A Modern Day Forrest - What an Inspiration

So Maria sent me this article yesterday about a man with Crohn's Disease who ran over 3,700 miles from Seattle, WA to Key Largo, FL for 142 days straight.  He ran to raise awareness for Crohn's disease and gained some press and support along the way.  Steve Knowlton, the runner, was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in high school and lost even more weight than my brother did. 

It's amazing to read about his journey and his supporters and even more amazing to think that a man is capable of running 37 miles/day without a break.  He only raised about $5,000 during his run, but he said he did it to raise awareness for the disease. 

I hope this article inspires others to learn more about the disease and support finding a cure for it.  It's amazing to see people like Steve who are willing to sacrifice for a cause bigger than themselves.  Thank you, Maria, for sharing this story with me and thank you for supporting my brother through everything!

Veterans Day/Founders Day

Happy Veterans Day everyone!  It's so great to see everyone's shout outs to veterans and service men and women who have touched the lives of their loved ones and the ones they have never met.  We are lucky to live in a country with so many freedoms and we have our veterans and military to thank for that.  One of my very favorite patriotic images is the picture of Kyle Field at Texas A&M when they entire stadium dressed in red, white, & blue after September 11.  When I think if American patriotism, I think of the Aggies and how much it meant to the school and the country for 80,000+ people to show their pride that day.  Check out the beautiful picture of the one and only Kyle Field.

I'd also like to say happy founder's day/happy birthday to Gamma Phi Beta.  I have such wonderful sisters and I'm proud to be a Gamma Phi.  I have to brag on the Zeta Rho chapter because without thinking twice, they made a donation to my half-marathon in my brother's name.  I graduated college before meeting most of the girls that are presently at the chapter, but that didn't stop them from making donations as a chapter and individually.  Couldn't ask for a better group of sisters!  Happy Birthday, Gamma Phi Beta!!

The four women who made Gamma Phi possible



God has blessed me with wonderful friends

Yesterday was just an average day.  I woke up, went to work, went running, and spent the evening with Will.  The thing that made it special was the realization that I am blessed with such wonderful friends.

Some people have "friends" and others have friends.  I think the difference is that "friends" are those who will be there when you have something to offer them and friends are family.

My focus today is on my girl friends.  I have come across so many wonderful women in my life and I am blessed to have girls who will be there through thick and thin.  I don't know how I have found so many loyal, loving, amazing friends, but I just have to say, I don't know where I'd be without all of those friends who have helped me become the person I am today.  Thank you to all of the beautiful women who are there for me every day.

Quote of the Day

When I was younger, I used to love reading quotes and thinking about how to relate the thoughts of others to my own life.  Last night I pulled out an old book that I read cover-to-cover during my teens years.  The book consists of all types of lists for different aspects of life and the section on happiness really touched me.  I decided to find an inspirational quote for today's blog and try to live up to it.  Today's quote is:

"I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward." ~ Charlotte Bronte.

I'm a HUGE planner.  I always have been and it will be hard to let go of that side of me, but I have learned over the years that I can't plan everything -- some things I have to leave to God and trust that He will guide me to the right place.  As I prepare for marriage, I've put a lot of energy into learning more about my faith and trying to grow in my relationship with God.  Will and I are spending a lot of time trying to grow together so we have a strong foundation as we begin our journey together, and I think this quote is a great one to try and live by.  We can plan all we want, but in the end God will guide us to where we need to be. 

Thank you Charlotte Bronte for not only being a talented writer (those of you who have not read her works, you should take the time to read her illustrative Wuthering Heights as well as other books and poems by her) but also a wise woman who made an impact during and after your life.

It's been a while...

So I know it's been a while, but things have been crazy hectic over the last couple of weeks.  I have been trying to get wedding plans set up and I've been fighting getting sick while working tons of over time at work.  Needless to say, I've had very little time to get on here.

This last weekend was great (minus the sick part).  It got cold for the first time and Will and I had our first fire in the fireplace at our new house! Saturday we took our engagement pictures with Sheryl Wyles whom I've known for 9 years (she was my high school counselor for a couple years!).  It was amazing to see her and catch up with her because I hadn't seen her in 8 long years.  She does very creative photography and I can't wait to see how the pics turned out.  Check out her site at http://www.raisinggracephotography.com/. 

I also ran the 5k for pediatric cancer research.  One of my friends from work ran it with me and her cousin joined as well.  I'm really glad we got out there to run and the weather was beautiful!  Below is a picture of me finishing the race.  Will was gracious enough to come watch me and I was so glad to see him when I got to the finish line!

Finding time

I have found my largest training obstacle is finding time to actually go out and run.  I've always been taught not to run at night and since I have an incredibly over-active imagination, I'd rather not risk running at night since I'd be scared of every noise I heard.  Unfortunately, I work a full time job and don't get home till dinner time.  That only gives me a few hours of daylight to run. 

