Cancer

Pictures From the Road

As you know, Rev3 is running across America to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.  The pictures below are from the first couple of days as the team ran across California and into Arizona.

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As part of the fundraising effort, Rev3 is offering a couple of raffles on their website.  For a $5 entry, you could win a consultation with a sports nutritionist, a cool caricature toon, an author-signed copy of the book Hemmingway’s Girl or a digital picture frame.  For a $20 entry, you could win a custom logo design, a chartered fishing trip in Panama City, FL, a video run gait analysis or a piece of very cool artwork.  You can even sign up for three free months of coaching!  Click here for details on the $5 raffle, here for the $20 raffle, and here for the coaching contest!

Mumblings on a Monday 8

Feeling a little grumpy today, but also know that it’s t-minus 5 days until vacation!

• Spouse running:  I really enjoy running (or cycling) with my wife.  Not because she really challenges me (I’m much faster than her), but because it’s very cool to be out and sharing something like a run or a bike ride together that is fun.  Yesterday, we took a late afternoon run together.  We chatted, we told a few jokes, we ran silently.  It was perfect.  Perhaps the funniest part of the run was when she almost jumped into my arms upon seeing a dead armadillo on the side of the road.  It was bloated and covered with flies.  I think it literally scared the crap out of her!  Armadillos must rank pretty low on the circle of life grocery list – as even the omnipresent vultures seemingly wanted nothing to do with this guy.
• What are these Hunger Games?  I have to admit that before Friday evening, I had no clue what the Hunger Games were.  All three of my kids (plus my wife) have read this series – but I chalked it up to another version of the Twilight series – which I could not stomach.  Friday evening, I took my oldest daughter and seven of her friends to see the movie – and was pleasantly surprised.  So much so, that over the weekend I read the first and second books in the series, and I’m a good distance into the third.  While the Hunger Games are really geared towards young adults/teens, the prose is actually pretty good – and the broader concepts in the book (dystopian society, rebellion, kids killing kids, etc) are actually very compelling.  Have you read the series?  Which was your favorite book?  Are you on Team Peeta or Team Gale?  I don’t know how this all ends yet – so don’t ruin it for me.
• A Driving Weekend:  I spent more hours in my vehicle this weekend than I care to imagine.  My son and I drove to Fort Pierce – a town in southern Florida – for an all-star swim meet.  He did well, dropping time in one event.  He was on a relay that had a chance to make a run at the national age group record…but they came up just short.  He was really pleased with how he swam, especially knowing that he was two weeks post peak and has been trying to hold a taper for almost a month now.  Short course swim season is officially over; he’ll start prepping for long-course in about two weeks. 
• Runners set!  BANG!  And they’re off…..Rev3′s Run Across America has started.  Last night around midnight PT, the crew started their 3100 mile run from Oceanside, CA to Washington, DC.  Check out the Rev3 website for blog updates.  There will also be updates on Facebook and Twitter.  Today, my VIRTUAL Run starts.  I’ll be running for the next 21 days.
• Rev3 is about to expand:  You may have seen the announcement on Facebook….Rev3 is getting ready to announce a new race for 2013.  I know where it is, but can’t tell you (the announcement will go live tomorrow, I think)….suffice it to say that the location is GREAT!  It certainly fits into the family-friendly mission of the franchise.  Very exciting!

Have a great week!

Fighting the Good Fight Against Cancer

We all hate cancer. In fact, there’s absolutely nothing to like about that disease.  At it’s best, it’s a drain on our emotions as we grapple with the concept of friends or loved ones who are sick or have died.  At it’s worst, it hits us personally, making us sick – or worse – putting us on a short track towards our own mortality.

The uplifting thing is that because of the sheer nastiness of this disease, people all over the globe come together to do really spectacular things to fight cancer, to support those who currently have or have survived from cancer, and research the best ways to kill this nemis.

There are two events that you should have on your radar:

Revolution 3 Triathlon’s Run Across America

As I’ve noted here, and here, and here and here, Rev3 Tri is running across America to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF).  UCF supports young adults who have had cancer by providing resources, information, and educational opportunities.  Rev3 is looking to raise a boat-load of money ($100,000) to support UCF, and there’s still a long way to go — both in terms of miles and needed dollars.  The run starts in just 13 days; I’ll be “virtually” participating – by running 21 days in a row here in Florida while the team runs 21 days in a row across the country.  So far, Rev3 has raised about $20,000, hence your support is urgently needed.  Please click on the image below to make a contribution.  Any amount will do.  Your company may even match your donation.  I know times are tough on folks – but trust me….this is a GREAT cause to put your money towards.

Eggers versus Armstrong – 50 yard Kick-Off

Mary Eggers is a triathlon coach that lives and works in the Rochester, NY area.  You may recall that she was one of the coaches that participated in, and advised me during, the development of my blog series called “Triathlon Coaching Options” (see link to the right if you’d like to download the e-book of that series).

Well, last week Mary did something that we’d all love to do.  She called out Lance Armstrong.  Seriously…what the hell was she thinking?  Not only did she call him out by challenging him to a pool kick-off, she totally threw down the gauntlet and said that she was going to chick him!  (Click here for her blog post with the challenge).  We’ve seen tons of various athlete challenges over the years – and typically they never see the time of day.

This challenge is different.

Mary didn’t just challenge Armstrong out of her desire to own him in a pool – she challenged him so she could raise awareness and funds for a group called Teens Living With Cancer.  Eggers wanted to raise $1000 to help fund a fitness program targeted at teens recovering from cancer. 

Challenge accepted.

