MOVE: July 2012

What MOVES You??

How many times do we do things for others, putting ourselves second, or even worse?  A parent thinks nothing of logging hundreds of miles in the family car so the kids can participate in character-enriching "kid" experiences or working those extra hours so the family can have that “little something extra” - it's a scenario that occurs every day for many of us.  

But what about when we’re motivated to do something for others, while at the same time challenging ourselves?  There’s something to be said about the power of MOVE when used to advance a cause we believe in.

Fourteen years ago, a childhood friend of mine was diagnosed with leukemia.  I was lucky enough to be able to spend time with her throughout her treatment, but tragically she did not survive.  Her death was a slap to the face that shook me. A seemingly robust 20-something not invincible?  I thought about her all the time, wishing there was something I could do for her memory and for her family and friends...until one day I was asked if I’d put my hat in the big lottery bucket for the New York City Marathon.  I had a good laugh, then mulled it over pretty seriously.  The furthest distance I’d ever run was about 5 miles...running was boring!  I figured what more could someone do than train for and run 26.2 miles in a friend’s honor...and raise money to fight against the very thing that took her life?  “Well” I thought, “the chance of actually getting in is slim-to-none anyway, so why not?”

Not much later, I got my acceptance letter in the mail.  I’m pretty certain my first thought was “OH NO!”...but I quickly signed up to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society through Team in Training, and by November managed to raise over $6000.00 - the outpouring of support from my community was a big boost, and I knew I couldn’t let them down.

 

Even now, these many years later, I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding four month blocks of my life.  I began training in July and finished the NYC Marathon on November 2, 2000 in just over 5 hours.  Five miles to twenty six point two.  All for Kelly. An amazing experience.

Team in Training isn’t the only inspirational organization out there that helps you push your limits while working for a greater cause...Team Hoyt is one that stands out - Dick Hoyt has completed over 1000 endurance events with his son Rick always crossing the finish line just prior to his dad. If you're not familiar with Team Hoyt, the basis was Rick, who has spastic cerebral palsy and is unable to move on his own, telling his father (after Dick pushed his wheelchair in a local race) that "it was the first time in my life that I felt like I was running the race". Powerful. So his father did what many great dads would, he tried to recreate that experience for his son as many times as he physically could competing in anything from small road races to (over 6!) Ironman events, even swimming the full 2.4 miles with a harness attached to a boat with a bungee (swim), pedaling a custom 2 seater (bike) for 112 miles and pushing a running chair (run) for a marathon.  Most remarkably, Dick was not a “runner” prior to pushing his son in their first race ever.  The human spirit is truly a remarkable one when we let it out.

 Team Hoyt’s mission is to “build the individual character, self-confidence and self-esteem of America's disabled young people through inclusion in all facets of daily life; including in family and community activities, especially sports, at home, in schools, and in the workplace”.  There are many road races where you’ll see volunteers pushing disabled kids and even adults from start to finish so they can experience the thrill of completing an endurance event. You can read more about Team Hoyt here http://www.teamhoyt.com/about/index.html or search YouTube for some unbelievably inspiring videos like the one below that shows the unbelievable power of CONNECT, in this case the love between father and son.

There are so many other organizations out there (too many to list!) which inspire us to do extraordinary things; but most of all give us a sense of common ground and connect us all together.  While I may have done all my long runs by myself, I felt an incredible sense of connection to the other Team in Training members throughout the race; we were all there because our lives had been changed by leukemia and we all had one goal - fund research for a cure.  I encourage you to find what motivates you, and let it help you do something extraordinary.  You may feel like one person, but these events show just how amazing “one people” together can truly be!

Written by Lindsay Eisenhart, a self-proclaimed Nutrition Geek.  You can find Lindsay balancing life as a mom of 3, manager of Pro-Activity's Fuel Good Cafe, 
and training for her third marathon (NYC '12)!