Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to our Team In Training home page!

To read our updates, please scroll down!

A couple of months ago we got this wild idea to run in the Houston Marathon.

We have always had a soft spot for The Leukemia &

Lymphoma Society. Those of you in Omaha may remember Donavon throwing a pie in Jericia's face in order to help raise money for LLS. Donavon was a 1st grader who was "randomly" picked from the winning class to throw a pie at the sponsor teacher's face - who just happened to be mom.

We decided it only made sense to run with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Team In Training. Both of us have lost close people to cancer. We are raising funds as we train to help stop cancer from taking more lives.

We are completing the Houston Marathon in memory of some special people in our lives. These people fought the battle with cancer with grace and courage. These are the people why we are giving up our Friday evenings and Saturday mornings for six months! They are our inspiration.

Paul Peterson: Paul was a family friend, an awesome dad and one heck of a fan of his family. Never at a loss for words, Paul was first stricken with tongue cancer (having never used tobacco products) which required losing 3/4th of his tongue -- it slowed down his speech, but didn't touch his spirit. While battling for over 2 years, his family always came first and his positive attitude was infectious.

Clare Dierking: Brett's Grandma was among many things a great seamstress and quilter. Even as she was battling cancer, she never gave up and never stopped being a positive influence on everyone around her. While the chemo had taken the feeling from her fingers, she quilted the most lovely blanket as a gift to Brett.

Al Kaasch: Jericia's Grandpa was always kind and had a listening ear. Even as he battled lung cancer, he had a smile and a hug. Grandpa never complained even though the road was not easy. He was an inspiration to look at life positively.

Patricia Brinster: Jericia's Mom was given six weeks to live when she first found out she had cancer. She fought to live for her family and turned that six weeks into six months. Mom's smile never faded during this time. Mom was a fighter and we too want to carry on the fight.

These are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure! Please make a donation to support our participation in Team Inraining and help advance

LLS's mission.

We hope you will visit our web site often.

Be sure to check back frequently to see our progress.Brett will be the one running and smiling. Jericia will be the one running wishing she was having a pie thrown in her face. Thanks for your support!

Brett and Jericia

December 23:

All -

It's been a while since our last update on our Houston Marathon training for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society (LLS) through Team-N-Training.

Saturday the 19th, we completed our longest training run -- 21 miles! -- getting us prepared for the 26.2 miles in January. The inner joy of finishing that 4 hour run was immense. We now head into the Holiday season ramping our training down slightly to be best prepared for running the marathon.

Also, for those that have donated to our website, a huge THANK YOU!. Due to your generosity, we're within about $400 from reaching our goal which hopefully will lead to improved treatments and one day banish cancer to the history books like small pox.

If you're still interested in supporting us or are looking for an end of year donation opportunity, we'd still love your support.

Thank you and Go Team!

Jericia and Brett Havekost

26.2 miles on 17 January

November 12:

A friend, Kathy Crosby, of ours writes for a local Cy-Fair Magazine. She wrote a blurb about us! Thank you Kathy! Check it out:

http://www.cy-fairlifestylesandhomes.com/nov9C-Scene-KathyCrosby2.htm

November 10: Random thoughts from Jericia

THANK YOU ANONYMOUS! You made our day! In all reality if more people were like anonymous, the world would be a better place. Actually, this past week has been full of surprises. Thank you Melinda and Lora for your donations, we appreciate it! I know Lora you told me, but remember I have a memory of a gnat!

I have so many random thoughts I want to share. I think that is what happens when you run for hours on end...I will try to keep it to a minimum. Sincerely, I admire Anonymous. I admire that this person who gave so generously, but wants no recognition. Shows Anonymous is a true character. Not that it takes away from all of us that listed our names. I was thinking today how I LOVE the list of names. The names are of people who love and are important to us. There will be many years from now that we will think: Wow! Look how blessed we are! The thought will be due to all the support you all give us. Thank you all of you for making Brett and I feel special and loved. You are all priceless!

