Hey all, my name is Melissa. I am just a few months shy of turning 23. I hated running in school. After my sixth grade year when my brother was diagnosed with his first of two brain tumors, we switched from public to home school and more attention was directed towards academics. I then became lazy and that's where all my weight gain began.
Eric's first tumor was surgically removed and then it grew back. It was then a year later that he was accepted into a protocol study at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN and received radiation therapy.
Eight years after he received radiation, I got married to my husband Mark, and later that year, we moved from home to his first duty station with the Marine Corps. This was my first time living anywhere away from home and I was all kinds of emotions. Literally two weeks after settling into our new location and new home, I had taken care of some errands and noticed a flyer for a race in town to support St. Jude. I thought--what the heck, I'll never run. Ever. Again.
But that small voice said "do it for Eric... Do it for the kids you saw up and down the halls of the hospital as you waited for Eric's therapy session to be done and for those kids that became your newest friends... But, also do it for yourself."
I found myself running mile distances like there was no tomorrow. Two months later, I found myself at the starting line of the mile fun run. 14 mins later, I found myself taking the bronze medal for my brother.
The next year, I had the honor of sharing my brother's story (with a severe case of bronchitis and it was 50° with torrential downpour). That year, I took second in 13:09. (No judging for a 23 year old doing just a mile--I got off the couch for lots of good reasons!)
This year, things are changing a bit and the then-Spring event is turning into a Halloween bash that I, along with the local country radio station, get to help coordinate this year.
I know that I will at least sign up for the mile run, but with the help of God, my husband, family, friends, and the C25K app, I can attain enough stamina to complete my first 5k.
It got me thinking..there are more runs than those for St Jude. I have decided to commit myself to diligent training and to do everything I can to run an organized 5k at least once a month. Maybe this is a huge goal, but I am such a people person and to think of all the other things besides cancer and catastrophic diseases that need awareness—autism, domestic violence, veteran appreciation—it's one of the few things I could do, right?
Would appreciate you cheering me on and I look forward to sharing my progress. I hope though as amateur as I may be, I can be a motivator to someone also.
Melissa
5.10.15
My goal: 3 miles
Current progress: 1 mile
