Snake Charmers?

Me and Rita: Currently in a pickle!

The Thoman boys have yet again put me and my sister-in-law Rita in what I consider to be a very big pickle!

In June, Team Perry will be participating in the WALK TO DEFEAT ALS. This will be our first time participating in this event since Perry's diagnosis (and since he lost his battle this January). In memory of Perry, we set a very high fundraising goal. Three of the sister-in-laws wanted to hit the "Extra Mile Club" (meaning that we each raised $1000).

I hit the goal earlier this year thanks to the amazing generosity of my Central Penn College family and friends. Kelly hit her goal this month (thank you Ted Watson!). So last night, Team Perry plotted on how Rita could raise the remaining amount to reach her goal.

Leave it to the Thoman boys to come up with an idea that BOTH of us hated!

HERE'S THE DEAL: Rita and I are officially in a fundraising competition until next Friday (the deadline for the Extra Mile Club). Whoever raises the LEAST will have to put a SNAKE around their neck during our visit to Lake Tobias this summer! 

Initially I imagine a scene where I channel my inner-Britney and totally befriend the snake (and look pretty darn cool in the process!). Then reality kicks in, and I know it's going to be a little more like that famous scene from Psycho.

Fantasy

 

Reality

My only solution - I need to WIN! So for the next two weeks, I'm on fundraising overdrive! Donations on MY PAGE will get Rita closer to that snake! But donations on HER PAGE will count against me. So skip the Starbucks this week, and make a $5 or $10 (or more) donation! You'll get to torment me and Rita AND help find a cure for ALS!

Don't worry - when the big scene goes down, I'll be sure to post lots of pics/videos on this blog! 

Getting Schooled on Balance

"You can have it all. Just not all at once." Oprah Winfrey

At the beginning of the year I was given an amazing opportunity to teach Zumba classes at a gym owned by one of my mentors - the women who I credit with making me fall in love with Zumba, Liza Smith! I was already teaching four classes a week (plus working full time), but I LOVE teaching, so why not teach MORE? Especially when I could team up with my mentor! (More is BETTER, right???)

So since January I've been teaching six classes a week. And I love teaching every single one of those classes. I want to "be the change." And every Zumba class gives me a forum to teach, entertain, and (hopefully) inspire others.

But here's the problem... I realized recently that I wasn't being very inspirational. 

With my new schedule I started missing my morning strength training sessions with my trainer, Derek. Although I've been rockin' the cardio in my Zumba classes, I know that some heavy lifting with Derek is necessary if I want to achieve my fitness goals (Ab Muscles, I'm talking to you - I know you're in there somewhere!).

I also realized how much I miss complaining about Negley Hill on Tuesday nights with my running friends, and joining my former American Cancer Society volunteers at our "reunions," and having time to snuggle my boys at home. With so many weekly class commitments, my time to do those things became greatly limited.

My boys, Max and Puggy!

So here's the question... How can I (1.) Find my ab muscles, (2.) Have time for family and friends, (3.) Make a positive impact on the world, and (4.) Still work toward becoming a Zumba superstar?

My answer? BALANCE. 

My next thought? Easier said than done! I couldn't imagine my Monday nights without Joy, Lindsay, Lena, and all of the amazing gals at Progress Fitness, but I also considered that I wouldn't reach ANY of my goals if my schedule went on as-is.

Then I made the decision to do something scary and HARD. I told my mentor that I wanted to give up my classes at her studio and step back to the sub list.

Derek put it this way - "It's better to have fewer classes and make them AWESOME classes." He's right (I hate when he's right). And I'm (slowly) realizing that balance is important and necessary to make not only my Zumba classes, but ME better.

It's been a tough lesson for me to learn, and probably one that I'll need to be reminded of again. But (as I snuggle next to Max and Puggy on the couch), I know I'm one step closer to being the person that I want to be.

