Refocus Your Reason for Running

By: Janet Carney

I started running five years ago for the Children’s Tumor Foundation when my daughter Grace was first diagnosed with NF1. I was online one night trying to find out all the information I could about this disorder, which I had never heard of before but that now affected my family. I have always been athletic, but never, and I mean never, a runner. However, I am an emotionally charged person, and when I saw this opportunity to actually make a difference and do something, I signed up.
I honestly had no idea what a marathon really was. Well, 10 months later I found out — it was truly one of the hardest but most rewarding journeys I had ever experienced. For the next two years, I trained and raised money in hopes of making a difference for Grace and all those who had NF.
Last year, however, something started to change. Running started to become more about me rather than my daughter and so many others like her. I still wore my NF Endurance shirts to all of the races, but I pretty much forgot about fundraising.

This year I decided to give the whole fundraising thing a shot again and signed up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Half Marathon. I only made the minimum $600 my goal, and I was okay with that.

However, I was not prepared for what happened to me while at this event.
I felt overwhelmed by the way my heart had become so immune to why and for whom I was running.  As I sat at the pasta dinner the night before the race in Tukwila, Wash., I was humbled by the people surrounding me. They were taking this journey much more seriously than me. Their hero was not themselves for finishing marathon after marathon, but their heroes were their daughters, sons, friends, neighbors.

And, some even run for strangers. One lady was running no connection to NF other than to be part of a charity. This gal had raised more money than me, and I have a daughter with NF! At that point I recognized what had happened and decided to refocus, regroup and return to the reason I had started running: Grace.

Today I run for my daughter, for the sisters, the sons, brothers and friends of all the wonderful people I have met through the Children’s Tumor Foundation and NF Endurance. They are the reason I choose to get out of bed when I don’t feel like running 16 miles or six or whatever is on my schedule that day. I vowed that I would never again forget. I truly am honored and blessed to be a part of this amazing group of men and women called the  NF Endurance Team.

Janet Carney is a wife, mom and member of the NF Endurance Team. She recently completed the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, and she along with Team Grace will ruNFor Grace in Portland on 10.10.10 in the Portland Marathon.

Weekend Pacesetter (July 2-4, 2010)

CELEBRATE
Check out some of Active.com’s Fourth of July ideas to make the holiday weekend full of fit fun.
- Eat Healthy at Your Summer Barbecue
- Fourth of July Races – The Fourth of July happens to also be a popular race day for many runners. More than 55,000 runners will fill the streets of Atlanta at the AJC Peachtree Road Race. To find a race near you, click here.

FLASH
Check out photos from last weekend’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Seattle. NFE raised more than $33,000 for NF research. They are also on flickr.com/NFEndurance.

SKIRT
Earlier this year, Skirt! magazine featured Candice Patterson. Check out this followup Q&A on Candice published this week; she continues to inspire us with her resilience and dedication.

CAMP
Did you know that CTF has a summer camp each year for kids who have NF? The camp, located in Emigration Canyon, Utah, offers activities such as swimming, horseback riding, campfires, climbing, fishing and camp outings. For more information, please contact Patrice Pancza ((Enable Javascript to see the email address)). Check out this video about what makes this camp memorable for campers.

Active Page of the Week
Team Noah
Why we like it: Even though the Tyrybon’s are fundraising for Disney 2011, they keep their page up-to-date with fundraising events. If you are in the Michigan area in July, be sure to check out their golf outing on July 24th and their fourth annual Concert for Noah on July 30th. Our favorite reason about their fundraising page? The picture of their little rockstar, Noah!

Save the Date: Upcoming July Events
- Sunday, July 11, 2010 – NF Picnic, Sellersville, Pa. (for more info, click here)
- Saturday, July 17  – Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (for more info, click here); NF Carnival, New York, N.Y., (read more)
- Sunday, July 18, 2010 -Green Bay Connected for a Cure NF Walk, Green Bay, Wis., (read more)
- Sunday, July 25, 2010 – San Francisco Marathon, San Francisco, Calif.,  (for more info, click here)
- Friday, July 30, 2010 – Concert for Noah, Wynadotte, Mich., (for more info, click here)
- Saturday, July 31, 2010 – Bowling4Bumps, Brooklawn, N.J. (for more info visit Bowling4Bumps on Facebook); Izzy’s Backyard Carnival, Paw Paw, Mich., (read more)

Weekend Pacesetter (June 25-27, 2010)

INVEST
Here are five reasons from Dr. Kim Hunter-Schaedle, chief scientific officer, why investing in the Children’s Tumor Foundation is a smart choice. Yes, there are many reputable foundations that fund research, but the Children’s Tumor Foundation sets itself apart with a commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility and medical excellence.

ROCK
NFE goes coast-to-coast in one week from Vermont to Washington. Led by Cindy Rulon, the NFE Seattle Team will run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon.  It’s the second year NFE will participate in this run, and already the team has raised more than $31,000 to invest in medical research for the Foundation (surpassing their goal of $25,000).

REMEMBER
Pete Dingeman inspired our team with his dedication to finding a cure for NF, and for his caring and optimistic attitude toward life’s challenges. This weekend LENOX Industrial will dedicate the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 to NF Hero Pete Dingeman, the winner of the LENOX Extra-Mile Hero Contest. To read more, click here.

JUST. SIMPLY. LIVE.
Maria Chamorro is a member of the NFE NYC Marathon Team. Check out her blog, “Just Simply Live,” and you’ll easily see why we love her blog. She  posted her 18 week training plan, too, if you want some ideas.

Active Page of the Week
Olivia Hernandez
Why we like it: beautiful pictures, clearly stated goal, and a well written cause. Olivia also offers other ideas for people to help such as volunteering and cheering at the race.

Next week: Check for tips from Anna to maintain your training despite extreme heat and humidity.

Also, you can check out NFE pictures at flickr.com/NFEndurance. If you have photos you would like to send from a race not on our schedule, please e-mail (Enable Javascript to see the email address).