Running on Love

What if you could run "your business”...

2011-01-20T17:37:00Z

...the way you run your “love”?

I woke up with this great question floating around in my head the other morning. "What if you could run your business the way you run your love?" The more I gave it thought, the more serious I realized were the consequences. It is actually a very serious question. It started me on the path of playing a game I love to play, the “What if” game. Will you play with me?

I began to think what if I could run my business the way I run my Love? What does that actually mean? What do I love I thought? I love vacations in the Caribbean. When it is the morning that we’re supposed to catch a plane for vacation it doesn’t matter if it is 3am, I barely need the alarm clock and fly out of bed with a great big smile on my face and find myself with tons of energy, don’t you?

I love my husband and my children with all my heart. I would without a doubt run into a burning building for them! There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my family. What if there was nothing I wouldn’t do for my business too? What would happen?

A great example of approaching work with deep love is being a parent. I have always loved my children but there was work I didn't relish. Like changing diapers when they were babies or waking up in the middle of the night to feed them. The difference was I loved them with all my heart and never once complained about either of these tasks. I did what I had to do and did this with joy and love in my heart.

What if we could bring this kind of true love and devotion into our daily life? Our Studying if we are students? Our business if we are working? Our homes if we are homemakers?

What if we knew the stakes were very high? What if we knew that how we approached our day affected not only the very people we love but even people we don’t even know?

For Students, these questions are for you:

What if you found out that if you worked very hard in school you would without a doubt become the chairman of the Federal Reserve one day managing the financial well being of our country? Would you care more about studying or slack off on your math homework?
What if you had a crystal ball which revealed that if you approached your schoolwork with confidence and passion you were destined to become the President of the United States? How hard would you study now?
What if that crystal ball told you that if you invested your time properly in school you were destined to discover the cure for cancer? Would you go on Facebook for 2 hours or study harder for that bio test tomorrow?

For Everyone else, here are “What if” questions for you:

If you could approach your day like you were boarding a plane to Bermuda, what would that feel like? How much could you accomplish that day?
Would your life soar if you went about your day with a spring in your step and a smile on your face? Do you think that perhaps the people who do are the ones who receive the promotions, raises and awards?
What if you are the parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle of a future president of the United States? Would you feel compelled now to do everything you could to support them?
How would you manage your affairs if your success meant that you were helping support the future noble prize winner who finds the cure for cancer?

I believe like many people that we are all connected. Families are not only connected but we are all connected. Whether or not we all take our mission here seriously and devote our entire being into doing our very best or not, I believe that we ultimately affect each other and our future. When we don’t give our best effort potentially we all pay the price. How would we feel if we found out one day that because we didn’t give 100 percent effort a child who was destined to find a cure for cancer didn’t? Wouldn’t that be a crying shame?

Now I will take this question personally. What if there were mornings I just flat out tired where I didn’t have any energy. On those mornings I chose not to go on a run with my team, answer a few less emails, chose not to work on any newsletters or communications? What if because of digressions like these there was one charity that didn’t receive funds we could have raised for them? What if this charity was dedicated to saving lives? What if the funds they received from Team Running on Love saved one more life? How much is that extra effort worth? Obviously, it is worth the world!

What if I choose to devote all my heart and all my soul to grow Running on Love and gave it everything I had? How many lives could we touch? How many people could we inspire? How many great and noble causes could we help that might otherwise not receive any? If I choose to run my business the way I run my love whose life will be changed for the better? There is at least life that will. Mine!

Will you join me?

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The Asbury Park Relay Marathon Video

2010-12-19T16:07:00Z

Left to right: Front Row: Lori, Debra, Diane, Kathryn, Kristy, Back Row: Daniel, Barb and Mike

It was a heartwarming day in Asbury Park as 8 of us completed our first relay marathon. We came together as one team supporting many different charitable causes on that Sunday in October. The Asbury Park Relay Marathon was a first for many of our Running on Love team who had never done anything like this...ever!

Here is a fun video of that special day. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PP9jxJSbXo

3:40

Asbury Park Relay Marathon

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The Rehoboth Beach Marathon...Making the Right Choice

2010-12-13T15:15:00Z

Sometimes it is harder to take the easier route

Very Happy After Finishing the Run in Rehoboth Beach DE

I intended to run the full marathon on Saturday and trained for the event. This marathon run was in support of the Hearing Loss Association of NJ. It was being completed in honor of my family who have supported me through the tough times while dealing with my own profound hearing loss. I trained for the full marathon but sometimes life happens and training can take a hit as a result.

My family was concerned about my running the full 26+ miles because I wasn't able to train as diligently as I should have for the past month. They asked me to cut it back to the half marathon. This would mean beating my ego back and slapping my pride in the face.

I've never done that before so this would be a fundraising run of several "firsts" for me.

Here they are:

It would be the first time I ran a race in Rehoboth Beach Delaware.
It would be the first time I said I would run a full marathon but cut it back to the half.
It would be the first time I kept my pride/ego in check and chose the right race to run.
It would be the first time I listened to my family and friends asking me to cut it back and not listen or give in to my pride.
It would be the first time I chose the safest route so I didn't risk injury

Soooooo, when the Rehoboth Race officials allowed me to switch to the half instead of the full, I sucked it up and said to myself "this choice is in honor of my family. I will run the half instead." It was the first time I made a firm and conscious decision that Running on Love is truly about the journey to move forward in support of a fine charity and in dedication to someone I love. It's not about the actual distance or the finishers time.

I chose to do the Half-Marathon on Saturday because it was the right distance for me to run Saturday morning for all the right reasons. Running on Love is about getting up off the sofa, pushing yourself to move forward, reaching for your highest goals, helping fine charities with their fundraising, and doing all of this in the name of love. It truly isn't about the performance but about performing your own personal best. It is about competing with yourself and nobody else. Here is how I did:

My finishing time in the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half-Marathon

This was the first time I did a run/walk sequence and took to pretty easy. The funny thing is my finish time was pretty average for me being not much slower than when I attempted to run the whole thing. I think this deserves a very close look for my next marathon run. Ah, now did you really think I would give up all this marathon running for good? Fat chance! LOL

Thank you for all your support on this event. Please know this means the world to me. I am continuing on with my intention to help others with hearing loss. This campaign remains open for anyone who would like to donate. http://www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/lori

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The Rehoboth Beach Marathon, Saturday December 11th

2010-12-09T15:20:00Z

(left to right) Lori, Jillian, Jeff, David and Melissa in Wildwood New Jersey

In Loving Honor of my Family

People sometimes ask me why I continue to run these endurance events and push myself so hard. When I trained for my first marathon a few years ago I was moaning about how sore I was after a 20 mile run. My daughter asked "why do you do this to yourself?" I responded that I was doing it for charity and a great cause. She responded "why can't you write a check instead?"

What a brilliant question I thought. It stopped me in my tracks and kept me wondering for days. What was the reason why I was doing this endurance event? At the end of my marathon I discovered the answer to this question. My answer to this question was "Because it is magic".