I learned a tough lesson this week, and need your feedback! How do you find balance? Give me your best tips and tricks!

Numbers and the Nike Half Marathon

13.1. That was an important number for me this weekend. On Sunday, I participated in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in Washington, D.C. where I ran 13.1 gorgeous miles full of cherry blossoms, historic monuments, and lots (and lots) of cheering spectators!

I stood at the starting line with 15,000 amazing women and a few (500) good men. And I was lucky enough to run next to one great friend (Shawna Strine) who allowed me to share in her first half marathon experience!

I never considered myself to be a runner. Running was one of those things that "I could never do" (or at least that's what I told myself). Yet this was my second year to cross the finish line and have a man in a tux hand me my necklace from Tiffany & Co. (one of my favorite parts of this event!)

 

So how did a non-runner make it 13.1 miles to claim her little blue box? I didn't do it alone. I was lucky enough to connect to Team in Training - a facet of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society that trains team members for endurance events like this one. I committed to raising $2100 and in return I received a coach (Larry), a mentor (Cyndi), and a staff partner (Caroline). I also become part of an unforgettable team (a sizable roster of athletes who I now call my friends). Together they helped me do the impossible - they made me a runner!

Now let's talk about some really serious numbers - and these numbers are not as fun to share. One person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer approximately every four minutes. By the time you finish reading this post, another person will hear the words, "You have cancer."

But what does this have to do with D.C.? How did a post about running 13.1 miles turn into stats about cancer? Here's the connection... This year's Nike Women's Half Marathon (the 2nd annual) raised $4.7 million in the fight against blood cancers! That $4.7 million will help to fund life-saving research like that being done by Dr. Brian Druker.

When you think of the good that can come from it, 13.1 seems like a small number. It's a short distance - just a few miles longer than a 5K, right? Before Team in Training, I thought 13.1 was impossible. I know better now. 

What if I told you that YOU could do the impossible? Is 13.1 in your future? It could be! Join me in DC next April or find a different Team in Training event online! I'll see you at the finish line! Go Team!

What I learned from Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher - actor, producer, writer, pop culture icon, and... philosopher!? I know what you're thinking. What can we learn from this 30-something cutie pie on the ways of the world? He's eye candy! But before you disregard his insight, listen to this Kutcher quote...

"I'm continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you're uncomfortable, it means you're growing."

Let's start with the one word the jumped right out at me - UNCOMFORTABLE. Kutcher is saying that we need to deliberately put ourselves into uncomfortable situations in order to reap the benefits of learning and growth. This is a tough challenge because very few of us enjoy this. We'd rather do what we know, what we are good at!

Just this week I registered for the annual Zumba Instructor Convention. It's a four-day convention in August that brings over 6,000 licensed Zumba instructors to Orlando for education, networking, inspiration, and fun!

Zumba Instructor Convention 2013
Selfie with some of my fave Central PA ZINs 

It's my third year to attend the convention and (of course) I immediately wanted to register for my favorite sessions! I wanted to see Tamara Said and Amanda Grant in BROADWAY LIGHTS; I wanted to see Steve Boedt in BE THE INSPIRATION; I wanted to see Nick Logrea in SWING BABY SWING (all sessions that I was guaranteed to love)!

Zumba Instructor Convention 2013
ProSkills training led by Steve Boedt and Donna Giffen

Instead, I challenged myself (and it really was a challenge) to register for the sessions that I didn't naturally want to go to - the ones that I probably need the most! So I'll be taking a class on injury prevention, a Zumba Gold boost, Salsa/Merengue Mash Up, and even a personalized feedback session (now we're REALLY talking about UNCOMFORTABLE)! 

But here's what I can look forward to... Just like Ashton promises in his quote above, I can expect to walk away with much more than I would have by taking my favorite classes. I may be uncomfortable, I may not be very good at what I'm doing, and I may look a little silly (maybe a lot silly). But I WILL walk away with new insight about myself, new strength in areas that I need to work on, and new security that I can put myself into those uncomfortable positions and come out better in the end!