Armstrong jumped on board with gusto, and further upped the ante.  The new fundraising goal?  $100,000.  They, too, have a long way to go to raise the required funds.

Click the image below to learn more about the challenge and learn how to donate to support this great cause.  Mary will have a fundraising website up and running in a few days.  Of course, I’d like to see Mary raise the money – but I’d also love to see her kick Armstrong’s butt in the pool.

Thanks so much for considering both of these very worthy endeavors.  If you’d like to participate in the virutual Run Across America, let me know.  It’s really easy to participate!

I’m Fighting Cancer…

…And I need your help.

Before you go and freak out and start praying for me, let me be upfront and say that although I am fighting cancer, I don’t have cancer.

I’m joining up with Rev3 Tri to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF).  You see, beginning on March 26, Rev3 will be RUNNING ACROSS AMERICA on behalf of UCF.  The goal?  Raise $100,000.  While I won’t be part of the caravan that is actually running across the country, I’ll be doing my part by participating in a virtual run.  I’m committing to running each and every day that the Rev3 crew is on the road – at least 21 days.  In that time, I will run no less than 100 miles.

Here’s where I need your help.

Make a donation:  Please make a donation to UCF on my behalf.  It’s REALLY easy.  Just click the picture below and you’ll be taken to Rev3′s donation portal.  Actually completing the donation is simple.  You fill out a little information, pick me (Joel Strickland) on the 2nd page where it asks you the person you’re donating on behalf of, enter your credit card info and you’re done.  Any amount is wonderful.  $1.00 per mile that I’m going to run.  $1.00 per day.  $50.00.  $1000.00.  Whatever.  You can even set up 12 recurring payments so you can give a huge amount by breaking it down into bite-sized chunks.  It’s all good, and goes to an amazing cause.

Run with me:  I’m forming a virtual team to do the run along with me.  Join in the fun.  Commit to running each and every day that Rev3 is out there, and be willing to log your miles.  Help in fundraising.  We’ll be competing against other virtual teams for the chance to win FREE ENTRY FOR FIVE to one of Rev3′s races as well as other goodies from Rev3′s sponsors.  Now that’s an awesome deal!  I’ll take care of all the administrative stuff (like registering the team and sending in the mileage we all run)….I just need runners!  If you’re interested in running with me, either leave me a comment below or click on here and send me a note.  Please consider running with me!  We’ll have a blast, and it is all for a great cause.

What is the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?  UCF works hard to support, educate, connect & empower young adult cancer survivors and their families.  You can learn more about UCF here or here.

F*@# Cancer!

Let’s face it.  Cancer bites.  Far too many folks deal with it.  I suspect that each and every person who reads this will have a family member or dear friend that has or has had cancer.

I’ve been really lucky.  I haven’t had cancer.  Folks in my family have; my father has prostate cancer.  My stepmother had breast cancer last year (and thankfully now is cancer-free).  My wife has had numerous skin cancers (thankfully no melanomas).  One of my best friends found out a few weeks ago he has prostate cancer, and is having his prostate removed this coming Monday.  He’s way too young to have this.

For the past couple of weeks, folks on Team Rev3 Tri have been trading stories about friends and loved ones that have dealt with cancer as part of our motivation and run-up for Rev3′s Run Across America.  Honestly, the stories have been inspirational, sad, poignant, wrought with feelings, compelling, and amazing.  They have also been galvanizing.  Team Rev3 Tri has become laser focused on the fight against cancer.

We’re going to all run with Rev3 during the Run Across America.  Some of the team will physically take part in the run; others will be running “virtually” in our home towns.  There will be team competitions where we invite others to run with us, all in the name of raising money for the Ulman Cancer Fund.

The most exciting news broke today.  Rev3 has partnered with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults to make UCF’s Team Fight as the national charity beneficiary of the Rev3 series.  Rev3 further has partnered with UCF to produce and promote a new Rev3 branded race…The Half Full Triathlon.  This race is held each October in Howard County, MD.  The addition of this race brings the Rev3 series to a total of 10 races in 2012!

We’ve all got some stake in the battle against cancer.  Hopefully, you’ll consider joining forces with Rev3 and Team Rev3 Tri as we support and raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund.

You, Too, Can Run Across America

Not long ago, I wrote about how Rev3 will be running across America in an effort to raise funds for the Ulman Cancer Fund.

Now, you can join in the run.

And the really cool thing is that you don’t have to run 3100 odd miles yourself, live in a stinky RV, and be subjected to the rigors of 21 days out on the road.

I’ve made a committment to run each day that the Rev3 team is on the road.  I may run a mile.  Perhaps ten.  But I’m going to run each and every day.  So are most of my Rev3 teammates.  We’ll be virtually participating with Team Rev3 the whole way.  In fact, we’ll be logging our miles as a team in an effort to jointly run farther than the actual distance from Oceanside, CA and Washington, DC.

So here’s my challenge to you.  Commit to running along with Team Rev3.  Make it a point to run, at least one mile, each and every day beginning on March 26th.  It’s only 21 days in a row.  You can do it.  Heck, you’re probably already doing it.  Are you up for the challenge?  If so, leave a comment here – I want to track who is running with me and include it here.  Lets see how far we can run together.

C’mon.  Let’s run across America!

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Another way for you to participate is to help support the cause.  Not only am I running, I opened my wallet and made a personal donation.  Please consider doing the same thing!  Click on the graphic below to go to Rev3′s website to make a donation.  You can even “tag” it to me (I don’t get anything if you do, but Rev3 wants to know how folks got to the donation page).

Thanks for your help!