One Week From Right Now......

I will be on the race course.....hopefully about halfway there. We had our last group practice yesterday and got all the necessary details about race weekend. I am by no means a first timer to this scene but this time, it's different. I love each Team in Training event I do but there is not the same nervous feeling for me before half marathons because I know what to expect. Sure, I still get excited and love the whole race experience but it's not the same as I felt before that very first half marathon.....until now.

Those of you who have talked with me in the past about marathons know I have said numerous times that I would NEVER do a full marathon. I would say I had no desire to find out what happens to someone after 13.1 if they keep going. I am not sure what changed in me but something did and I did want to see what it feels like to keep going when I would normally cross the finish line.

So, once I uttered those words to my Team in Training family, there was no turning back. I said it out loud and had to move forward and make good on my statement. Next, I decided that in order to finish in the cutoff time that the Rock n' Roll races have, I would have to do more than walk. Up to this point, I had walked each half marathon that I had completed and loved it! I would take pictures along the route and enjoy the race either by myself or with my crew. I never thought I would even entertain the idea of adding running to the mix because I hated running. Let's be realistic; there is a lot of me to run around with and that was one of the reasons I hadn't wanted to in the past. Knowing I had to buck up and bite the bullet, one of my coaches gave me a run/walk plan for this season. He was a coach I had not worked with in the past and I was kind of nervous because he is all business when it comes to running. I love all my coaches that I have had and they are all my good friends but I think it took an outsider to come in and say, "you should run for this long and then walk for this long and see what happens." And so it started. I coined it "Project Hurt Less in January" because I am not dumb. I know it's going to hurt but if I did everything in my power to prevent it from hurting less, I was going to.

We had our Kick Off for the Season in August and I followed the training schedule to the letter. Man, I was not ready for this part-time job called training for a full marathon when you have never run before. What is this sweating thing? I used to be able to run errands after going to the gym but not anymore; I was gross! And why didn't anyone warn me about the whole legs feeling like bricks thing? Sheesh! What I didn't expect was to enjoy it so much! Running is truly therapeutic and I needed that after the whirlwind of a June I had.

At the same time, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do about a job. Luckily, the part time opportunity of working for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fell in my lap thanks to little Katie and her mommy's maternity leave, so I was still busy. In addition, I ended up having the opportunity to teach in the classroom for the first time in a community college setting. This was something I could not pass up since I had no previous experience and the department chair was willing to give me one. Man, that is one time consuming activity! I am so glad I did because I know that I can do it and know what to expect. I was also still teaching online classes so technically, I had 3 part time jobs and was training 5 days a week for this race. I was busier than when I actually had a full time job!!

So the training months went by and I think what I needed during this hectic time was a goal to reach for; something that I had never done. In the process, I lost some poundage; which made running easier and and continued to enjoy the whole new experience of running and walking. I have always known my TNT peeps were supportive but in embarking on the uncharted waters of a full marathon, I remembered why I am with this organization outside of the obvious mission of curing cancer. Every week, there were encouraging words and high fives, which was no different than any other season except for the fact that I really needed them this time. I was doing something so new and foreign to me and I forgot how much that support helps in the process. I cannot tell you how much it meant to have people tell you over and over again how proud they are of the progress being made and how excited they were to see me accomplish this goal. As the Saturdays flew by, I started running more and the intervals increased, which is still something that I laugh about since I said I would never run. Along comes the Women's Half in November, which was my first race where I was going to see how this run/walking thing works during an actual race.

What I needed at this point was proof that I had progressed and the Woman's Half game me that! I finished with my best time yet: 3:02. Many of us had personal bests that day and I have to think it had a little bit to do with the fact that we were all out there running/walking in honor of our friend and TNT Teammate, Heather. She is a breast cancer survivor and this was her first race back after treatment. We formed our own little team - The Purple Nurples! Heather is amazing and such an inspiration to all of us and we wanted to do this for/with her to celebrate her battle and that is exactly what we all did!

Here come the holidays.....I was so excited because I had made it this far in the season with no new injuries. In fact, my shins and feet were fantastic, which was a worry because of issues I have had in the past. Nope, my main source of pain was just the stress related knots that always exist in my shoulders. That's not going to go away completely until this household is fully employed and I know that. And it happens.....I catch the crud that is going around. Down and out for a good 10 days with a hacking cough that is not okay. One trip to Urgent Care and some drugs later, I am okay. I accepted the fact that I didn't get another long run in because I was so sick and decided that I had trained hard for this race and that I was going to be okay......with a little help from my friends of course.