What have you learned from stepping outside of your comfort zone?

A Special Day With Area M Athletes

Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer for Special Olympics Area M at Messiah College! It's an annual tradition I share with a wonderful group of gals I met while working for a different non-profit (the American Cancer Society). These ladies rock - they have tirelessly donated their time for so many great causes, and I love our reunions!

So every year around tax time, we head to the field to volunteer for what I believe is truly the best job available at the Games. We are RIBBON PRESENTERS! The athletes come to our station after their race or event, and we have the incredible honor of announcing the winners and presenting everyone with their ribbons!

Over the years we've noticed the joy of the participants as they hear their name being called. So we've gradually increased the pomp and circumstance surrounding the presentation. We add drama, excitement, and theatrics similar to that of an announcer at a heavyweight bout! "And the heavyweight champion of the world is…" It's a BLAST!

There is much to gain by celebrating the successes of others. By the end of the Games, I'm hoarse, sunburned, and 100% fulfilled. But we don't need to wait until next April to find that joy again. Every day offers us the opportunity to support and encourage each other, and to celebrate the successes of our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers.

Who can you celebrate today? Who will you encourage?

Going the Distance

Today I spent the day in New York City. I always love visiting, but today had added significance. Today's trip was a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. With two buses filled with friends both new and old, we raised $1850 toward the fight against blood cancer.

When we arrived in New York, I couldn't wait to see the new musical ROCKY (How could I resist, given my own name?!). In the musical as well as the movie, Rocky's main goal isn't to destroy Apollo Creed. Instead, he wants to GO THE DISTANCE. He wants to make it to the end of the fight knowing that he stuck with it all the way.

I know another guy like Rocky. When I was in high school I took martial arts classes. One of my instructors and role models was a black belt named David Burns. At the time, he was already a two-time cancer survivor. This afternoon I found out that he lost his life just last month to Leukemia after a 23-year battle. 23 YEARS. And throughout that time, he never stopped educating and inspiring those around him.

For me, it puts things in perspective. Like Apollo Creed, like leukemia, and like so many of the challenges that we face, life can hit hard. But we have a Rocky Balboa inside of all of us. And whether our fight is 15 rounds (like Rocky) or 23 years (like Burns), there is much to be said for having the heart to keep standing in that ring.

I offer my sincere THANKS to those that spent their day with me today in New York City because today YOU were in that ring with me. Gloves on, mouth guards in, and full of HEART to continue the fight against cancer. Let's go the distance.

"Falling" Off the Wagon

My trainer, Derek, told me I've "fallen off the wagon."

I don't think "fallen" is the correct word. What about pushed? Thrown? Impelled? I think those works would be more accurate. I didn't fall - I was SHOVED off that wagon! And who (or what) was doing the shoving? - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In July of 2013, my brother-in-law, Perry, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. On January 29, 2014, we lost him. In those seven short months our lives were changed forever.

My husband was an amazing caregiver to Perry as he dealt with this incurable disease. I watched him manage medications, learn the complex equipment needed to keep Perry comfortable, and provide endless hours of support and camaraderie.

And what did I do during those nights that Shawn was caring for his brother? Well, I stayed home - worried - ate junk food - and fell (plunged? jumped? dove?) from that proverbial fitness wagon. These new changes in my life, understandably, directed my focus and consumed my energy.

Yesterday our family and friends gathered for the MDA Muscle Walk. We walked together as "Team Perry." And as we laughed and remembered, I was reminded of something. I was reminded of why I climbed on that crazy fitness wagon to begin with - because WE ALL have just one life to live. Because we need to make the most of EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

So HERE I AM - I'm swinging one leg back up on that wagon (crawling! climbing! ascending!) - with Perry in my heart and along for the ride. Let's go!

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you're hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" ROCKY