Why We Dance: The Story of THON

Last Thursday, "Why We Dance: The Story of THON" premiered. As always, I was excited to see and hear stories of THON, but the hour-long look at THON was better than anything I could have imagined. Seeing familiar faces and places on my living room television (thank you apple TV) felt so good. After nearly a year of generalized publicity, everyone should know about and experience Penn State's greatest point of pride - raising millions of dollars for the kids. 

THON had an incredible impact on my four years at Penn State, and even greater, on who I am today. It taught me about the power a group of people can have and the value of commitment, hard work, and dedication. When I think about all the hours I have spent running, and then of course, pondering running and the level of commitment it requires, I am baffled by the fact that I somehow "danced" (stood! remained awake!) for 46 hours straight. The spirit of THON is contagious and it drives people to do unthinkable things. It's an experience I carry with me everywhere I go - when I'm teaching a challenging class, when I'm faced with a problem at work, when I set out to run a half-marathon. 

The documentary brought to the surface so many emotions. It felt like I was right back in it - running through the tunnel to kick off the weekend, counting down the last seconds of 46 hours, running 135 miles from Hershey to Penn State. While THON is a huge part of me, running as part of Hope Express was something I could be an integral part of. Seeing clips of our party at Hershey (32 minutes in - check us out!), legs of the run, and dancing on stage at THON. Even thinking about it now, I feel the emotions all come back. When we talk about Hope Express, we talk about being a family and that's what it truly is. It's people coming together for an incredible cause and supporting one another. I thought nothing could surpass dancing for 46 hours at THON and it will always be an incredible experience I carry with me, but the 24 hours (TWICE!) from Hershey to Penn State are some of the most special of my life. 

I'm so thrilled this documentary is now something that can be shared with the world, beyond the borders of Pennsylvania. Not everyone is or will be connected to THON, but it's inspiring and encouraging. Everyone should find their own THON - the thing that makes them push themselves, a cause that drives them to take on incredible challenges in the name of helping lessen the burden of another. 

Journey//Don't Stop Believin'

Last week, I received the answer to 10 questions I had responded to a year ago, during the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (really cool – check out 10Q). Especially since I was just beginning a new chapter in my life one year ago – moving to a new place, not even having a job – it’s really cool to read about where I was then and to reflect on the journey from there to here.

Having this blog has really allowed me to quite literally track my progress, or really, my journey through the past few years. While I was stretching the other morning, I flipped the print-copy of my blog (thank you friends!) and read back over some of my firsts – first struggles with finding a balance to get it all done, first 6-10 mile long runs, first half marathon. While life is always flooding us with new musts, goals, and things to reach for, it's important to remember where we're coming from...and sometimes, just how far we've come.

  

Lani after her first half!

In addition to it being the start of the Jewish new year, this week has also been the mark of many journey ends and new beginnings around me. Even though Lani only just signed up to run her first half back in February, it has certainly been an ongoing journey of a few years even, especially as she battled through an injury that delayed her initial race earlier this summer. Beyond that, I think back to all our runs together in Philly and think how awesome it’s been to watch her come so far. Yesterday morning, she crushed her first half in Denver, the place she now calls home - so proud of her!

Dr. RJW

While she was doing that, I was back in the Mid-West, checking out South Bend and touring Notre Dame. I love seeing new campuses, especially when the tour guide is a friend who feels the way I do about my alma mater. Tour guide/favorite friend, Joe, just moved back to ND after 5 years away, taking with him his new, shiny doctorate degree. Oh and by the way, he put us in our place this afternoon when he informed us that while wrapping up his dissertation, he was banging out first-time mileage at a pace that leaves me gasping for breath just thinking about it (warning: you will be pressured into running a half soon). Anyway, talk about JOURNEY!

Life is ever changing and all we can hope is that when the changes come, we can appreciate them. If they’re not easy changes, I try to find a reason for it or push myself to make the most of it. I think it’s these things that help us to become problem solvers, as we strive to be content and satisfied, to be fulfilled, regardless of the things that come our way.

Running has taught me a lot about "the journey." They say it’s not about the destination and any runner who runs loops around the block or does a long run, just to end up back where they started, will confirm that. While we hope our destination – where you live, where you end up professionally, the finish line of your first race, the beginning of a new chapter after working hard in the last one – is one we love, it’s true that it’s all about the journey we took to get there. It’s about the unexpected things we found along the way, about the lessons we learned, and the people we met. Each journey gives us something different and it’s up to us to take that gift…and run.

Running for a Cause

As the Detroit Half inches closer and closer, I'm working hard to attempt to balance work/personal time that includes adequately preparing myself for this race. Mentally, I'm committed and want to put in the time and work (usually...), but it's hard to find the hours to do it all on some days and that extra hour of sleep vs. an extra workout is a tough sell for me at this point. After skipping a mid-week run, I was a little nervous about yesterday's long run. In addition to it being 9 miles, it was the first long run I was going to be doing alone this time around, since Ryan is back home this weekend. On repeat, I reminded myself that every time before now, I had done these long runs on my own. Nevertheless, I've gotten used to running with someone for them and it can be daunting to think of covering the same milage solo.

Despite my worries though, the run went great! The weather was perfect and I even squeezed out an extra quarter-of-a-mile at the end to get myself all the way home. I definitely still see a big need to cross train, and so yet again, I will see if/where I can squeeze it in when I'm not eat/sleep/breathing school work. It's hard that naturally I have the most time on the weekends, but I like to give myself the day after the long run off. I don't want to make impulsive decisions and pushing myself in the wrong way and regretting it. 

