Miles 114, 115 and 116

Dr. Marium Holland is sponsoring miles 114, 115, and 116!!  I'm so excited to have her support.  She is also a triathlete and is on a quest to become an Ironman with me on May 19, 2012.  She is so dedicated to the sport and she is an absolute inspiration to me.  I think Marium has been racing and/or training almost non-stop since our Galveston Half Ironman in April with Team in Training.  She has a great, uplifting spirit, a lot of knowledge to share, and not to mention some super supportive words of encouragement.  In short, she's just a joy to know!  Here is why she is sponsoring Miles 114-116:

"I want three of your miles. This may sound a bit odd, but consider 1 of them from me and 2 from 2 women that would support you if they could. The mile from me is for Mitzie. Your mom must have been an incredible woman, and I know she is so proud of you & all you are doing! The second mile is "from" my paternal grandmother, Lucille Holland. She was fortunate enough to have her ovarian cancer diagnosed early, after udergoing surgery and chemo made it past the 5 year mark before passing away from a heart attack. She was a wonderful grandmother and an incredibly strong woman - she was actually in the women's branch of the Marines during WWII (picked the Marines because she liked their uniforms the best!). The 3rd is from Heather, one of my first ovarian cancer patients when I was a resident. She was 33 when she was diagnosed with stage IIIC. After her diagnosis, her husband left her; fortunately her parents were wonderful and stayed by her side. During most of the 2 years I knew her she was continuously in and out of the hospital with complications of her multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, too weak to walk, and in a great deal of pain. She always had a smile for her team, and taught me so much about how extraordinary people can be. She passed away when she was 37, after an incredible 4 year battle. I've always wanted to do something in her memory, and I can't think of a better thing to do than to help you go 140.6 miles! I know that Heather and my grandmother would have loved the idea of someone becoming an Ironman while fundraising to cure their cancer! If it's OK, I would like Heather's mile to be mile 114 - I do believe that's when you'll be getting off the bike and onto the RUN! "

Thank you so much Marium!!  I can't wait until May 19, 2012, when we both get to become an Ironman!

Mile 111: "Thin Blue Line" (Sponsored by Lt. KD Anthony, Houston PD)

Kristine Anthony is responsible for Mile 111!!  I met Kristine through Team In Training also and she's one of the sweetest, most genuine people I've met through the sport of triathlon.  But, don't let that fool you, she will kick your butt in triathlon! And, if you break the law, she will find you!  Kristine is also a Lieutenant with the Houston Police Department. Here is why she took mile 111:

"To date, there have been 111 HPD officers that have lost their lives in the line of duty.  I run because they no longer can.  I serve because they no longer can.  And I proudly wear this uniform because they no longer can.  It's said that law enforcement is a "thin blue line"....between right and wrong, between civility and lawlessness, protecting law abiding citizens against those who would violate those rights, etc.  So, can 111 be known as the "thin blue line" mile?"

I love it!!  Thanks so much for the support Kristine, and thanks to all those amazing police officers out there who work so hard to keep us safe everyday.  A special thanks to the 111 HPD officers who she is running in honor of!

Also, be on the lookout for Kristine on race day, because she's competing in the Texas Ironman with me!!  Go Kristine!!

Exercise (Not Exorcise)

Apparently, people are starting to get to know me as a bit of an athlete.  Yes, I love sports, but it's the staying fit part of being athletic that I love the most.  Maybe I take it a little bit farther than others - just a little? Anyway, my sister sent me this picture and said "I don't know why, but this makes me think of you."

Funny huh?  Yeah, really funny Sarah!  I have to admit, at first I was a little offended, but then after say about 5 minutes, I thought it was pretty hysterical.  Suddenly, I felt very proud of the fact that my sister related my dedication to exercise to the movie 'Exorcism'!  What a compliment, right?! Ha! 