Everyone wants to know how to find true joy. We seek happiness like it's a magic potion. We all have had those fleeting moments of joy where we feel thrilled and ecstatic. It comes to us at the birth of a child, your wedding day, or at a moment on the beach in Aruba with your true love. These moments that seem to come and go are fleeting. Can we make more of them? How do we bottle this raw emotion and tap into it when we want to? Whenever we need to? Is it even possible?

In 2007 I ran my first marathon for Team in Training. When I signed up for this event I thought it would be a nice accomplishment to finish a marathon, do something good for a great cause and devote it in honor of someone I loved dearly, my Dad. What I believe I stumbled upon was the holy grail. I believe I found the source of true joy. In one word, Love.

Charity, physical challenge, and an expression of love were a magical combination that when combined together changed my life forever. The combination of physically pushing myself harder than I had ever done before, combined with an act of charity, and then devoting this action in honor of someone I loved dearly was simply magical. When I crossed the finish line I felt as though the sky opened up and I was dancing with eternity. It was so powerful and beautiful that I was compelled to do it again, and again, and again. Now I am compelled to share this magical combination with the world.

Running on Love is not about running it is about love. It is about what inspires us and brings us all joy. Love is the fuel that keeps us all going. Love is the one thing that moves us forward when we want to quit or give up. When we hit that wall and reach mile 20 in the marathon called life, it is the one truth that makes us climb higher and go forward when we think we just can't go another step. Love is the one true source of inspiration and happiness that we can tap into every day of our lives.

On Saturday, December 11th, I will be Running on Love in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. This event will be an act of charity with proceeds from this run donated to the Hearing loss Association of NJ. My source of inspiration to complete this event is Jeff, Melissa, David and Jillian. They are my rock. They are the wind beneath my wings.

To make a donation: http://www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/lori

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Running on Love in the Asbury Park Relay Marathon, October 17th, 2010

2010-10-21T19:06:00Z

We Didn't Beat the Clock...We Smashed It!!!!

Mike coming into the finish at 5:34:02

The Asbury Park Relay was the first time many members of the 8 person relay team would be part of an amazing event of this magnitude. Everyone was excited and nervous! Why were we all nervous? Because we were a team made up of walkers and runners and were very aware of a 6 hour time limit. Some members of our team were walking and training for their very first event. After training and fundraising for worthy causes we didn't know for sure if we could beat the clock!

Captain Kristy waiting for the start

The relay started with “Captain Kristy”, who did a great job in spite of a case of shin splints. Following her was Diane, the power walker who walks faster than some people run. Our team couldn't have asked for a more picture perfect day! The sun was shining, there was a nice breeze...a perfect day for a relay marathon. It was one of the 10 best weather days of the year!

From left to right: Danny, Kathyryn, Diane, and Debra

Up next was Deb, beating her typical walk time by almost half. Kathy was all smiles as she jogged around the course. Up next was walker Dan, who started jogging when he saw the finish.

Barbara jogged around the course with ease, waving as she went by. Lori, whose run is as lively and energetic as her personality, came across the finish line, waving her hands in the air, hootin’ and hollerin’!

Finishing up the relay time was Mike "the Closer", who completed his lap in under 20 minutes! He was greeted with yells and hugs from the team as he crossed the finish line!

Left to right: Kathy, Diane, and Barb

Not only did we finish in time, we had plenty of time to spare! We smashed the time limit by about 26 minutes!! Go Team Running on Love!

From bottom Left to Right: Lori, Debra, Diane, Kathryn, and Kristy Top Left to Right: Danny, Barb and Mike

The awesome Asbury Park Marathon finish line crew gave us our finisher's medals and hats and took a team picture for us by the finishline. We celebrated by having dinner on the boardwalk at an awesome outdoor cafe. This experience was so meaningful and special to our new teammates that most of them have signed up to run in the NJ Marathon in May of 2011. It would be our honor to have you join our team and Run on Love with us as we devote ourselves to give help and hope to others in their time of need.

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Saying "I Love You"...When is it O.K.?

2010-10-15T18:16:00Z

As Often As Possible!!

By now if you know me at all you already know my answer. So what do you think? It is certainly debatable. There probably is no right or wrong answer and it is a matter of opinion. It is a choice.

We have a choice to make. Do we keep our thoughts, emotions and expressions of love private or do we share it with others. In my case I have made a conscious decision to share mine with the world. Is this O.K.? I don't know. But it sure feels good!

When I was growing up my family said “I love you” to each other all the time. In my family it was appropriate to say I Love You when we woke up, when we went to sleep, when we said goodbye, and before we hung up the phone from every conversation. My college roommates noticed that every time I ended a phone conversation with my parents I said “I love you”. They thought it was unusual and said their families never did that.

As I grew up and met other people and families I realized that most other families didn’t express this as often. It wasn’t because they didn’t love each other. Not at all! It was just that it was considered a silent given. It was known. They knew without a doubt how much they were loved and how much they loved their parents and siblings. I am not 100% sure about this but I do hope that was the case.

Some people feel that saying I love you too much or too often takes away something from the deep special meaning. If you say it too often or to too many people it makes it mean less. They believe you reserve this personal message for only special moments and for only immediate family or the closest people in your life.

Still others feel that saying I Love You is just idle talk. They believe that it isn’t words that have power, but the actions of a person that prove that they love you. They believe you don’t have to say these three words nor should you unless you back it up with action. I can’t say I disagree with this notion that you need to follow these words with action, do you?

These days, as I get older and not younger, I realize I don’t know how long my journey here will be. I am just one year shy of the age my father was when we lost him to cancer. There are no guarantees, are there? Yes it is a choice and I am making my conscious decision to Love out Loud. When the emotion bubbles up inside me where I can’t keep it in any longer, I just have to let it out! Look out, I have been bubbling quite a bit these days. Now one of my favorite web acronyms has a new double meaning…LOL!!!

Here is my choice. I choose to agree with Cat Stevens when he says " Why can't you say, If you know, then why can't you say. You've got too much deceit, deceit kills the light, light has to shine, I said shine light, shine light. Love, That's no way to live your life, you allow too much to go by, and that won't do.

Soooooo, What do you choose? I would love to hear from you!!

Lyrics to "I Can't Keep it In" by Cat Stevens. These are words I choose to love and live by:

Oh I can't keep it in, I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see, see all the love
love that's in me.

I said, why walk alone, why worry when it's
warm over here. You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
mean what you're thinking, and think anything.

Oh why, why must you waste your life away,
you've got to live for today, then let it go
Oh, lover, I want to spend this time with you,
there's nothing I wouldn't do, If you let me know.

And I can't keep it in, I can't hide it and I can't lock it away.
I'm up for your love, love heats my blood,
blood spins my head, and my head falls in love, oh.

No, I can't keep it in, I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've gotta show the world, world's got to know,
know of the love, love that lies low, so

Why can't you say, If you know, then why can't you say.
You've got too much deceit, deceit kills the light,
light has to shine, I said shine light, shine light.
Love, That's no way to live your life,
you allow too much to go by, and that won't do.

