud member of the Relentless4Raegan team!

Tami Komar

Last October, as I realized that I was about six months away from turning 40, I began to reflect on my life. I wouldn’t say that I was freaking out or anything, just kind of thoughtful. There are a lot of things that I thought I would have accomplished by now that I haven’t. The first thing that came to mind was that I haven’t ever run a marathon (or a half). I had been a runner on and off from high school until about age 27. My life, at that point, became so complex and stressful that I barely had time to pick my nose! Ok…so that was a little dramatic (and gross), but also kind of true.

So I began looking at different running clubs and local races. I’ve done this several times over the past ten years and I guess I was never motivated enough, because I didn’t register for or run in any of the races I researched. I needed some real motivation this time and simply approaching 40 wasn’t going to do it for me.

It was around this time that Jean texted me that she was getting a team together to support her friend Sam. My heart hurt for this mom that I had never met, and I hadn’t even heard the whole story yet. I wanted to be a part of this team but I was seriously hesitant. I’d been to Team in Training information sessions in the past and the thought of raising $2100 AND sticking with running enough to train scared the crap out of me! After debating with the voices in my head (just kidding…maybe), I realized that I needed to do this. It was the perfect time, the perfect motivation, and the perfect group I needed to succeed.

On April 27, 2014, eighteen days after I turn 40, I will complete my first half marathon.

R4R Swag Giveaway on Facebook!

Enter our giveaway for a chance to win the exclusive R4R Charm Bead. There are a bunch of ways to earn entries - find out more here: R4R Giveaway

New Year's Eve

Everyone's thinking about the New Year already, all their resolutions, all the champagne...STOP! Don't forget that you have ONE MORE DAY to make donations to get tax deductions for 2013! Help us reach our goal and fund research to cure blood cancers. Click on the "Donate" button to go to our donation page. Happy New Year!!! Or, as the Russians say, "С Новом Годом!!!"

R4R Charm Bracelet Bead

 

Check out this beautiful Charm Bracelet Bead made just for Relentless 4 Raegan! It has little feet on it to represent our sweet inspiration as well as the journey we are all taking to run a half marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. On the top the letters R4R are stamped on top of a purple bead, the color of our Team in Training running jerseys. $6.00 from each purchase goes towards Team Relentless 4 Raegan's $55,000 fundraising goal. Click here to purchase the R4R Charm.

Turkey Trot Turkeys

As promised to many of our donors, three members of team Relentless 4 Raegan participated in a Turkey Trot today dressed as turkeys! We were quite the sight to behold and received many compliments, questioning looks, and high fives from the other runners. What a great time and awesome chance to share our mission with other people! Hope you had as great a Saturday morning as we did!!

Shaking our Tail Feathers :)

Our Team Inspiration

From our Team's Donation Page on Oct 25, 2013 

Relentless 4 Raegan

Team “Relentless 4 Raegan” is training for the New Jersey Marathon Series Half Marathon on April 27, 2014. We are running to honor Raegan, a 1-year-old undergoing chemotherapy for a disease similar to leukemia, and treated like Leukemia. Watching my friend, Samantha, watch her baby girl undergo treatment is heart wrenching and I wanted to do something to help her. I knew she needed to start taking care of herself to manage her stress levels so I challenged her to run with me. Our Team is inspired by Sam’s ability to take everything in stride and keep her head about her through all of these challenges and her commitment to take care of herself so she can better care for her daughter.

We are inspired by a recently deceased friend, who was relentless in her fight with cancer. Karen didn’t give up and her courage inspires me on every run.

As the Team Captain, I am inspired by the amazing people on my team who have taken my challenge and are rising to it, some of them a little bit trepidatiously, but rising nonetheless! I am excited to see these folks conquer amazing fitness goals as well as fundraising goals together.

Are you inspired yet? If so, please donate to help our team reach our goal which will help find cures and more effective treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. I am asking our friends and family to consider two donation options:

• 1) Commit to a set dollar amount per mile we will be running on race day (so $10 per mile would be $131) OR
• 2) Commit to a set dollar amount per mile we run while training (Perhaps $1 per mile)-our team members will keep you up to date on their training and let you know each week what the week’s totals were so that you can make your donation. What an amazing way to keep us encouraged as we train through the winter!

Thank you for your support!

Jean Kleber

Captain, Relentless 4 Raegan