But seriously, I was proud - I still am.  In fact, I've put a few t-shirts in production with this picture on the front! (Not really)  I'm glad that my name, Lauri, and 'staying fit' go so well together and that I may even be thought of as possessed with the desire to stay fit! 

There are hundreds of reasons why I am so possessed with exercise. Here are just a few:

1. I feel amazing! Getting going to do a workout is tough, almost every day it is at least a small mental battle, but once that workout is over - I feel incredible!!  It's worth it every single time!
2. The more I workout, the less stressed, anxious, and 'out of sorts' I feel.  My workouts help me get focused and stay calm.  That's important with a husband, 2 kids, 3 dogs, the home, races, and a budding business.  And trust me, when you have kids you realize that each child takes parts of your brain...mommies start to feel like they are losing it because your babies eat your brains.  Mommies, you NEED to exercise!!
3. I sleep at night!  When I have to, or need to take a break from my workout regimine my sleep really suffers.  Sleep is gold in my book.  It's hard to come by with me because my mind never turns off.  I have an awesome ability to worry, even in my sleep!  So I will do whatever I can to get a nice deep, comatosed-like sleep, naturally.  Exercise does that for me.
4. It puts me more in tune with my body.  I have met several women triathletes who said the sport saved their lives.  Ovarian cancer whispers, its symptoms are quiet and easily missed and ignored, but the triathletes I know say they KNEW something was wrong.  They could even tell which ovary was disturbing them!  These women are so fit that any extra weight was cause for concern, slower workout and race times worried them, then they both say they could feel the growth on their ovaries.  The Olympic gymnast, Shannon Miller credits her fit lifestyle to finding her ovarian cancer so early.  Plus, all of these amazing women were able to recover from surgery and start chemotherapy faster.  They all also worked out through chemotherapy, which helped them deal with the nausea, weakness, and extreme exhaustion!  I've never had cancer, but I can testify that being fit has allowed me to recover from a c-section and gallbladder surgery easier.  For my gallbladder removal, I was out of the hospital within 4 hours after surgery - I was supposed to stay overnight!  People, listen to me, it helps - you HAVE to exercise (not, exorcise)!

I should say that staying fit is my priority.  The races and events that I sign up for are part of my motivation to stick to it.  Races are the end result of a long journey to reach a fitness level - they are my goals!  You have to have goals to get anywhere - otherwise, how do you know where you're headed or what it is going to take to get there.  So Lesson #1 (from a very short list of lessons I have to preach about) - GET A GOAL!!

Listen, you don't have to do triathlons, or marathons, or become an Olympic athlete.  You just have to find SOMETHING that gets you moving, that you can love, and a goal that you can work for.  Set a small goal, like walk for 30 minutes today, or get through spin class alive, or get through Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, or ride your bike for an hour....set that small goal, and when you reach it, GROW THE GOAL!!  When you grow your goals, you grow yourself, and your possibilities, and your life!  Trust me, with this philosophy anything is possible!

So, today, make a goal and complete it!

3 More Miles!!

Really quick, I want to acknowledge Dr. Marium Holland's donation.  She's claimed 3 more miles!!

I met Marium while training with Team In Training for the Half Ironman in Galveston this past April.  She is also training to become an Ironman with me on May 19, 2012.  Her support means a lot and I promise to tell her story in a post very soon.  As a Doctor of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, she has a really touching story in regards to Mile 114 - Heather's Mile, and a personal one for Lucille's Mile (#115)

Thanks for the support Marium!!  And good luck with your training, too!

Tour De Pink Ride Report

What a fun event!  Seriously, holding the event at Prairie View A&M was the best idea Pink Ribbons Project could have come up with...well, it's one of the best.  There were so many energetic and awesome student volunteers who danced and cheered for hours while riders came in from their 'tour'.  That was just one of the best parts.

Some other highlights:  The race course is beautiful!  Lots of rolling hills, but some really great almost-Texas Hill Country type stuff.  Plus, having the option to ride anywhere from 12-100 miles means that people of all ages and abilities can participate...which is so fun!

