First of all, a HUGE thank you to all of you who supported this cause whether it was with a comment or a donation. I really didn’t expect the response that I received and it was wonderful to see.
Without further ado let’s get on to announcing the winner. Congratulations to Road Warrior of Philly to LA on Foot fame. Here’s what you need to do to claim your prize:
Send an e-mail to me (halffastvanilla@gmail.com) with a shipping address. How easy is that?
For those of you wondering how the Relay went it was a huge success. Thanks to you, our family reached our fundraising goal and the total fundraising for the night was in excess of $90,000.
Suck it, cancer!
Showing posts with label suck it cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suck it cancer. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Tell Cancer to Shove it - Win Prizes!
Ok, not prizes but prize. A while back someone gave me the Sony MP3 player that you see pictured to the right to give away to a lucky reader. Since I’m a lazy pile I’ve been waiting for the opportune moment to give this away and now that I’ve already missed several opportune moments it’s time to step up to the plate.
So, if you leave a comment on this post in the next week (prior to Wed, August 8th) then you will be entered into the drawing. This means that your chances of winning are really, really good because let’s face it, you’re probably the only person still reading this blog! There have been no more than 10 comments on any of the posts I’ve written this year and half of those are probably just me trying to up my comment count.
If that’s not good enough for you and you want to further increase your chances of winning then there’s a way to do that too! Here’s how:
This Friday my family and I are participating in the Relay For Life Cancer Walk at a nearby high school with Candis’s aunt who is a cancer survivor. It’s something that we’ve done before because it has been close to both our families. Candis and I are fortunate to know quite a few cancer survivors but many, many more people don’t have survivor stories and that is something that we’d all like to see change. So, if you DONATE HERE then I will give you an additional entry for every $5 you donate to the cause.
In summation:
Comment telling cancer to suck it = 1 entry
Donation to Relay For Life = 1 entry per every $5
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
47¾ Laps
Well, I resisted the urge to try my hand at the steeplechase jump pictured in the post below. It was tempting but I didn’t want to run the majority of my long run with a wet foot, or worse a wet torso and a busted up chin. I considered trying it on my last lap and having Candis film it just in case I took a digger, but since I didn’t start running until almost 8 o’clock it was dark when I finished and you wouldn’t have been able to see much anyway. Plus, by the time I finished my legs were pretty shot and I wasn’t liking my chances of completing the jump without injury. Maybe next year.
The goal was to run 12 miles on the track which is roughly 48¼ laps, but only if you do all 48¼ laps in lane one. Throughout the night I found myself weaving back and forth across the track to get around large groups of walkers and in some cases groups of large walkers. At the start of my 48th lap my trusty Garmin (p.b.t.n) informed me that I had completed 11.82 miles and when I was ¾ of the way around the track it beeped out a distance alert for 12 miles. Actually, it didn’t so much sound like a beep but rather like a heavenly chorus of angelic beings serenading me with the most beautiful sonnet known to man that simply translated to ‘you can stop now.’ It was exquisite. So, after 47¾ laps I stopped running because you don’t question the infallibility of The Garmin (p.b.t.n.) you just do as it says and then hope that it is appeased and gives you good splits. It did not.
I can tell you unequivocally that this was the second most grueling run of my life, with the first being the marathon. I went into it knowing that it would be boring but figuring that I would just keep plodding along at my usual pace until it was all over. I underestimated the effects that boredom and monotony can have on your pace and your desire. You would think that running your entire run on a perfectly flat, rubberized surface would be ideal, but by the end of mile 4 I was begging for some downhill sections and some uneven concrete to run on. By mile 8 I was longing for an uphill section to break the tedium and force a change in my stride. I came really close on multiple occasions to running out through the gates into the parking lot and down the street for a few miles, but I managed to stick it out and I completed all 12 miles on the track at a dismal pace. I do not recommend it.
Adding insult to injury (by which I mean my slow pace) was the fact that the official event photographer did not manage to capture a single photograph of me running. I think he was probably intimidated by my regal stride and overbearing magnificence. He did however take several pictures of Candis and the boys which is why there’s a picture of them at the top of this post. That picture was taken during the Candy Lap, and yes, I participated in the candy lap while I was running although you’ll have to take my word for it as there are no pictures to prove it. Stupid photographer, I think he had the hots for Candis. If I see him again I’m gonna’ have to whoop his butt.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you who donated. There’s something really special about seeing donations come in from people that you only know on the internet. You guys are the best!
The goal was to run 12 miles on the track which is roughly 48¼ laps, but only if you do all 48¼ laps in lane one. Throughout the night I found myself weaving back and forth across the track to get around large groups of walkers and in some cases groups of large walkers. At the start of my 48th lap my trusty Garmin (p.b.t.n) informed me that I had completed 11.82 miles and when I was ¾ of the way around the track it beeped out a distance alert for 12 miles. Actually, it didn’t so much sound like a beep but rather like a heavenly chorus of angelic beings serenading me with the most beautiful sonnet known to man that simply translated to ‘you can stop now.’ It was exquisite. So, after 47¾ laps I stopped running because you don’t question the infallibility of The Garmin (p.b.t.n.) you just do as it says and then hope that it is appeased and gives you good splits. It did not.
