We've all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. But, did you know it also takes a community to raise a runner? For the 12 days leading up to the Rock n Roll half marathon in Nashville, I'm going to introduce you to some of the people who helped raise me from an "I haven't exercised consistently since 2013" stay-at-home mother into a distance runner who will attempt her first half marathon on April 29, 2017.

Meet My Village: Jim Latham

"STAND UP TALL! YOU'RE LEANING FORWARD AGAIN!" Kristi was right, as usual. My lower back was hurting, and she pointed out that my posture and running form had suffered through the miles of our run. Her reminder to "stand tall" instantly transported me to the memory of my dear friend, Christine's, dad. Her father, Jim Latham, passed way in March 2016, and his memorial service was one of the most powerful I've ever attended. Maybe it was the full military honors (he was a Navy man), or the beautiful spring day, or the gathering of sweet people who I hadn't seen in far too long - as usually happens with funerals and weddings - but whatever the reason, the celebration of his life is etched in my memory. 

During the eulogy, Mr. Latham was rightly remembered as a good man. One of the best. He was smart, loyal, witty, and his presence was equal parts warm and commanding. I remember with fondness visits from Mr. and Mrs. Latham when Christine and I shared an apartment in 2007. 

So what does all this have to do with running, and why is Mr. Latham part of my "village"? Part of the rememberances shared at his funeral were his often-uttered words: "Think Positively. Stand Tall." It was a mantra of sorts for the way Mr. Latham approached life. And Kristi's words, "STAND TALL!", cemented Mr. Latham as one of my running partners. 

If you ever see me running, and you wonder what I'm thinking about, chances are good that I'm repeating "think positively, stand tall" to myself over and over again. Not only does this mantra keep my posture in check, it also keeps my mind in check. It's tough to pout when "think positively" is part of your internal dialogue, and slouching forward is out of the question. 

So here's to Mr. Latham, for a life well-lived and a legacy that keeps on running. 

Christine and her dad. (Christine, I stole this picture from your Facebook page. Sorry/not sorry)

We've all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. But, did you know it also takes a community to raise a runner? For the 12 days leading up to the Rock n Roll half marathon in Nashville, I'm going to introduce you to some of the people who helped raise me from an "I haven't exercised consistently since 2013" stay-at-home mother into a distance runner who will attempt her first half marathon on April 29, 2017.

Meet My Village: The Donors

If you donated to Team Brauer Power, this post is for you. This is a shout-out to everyone who learned of Brauer's fight back to health and then joined with me to DO SOMETHING. The news that a loved one has fallen ill is so disheartening, and the feeling of utter helplessness is part of the reason why. By donating to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, you have helped support the wonderful work done by LLS to research the causes and cures for blood cancers. Your generosity in the face of such a stunning situation speaks loudly. Here are some "facts and figures" about Team Brauer Power donors (if you're in to that short of thing...like I am): 

TEAM BRAUER POWER BY THE NUMBERS

• 138: Total Donors
• $10,256.58: Total funds raised
• 18: Number of states represented (plus the District of Columbia). Team Brauer Power hails from: AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NY, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA
• 25: Number of donors who have never met Brauer
• 45: Number of donors I have never met
• 44: Number of donors from Hibben United Methodist Church
• 5: Anonymous donors
• $1,375: Total donated by anonymous donors
• 0: Number of TNT Nashville runners from Georgia who have raised more money than Team Brauer Power. (We're #1 in GA!!!)
• 8: Out of 270 fundraisers for the Nashville event, Team Brauer Power is in 8th place for total funds raised
• 13.1: Number of miles to conquer on April 29
• 7: approximate number of ice cream sundaes I will eat after the race. 

THANK YOU to everyone who donated, many of you more than once since October. Your generosity has fueled me during many a tough mile, and I'm sure I'll think of you often during the race on April 29. 

We've all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. But, did you know it also takes a community to raise a runner? For the 12 days leading up to the Rock n Roll half marathon in Nashville, I'm going to introduce you to some of the people who helped raise me from an "I haven't exercised consistently since 2013" stay-at-home mother into a distance runner who will attempt her first half marathon on April 29, 2017. 

Meet My Village: Cathy Musselwhite and Jennifer Roberts

I'm not usually one to leap before I have a plan in place. A plan that's been researched, vetted, pondered, and analyzed. (I promise I'm really fun at parties.) But with this whole running/fundraising thing, I did some major jumping in before I had pinned down exactly how I was going to get either part...the running or the fundraising...done. Sometimes you've gotta leap before you look, and say your prayers that people come alongside you to help. That's exactly what happened with this effort. 

Training to run distance for the first time in my life was a big undertaking, not to be outdone by attempting to raise $10,000 in 6 months. I had virtually no experience with fundraising of any kind, and I'm about the furthest thing from a salesperson you can imagine. But I was very motivated by Brauer's story and I was determined to see something positive born from a place of such pain. 

Turns out I wasn't the only one. 

Cathy Musselwhite and Jennifer Roberts were two of my collegues at Hibben United Methodist Church, where I once worked as the youth director and where Brauer and her family are members. Cathy and Jennifer are two women who know how to get stuff done. They are worker bees, and to see them tackle a project and bring an idea to life is truly a sight to behold. On more than one occassion in my life, I've been the benefactor of their talents. This is just one example. 