Also, the pit stops were super duper well stocked!  The volunteers had so much energy and were amazingly helpful with everything. 

Then there were the courteous riders of all abilities.  The non-stop cheering and chatter along the course made you want to keep going.  I couldn't wait to see what was coming up next!  Plus, survivors were easy to spot with their bright pink numbers.  I love survivors - LOVE them!!  They inspire me in so many ways to do more than I thought I could...so seeing them along the bike course made my heart leap with joy every time.

Now, here's what happened.  The team captain (Meredith) and I ride at about the same pace so we decided to do the 46 mile ride together.  Let me just preface this by saying, we ride at the same pace, but we do not read maps well - ha ha!  Sooo off we went on our 46 mile journey...directionless, but certain we could follow signs and other bike riders well enough.  Let me add that my GPS watch started late and Meredith's bike computer failed to turn on (despite her attempts)...so we were, how shall we say, doomed - LOL!  Okay so that's a little dramatic, but it ended up not quite the way we had hoped. 

 First, check out the awesome socks Meredith got us!  They made us super fast, in our heads at least!

We approach the first turn off and spotted our sign and appropriate arrow for the 46 mile ride.  Turn right.  Good, that was easy!  Here come the hills, and hills and hills...and wind, and storm clouds.  This is getting interesting and much more tiring than anticipated.  So somewhere near the second turn-off we decided to back our mileage down to the 34 mile ride.  I was planning on running about 7-10 miles afterward, so I figured a 34 mile ride would make the run a bit more plausible in the end...I was okay with the decision.  So the second turn-off appears and we locate the 34 mile arrow - and turn right again, again into another long set of rolling hills.  The scenery was really cool at this time, especially with the rain clouds rolling in.  A lot of flat plains made the view off in the distance kind of magical, plus the winds and clouds kept the ride nice and cool.  The hills were tough, but nothing a little descent on the other side couldn't cure.  We rode for about another 10 miles until we reached the next pit stop.  At the pit stop I looked at my GPS watch (that finally started working a few miles into the ride) and noticed it has only clocked about 18 miles.  "Funny?" I thought..."I guess it lost reception at some point due to the clouds". 

Here we are at the final pit stop!  Love the helmet-head look!

After a little snacky-snack and a water refill I head on down the road again.  About a mile down the road I hit a sign that says 'Finish 5 Miles Ahead'.  Wow!!  That has to be for another group because I still have at least 10 miles to go (given the GPS issues)....Right??  Nope, that WAS the finish - for everyone.  I crossed the line to tons of cheering, singing, and dancing students. A LOT of fun!!  I looked at my watch and it read 22 miles...what???  Well let's just say after some deliberation with the rest of the team, Meredith and I missed about 5 miles of the 34 mile route by following the 46 mile route at the first turn-off.  This is where map reading comes in handy, because had either of us studied the map beforehand we would have clearly seen the mistake (or would we??...My bets Meredith would be fine, but I'd be more lost than a whale in a sandstorm).  So my 46 miler turned into a 34 miler that accidentally turned into a 25ish miler (given my watch GPS and map-reading errors).  Oh well...it was worth it and still A LOT OF FUN!!!

I highly recommend the ride to anyone, of any ability!  There were all kinds of riders out there which really adds to the atmosphere and spirit of the day.  It is awesome and I can't wait to do it again next year!!  Go Team!!

Miles Earned:
Meredith Sharp - 25 miles
Lauri Mazeikas - 25 miles
Chris Sharp - 34 miles (clearly he can read a map)
Jason Colter - 34 miles (also a map reader!)

Tour De Pink for Breast Cancer Research...Here's Why We Want to Be There!

Tomorrow is our second Miles for Mitzie team event!!  A small group of us will be riding in the Tour De Pink near Prairie View A&M tomorrow.  This event is hosted by the Pink Ribbons Project, whose mission is to fight breast cancer through education and the support of proper screening for the medically under served funding and outreach initiatives.