The last practice of the season is always a little bittersweet because it means the season is almost over. All of our locations come together and run the last few miles of the course for PF Chang's. As we are getting our info and directions for the weekend, the group was asked who was doing their first half or full marathon. I never raise my hand because it's not the first time for me so I kind of spaced the question. I heard my name and it was one of my buddies from another training location telling me to raise my hand. I love that my role as Mission Captain for the past 5 seasons has given me the chance to get to know people from all of our training locations because there are some really cool people I would have missed out on. I have so much support on race day and I am so fortunate because that is what is going to get me to the finish line.

Speaking of support on race day......I believe that I have a pit crew that rivals Ricky Bobby. What happens when your friends decide to do a different race? One hops on her bike with a pack filled with snacks and supplies and the other two do their own mini full marathon as spectators. I swear I feel like I have known these people for years and years but in reality, it's only been one or two if that. My circle of friends who have come out of these different race experiences have been the one's who have been there for me the most when I have needed them. Checking on me long after the supposed friends from my old job stopped caring. I really found out who were my real friends during that whole ordeal and it never failed, my TNT peeps were always there. So, nothing less will happen on race day. What is amazing about this group is that I know there are people who will finish their race hours before I will and they will be at the finish line when I cross. That's what we do; we are a TEAM.

So, I felt compelled to share my thoughts as race day approaches (and I am avoiding grading...again) and really just send out a huge thanks to my friends and family who have helped me along this journey these past months. Those who I saw every Saturday, or every trip to South Mountain, or our long runs. Those who have emailed me in response to mission emails or those who have responded on facebook. My family who have donated this or past seasons and who will be out there for me this weekend and have supported me each race that I do. Ed for putting up with this hobby and always being at the finish line. All your support and encouraging words mean so much. Thank you!! And to my TNT family.....a huge Go TEAM to you and good luck next weekend or in a few weeks in CA.

Stay tuned on facebook for updates.......I am better about that than blogging as you can tell.

Who's Coming with Me?

"Who's coming with me?"  This is currently my favorite line from Jerry Maguire.  If you aren't familiar, take a look:

This came to mind as I was being walked out of the building on Monday after being let go.  Almost 7 years of service and my position was "eliminated."  Whatever.  I think there is more to it judging by some of the people in the company who are still around but who am I to say anything?  So many emotions in the past few days.....anger, fear, sadness.  Monday is just a blur but Tuesday...well, that is when it hit me.  Didn't have an alarm go off....didn't get in the car with my carpool buddy to ride to work....nope, that is when I realized that Monday was not a nightmare and that it really happened.  The way the whole thing went down was awful and I hope that no one has to go through that because it's a horrible feeling.  Now, I am more sad than anything that I have no closure with the people who made coming to work okay when it really wasn't.  I know I will see and talk to you all again but it's so different.....you are who helped me through the last year or so when work got so bad.  The carpool therapy sessions, coffee clubs, visit to the 2nd and 4th floor when I needed to get away from my desk, dominoes, bake sales, co-workers/friends who really understood me, and the kind people who just listened.  That is what makes me so sad.....I know things can't stay the same forever, but it sucks that they ended so abruptly.     


So, don't think that you are safe in your job, because you aren't.  Don't keep a bunch of stuff at work because having to pack it up at a moments notice sucks.  Have your resume up to date now.......you never know what the next meeting planner is going to bring you.


Thank you to all of you who are my friends.....you know who you are and I am thankful for you.  Thanks to all who called, emailed, texted and posted on facebook and who have showed interest in my well being.  I am so appreciative to all of you for caring.  


I am headed to Alaska bright and early tomorrow and I am so excited.  I am going to forget the events of the past few days and just have fun with my teammates and have a great time taking care of another 13.1 miles in the name of blood cancer research.  My loss of job is nothing compared to what others go through so I will never stop helping in that arena, no matter what.  You can keep up with me on facebook of course or here....I will try and blog during race weekend but can't promise anything.  Thanks again for all of your support that got me to my fundraising goal for this trip....I couldn't have done it without you.  


Stay tuned......