The weekends are quickly filling up and I'm having trouble finding time to do my long runs on Saturday morning, but I'm making it my new goal to run no matter where I am.  I was wholeheartedly planning to stay home and run this Saturday (since I couldn't make it to Ama' out-of-town birthday :( ) and at the last minute, I found out I have to go out of town to meet with a florist for our wedding.  I'm making sure to pack my running shoes and work out clothes and I will be sure to run 6 miles this Saturday.  I'll let you know how it goes...

Between now and race day, I plan to carry my workout clothes with me in town and out of town.  Even if i only have 30 minutes to work out, I plan to force myself out the door and onto the trail/road/treadmill.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.....

Running and a new perspective

I have already mentioned that I'll be running a half-marathon in December.  I registered for the race because I wanted to do something for my little brother, Sebastian.  I got a flier in the mail the week he was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis that gave information about a non-profit organization called Team Challenge, an organization affiliated with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.  The program advertised a half-marathon dedicated to raising money for researching a cure for the disease.  All you have to do is raise a few thousand dollars and run 13.1 miles.  Without thinking twice about it, I signed up.

Then I realized what I had just signed up for. I had just committed myself to the next 4 months of training and fund-raising.  I promised to raise $3,000 so I could run 13.1 miles, and I have never even enjoyed running!  I made a commitment to my brother, though, and I was going to follow through.  I started to embrace the idea of running and soon found this race to be more than just 13.1 miles and months of begging for money. I began to see how it could shape who I am and what I want to be.

I honestly didn't know how popular marathons were.  It turns out that quite a few of my friends are training for them and it has opened doors to many new bonding experiences.  I have started running with my friend Maria and although we have known each other for years, this experience has given us a chance to truly get to know each other (we are even planning our weddings together!).  She is a wonderful girl and we have been able to share our engagement stories, faith discussions, and work experiences during our runs.  Much of the discussions I have had with her have left me reflecting on where I am in my life and what is truly important to me. Who knew that running could impact so many different parts of your life??

One of the major changes I've seen in myself lately is my desire to give back.  I've always enjoyed giving back, in fact one of my favorite parts of Christmas time is donating to the Red Cross Santas outside of malls and buying gifts for the children on the Angel Tree.  Recently, though, I have discovered a new way to give back. Most races have a charity aspect to them and I've really become driven by idea that my running can help others.  Of course, I began running to give back to my brother and the 1.4 million that suffer from the same disease as he does, but along the way, I've met others that could use my help.

A couple Saturdays ago, Maria and I went to Starbucks after we ran a few miles.  We brought my dog, Daisy, with us and sat outside to enjoy the gorgeous fall weather.  While I was sitting there, two children wanted to stop by and pet Daisy.  Their names were Claire, 5, and Grant, 4, and they began to tell me all about their lives. I could tell that Grant had cancer and asked his dad about his treatment.  He has been battling Leukemia for a while now, but seems to be recovering fairly well.  At one point, he couldn't even speak or walk, but this Saturday, he was running around and sharing all sorts of stories!  His dad mentioned a 5K run to raise money for children's cancer and I immediately volunteered myself to enter it.  I went home to look up the closest run and began to recruit friends of mine to enter it as well.  That run is the first weekend of November and I plan to dedicate it to Grant.  I'm hoping this will be the first of many runs I can enter to help others.  Although it isn't always easy to talk myself into running a few miles, I realize that the people I'm running for may not even be able to run.  God gave me a gift and I feel like it's my duty to use that gift to help others who may not have the same opportunities as me.

Grant and Claire.... that smile is enough motivation for me

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog! I named this blog "Chasing Fireflies" for many different reasons, but I have always loved fireflies and how magical they seem.  I see the title as symbolic of life and the chase for that magical moment when you feel a sense of accomplishment -- whether it is achieving a  seemingly unattainable goal or simply catching a firefly on a summer night. I'll likely make a lot of references to the chase or the firefly (or both!) along the way, and hopefully you'll begin to understand why I feel the title is fitting for myself and the future I see ahead of me.

I guess I'll start off with a little bit about what's going on with me right now:

I'm getting ready to run my first half marathon in December.  I'll be going to Vegas to run 13.1 miles which will be dedicated to my little brother who was recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.

I've never even run a 5K before, so I guess I'm living by my friend Ama's philosophy of "Go big or go home" and I'm starting off with a challenge.  Not only am I running 13.1 miles down the strip of Las Vegas, but I'm trying to raise $3,000 for the race.  The money will go to research to discover a cure for Crohn's and Colitis.  I'd love any support (monetary or word of mouth) that you can provide for the race!  My fundraising page will provide information about the race and my brother's story.

I'm also in the process of planning my wedding.  On March 19, 2011, I will marry the love of my life and begin my future with him.  The next 5 months are likely to be filled with excitement, anxiety, stress, and decision making (and changing!).  Hopefully I won't bore you with too many details, but I'm excited to share my engagement adventures with you.