No, lover. I want to have you here by my side
Now don't you run, don't you hide, while I'm with you.
'N I can't keep it in, I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see, see all the love
love that's in me.

I said, why walk alone, why worry when it's
warm over here. You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
mean what you're thinking, and think anything. Why not?
Now why why why not?

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Please support me. I am Running on Love for the Hearing Loss Association of NJ: http://www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/lori

Change, change change! All this talk about Change!

2010-08-30T13:56:00Z

'
Well, if it is so good, why doesn't feel that way?

I have been scratching my head since last week on this one. I've been struggling a bit this past week having taken our oldest child off to her first year of college. She is starting the next chapter of her beautiful life. It is all good and we are so very proud of her. Then why does it hurt so much?

For the past week I have been walking around our house looking at all the wonderful pictures my husband hangs everywhere. There are literally hundreds of them. In our basement we have pictures lining all the walls. He hangs pictures of our family large and small and dozens of collages of all sizes. When each of our children were in 1st grade they were given a school project celebrating the 100th day of school so I worked with each of them to create a gigantic collage of 100 pictures of each of them. They each had to be in all 100 pictures. Eventually we framed all 3 finished collages and they hang in our home as a beautiful memory of their childhood.

When Melissa was born we heard all the clichés like "enjoy it, it goes fast" and we knew it would so we did. We enjoyed every moment documenting them with photos and endless videos. But it still went fast and now here we are with our first born in college. Where did all the time go? It seems like yesterday I was putting a pacifier in her mouth to settle her down. It seems like yesterday we were watching Disney videos over and over again. Wasn't it yesterday she was dancing across the family room floor wearing a tiara and butterfly wings? So sweet are those memories!

So if growing up and growing older is part of the plan, and change from one phase to the next is all good, then why does it feel so hard. Why are all these amazingly beautiful moments like taking your child off to college filled with tears too? Is it because letting go and moving on is a very difficult thing to do? Especially when it has been so wonderful and good? What are we afraid of?

I remember being 11 years old and waking up in the middle of the night feeling sad and frightened about growing up. My dad would hug me and comfort me and tell me everything was going to be alright and there was no reason to be scared. My response to him was "But Daddy, I am so happy and our life is so wonderful that I want to freeze everything right now and not have anything change!" I wanted time to stand still. Of course we all know that isn’t possible and change comes to us whether we want it or not.

What is so good about change? Why do have it? Why do we ask for change all the time when we perceive things should be different than they are? Aren’t we just asking for trouble? Even pocket change can be a nuisance when we have too much of it so we trade it in for dollar bills instead. Isn’t change usually accompanied by discomfort? Sometimes we demand change and then we regret the changes that we receive. What is it that we get from this thing called change?

These are all good questions, each one most likely having many more than one simple answer. For me, after joggin my noggin this morning, I have settled on this one simple truth:

The movie “Back to the Future” with Michael Fox had such a beautiful message. If you “change” one decision that you’ve made and did it any differently you irrevocably change the future and risk losing all the beauty and love you enjoy now. Everything that happens to us is all part of our life and the time continuum.

If I had gotten my wish on that evening when I was 11 years old I would not have grown up. There would have been no 4 year college experience for me. My husband and I would not have met in 1986 and married in 1987 and enjoyed 23 years of marriage. We wouldn't have had our 3 wonderful children. Melissa would not be in her dorm at college about to embark on an amazing chapter of her life. The worst possible thing would have resulted if time stood still that evening. My loving family and all of those hundreds of photos all over our home would evaporate into nonexistence!

If I never grew up past 11 years old, learned to face hardships and tragedy, grew and learned from each change, enjoyed life’s sweet successes, I would not be sitting here right now typing on a laptop computer. I would never have run one life changing marathon in memory of my father let alone 3 more after that. There wouldn’t be a new charity called Running on Love with the potential of spreading love and doing so much good in our world and I would not be writing this blog right now.

When it is all said and done, I must accept with reverence all these changes because like them all or not, they are coming. All the changes are part of this wonderful journey and I need to put one foot in front of the other and march ahead in forward motion embracing all these experiences with their smiles as well as the tears…because in the end, it is all good! J

We seem to dread growing older

2010-08-19T21:56:00Z

…Shouldn’t we be celebrating instead?

When I was 10 years old I looked forward to being, emancipated and independent. Being 18 was very cool because I could go anywhere and do anything. Way back in the olden days at 18 you were legally of age. Then 2 years later 20 came along. I dreaded 20 and hated the thought of not being a teenager anymore. At 30 I remember being somewhat pleased. I was still technically young and basically wrinkle free, happily married and looking forward to having a family. All was well. Then the dreaded 40 came. Oh no! I still looked pretty young but I was getting much older now. Ooooh 40! I was no spring chicken anymore. G-d forbid someone would ask my age, or even worse wind up guessing it correctly. There is a rule that you should never ask a woman her age right? I invested in every wrinkle cream, was glued to all the infomercials promising to take 10 years off my face. Good grief, only 10? I also became a workout maniac at the local gym. Aging wasn’t going to get me!! No Siree bob!

For some reason when we are young we delude ourselves into believing we will always be young, we will never get wrinkles, sagging skin happens to other people, we will never die, and those peculiar looking old people seemed to have fallen out of a space ship and just landed here right? Wrong. They were once young little chickies too!

The years went on and I started to approach the end of the next decade. My next birthday ending in zero was about a year away. Why is it the zeros that always seem to get to us? At 45 we think to ourselves, well at least I am not 50! Fifty years old. Wow! How did that happen so quickly? "Et tu, Brute?" I thought to myself. It was true. Father time was getting me too.

In the year prior to my 50^th birthday the universe played a little trick on me. Someone decided to send me a lesson, a life changing one. Someone decided “Let’s give her a jolt. Let’s shut her ears off some more, take away a significant amount of hearing and see how she responds.” Oh yes, I responded alright. It wasn’t pretty of course, I did the whole self-pity, self-loathing, wallowing in fear bit, and woe is me party for about a year. Suddenly there were worse things than a few wrinkles and growing older.

When I finally turned 50 guess what I did? I celebrated! Yes folks, I celebrated. I had one of the happiest birthdays I had had in a very long time. I was not only happy to be 50, but I no longer cared about things like wrinkles, elastin in my skin, or how firm my butt was. It was a transformation in thinking that may not have happened if the wise universe didn’t beat me over the head with a sledgehammer, but it was a transformation none the less.

Based on all the birthdays I dreaded when I was young, I was convinced that turning 50 would be something I would dread. Much to my surprise it was actually freeing. Being 50 now means I am officially old and I have an AARP card to prove it. It is now official so its time to get over it and move on with it.

I have some questions that I have no answers to. Can you answer them for me?