Shine Bright Ronan.....

I have been away for awhile....mostly for lack of time but this has been a rough week to say the least.  Have you ever felt so connected to someone you have never met before?  I had not until about 9 months ago when I heard that the son of a classmate of mine from Sunnyslope had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.  This is an aggressive childhood cancer that has no cure and the treatments are pretty aggressive themselves.  That is when I met Ronan and Maya Thompson.  Everyday, I was checking my email for updates on the blog to see where they were at or how his treatment was going.  Every day and every night, I would check in to see if there was an update.  Monday morning, there was no update.  My heart sank and I hoped that it was because it had been Mother's Day and Maya was having a nice day with her family.  I wish I could say that was why.  Rockstar Ronan lost his battle early Monday morning.....the day after Mother's Day, days before he was to turn 4 years old, and less than a year from when he was diagnosed.  I was so sad and angry all at the same time.  How is it that we have all this technology and we don't have a cure for these diseases?  It reaffirms why I am involved with Team in Training fighting for a cure for blood cancers.  I am connected to this cause because I lost my Grandma to leukemia but with all the research, finding cures in one form of cancer can lead to progress in another.  While cancer sucks for everyone, seeing someone who had such a life ahead of him lose it at such a young age made me sick to my stomach.  Seeing these little kids who are bald from chemo and think that needles and ports are normal is not okay.  


I write Mission emails to my teammates every week as Mission Captain and here is my letter for this week:

Hello TEAM Arizona!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and all the Mom's out there had a great Mother's Day!!

Normally, I send out my mission emails towards the end of the week but today is different. Today I am reminded of why I continue to get up early on Saturdays and why I ask people for money until they ignore my emails for awhile....it is for people like Ronan, the little guy we have been talking about more for the past week or so.

Sadly, Ronan lost his battle this morning with cancer, an ugly childhood cancer that is so aggressive that it took his little life 9 months after he was diagnosed, the day after Mother's Day, and 3 days before he was to turn 4 years old. Why? That is one question I will never understand but one that make me fight even harder.

www.rockstarronan.com - if you need inspiration, there it is. In the form of the most beautiful blue eyes that are now looking down on all of us from above. So many tears shed today across the country for this little boy; tears of sadness and anger. Disgust that there is not a cure for these cancers.

I know that I sleep better at night knowing that I am doing what I can to make a difference and that people are helped because of the money I raise and you should all feel the same way. Your hard work and dedication to this cause makes a difference in many lives and for that, you should be very proud. I am...proud of all of you for sticking with this goal you set months ago. Not only are you completing an endurance event, which not many people can say they have done. You are doing so for a cause, which makes the experience a much sweeter one in the end. Thank you for being here and for fighting for those who are currently fighting, who have fought and won, and for those who fought the good fight and did not win.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and a great practice this weekend...whether you are running, walking, or hiking. You are inspiring to those around you.

In honor of Ronan, a huge fan of Star Wars, I leave you with a quote from Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try." Thank you for going above and beyond trying and just doing what you are with TNT for all those affected by a blood cancer.

May the Force be with you as we approach all of our events.

Go TEAM!

Joy Gaeraths
Mission Captain


LLS Mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Helping to fund research to find a cure for blood cancers.....one step at a time in memory of my Grandma - http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/anchor11/nautweety - Thanks for your support!!

Ronan - take care of your amazing family - Mama Maya, Woody, Liam, and Quinn need you to get through this.  You have touched so many people all over the world.....thank you.  Now, you can be our Yoda and show us the way....May the Force be with you, Ronan.

Las Vegas Half Marathon - 2010

So, I am too busy and lazy to add the pictures of the marathon here.  I am gearing up for another half marathon here in Phoenix in a little over a week, so follow this link to my pictures on Facebook of LV.  I don't believe you have to have a Facebook account to view them.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223245&id=27705154&l=db479e043a

So, think of me as I do another 13.1 miles on January 16th in memory of my Grandma, in memory of Leonard, in honor of Ronan, Drew, Tommy, Melissa, and Heather.  Cancer can suck it.

Have a nice night and stay tuned as I attempt to keep this updated more often.....

Adding another race to my belt this coming weekend....

Hello my few friends who follow my sometimes updated  blog!

