Getting ready for The Komen Race for the Cure!

5k Running Group!

Just two weeks away is the Komen 5k Race for the Cure! This year I will run it again with Chris and the ladies I am coaching in my 5k running group. It will be the first 5k for several of them. It has been so much fun training with them over these past 6 weeks and I look forward to race day and watching each of them cross the finish line!
Today they came over for "garden pizza" and to watch 'The Spirit of the Marathon". A great documentary and motivation before any race day!

Surviving the Race~ I wrote this after attending the Dallas Race for the Cure 8 years ago. At the time I was a survivor of 3 years. This year I will participate as an 11 year ( 2x) survivor. It always amazes me when I am out there as to how many people, family & friends breast cancer affects. Things are a bit different now from when I wrote this so many years ago. My story has changed, my cancer has changed, my life has changed, and yet I am able to run with freedom from it all.

Surviving the Race

Waking early while it is still dark
Arriving with the "pink" pass to park.
Meeting at the survivor tent
Seeing faces of new found friends, as we happily celebrate each one
of us that has made the "race" another year.
Some are doing well, the years are going by,
Some have news their battle has once again begun.
Yet others have lost their fight.
There is a silent bond of courage between all of us.
We embrace, smile, and know
only "we" understand the meaning
of “another year at the race".

As the race begins and you see all the pink hats
You know that you are not in this alone.
Surrounded by thousands, all there for the same purpose,
to Race for you to Race for the Cure.
At the starting line there are runners
who will compete for a "winning" time.
But the true winners here are the "Pink Hats."
They are walking, running, and in wheelchairs,
some are helped by their friends
as she carries her oxygen tank for the 3.2 mile walk.

When the race comes to an end the hundreds of "Pink Hats"
flow to the front of the stage to form a "sea of pink".
There are tears of joy, tears of sadness, and tears of survivors
as hundreds of hands are held together up high.
We stand proud,we stand strong, quietly listening to a special song sung just for us
The SURVIVORS celebrating “another year at the race".


Elayne Minich, cancer survivor-3 years
Dallas Race for the cure,2001, 45,000 participants!
Edited 2009, survivor- 11 years

For Erika & Sarah

Let me introduce two of my nieces Sarah & Erika. They are two of the many reasons we have chosen to run the Dallas White Rock marathon. Both of these beautiful young ladies receive services through Texas Scottish Rite hospital for children which is the primary beneficiary of the White Rock Marathon!
This hospital supports many children and their families at no cost because of support through events such as this. The girls have had surgeries, physical therapy and their prosthetics ( which are very cool with tattoos and all) at Scottish Rite.
So.. Erika & Sarah, aunt Elayne,uncle Chris and cousin Kevin will be running and running and running for you!

SARAH & ERIKA

2009 Registration Is Open. Register Now!
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is the Primary Beneficiary of the Dallas White Rock Marathon For more than 10 years, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) has been the primary beneficiary of the Dallas White Rock Marathon. TSRHC treats Texas children with orthopedic conditions such as scoliosis, hand disorders, hip disorders and limb length differences as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders such as dyslexia at no charge to patient families. The marathon provides financial support for TSRHC through race registration and sponsorships, allowing the hospital to continue to provide the highest quality medical care to Texas children.

7 with Kevin!

Last night we added another mile to our long run making it 7 miles now. Kevin ran with us last night and of course did fine for someone that has not been running. Remember, he is the one that showed up for the half marathon with one day of training under his belt and beat us all! :)

It was a great run with Chris and Kevin and it feels great to be training again! We got to talk all about Kev's upcoming wedding and enjoy the weather and run to the lake. This is about the half way point~ beautiful run!

On the medical side of things; I am feeling good overall, however I have had some side effects from the new drug ( Faslodex) that I am on and hope they will either ease up or go away altogether :) 

Have a great week!

Only 19.2 miles to go :) Yikes!

IN TRAINING!!!!

Well, it has been a long road to get here but we are now "officially" in training for the Dallas White Rock Marathon!
Yesterday was Mothers day and I felt that would be the perfect day to sign up for the marathon since I began running 2 years ago on mothers day :)
I will admit it was exciting and scary at the same time actually signing up but I am thrilled to be in a place right now to do this. Chris and I have been running for these past two years so we have a little head start on the training plan. Last two weekends we ran 6 miles for our long run ( 4 m. for our short runs) and will increase this Sunday to 7. We have a LONG way to go :)
Our son Kevin says he will be joining us along with his friend Steve. Chris's friend Joe from NH is planning to come down for the race too! He has already qualified and run Boston ( I think 2x) so he will be waiting for us at the finish line ( for a while :) Our sister-in-law Cindy ( who just did a triathlon)! is thinking about it too.
Please pray for all of us to remain healthy and injury free. The race is December 13th, 2009!
I had considered starting a new blog just for our Marathon journey but decided not to for two reasons; ~ the marathon journey IS a part of my journey of living with stage 4 metastatic cancer, and I hope that others living with cancer at any stage will have hope and encouragement. Also, I don't really want to monitor another blog :) So... much of this journey will be posted here on this blog. I hope you will follow along with us, pray for us and encouragement along the way ALWAYS helps!
Maybe you too will consider a race someday, weather it's a 5k or a marathon, you can do it!
Thanks everyone for being a part of our lives and this journey~

New medication this week~

Hi everyone~ this week I will be starting on a new medication ( Faslodex) that is part of the continuing hormone therapy. Most of you know I don't typically handle meds very well, so I would like to ask for prayer regarding this new drug that will be administered once a month by injection into the muscle. I expect running to be a little difficult for a couple of days.
Also, I did get my blood work back and my tumor markers are slightly elevated. My doctor, at this point said he is not concerned because of all my scans coming back clean and this test is just a tool and not definitive. I would sure like to see them back in normal range. They will probably check them again in about a month, so please also be in prayer about that :)
Otherwise, all the rest of my blood work was normal, including my iron levels and I am feeling good!
Chris and I are getting very close to committing to the White Rock Marathon, so we began adding a little distance last night with a 6 mile run to the lake and back. It was cool outside and just a beautiful run complete with cows, bulls, horses and goats all along the way!
Hope you all have a great week!
Elayne