Just a few years ago I could never imagine being proud to state my age or happy about growing old. Why was that?
Where did I learn to fear old age?
Isn’t aging something we should celebrate? Other cultures do, don’t they?
Wasn’t there a famous commercial telling us you aren’t getting older you are getting better? Did we really believe that?
Who convinced us aging is ugly?
Why are wrinkles and aging skin considered ugly?
If we are lucky and fortunate we get to grow old, get grey, wrinkled and saggy. Why would we choose to believe all of this nonsense about aging if it makes us suffer so?

I certainly don’t have all the answers but I have made some dramatic shifts in my thinking. I don’t really mind my wrinkles any more. I am learning to appreciate them. Life is a marathon not a sprint and my wrinkles are my mile markers telling me where I am on this journey. If I chose to erase them all would I remember where I was and what I have accomplished? Yes I am sure I would. But instead of working tirelessly seeking out every avenue to look an age I am not, I will accept my age, grow old peacefully and accept my wrinkles as life’s trophies for a job well done.

On December 11^th, 2 days after my 51^st birthday, I will be running in my 5^th marathon adventure. I will be doing the full 26.2 mile trek to the finish line in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. If I have my way, and I hope I do, I will be Running on Love for many decades to come. What do I say about aging now? Come on universe, bring it on!!! J

I will be Running on Love in the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in support of The Hearing Loss Association of NJ. Please support me by donating here: http://www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/lori

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What do you do when nobody is watching?

2010-08-03T20:35:00Z

What would you choose if you were accountable for every action?

Last weekend I went jogging on one of my longer training runs. This one was just over 9 miles. It was a hot steamy morning as they seem to always be this summer and at the end of my run I found myself very dehydrated. I brought my typical Powerade and water that I always bring on these runs but I ran out quickly.

As I drove home my mind kept drifting to how thirsty I was and there it was, a very powerful craving for a diet cola. I had sworn off diet sodas for good because they were just replete with chemicals that were harmful to my body and had no nutritional value. I even made my kids promise to give them up too. Now, here I was having a craving like I hadn’t had in a very long time.

I stopped at a Krauser’s, walked over to the refrigerator and saw the selection of all the healthy beverages including water, juice, Powerade, etc. Then I saw the diet colas. They were calling my name. Nobody was around to watch my choice. I could easily down the diet soda before I got home and nobody would ever know I slipped. Ah, a decision to make. Ugh! I couldn’t take it. “What is one diet soda going to do to me any way?” I thought. Yup, I caved in. I purchased my diet cola and headed back to my car.

It was cold and refreshing and tasted so good! I took a few swigs and then the guilt set in. “Why am I drinking this toxic poison?” I thought. The battle between the good Lori and bad Lori began. “Oh Lori, cut yourself some slack, it’s only a diet soda for goodness sake!” Then my higher self kicked back “Yes but I told my daughter not to drink this garbage and here I am doing exactly the opposite.” Could this be fodder for a new Joggin and Bloggin entry?

Some interesting questions popped into my head as I sipped on my diet cola:

What do you do when nobody is watching?
Do you make the same choices or different ones?
If you knew sombody was watching and holding you accountable for your actions at all times would you behave differently?

As I pondered and sipped on my ice cold soda it started to loose its luster. What tasted so good a minute ago now had a different flavor. I didn’t want it anymore. I set it aside and vowed to make it home without taking another sip.

I then thought about my marathon run coming up in December. Proclaiming publicly that I would run a marathon in honor of my family and raise funds in support of HLA-NJ had a new meaning. By taking that step to announce to the world what I was doing, served to hold me accountable. There could be no turning back. I would have no choice but to push away the lazy me who might say “Aw come on Lori, you are tired and worked so hard yesterday, you don’t have to get up early and do all this running. Take a breather will you?”

What is the purpose of announcing to the world my intentions? By stating my intentions aloud I am held accountable to the people I know, love, and respect. It becomes more important than ever to show that I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I must walk my talk. It isn’t always easy and I may slip and fall occasionally. If I happen to fall, I need get back up and remember to stay on purpose, commit to do my very best, and know that someone is watching!

Hmmm, maybe we all would do just a little better if we knew someone was watching? J

Support my marathon run:
http://www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/lori

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Just when you think you have it all planned…

2010-07-27T00:40:00Z

The universe says not so fast!

Joggin and Bloggin: 7/26/10

I went to the trails this morning just after 6am for one of my shorter training runs, about 3 ½ miles. About 20 minutes into my run I was deep in meditation about what I would write in today’s joggin and bloggin when I thought I had it all worked out. I had created in my mind a fabulous and profound message to share with you today.

I reached the end of the trail halfway through my run and into a housing development onto the pavement. A stone had apparently lodged into my sneaker so I reached down to flick it away. I reached into my fuel belt and went to take a swig of my Powerade when I smelled that smell. The one you don’t want to smell when you are ingesting anything! I realized what I had flicked away with my finger was none other than Dog Poop! Ugh!! I have a fairly clean vocabulary; however, poop was not the 4 letter word that came to my mind at that moment.

I had a choice to make. Will I curse a blue streak and think terrible thoughts about every dog owner in the area? Engage in thoughts about how inconsiderate it was that someone didn’t clean up after their pet? I could allow it to be something that put me in a terrible mood and let it ruin my morning run…or, I could move right along. Hmmm, is there a lesson here to be learned? A clever metaphor I can extract from stepping in dog manure? Is the universe trying to teach me something?

After using the one tissue I had to wipe my hand I saw the bottom of the shoe was so covered, one tissue was not going to help. I headed back to my car knowing I needed to be totally present, and in the moment. It was key for me to remember to keep my right hand away from my face and G-d forbid I should forget what happened and take a swig from my ill-fated bottle of Powerade!

When I got back to my car, I reached for a box of tissues to clean off my shoe before I would get in. To my surprise I looked to find the bottom of my sneaker was completely clean. There was not a trace of the offense! Amazing I thought. You would never know what had happened here this morning.

Just when I had my day’s blog all figured out this unforeseen annoyance had to happen. What I planned to write was now forgotten. I now had something new to write now. I began to wonder about the expression “Stepping in it”. Why has something rather disgusting come to mean something good?

My top 7 reasons “stepping in it” now means something good to me:

7. I have learned that I may think I have it all planned, but the universe has another one.

6. I’ve learned if something annoying happens I can still put my best foot forward.

5. I’ve learned that running, is like life, I must practice staying present and alert, or I will miss out
on something or possibly step in it!

4. Moving forward, and pushing away negative thoughts is always my choice.

3. I can take any rude and disgusting situation manage to find something humorous about it or even possibly a lesson.

    2. If I just put one foot in front of the other, continue in forward motion, eventually I will manage to leave all the poop behind!

    1. Finally, the number 1 reason “Stepping in It” now means something good to me:

        Because I choose it!

Why in the world am I running a marathon at 50?

2010-07-22T17:49:00Z

The view of from the trails in Randolph

When I head out for a run these days I began to realize that I don't even need to listen to music anymore. That’s because I spend my time thinking about what I would share with others if they would listen. With every step I take on my little run, I have a deep and wonderful conversation in my mind about the sort of things I would love to discuss with my friends, family, or anyone who would care to talk with me. There have been times where I pause and think, “wow, that was really profound, I should write that down."