Just thought I would check in here and get ready to blog another race weekend!  A few friends from TNT and my friend from work and I are headed to LV for the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon this coming weekend courtesy of our driver, Ed.  We leave Friday, so check back for some updates of our adventures.  Should be a fun one, even if it's going to be really cold!!

Stay Tuned.......

Joy's Alaskan Adventure!

Yes, I am crazy and short on time today.  To make a long story short....I have signed up with Team in Training to do the Mayor's Half Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska in June 2011.  So, I am hard core fundraising again.....visit my site!  I will update more later.......so excited!!




Visit my Fundraising Site for Alaska!

Lots going on in this head lately.....

Hello strangers!  Yes, I have neglected this poor blog since I returned from San Diego.  So, I have decided to try and post more here.....

So, I have been involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for a few years now....the first few were just walking in the Light the Night walk with my family and then more recently, with Team in Training starting in 2009.  My reason for getting involved was to walk in memory of my Grandma, who had Leukemia.  She was diagnosed in her 80's and was pretty much told that there was not much they could do because of her age and the side effects of the treatment.  So, my inspiration has been to help raise money to fund research that will hopefully find less toxic treatment for all cancer patients, but the elderly in particular.  My Grandma passed away in 2006.  I have always hated this dumb disease but recently, I have had way too much exposure to it.

One of my Team in Training teammates lost her dad to Leukemia a few weeks before we went to San Diego for the marathon.  That was rough to see as he was one of her biggest supporters when it came to her running and marathons.  I never met him but you could see it in his eyes in pictures.  We rallied around her and conquered our long run on the canal behind Sunnyslope with his name on our jerseys.

Last month, a guy I went to high school with found out that his 4 year old has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, which is a common childhood cancer, but can be aggressive.  I have not really had any contact with Woody over the years and then everyone joined the facebook bandwagon, so that is about it for a connection but that doesn't matter when you take one look at Ronan.  Strangers have taken to his story because his beautiful eyes just pull you in, whether you like it or not. He has begun a journey that is not going to be easy but all you have to do is read his Mom's blog and you will see that he will be just fine.  I don't know her but her personality and determination is very evident in her writing.  The Thompson family will get through this and I can't help but follow their story and keep them in my thoughts and prayers.  Follow his story at www.rockstarronan.com

Two weeks ago, I read an update from a friend of mine that just set the waterworks off.  I am sure you get tired of hearing me talk about how much I love Team in Training and how great of an experience it is.  All of that is true about both seasons that I have completed but there was something about our San Diego/Seattle group that was different.  We clicked instantly and spent every Saturday on the canals/mountains and smelling up either Einstein's or IHOP, depending on the week. We invaded the track at Andersen Jr. High every Tuesday and did so with smiles on our faces and determination to raise money and awareness about blood cancers.  In the end, everyone was raising money for each other to make sure everyone met their goals.  I had not seen that happen in my previous season, which just said a lot about the friendships that had formed during this training season.  No matter how fast or slow you were, we were all together at the end of practice and either ate together or continued on our merry way each Saturday.

We headed to San Diego and I went by myself, so I needed a roommate.  I just indicated on my paperwork that if there was anyone from the East Valley group that didn't have a roommate, I would rather room with them over someone from another location.  So, I looked at the name on my envelope at our send off party and found that Heather would have to put up with me for a weekend.  We all had so much fun and she was the best roommate ever!  So, when her little announcement to us was, "I have cancer," I was shocked.  So now, she is one of our heroes.  Her positive attitude as well as all the support she has is going to pull her through being diagnosed with breast cancer at 29 years old.  She heads into surgery tomorrow and we will all be there for her whenever she needs anything.  In only a few hours, we filled up a spread sheet of people who love her and will provide dinners for her and her Mom over the next few weeks while she recovers and then heads into her chemo treatments.  That is what a TEAM does.  Heather - kick cancer's ass!

Thanks for being my free therapy this evening.  I have had so much running through my head dealing with this horrible disease called cancer and how it's affecting everyone from small innocent little boys to women too young to have to decide on what kind of surgery to have, and everyone in between.  Hopefully, with all the research going on out there, we can find a cure and not have to deal with all this garbage.  Seeing all of this over the past month or so has put things in perspective for me personally.  I may have issues going on right now that are stressing me out but it's nothing compared to what Ronan and Heather are going through.

So, find a cause that you are passionate about and get involved.  Every little bit helps....