You may wonder why 'Miles for Mitzie' would be interested in being a part of a ride that assists breast cancer research and education when we are trying to become an organization geared towards fighting ovarian cancer.  The answer is that breast cancer and ovarian cancer have a lot of similarities, especially in the fact that women who have a specific gene mutation are much more susceptible to getting both cancers.  This is why genetic testing is so super important, especially if you have a family history of either disease.  Learning about any gene mutations that raise your risk to any cancers can help your doctors direct care and early prevention tools/methods and ideas your way.  Thus, potentially saving your life! 

But, you do not necessarily have to have a gene mutation to be considered at a higher risk for developing these forms of cancer.  This is where your family history is critical to getting the best care for your future!

Talking about your family history is critical.  Cancer, historically, was rarely talked about. Even just 10 years ago it was difficult to find answers.  Talk to your family members and encourage them to open up to you about any medical history.  Let me give you an example really quick from my own family history:

My grandmother on my mom's side had breast cancer twice...and survived!!  She was an amazing example of courage and faith in battling cancer.  I wish she was here today so I could walk her down some of the awesome survivor lines at many of the breast cancer awareness events I've been too. We knew about breast cancer in our family because it was right in our face growing up, but we did not know about ovarian cancer (a silent disease that's often misunderstood by doctors, too).  Once my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer she began to do some research and found a history of stomach cancer in some of the women on her side of the family.  Ovarian cancer and stomach cancer look very similar near the end of life, and given the generation of the women in her research we concluded that they had probably had ovarian cancer that evolved into looking like stomach cancer at the end of their lives.  Later on, when my grandmother was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer as well, we pretty much 'knew'!  Now, with this knowledge, my sister and I carry this information to our gynecologists, who then say "You are at an obvious high risk for developing both breast and ovarian cancer" - despite the fact that we do not seem to be carriers of the specific gene mutation most doctors look for when assessing care.  Our family history has led us to earlier mammograms, ultrasounds and blood work that has, thankfully, elevated our level of care and will save our lives from ovarian and breast cancer!  I am proof that simply talking about your family history can change so much for yourself and all the generations before and after you!  So talk!!!

Help us cheer on our the Miles for Mitzie team at Tour De Pink because they are raising awareness and helping open up the discussions of both breast and ovarian cancer.  Rides like this save lives! 

Special thanks to team captain Meredith Sharp for putting the whole thing together.  I'll also put a list of riders and the miles they earned after the ride on Sunday.  I'll be out there doing anywhere from 46 - 63 miles...on my super cute PINK bike!!! 

Moving Miles...

Woo hoo!  We're off and running.  I have at least two of the 140.6 miles spoken for!

Congratulations and special thanks to Richard Gremillion, aka Dad, for claiming the last, most rewarding, amazing mile - mile #140!!  Can't wait to see what name he thinks up for it!

Thank you and congratulations to my long time friend Jennifer Bailey for claiming 1/4 of mile 91!  Jennifer and I grew up together in Alexandria, LA.  Our friendship allowed her to get to know my mom really well.  Our friendship also allowed her to get to know me really well, which is why she chose mile #91.  You see, 1991 was a prominent year in our friendship AND coincidentally (or perhaps not) the same year one of my favorite albums ever was released - Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I and II!!  Apparently, a few of my oldest friendships are significantly marked by my love and devotion to good old GNR!!! We're still deciding on a name, but for now we've settled on the "Use Your Illusion Mile".  Any volunteers to blast the album on race day??  I'd love to hear a little 'You Could Be Mine', 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door', or 'Don't Cry' to keep me moving.

Thanks for my early birds for getting this thing started!  Be sure and check in and watch for your name added to my list at the top right of the blog.  Donate today, claim your mile today, change ovarian cancer forever - TODAY!!!