So here you go folks. This is what I now call joggin and bloggin. I hope you will comment and give your thoughts too! J

This mornings Joggin and Bloggin:

You may think training for a marathon is easy for someone like me. You may think, “Oh Lori, I know you have done this 4 times over and you are in great shape, it’s a piece of cake for someone like you.” My answer to that is, ha ha ha. I have you all fooled! I am nothing of the sort and what you may also not realize is just because you have run a marathon before doesn’t mean it gets any easier...especially as you get a little older every year!

This morning I woke up at 5:45am, not from my alarm clock, but from my own inner alarm. I saw the time and said to myself, "Ugh! I am soooo tired. Can’t I just lie here for another 15 minutes?" Every minute I stayed in bed the good Lori’s voice in me would shout “Get up! Get up already will you!” Finally I dragged my big behind out of bed and took my sorry, tired, 50 year old bag of bones to the trails.

I started with a slow trot and with every step I took I began thinking “Good grief, this really hurts. Why am I doing this? All I want to do is stay in bed and I am out here in 75 degree weather with 100 percent humidity pounding my body.” After 1 ½ miles I am sweating like an extremely large man. No, I don’t have the pleasure of glowing like the other ladies… I sweat!

As I am doing my little training run the pain and discomfort starts to fade a bit and it feels better. Suddenly I am heading down hill and I catch a cool breeze. Ah that feels better. At this point I am thinking about what I would write in my blog today.

It was then that it dawned on me that I was out there running even though every part of my body wanted to be in my cozy bed. Why in the world was I doing this? Any of this? I could be home getting an extra hour of shut eye in the comfort of my air conditioning. What do I need this for? Why must I run a marathon? Even more so, why at the age of 50 did I start a non-profit called Running on Love and decide to devote my time and energy to get other people to do this with me?

Last year it felt like the universe dropped a grenade on my head. It shook me up, turned me upside down and inside out. I had been losing my hearing for almost 10 years but suddenly my hearing dropped to a level that caused me to see myself losing it all. I mean that very literally. My ears were going rapidly. I felt that my entire connection to my family, friends, all of my relationships, my ability to earn an income, were now in jeopardy. I’ve been in sales and marketing most of my career and now the universe decided suddenly “Hey Lori, you think you are such a hot shot sales professional, try doing it without your ears!”

Suddenly I found myself at mile 20 of my own life’s marathon. I hit the proverbial wall that marathon runners talk about all the time. There were no water stops for me there either. No food to nibble on. I felt desperate, anxious, and full of fear. Fear that I would lose it all. I suddenly found myself questioning something I had never questioned before…myself.

My self-talk sounded something like this:

I don"t know if I can do this…a life without my ears?
Will I need to learn to sign?
Will I be forced to leave the hearing world I grew up in and become part of a new one?
Will speaking with my kids, husband, friends and relatives become so difficult that they would find me simply not worth the timeand energy?
Will my business disappear and clients find me less than the person I was before?
My kids are all musical, will I be able to hear them perform?

I hit rock bottom before I woke up and started my slow journey back. Back to being Lori again. Back to the Lori that knows my family will always be there for me and that I am not alone. Back to the Lori that fearlessly plunges head first into an opportunity without looking back. Am I her yet? Not quite, I am still working out the bugs.

The truth is, like this morning, I still wake up questioning “why the heck are you running this marathon? Will anyone understand, join or even support your new Non-profit and Run on Love with you? Why are you even bothering?” And my answer is…because I must!

Without a doubt, I could go back to doing the same old, same old. Work hard, pay bills, squeak out a vacation here or there. But I need to do more now. I need to show my kids that life is going to toss them lemons, and in my case grenades. What are you going to do when this happens? And I assure you it will.

I don’t know what anyone else does but I will tell you what I plan to do. I will turn my lemons into lemonade and proceed in forward motion placing one foot after the other, one step at a time. I will Run on Love, finish this 26.2 mile marathon, and get my finishers medal and do this all for love. It won’t always be pretty. There may be some blood, sweat and tears along the way, but in the end I will have learned, grown, and expressed my deep love to the people I hold dear while hopefully having made a difference in someone else’s life.

I learned through my other charity runs that true joy comes from deep within. It comes to you when you are in a state of gratitude and devoted to giving of yourself unconditionally in the name of love. My deep sense of personal loss this past year was an awakening and I can no longer do business as usual. I must reach for more, and be more than I ever thought I could be. I hope to share this journey with you. When they pack me up and send me back to wherever I came from, I want my four letter name to be equal to another four letter word, Love. <3

Please Support Running on Love:
To donate to support Lori's marathon run: http://www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/Lori
Visit: www.runningonlove.org
Become a fan: Facebook

Running on Love for The Hearing Loss Association of NJ

2010-07-02T16:19:00Z

Running The Rehoboth Beach Marathon

on December 11th, 2010

Lori coming to the finish of the
2008 NYC Marathon

Hello Everyone! I will be Running on Love in the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in Delaware on December 11th 2010. This 26.2 mile run will be a charity event to raise awareness about hearing loss and in support of the NJ Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America. I will be completing this fundraising endurance event in loving honor of my husband Jeff and our three children, Melissa, David and Jillian. They are the lights of my life and I love them with all my heart and all my soul.

My Compelling Reason Why
For almost 10 years I have been losing my hearing. Many of you reading this may find this surprising but there are many who know the challenges I have gone through. My family has supported me through thick and thin and so it is fitting that this run be a tribute to them.

My Hearing Loss
My hearing loss came on suddenly almost 10 years ago and has been steadily declining ever since. Approximately one year ago my hearing plummeted dramatically to a level where I knew I was going deaf. This was the beginning of a frightening and life changing journey. I began wearing hearing aids a couple of years ago which gave me some relief at first and helped me function. One year ago my hearing got so bad that I no longer received any benefit from an aid in my right ear.

After a hearing test on June 30th, 2010, we learned that my right ear suffered another dramatic loss and is no longer able to discern speech. My left ear now discerns about 60 percent of speech and is my only connection to the hearing world. The speed in which the loss has progressed in the past year shook me up and dropped me to my knees. It was the beginning of a life journey that stopped me in my tracks and caused me to rethink just about everything in my life. Everything that is with one exception, my love for my family.

My intention is to bring light where there has been darkness. Life dealt me a few lemons this past year and I intend to make lemonade! Over the next several months as I train for my 5th marathon at the tender age of 50, I will keep a blog and communicate my experiences. Hearing Loss, though not life threatening is life changing. A loss is a loss and we all can relate to that. It is my desire to share with the world my experiences, some valuable life lessons I have learned, and to give love, help and hope to everyone in need. Please visit my blog at http://blog.runningonlove.org to read my story and follow my journey.

Please show your support by:
*Making a contribution: www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/Lori
*Continue to follow me and read my blog: Lori's Blog
*Become a fan of Running on Love: Facebook Fan Page
*Forward this page to friends, family: Lori's Fundraising Page

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is the nation’s leading organization representing people with hearing loss. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 36 million (17%) American adults have some degree of hearing loss making it a public health issue third in line after heart disease and arthritis.