I can tell you unequivocally that this was the second most grueling run of my life, with the first being the marathon. I went into it knowing that it would be boring but figuring that I would just keep plodding along at my usual pace until it was all over. I underestimated the effects that boredom and monotony can have on your pace and your desire. You would think that running your entire run on a perfectly flat, rubberized surface would be ideal, but by the end of mile 4 I was begging for some downhill sections and some uneven concrete to run on. By mile 8 I was longing for an uphill section to break the tedium and force a change in my stride. I came really close on multiple occasions to running out through the gates into the parking lot and down the street for a few miles, but I managed to stick it out and I completed all 12 miles on the track at a dismal pace. I do not recommend it.
Adding insult to injury (by which I mean my slow pace) was the fact that the official event photographer did not manage to capture a single photograph of me running. I think he was probably intimidated by my regal stride and overbearing magnificence. He did however take several pictures of Candis and the boys which is why there’s a picture of them at the top of this post. That picture was taken during the Candy Lap, and yes, I participated in the candy lap while I was running although you’ll have to take my word for it as there are no pictures to prove it. Stupid photographer, I think he had the hots for Candis. If I see him again I’m gonna’ have to whoop his butt.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you who donated. There’s something really special about seeing donations come in from people that you only know on the internet. You guys are the best!
Friday, July 24, 2009
48 Laps
Tonight I’m doing my long run (12 miles) on a track as part of the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. You can donate by visiting my fundraising page, and if you need a little tugging on your heartstrings then you can read my post from a couple of days ago. If you need a little tugging on anything else you can do that on your own time.
As Nitmos astutely pointed out in that previous post, 12 miles on a track is actually a little more than 48 laps due to a mile being a little more than 1609 meters. So technically I’d have to run 48.28 laps but it seems highly improbable that I’ll fell like doing an extra quarter lap after having done 48. I’ll probably let you know what I decide to do about this matter in a 3 post series next week. It will be captivating.
To ready myself for the boredom that comes from running 48 (and a quarter, maybe) laps on a track I’ve been doing some preparation exercises. Things like:
Now, please go donate. Do it for the moral sense of superiority that it will give you, do it for the tax break, do it because you don’t want to be seen as less generous than this guy.
Have a great weekend everyone!
As Nitmos astutely pointed out in that previous post, 12 miles on a track is actually a little more than 48 laps due to a mile being a little more than 1609 meters. So technically I’d have to run 48.28 laps but it seems highly improbable that I’ll fell like doing an extra quarter lap after having done 48. I’ll probably let you know what I decide to do about this matter in a 3 post series next week. It will be captivating.
To ready myself for the boredom that comes from running 48 (and a quarter, maybe) laps on a track I’ve been doing some preparation exercises. Things like:
- Watching paint dry.
- Watching fishing on TV.
- Reading all of Nitmos’ archives. (Zing!)
- Slowly spinning around and around in my office chair.
- Working.
- Talking on the phone to my Mother. (Hi Mom!)
- Watching the Hallmark Movie Channel.
Hopefully I won’t get too bored, but maybe I’ll take my Blackberry and surf the internet while I run just to be safe. Although, I somehow doubt that would actually be safe. You’ve got to keep your head on a swivel when you’re at the track otherwise you’ll end up like the girl in this short 9 second video. I bet you watch it more than once.
Now, please go donate. Do it for the moral sense of superiority that it will give you, do it for the tax break, do it because you don’t want to be seen as less generous than this guy.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.
This is supposed to be a humorous blog about running, which may come as a surprise to you but that’s because you have no sense of humor. “You see everyone thinks they have a sense of humor but then they don’t all.” Today’s post is going to be a little different in that it will take a more serious tone, but I’ll probably still throw in a few sarcastic remarks so you don’t forget where you are, just like Lady Gaga will probably wear something ridiculous this week.
Some time after I started writing this blog we learned that my Dad had cancer. At the time I debated whether to share that on the blog or keep it to myself. It was a short debate and I went the typical guy route of bottling up my feelings and I felt decidedly macho about doing so. Fortunately, the doctors caught the cancer early enough, my Dad opted for the most aggressive approach to fighting it (surgery), and he has been cancer free for over a year. It’s a story with a happy ending.
In November of 2008 Candis’ Aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been undergoing treatment. She is currently in the final days of treatment and doctors are amazed by her progress and her positive and upbeat attitude. Recent tests indicate that she too is cancer free and has fought the battle and won. Another story with a happy ending. However, there are many families out there for whom there are no happy endings. (Ed. Note: I really should have rethought using the phrase ‘happy ending’ but I don’t feel like going back and changing it now.) Candis and I realize that we have been blessed by fortunate outcomes in our encounters with cancer, but there are still far too many families that are negatively affected by cancer which is why we are participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.
The Relay For Life is an all night walk that takes place at a local high school track. Our team, which includes Candis’ Aunt, will join other teams in walking around the track throughout the night this Friday, July 24th. Last year there were a couple of guys there who were running laps while everyone else was walking and this year I’m going to be ‘that guy’ (or one of those guys). I’m going to stave off the insanity that comes from running at length on a track and attempt to do my long run. 12 miles. 48 laps. Ugh! That ought to show up those walkers. Silly walkers, tracks are for runners.
You can learn more about the Relay For Life and donate by visiting my fundraising page. If you can give even a dollar it will be appreciated, by me and by the thousands of families that are affected each year by cancer.
As a side note, this is the type of post that always gets very few comments here at Half-Fast because you’re probably asking yourself ‘do I say something funny like I normally would or do I say something sincere?’ Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s OK to leave funny comments on these type of posts but let’s face it, you’re not that funny anyway. Go ahead and feel free to say whatever it is you want to in the comments. With that I’ll leave you with a video that I’ve posted before of Jimmy V giving a speech at the ESPYs.
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