I remember sending a text message to Cathy, asking if she thought the youth would be interested in selling some Brauer Power wristbands to help out with fundraising. Her reply made me laugh out loud. Of course the youth group would sell bracelets! They would add them to the t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and socks that were being ordered! Little did I know, Cathy and Jennifer had been working behind-the-scenes (as so much of there work is) on a full line of Brauer Power Wear. 

Almost $3,000.00 of the total raised in Brauer's honor can be attributed to this merchandise. I am still gobsmacked by the way Cathy and Jennifer took an idea and turned it into the foundation for my fundraising effort. 

There were several times during the 6 months of fundraising that I was very unsure if I'd reach my $10,000.00 goal. And every time I began to doubt, I'd receive a text or phone call from Jennifer asserting with such conviction that we would hit the goal. She was sure of me when I wasn't, and that's just about the greatest gift a person can receive. 

We've all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. But, did you know it also takes a community to raise a runner? For the 12 days leading up to the Rock n Roll half marathon in Nashville, I'm going to introduce you to some of the people who helped raise me from an "I haven't exercised consistently since 2013" stay-at-home mother into a distance runner who will attempt her first half marathon on April 29, 2017. 

Meet My Village: Kristi Creegan

Take a look at this picture: 

See that dot off in the distance? That's my friend Kristi, pushing my daughter in a running stroller. I first met Kristi when I was a freshman in high school. She was a senior, and the point guard on the basketball team. She took me (and a couple of other freshmen) under her wing. She drove us everywhere, hung out with us, and helped me navigate the waters of playing high school basketball for the first time. We were fast friends. After graduation, she went to college and we gradually lost touch. From time to time throughout the years, we'd catch up with one another. 

Then, in October 2016, my family and I moved back to Georgia after 15 years away. In true Kristi fashion, she was one of the first people to reach out and welcome me back "home." 

As luck, fate, and God would have it, Kristi now works as a personal trainer. She also runs marathons, half marathons, and conquers triathlons in her free time. For fun. On purpose. Do you see where this is going?

I mentioned my plan to run a marathon to Kristi in a text message in October, and I think she pretty much jumped through the phone with excitement. Since that day, she has devoted herself to seeing me successfully cross the finish line in Nashville. In all the training I've done, I can think of only 3 times that she hasn't been right there, running right next to me, giving me pointers, challenging me, encouraging me, and sometimes dishing out the tough love that I need. 3 times. In 6 months. For no other reason than she loves to run, she supports me, and she understands my connection to Brauer. 

Kristi was running right next to me when I started to feel something like FIRE in my left knee, which turned out to be a case of tendonitis that turned my marathon dreams into half marathon dreams. She encouraged me through recovery and helped me refocus. 

Everyone needs a friend like Kristi, and I'm thankful that I have the original. She's slowed her running pace to match mine, she doesn't laugh at my knee braces squeaking with every step, and she secretly LOVES my running skirt.

Everyone needs a Kristi. 

We've all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. But, did you know it also takes a community to raise a runner? For the 12 days leading up to the Rock n Roll half marathon in Nashville, I'm going to introduce you to some of the people who helped raise me from an "I haven't exercised consistently since 2013" stay-at-home mother into a distance runner who will attempt her first half marathon on April 29, 2017. 

Meet My Village: Kim and Jay Dowd

So, I'd pitched the run/fundraise idea to a trusted friend (Karen) and my supportive husband (Jeremy), both of whom were firmly in my corner. But before making this crazy plan of mine official, I knew I needed one final blessing. I wanted the go-ahead nod from Brauer's parents. 

I hesitated on this one, not sure if it was appropriate to ask one more thing from a family who had found themselves smack in the midst of a life-changing, scary, stunning situation. I typed an e-mail but chickened out before clicking "send." I read and re-read my words, edited them, pondered them, and considered deleting them all. Here's an excerpt from the e-mail I eventually sent:

"..I would like to fundraise and run in Brauer's honor. There has been such an outpouring of emotion and support already for your family's situation, and I think/hope this marathon effort would be a chance to channel everyone's energy and resources toward helping fund the research that LLS does. Could you talk it over and let me know if this is something you are comfortable with?"

Kim's response was swift and as grace-filled as they come:

"Wow, just wow! We would be very honored for you to run and fundraise in Brauer’s honor.  Thank you for finding a way to channel the energy in such a positive way. Love you!"

Her response sealed the deal and set a tone for the Dowd family that I would witness over and over throughout the months of Brauer's treatments - through ups and downs and progress and inconveniences. Brauer has, rightfully, been given a lot of credit for the unusual level of optimism she's displayed throughout her fight back to health. But I've got a secret: I believe the reason she's been able to summon such fierce positivity in the face of such a challenge is because she gets to model what she sees from Kim and Jay each and every day. No one in the Dowd family is blind to the challenges or immune from feelings of despair. They have witnessed their daughter walk a painful road and have been innundated with test results, treatment plans, opinions of doctors, and waiting...waiting...waiting. And with each "next step", with each new finding, with each shred of information, their response has been the same. They have taken the facts, processed them, talked them over, endured sleepless nights and "why is this happening" disbelief, and every single time, they have gathered themselves, and chosen the path of joy. Brauer has followed the path trailblazed by her parents, and all of us along the way have been priviledged witnesses. 

Kim and Jay were formational in the creation of my running "village", not just because they gave me the go-ahead nod to start, but because they've powerfully modeled for me how to face a challenge and joy it to death. I'm thinking I'll need to draw on their example come mile 8...