Next random thought: I saw a t-shirt this past Saturday at mile 10 (I am sure real runners don't remember the miles) that said something like: "Marathoning does not start with the feet, but with the mind." I agree! When the alarm went off at 5:45am Saturday morning, I did not want to get up. The truth of the matter is the cause behind our running makes my desire to pull the blankets over my head a blip. When my non-running legs and lungs say "What the heck?!", the brain has to say, "Suck it up!"

Next random thought: I had to check in with a doctor this past week. She called me an "athlete"! That is a good one! I am still holding my side and wiping the tears from laughing so hard!

Next random thought: Since we are running in hopes to find the cure for cancer...I do think of it quite a bit. A friend of mine (thanks Lora) sent me this link: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1126056.html

The quote that caught my attention was: "We actually found the Achilles heel of the cancer cell,"said Prof. Malka Cohen-Armon from Tel Aviv University, who headed the research team. "As soon as you can target cancerous cells without killing healthy ones, you can produce medications that would cause a lot less suffering to the patient. We can even give a much more aggressive treatment without worrying about harming healthy tissues."

Can you imagine that?! Wow! No more watching our loved ones suffer the side effects from chemotherapy or radiation. No more being tied to the house because of a compromise immune system. Wow! We can hope...so we continue to run and raise.

Last random thought: Step aside Eminem! Brett and I will be rapping to raise money for the cure for cancer! OK....maybe it is wrapping...wrapping books! Check us out:

Barnes & Noble

The Centre in Copperfield

7026 Hwy 6 North

Houston, TX

December 21, 2009 - 6-10PM

Barnes & Noble

River Oaks Shopping Center

2030 West Gray

Houston, TX 77019

December 17, 2009 - 10AM-2PM

Borders

Galleria

5061 Westheimer Rd.

Houston, TX 77056

November 29, 2009 - 6-10PM

If you are in the area, stop by! We would love to wrap your Christmas gifts for a donation to our cause.

Also, starting tomorrow I will post information on a Tastefully Simple Catalog sale. All proceeds will go to LLS. Prizes and half price shipping will be involved, so stay tuned!

As always, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You all amaze us with your generosity and support. We truly could not do any of this without all of you. Thank you!

October 26: Hi from Jericia

Thank you everyone that took part in our group's Opportunity Drawing. We were so excited by the number of tickets that we had! Brett took our gallon ziplock bag full of tickets to the drawing. We could not wait to inform at least one person of their winnings! Sorry to those who participated.....apparently our fingers that touched the tickets must have left our non-winning germs. Not a single person from the hundreds of tickets that we turned in won! We are still in shock! Thank you again for all the support you are all giving us! We greatly appreciate it!

October 13: words of Jericia

Another friend of ours lost a loved one to cancer this past week. A friend of mine from New Braunfels, Dana, lost her amazing mom to cancer. Bonnie had an amazing spirit. She could take pictures that were breath taking. As anyone who has watched this disease drain the life out of the one you love, you know how helpless you feel...when you are that person's child, you heart breaks as you watch your SuperWoman fade......and you feel like there is nothing you can do to help....so I continue to run....

October 4: words from Jericia

Our Couch Robert emailed the following today:

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Most cancer survivors would tell you that their cancer was a life-changing event. Luckily, most of us will not undergo this experience, but TNT is also a life changing event for you whether or not you ever run/walk another marathon because your decision to recommit to the program is a most unselfish act for which you can be forever proud. Your training is hard and your fundraising is hard, but keep in mind what your honored patients and others have endured and are enduring, and it will make these challenges seem a little less daunting.

I have to agree with him. I would also add is all the words of support and encouragement we get from our friends and relatives. The next three weeks our long runs are one 10 mile run and two 12 mile run. We also have a lot more fundraising to do. Both seem overwhelming! Thank you for your continuous support.