HLAA provides assistance and resources for people with hearing loss and their families to learn how to adjust to living with hearing loss. HLAA is working to eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss and raise public awareness about the need for prevention and the importance of regular hearing screenings throughout life.

The Hearing Loss Association of NJ has the following stated mission:
*To serve as an extension of the Hearing Loss Association of America organization in creating awareness of hearing loss issues within the state of New Jersey.
* To develop a statewide network to help with outreach, advocacy, legislative and equal access issues that affect people with hearing loss.
* To network cooperatively with other organizations within the state which are concerned with hearing loss.

Please help make this a successful charitable event and make a contribution. Please donate by visiting: www.active.com/donate/ROLforHLA-NJ/Lori . Thank you for your help!

Team Running on Love - Our First Event - The Philadelphia Half Marathon on November 22, 2009

2009-11-13T17:59:00Z

Running The Philadelphia Half-Marathon in support of
Taylor Buonadonna and her family.

The first official fundraising endurance event of www.RunningOnLove.org, dedicated to its mission to Give Love…Touch Lives, will be The Philadelphia Half-Marathon on November 22nd, 2009. Our mission is to raise funds for brave 16-year-old Taylor Buonadonna, to help her defeat osteosarcoma—a rare form of bone cancer that she was diagnosed with, at the age of 13.

Taylor is one of 6 children. Her parents, West and Maria, are waging a valiant fight to conquer this disease, with the hope and prayer of helping Taylor live a long, healthy and happy life. Taylor has undergone experimental treatment in Texas, accompanied by West who was there caring for her. She continues to be treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Please join us in supporting Taylor and her family by making a generous donation. It is our hope that with your generous support, we can ease the financial burden on the Buonadonnas in this time of great need, as they tirelessly work for a cure.

Here is Taylor’s emotional story of courage, hope and faith,
in the words of her father, West Buonadonna.

At first glance, Taylor Buonnadonna is a normal 16 year-old girl. She’s an excellent student, plays the flute and has lots of friends. She was born in South Philadelphia, and now lives in Washington Township, NJ, with her five siblings, parents, grandmother, two dogs, two cats and two hamsters.

One day, while playing on the trampoline, Taylor banged her knee. After a few days, she complained that her knee was still hurting her. Believing this to just be a normal bruise, we told her to put ice on it and the pain would go away. It did. However, about two months later she banged the same knee in the same way. This time the pain did not go away. We felt like someone was trying to tell us something. We took her for an x-ray, which to our horror, revealed a tumor.

In June 2006, at the tender age of 13, Taylor was diagnosed with a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. Of all childhood cancers, osteosarcoma is rare, but it is the most common bone tumor in children; it affects approximately 400 children under age 20 every year.

Taylor began her treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). This treatment included high doses of chemotherapy for nearly a year. She also endured a surgical procedure called limb salvage surgery, where the affected bone was removed from her right leg. For almost two years, we thought Taylor had gone into remission. But we were wrong. The osteosarcoma returned, and this time it was found in her left knee and had spread into her lungs.

After a second limb salvage surgery on the left knee, we brought her to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York for two different clinical trials of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, both of those trials failed to stabilize her disease. By this time, the disease had spread into both of her lungs and multiple bone joints.

Taylor was treated by one of the nation’s leading oncology doctors at The University of Texas’, MD Anderson Cancer Center, hoping to give Taylor a better quality of life. She has since returned home to be near family and friends and continues her treatment plan at CHOP or Sloan Kettering.

We often wish that Taylor’s story could be told on a larger scale. By the kindness of so many that have helped us along the way, her story is now being told. Someday we hope to fulfill Taylor’s wish to publish her story, with all the proceeds going to research for her disease.

Thank you for your kind concern,

Supporting Team IBD Kids of Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC

2008-07-02T18:35:00Z

Lori Sperber and Debbie Shapiro

Running in the NYC Marathon on November 2^nd, 2008 with my lifelong friend Debbie Shapiro
I will be running my 4^th marathon, the NYC Marathon on November 2^nd, 2008. This next marathon event is a “must do” for most marathoners. For me, always a Brooklyn Girl at heart, it will be quite special. I will be running and supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as I have for my past 3 marathons with the additional goal of raising money for Team IBD Kids. I will be joining my lifelong friend, Debbie Shapiro in this fundraising effort. To support Team IBD Kids please donate now.

What is IBD?
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, known as IBD, are the most common chronic and serious gastrointestinal disorders affecting children. Both Crohn’s and Colitis tend to strike during childhood at an average age of 12 years old. The cause of these conditions is still unknown. UC can be cured by surgery to remove the entire large intestine. CD can not be cured by surgery. Both are treated with a variety of medications and other therapies.

Imagine what it is like to be a kid with IBD:
• Eating becomes a struggle and not a source of enjoyment like it is for everyone else
• You are not like all the other healthy kids who eat anything they want, you are different
• Frequent trips to doctors and hospitalizations
• Needles and IVs become commonplace in your life
• During the hospital stays you are surrounded by sadness and other seriously ill children
• Having a lowered immunity you are prone to catch other illnesses more easily than other children
• You often become labeled as “the sick kid”
• It is not uncommon for normal growth and the ability to mature to be stunted because of your illness, the results of which many children carry into their adult life
• Missing a lot of school causing added stress and pressure to try to catch up
• Needing special permission from the school to use the lavatory when needed because of the frequency
• Swallowing dozens of pills trying to hopefully find a combination that works
• Receiving intravenous medications that are administered in the hospital
• Living with the threat of major surgery
• Living with the permanent scar, both physically and mentally, after surgery

Having a child with IBD is a life changing experience, bringing a great deal of anxiety and stress to the families who have been touched by this. Please help support families who are suffering the way our family did. Please make a generous donation to Team IBD Kids. Donate now.

To Donate by check: Check payable to: Team IBD Kids (Downloadable pdf form)

Team IBD Kids — THE MISSION
The mission of the Children’s IBD Center at Mount Sinai is to provide state of the art comprehensive medical care, in a compassionate environment to children with IBD and their families. The center provides:
• On-going educational lectures and support groups
• Website
• Newsletters
• Trained parent volunteers who are available to talk to families
• Ongoing research

Racing to Save Lives in the San Diego Rock-N-Roll Marathon, June 1st, 2008

2008-01-04T20:05:00Z

In Loving Memory of Ben Strauss

It has been one year since I signed up for my first Team in Training fundraising event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was so rewarding and life-changing that running marathons and fundraising for Team in Training is now an important part of my life. After completing both the NJ and Marine Corps Marathons in 2007, I have committed myself and my time to be a mentor for the team and run in the San Diego Rock-N-Roll Marathon on June 1st, 2008.

