Post Race Reflection

Almost two months later, I finally finished writing a letter that I will send to all my donors who helped me exceed my fundraising goals. My minimum requirement was $2,400 and I raised $4, 335! I am so deeply grateful to everyone who made a donation so I wrote this letter to share the entire experience of the marathon, since I could not have made it without them.

Dear Family and Friends,

I came, I saw, I conquered 13.1 miles! I am proud to report that I successfully crossed the finish line at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, on October 14. It is an experience I won’t soon forget. What started out as a way to give back to others and to try something new, ended up being a personal journey of sorts, and I emerged a better person.

In the early days of my training I realized it was going to be an emotional experience, which I honestly hadn’t anticipated.  As I shared in my fundraising letter, one of my motivations was to honor my mom who I lost to lymphoma in 2005. Every Saturday, on our long training days, I would find myself thinking about my mom and remembering her struggle the last 9 months of her life.  As I confronted these details again, I was saddened yet bolstered by these memories. I thought of the countless patients and their families going through the same struggle, and although I shed some tears as I covered those training miles, I became resolved to walk and run for those who cannot. Week by week, I covered more and more mileage and with the help of Team in Training, I achieved goals I never considered before.  And when I doubted myself and my ability, I thought of each and every one of you that sent me a donation and believed in me, and I pushed forward with renewed confidence.

The Nike Women’s Marathon benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and this year 25,000 women and a few good men (!) participated in the event.  As expected, the race course was scenic and spectacular as we wound our way through San Francisco. Aside from the natural beauty, there was no end to the supporters cheering us on throughout the course, brandishing funny signs, clanging cow bells and offering words of encouragement.  During the last mile and a half, I began “talking” to my mom in my head, telling her that this race, this effort, was so that her battle with lymphoma was not in vain. I am picking up where she left off, and continuing the fight against blood cancers, so that one day, there will be no need for this marathon. I hope she is proud of me and I hope I have made you proud as well.

To simply say this was a “good experience” doesn’t do it justice; there are simply too many layers. First and foremost, I raised $4,235.00 for LLS.  I am truly touched by every single donation I received, and in this economy, I don’t take that generosity for granted. Secondly, completing this marathon has spurred me to tap into my own potential. Now I think to myself “well, I never thought I’d complete a marathon but I did. So what else can I do?”  The possibilities are endless!  Lastly, I have found a sense of peace in my heart. In the words of Maya Angelou “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver”. Helping others in memory of my mother, has afforded me that liberation.

Once again, my sincerest thanks to you for your support and encouragement. I could not have made it across the finish line without you and it is with gratitude that I share this accomplishment with you.

                                                               

                                                                                                                                Warmest regards,

                                                                                                                                             Gigi

Light the Night Walk

On October 27 we did our first Light the Night Walk in Walnut Creek. Light the Night is another event sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and is a casual, approximately 2 mile walk for survivors, patients and supporters of people with blood cancers. It also is for those who walk in remembrance of someone who lost their battle. 

We registered ourselves as TEAM CARINA and made these fun t-shirts and hats to wear.

Here's Dad, his daughters and (most) grandkids

Everyone who walks gets an illuminated balloon - red is for supporters, white is for patients/survivors and gold is for in memory. The pictures don't do it justice, but it's a very moving sight to see so many illuminated balloons all at once.

Grandpa gets stroller duty

The whole family minus Randy

Me and Ate

In the first couple of years after my mom died we would all get together on her birthday and have dinner. As the years have passed, we've stopped doing that, mainly because of busy schedules I think. I look forward to getting the family together for these types of events and remembering and honoring our mother this way. It's good to see that we are not the only ones who have dealt with this struggle and that there is still more to do for those who are fighting now.

A Marathon? Who, me?

Believe it or not, I have signed up for a half marathon! Yes, you read that right. I know, I know, I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, an athlete but it's something I have always wanted to do. Blame the bucket list. After years of hearing about Team in Training and their fundraising efforts for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I decided to make the leap. I figured that since Randy is done with residency and will have a more regular, predictable schedule, I can actually commit to something. So here's the lowdown: I'll be walking 13.1 miles in the Big Sur Half Marathon on November 18, 2012. As a member of Team in Training (TNT)I also commit to raising $2500. I am equally terrified and excited by the whole thing. I have never trained for anything ever before (heck, I haven't even exercised regularly in over a year!) nor have I ever fundraised for any large dollar amount. And while this whole thing freaks me out a little bit, it also gives me a sense of purpose and challenge. What's life if you don't push yourself, right? As part of my fundraising campaign, I've sent out about 125 emails and am working on sending out about 50 letters. Here's an excerpt from my donation request email: I also have two personal reasons motivating me. First and foremost, I lost my own mother, Carina Calpe to lymphoma in February 2005. For those of you who knew her, she was a warm, vibrant, caring woman who loved to cook, dance and travel. She taught me at an early age to have compassion for others, and to always give to those less fortunate than myself. This is my way of honoring her and continuing her legacy of giving. Secondly, over the last 7 years, I have been focused on supporting my husband Randy as he completed medical school, and subsequently his Internal Medicine residency. During that time we were also blessed with the birth of our sons, Cruz (4 years old) and Lucas (10 months). Needless to say I haven’t had much “extra” time. Now that Randy is done, I can take a little time and do something for myself and not kid-related! So far I've raised $350! I am so thankful that I have people in my life who believe in me and who are generous enough to donate to such a worthy cause. I am still not sure I can complete the marathon, but I am going to give it my all and do whatever it takes to get across that finish line. Follow my progress on my TNT webpage! Go TEAM!