October 3: update from Jericia

We are still running! We found this cool app for my phone that can track our runs called RunKeeper. Check out what we did last Saturday: http://bit.ly/fWdem and http://bit.ly/a28hu

I was still learning how to use the application, so our 10 mile run was cut. The program is a great motivator!

This Wednesday is a big day for us: it is our recommitment day! Yikes! That means we are selling our bodies to LLS that we will indeed raise the goal of $4000. Since we are nearly half way there and have had such overwhelming support, we are going to commit! Please continue to help and support us. We definitely cannot do this without you!

On a different note: Grandma Mayhew is doing better! She was moved to a rehabilitation hospital this past week! Go Team!

September 21:

Thank you! Thank you! The Havekost Hootenanny was successful! Thank you for all of you who showed your support by donating and attending our function. We enjoyed hearing the stories people had shared of their cancer heroes. We have the banner signed with names hanging in our house to inspire us and keep us going! Ten miles is not easy! But our long runs are nothing compared to what the people on our banner have endured.

We do not have our final numbers yet. Currently we are shy of $500! Thank you!

We have commented to each other that we can’t give up now! You have all invested so much into us! The pressure! Now we have to reach our goal in miles and dollars. Thank you for all the words of support. They truly do help us! Thank you!

Septemeber 15: Words from Jericia

Hope all of you are getting ready to attend our Havekost Hootenanny this weekend! The fundraiser to raise money to help find a cure for cancer hits closer each day.

Remember a few Saturdays back I commented on the cheer of "Go Team" that we say during training and that I would rather say "Go Big Red". That same morning I thought of another hero in my life that has battled cancer with such grace and a constant positive attitude. Great Grandma Mayhew has battled cancer on and off over the last three years. Every phone call and every visit I have with her is with a positive outlook. Grandma's smile and laughter fills my heart. As a HUGE Husker fan, one of her favorite sayings is "Go Big Red!"

This past Saturday was challenging to get up at 5:45 in the morning. It was raining and I was not feeling well due to allergies. Literally the only thing that got me out of bed was thinking how even when Grandma is in pain and discomfort, she continues on. In all honesty, as in the words of our coach, if I had the choice of running seven miles in the rain or going to a chemotherapy session, the choice is easy.

Tonight Grandma is in ICU and things are not looking good. "Go Team Grandma Mayhew!"

September 9: Words from Jericia

Today was a good day from our training and fundraising aspect! First of all I went to the mail box and it was like Christmas! We had four letters with donations! Thank you Jason & Angie, Paula, Kathy, and Grandpa! We also have received two other donations via mail earlier. Thank you Rich and Cate and Helene! We cannot express enough our gratitude for all the donations we are receiving. With these donations we are at 19% of our goal! Thank you!

Also, today our son Donavon clearly has come to the realization we are serious about running this marathon. He is willing to help me train by riding his bike in front of me. He would be my own personal Wii trainer that I follow, so to speak. This evening was going to be our first bike/run together.

Today, when I was eating lunch with Donavon, I told him I needed to go to the grocery store this afternoon. With the rain and dreary day here in Houston, I told Donavon that I rather go home and read a book. Donavon informed me that I had a choice! If I didn't go to the grocery store, then I would have to go tonight. If I went tonight, I couldn't run. So.....I needed to decide if I wanted to run this afternoon or tonight!

Then tonight at dinner Brett and I are debating if we wanted to run 3 or 4 miles tonight. Donavon said, "You will never win the gold if you don't train hard!" He seemed a little disappointed in me when I told him I was just trying to finish the 26.2 miles, not win the gold. Tonight's run was easier with Donavon encouraging me while on his bike.

August 29: Words from Jericia:

Look at what we got! Our cool running caps! We had to meet certain fundraising criteria to earn them. Thank you for helping us achieve them! We appreciate all the donations we have received! They say they are "cool" running caps....I hope that means they will take away the Houston heat and humidity! I know good luck with that!