Even running alone though, I had A LOT to think about and keep me going. In the next two months, FIVE of my close friends are running for 3 different worthwhile causes - the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. I know the commitment it takes to train and fundraise for a half (forget even thinking about the FULL!), and it overwhelms me with good feelings to think of how many of friends are willing to put others before themselves to make this commitment. Of course, I also thought a lot about my first half in Philly (which Beckerman is running today!!!) and how it felt to run for a cause I cared so much about. I remember so many of the little details of the day and I'm THRILLED Beckerman is experiencing it all RIGHT NOW! I'm eager to hear how her morning went and while I wish I were there cheering her on, I'm sending all kinds of love and good thoughts back to the place where it all started for me!

Oh yeah...Half Marathon Training

I appreciate the fact that I feel entitled to write about whatever I want here as long as I connect it to running...which I think I genuinely do. Nevertheless, I realized that my related-to-running rants have caused me to neglect actually writing about my running. This isn't to say I haven't been. On the contrary, I realized today that despite my lack of posting, I am in full-out half-marathon training (full-out is still relative, of course). 

A hectic few weeks of traveling proved to make increasing mileage very challenging. While I was excited to be able to keep up a basic routine, a lack of routine made getting over the 6-mile hump incredibly challenging. A wacky sleep schedule, lots of driving, and not upholding past pre-long run routines gave me 3 weeks of 6-milers. While the first one rocked (bff run in Chi-town!), the next two messed with my head and got under my skin. It was frustrating, but at the same time, an important reminder. The things I do differently on long runs - eating a pb&j sandwich, body gliding, drinking water the night before - have an impact, as they should. They say if it an't broke, don't fix it. It's taken too long this time around to remember that it's important to stick with what works. 

Since returning to Michigan, I've felt a lot better about long runs...and with good reason! Last week and this morning, Ryan and I ran 7 and 8 miles respectively, and both runs went GREAT! Ryan has officially ran his longest distance ever (re: ROCKSTAR!) and aside from a  tight knee, we both felt great on both runs. For me, the biggest part of this is that I feel like I'm in a good place mentally for the next few weeks. When I ran my last half in April, I was dreading it because I knew I hadn't prepared the way I needed to. Leading up to race day, I was filled with regret, instead of excitement. Being part of big races can be motivating, exhilarating, and a lot of fun, but not when you're busy thinking about all the things you should've or could've done differently. This time around, I feel great about how things are going, knowing I'm doing all I can to enjoy the run when it gets here. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't have small goals, but with the craziness of the summer and the craziness of the back-to-school season, I want to be realistic about what I can do, instead of ruining race day with feelings of regret. 

Forever True to You, Dear Old White & Blue

Last weekend marked the end of a summer of galavanting and travels. On our drive back to Michigan, we decided to spend the night in State College, which set us up for a longer run on campus Monday morning - the first day of classes! In addition to being the first "first day" I've been on campus for since 2007, it was the first time I have really been on campus on an normal day of classes at all. Throwww backkkk!

The entire run was nostalgic and gave me a lot to think about. The Penn State community has had a challenging year as we strive to remain focused on the things that matter most to us and work hard to prove that we are not defined by the actions of a few people. The extended alumni community is made up of thousands of people who are excelling at what they do and making a positive impact in their fields. Over the past ten months, a cloud of tragedy and pain has allowed outsiders to make blanket statements about a place nearly half a million people call home. When I think about the people who I associate with when I think of Penn State and the way they carry themselves, I know these generalizations are just that. What transpired there this past year, or rather decade+, is disgusting, disturbing, and hard to even accept as truth. I cannot let it define who we are, because they are the actions of a few people, not the majority.

During the run, I watched students walk to class - leaving East Halls for their first college class ever, waiting to take the blue loop across from SBS, walking across Old Main's lawn, stopping in McLanahan's for a breakfast sandwich - and I thought about the four years I spent living in State College, ultimately becoming the person I am today. My time there provided me with the foundation I use every day in my classroom as a teacher and it gave me leadership experience to take initiative in my school and community. As we ran past both Rec Hall and the BJC, I thought about the four THONs I attended - the countless hours spent on our feet dancing, canning, cheering, supporting, all in the name of finding a cure for pediatric cancer. Running along Curtain Road, I thought about the opportunities I've had to come back as an alumni and combine two of my greatest passions - running and the Four Diamonds Fund. Running through the new Arboretum, I was reminded that no matter how much you love a place and think you know it, there's always something new to see or learn about it. With every step that I took, I was reminded of how lucky I am to have met the people I did during my time there - people I don't need to even be reminded of. When I left State College in 2008, I left with some of my greatest friends and of course, the love of my life. 

Especially this summer, when I have been lucky enough to return to so many of my favorite places, I'm reminded that as we move through our lives, we leave a piece of our heart in all the places that matter most to us. Rather than feel empty without those pieces, we benefit from feeling connected to them when we return. Little pieces of my heart are sprinkled all throughout University Park and State College - Brumbaugh Hall, Chambers Building, the HUB, the Waffle Shop, the Cafe, Mad Mex, - and when I am fortunate enough to return, the memories of those places and the people I shared them with always come back to me....and as always, you can cover a lot more ground when you're running.