I am dedicating and running this marathon in loving memory of Ben Strauss, an extraordinary, kind and loving man, and a dear member of our family. Ben recently lost his brave battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. By completing this event in Ben's honor, I hope to help keep his beautiful spirit alive in our hearts and minds.

I have chosen this next event in San Diego at the urging of my family who have been my cheering section at every event and have been inspired by my participation in Team in Training. Aunt Margie, Uncle Bill, Uncle Jeff and Cousins Allie and Steven Strauss live in San Diego and Jeff and I along with our 3 children are thrilled about visiting with them. Our son David is also anxious to challenge his Uncle Bill to a chicken wing eating contest...Sorry David, you don't have a chance!

Vacation in Hawaii, August 2007

(left to right: Jillian, Melissa, Lori, David, and Jeff)

Our children are all helping me fundraise in their own way. Our oldest, Melissa, is an aspiring singer and songwriter who will be offering her new CD online with proceeds being donated to Team in Training. You can hear her tunes by visiting www.myspace.com/melissasperber.

Our son David is so supportive that he has decided to help me with my fundraising for this event as part of his community service requirement for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. The Rock-n-Roll Marathon is an especially fitting event since David is an awesome guitar player and a huge fan of classic rock.

Jillian, our youngest child, created a fundraising poster and walked the parking lot with me at Giant's Stadium to collect donations from the awesome football fans who were there tailgating before the Giants-Patriots game. The response was generous and overwhelming!

My husband Jeff supports me in everything I do. To keep pace, Jeff now runs anywhere from 2-6 miles a day on the treadmill. He has lost almost 40 pounds and has improved his own health exponentially!

We are fundraising as a family team. I am blessed to have the support of my amazing husband and 3 children. For this next event we are Team Sperber for Team in Training! There are many ways to help us with our fundraising goal. For more information please visit www.runningonlove.org.

Every five minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I'm completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

NY York Marathon - Escort for Elite Athletes

2007-11-06T21:20:00Z

Almost as great as running one!

On Sunday, November 4th, my coach from Team in Training, Les Helfman, invited me along with a few of my teammates, to join him by volunteering to escort the Elite Athletes to the starting line of the NY York Marathon. I jumped at the honor of doing this and I am so glad I did. This will be remembered as one of the most wonderful mornings in my life!

As we were escorting these athletes one of my teammates, Carrie, nudged me to see Lance Armstrong join the group. I started snapping pictures of him and then he stopped and stood there staring at me. I couldn't resist...I asked Lance to take a picture with me and quickly passed my camera to Carrie. She snapped the below photo.

Lance posing for a photo with me,
               what a nice guy!

My next goal was to cheer for my buddy Debbie Shapiro who was running that morning, and try to get a photo of her. One of Coach Les's friends Ray joked with me that it was a huge long shot that I would ever see her cross the start line in light of the fact that there were 35-40,000 runners there that morning. He bet me $1,000 that I wouldn't see her. Knowing the kind of luck I was having that morning, I should have taken him up on his wager!

Debbie toasting me with her water bottle,
just after she came across the starting line!

As if escorting the world's fastest men and women marathon runners, meeting Lance Armstrong, getting to cheer for my lifelong friend wasn't memorable enough, it was all topped off by having my "1 second of fame" by being on NBC channel 4 as I escorted the men to the start! My son David memorialized this by snapping a photo of the freeze frame on TV.

                  My 1 second of fame!

                       Coach Les and me

My heartfelt thanks to the man who made this all possible. My dear Team in Training Coach, mentor and friend, Les, you're the best!!!

Marine Corps Marathon

2007-10-31T15:06:00Z

"Put it in the Books!"

On Sunday, October 28th, 2007, one very beautiful fall morning, I was determined to complete my second marathon run for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training in loving memory of Marty and Sue Sperber my beloved in-laws. Well I am pleased to announce you can now "Put it in the Books!"

The weather angels were on call on Saturday and did their job to perfection. The weather driving down to DC on Friday was raining and awful and Saturday was equally miserable. My weather angels did not miss a beat and brought us what was said to be the most beautiful weather the Marine Corps Marathon has ever had in its 32 year existence. Clear, cool, and gorgeous. Coincidence? Fat chance!!

I was so discombobulated when we were leaving the house to head to Washington with all of the tell tale signs of pre-marathon jitters that I forgot to pack the Yahrzeit memorial candle to light in memory of my mother-in-law on the eve of the race. As many already know, October 27th was the official date for her candle lighting...just another NON-Coincidence. So Saturday morning my husband Jeff went on a mad search to find candles. At every supermarket in DC they looked at him like he had 4 heads when he asked where the Yahrzeit candles were. As luck would have it we were meeting our phenomenal cousins, the Pauls and VanValkenburghs from Maryland for a pre-marathon lunch on Saturday. Mindy and Joy came to the rescue with candles on hand, calamity averted!

Seeing our thoughtful cousins in DC was so special. I thought it was curious that I was getting the 3rd degree about what just exactly I was planning to eat for breakfast just before the marathon. That was until we went back to the hotel room that evening to find a basket of fresh fruit, breakfast bars and water bottles. Put a double exclamation point after "our thoughtful cousins!! This certainly took the edge off of having to find food at 5 am before heading out to the start and gave me time for a few extra stretches. Something that still hurts to do right now!

                   I am on my way...a very long way!

                   Running past the Washington Memorial

The Sperber cheering section chased me all over Washington with cameras on hand. They tried to get some of the national monuments in the photos. I am glad they did because after mile 15 or so I didn't notice many of them myself...I was busy looking for that finish line! Ughh!

It was truly inspiring to run with the Marines. They were there at every water stop encouraging us, calling us by name, and ready with a high five. This event is known as "The People's Marathon" and there are no elite runners paid to enter this race. All the winners are ordinary Americans just proud to take part. For much of the race I was running with men carrying the American flag the entire way. It was very inspiring and made us all feel so proud to be participants.

At the long intervals between spotting me on the course, Jeff and the kids took advantage of the amazing sites in DC. As you can see, it was a most beautiful day!

            Jeff and David in front of the Lincoln Memorial

      Jeff and Jillian with the White House in the background

As only the Marines would have it, the final 1/4 mile to the finish line was straight up hill! This made it even sweeter to cross that finish line while being greeted by dozens of fine young marines! My official finishing time was 5:45:49 which is a new personal record, 10 minutes quicker than the NJ Marathon.

                         Running "up hill" to the finish line!

To watch video of me crossing the finish please wait for the video ad to end and move the scroll bar to 6:05:48.

      David, Jillian and me in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial
                         after the marathon finish

After making my way through the finish line with my emotions getting the best of me, my finishers' medal was placed around my neck by a young marine. I continued on and made my way to the sweetest part of all...the loving arms of my family. The best place to be in the entire world!

The NYC Half Marathon and more...

2007-08-13T19:28:00Z

Training Update - Marine Corps Marathon

There is only 2 1/2 months left until the big day, October 28th, The Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. I have been training since early June and I don't know why I thought that this time around it would be easier...it is not! I pretty much know what I am in for but as in life, there are always some surprises. Here are the cliff notes to my past 2 months of training:

The first Training run in Milburn: I ran 5 miles at a 10 minute pace knocking at least 3 minutes per mile off of my NJ Marathon pace. Looking good right? Hmmmm...
Trail run in Lafayette NJ: This run was on a trail that was quite rocky and full of debris. The schedule called for 8 miles that day. At mile 2 I tripped and I found myself face down in the dirt. I stood up muddy, bleeding from my forehead and hands. I had to decide "do I go on or do I turn back?" I thought, "hey I'm training with the Marines! I am going on!" At the water stop my teammates helped me wipe away the mud and the blood and I went on to run my 8 miles that day. The silver lining: there were massive piles of horse manure all throughout the trail. It could have been MUCH worse!
Knee Injury...oh no! After getting home from Lafayette I removed my training clothes to assess the damage and found that my right knee was severely bruised. Coincidentally (or not) soon after this accident my right knee started giving me problems. So much so that I wound up back at my acupuncturist and chiropractor and putting a halt on my training runs for a few weeks. Oh no, here I go again! ughhhh!
I found my Chi! By late July I was feeling better and resumed my training. I found a book called Chi Running which talks about learning how to run from your "Chi" which is easier on your knee(s) as well as other body parts. Hey, I like the sound of that!

The NYC 1/2 Marathon: Fast forward to August 5th, 2007. I entered to run in the NYC Half Marathon with my life long friend, Debbie Shapiro. It was also her birthday so we were celebrating our friendship and her birthday by running in this event together.

Debbie Shapiro and me the day before the NYC Half Marathon

We went into NY the day before to stay overnight, celebrate Debbie's birthday, and be there in the starter's corral in Central Park at 6:15am sharp. The morning of the race I was pretty nervous about not having run more than 9 miles since April and having taken so much time off from my training. There was a 3 hour time limit for the runners. My goal was simple this time: Finish in under 3 hours without getting injured and before the meat wagon picks me up!

I had the Sperber cheering section on hand in Central Park all decked out in Running on Love T-shirts. Central Park in my humble opinion was one gigantic hill. I couldn't wait to get out of there! As I headed out of the park towards Times Square we had the NYPD Blue on their bull horns yelling at us in thick NY accents: "Hey you runners, its 8:30am and you're running down Times Square! It don't get better than that!" I couldn't agree more.

At mile 11 the muscle cramps were setting in and I felt like I did at the end of the full marathon. Maybe worse! I began stopping and stretching periodically. I stopped at the last water stop and some guy tried to hand me a water cup and his fingers were sticking deep inside the cup. I reached past him politely to grab a different cup and he started yelling at me "Hey Lori!!!" I turned in disbelief and it was Jack, my Team in Training Mentor! We are still having a good laugh over this one.

So, did I meet my goal? Absolutely! There will be no meat wagons for Lori Sperber!

Here I am looking very chipper and ahead of my
unnamed opponent!!

From left to right: Jillian Sperber, David Sperber, my
sister-in-law Margie Strauss and nephew Steven

Check out the gorgeous weather in these photos. This race day was delightful, cool, clear and perfect running weather. The day before this race and the day after this race it was sweltering into the 90's and severely humid. On this day, the weather was just what the running doctor ordered! I do believe I was being protected by a couple of weather angels!

From left to right: Our son David, my husband Jeff, a very
tired and sore Lori, and our daughter Jillian
(FYI: Our daughter Melissa was traveling and touring Chicago that day)

The race ended in Battery Park. My chip time was 7 minutes better than it was in the Brooklyn Half Marathon in April. I guess you could say this is now my PR or Personal Record. I believe running is a great sport because your only true competition is yourself. Oh what a beautiful feeling...to finish a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) and celebrate with the people that you love! Just amazing!

Why those of us on Team in Training are so passionate about what we are doing...

2007-07-26T16:24:00Z

Christopher

It is with a very heavy heart that I pass along sad news. One of my coaches in Team in Training, Melissa Muilenberg, has lost her nephew Christopher to his long courageous battle against Leukemia on Monday evening. Christopher was just 9 years old. He spent the last month in the hospital battling to get into remission long enough to be able to receive a bone marrow transplant. Christopher was a sweet boy who never complained much and always put on a brave face. He was a loyal NY Mets fan, just like my kids.

The news was sent to us yesterday and with it Melissa has passed along a request to all of us on Team in Training that I would like to pass along to all of you:

"When you get home tonight or if you are home when you are reading this . . . give your kids and the rest of your family a big hug and be thankful for their good health."

This is a somber reminder, particularly when news like this hits home, that for all the progress in the treatment of blood-related cancers, there is still much work to be done. You may not be aware, but Leukemia is the #1 disease killer of children under the age of fifteen.

Please help in any way that you can to support and donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by returning to www.runningonlove.org Perhaps someday we can prevent other families from suffering this unthinkable grief.

Thank you for your support!

All my best,
Lori

Racing to Save Lives

2007-07-13T20:12:00Z

In Loving Memory and Honor of Sue and Marty Sperber

Well good things can become an addiction too! After the incredible journey I had experienced as a member of Team in Training and completing the NJ Marathon in April, I just couldn’t help myself. As many of my dear friends and family predicted, I am doing it all again!

I am now training to run in the Marine Corps Marathon on October 28th in Washington DC as a proud member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. I will be doing this event in loving memory and honor of Sue and Marty Sperber, my dear in-laws who have now both passed on. It is with great honor, love and joy that I dedicate myself to complete this fundraising effort as a tribute to two of the kindest and most loving people I have ever known.

They Were the Definition of Love
In my life, I have been extremely blessed. One of the sweetest blessings I have enjoyed is receiving unconditional love from the two most wonderful people, Martin and Sue Sperber. These two loving and devoted parents and grandparents, showered us all with love and affection whenever they could. They never missed an opportunity to send us cards on every occasion, to be there in our time of need, or to rejoice in our happiness. They embraced me immediately and always treated me like their daughter. There was always a card for me on Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Birthdays, and Anniversaries and they always read “Dear Daughter”, never "Daughter-in-law". They gave their love and devotion fully and unconditionally, without any expectation of receiving or needing anything in return, not even a thank you. Our needs and happiness were always paramount and placed ahead of their own. I will always cherish their beautiful memory and will be forever grateful for having had them in my life.

As I passed the 20 mile mark during my NJ Marathon run, it was incredibly tough to keep going. I found that it was difficult to even drink water let alone take in nutrition that I needed for fuel. What kept me going when I was running on empty? In a word, Love. When I am running the Marine Corps Marathon my inspiration will be my love for Mama Sue and Papa Marty. I have no doubt that my love and admiration for them will carry me all the way to the finish line .

Cancer, regardless of what type it may be, does not discriminate on who it shall strike next. All of us have been touched by this in our lives and can relate to the pain it causes families all over the world. Let's work together to do what we can to help those in their time of need. All of us on Team in Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Please make a donation to support my participation in Team in Training and help advance the Society's mission.

I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress.

Thanks for your support!