DONNA recap - day 1

I found DONNA HQ

It was some awesome to be an ambassador this year for the race! I had to make sure I made myself available for all the ambassador fun because the Social Media Butterfly had BIG plans for us!

I ended up heading down to Hilton Head/Bluffton on Wednesday to stop in and see my parents. Got in a great little run through the neighborhood Thursday morning before I left for Jacksonville. It was chilly and breezy, but great for a few quick miles. I was keeping an eye on another ambassador's incoming flight so I could pick her up at JAX. Holly had made the trek all the way from Washington state and I wasn't going to let that girl spend too much time at the airport. I scooped her up and we were off.

Hey look what I found at HQ!

 One of the things I love about being an ambassador for this race is getting to know the other ambassadors and their stories of what brought them to DONNA. Holly is a survivor and had the amazing pleasure of going on one of Jeff Galloway's Greece trips, where she met Chris Twiggs, one of the DONNA board members, and the rest, as the say, is history! Holly is so positive and full of light and it was great to spend bits of time with her during the weekend. I agree with Chris Turner that next year we need to all be able to stay in closer proximity so we can hang out more and get to know each other! Holly had a series of flights bringing her cross country, so she was ready for a nap and a shower after I picked her up, so I dropped her off at her hotel and went the DONNA Headquarters to meet up with the Social Media Butterfly herself to see how I could help out.

We headed to an event at a local school before saying goodnight and getting ready for the fun in the morning - what I'm really calling "Day 1" - the Social Shakeout Run!

Must. Have. Coffee!

Marcia scooped me up and we were off early to Lillie's Coffee Bar to get ready for all the runners and CELEBS! Yes, running royalty was on their way to our party. Joan Benoit-Samuelson, Jeff Galloway, Dave McGillivray, Alana Hadley, and of course, Donna herself. It was great to run with Jeff and his wife Barbara for a bit - Barbara even gave me some awesome reading recommendations! It was definitely cool to start the morning, but after a quick 4 miles, it was feeling warmer and we all hesitated to go inside.

I spy Dave McGillivray

But soon enough we were inside the coffee shop enjoying our hot coffee and yummy pastries and some amazing conversation with people. Seriously - this was THE event to be at for the weekend. Little did I know that the DONNA 110 Champion was also in our midst - humble Dave Krupski, who I met briefly since I knew I would be covering that race starting the following day.




We had a great morning to start the festivities, and then Krissy and I were off to the expo to grab our bibs, check out all the fun vendors, and maybe see a glimpse of the Butterfly in action! The expo was full of great vendors, and so well organized. We got in a got our bibs really quick, then had some time to really explore each aisle and see the vendors we wanted to see - did someone say CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN?!?!?! - then we were both SOOOO hungry, that we headed off for some off-site errands and lunch at Pei Wei.

About that time, it was time to start getting ready for our fabulous evening at One Ocean, a sort of cocktail hour affair for the "VIPs" and a chance to really see all the ambassadors (well, most of them anyway... we did have some stragglers. Life gets in the way of fun sometimes on race weekends). This was a super fun evening, and while we had planned to go out for pizza afterwards, most of us were so stuffed from the awesome buffet, and exhausted from the amazingness of the day, we ended up heading home. Needless to say, we had a good time!

I'm still aiming for my total fundraising goal of $1000 - needs to be "in the bank" by March 31. And I've committed to run another 13.1 in honor of DONNA if I meet that goal - you can help me choose! To help us continue to race #CloserToACure, please consider donating.

#GivingTuesday - why I support DONNA

As you know, I'm a 2015 ambassador for the 26.2 with Donna race in Jacksonville Beach, FL.  I was first introduced to this race by my #CorralG sister, Social Media Specialist for the race, Marcia Barton.  She is PASSIONATE about her hometown race, and a fabulous ambassador for the race.  But it was in reading Donna Deegan's book this weekend that I really came to know and love the namesake of the race and get fired up about fundraising again for DONNA.

Through Rose Colored Glasses: A Marathon from Fear to Love is Donna's second book about her third - yes, THIRD - bout with breast cancer.  Donna Deegan was a local news anchor in Jacksonville who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999.  Before being diagnosed a third time in 2007, Donna and her oncologist, Dr. Edith Perez, hatched a plan to create the nation's first marathon solely dedicated to breast cancer.  100% of proceeds go to the cause - 70% to research done at Mayo Clinic under Dr. Perez's brilliant direction, and 30% to supporting local women undergoing treatment.  Donna's second book chronicles her struggle with being diagnosed a third time while planning the inaugural event.  It also shows how she incorporated meditation and alternative medicine to help shift her perspective on cancer and life in general.

Since it's inception, 26.2 with Donna in partnership with the DONNA Foundation has raised over $3.5 million to help finish breast cancer.  I loved how Donna explained the shift in her mindset and in the focus of the race from fighting to finishing.  In her own experiences, she realized that living with the fight mentality made living with cancer grueling.  She also recalls losing a dear friend to cancer, and finally feeling fed up with the fighting mentality.  A few weeks later at a board meeting for the race, Donna proclaimed that it was time to start talking about "finishing breast cancer" - not fighting it.  The idea of being part of an organization that is honestly working to finish breast cancer - donating such a significant portion of proceeds to research with the nation's leading team in the field as well as helping patients live their lives while undergoing treatment - is an honor and a blessing.

As I mentioned in my first post about becoming an ambassador I, like Marcia, like Donna, wholeheartedly believe that Dr. Perez and her team, with the support of the DONNA Foundation and the 26.2 with Donna race, will find a cure and finish breast cancer IN OUR LIFETIME!  And the hopeful part of this for me is that this research will unlock our ability to finish all cancers.  This is a cause I am passionate about too.  And I ask you, on this #GivingTuesday, to consider making a donation and helping us, as a team, #BeTheFinish.



For more information on 26.2 with Donna, visit www.breastcancermarathon.com.  Interested in joining us?  Use my ambassador code, "AmbLove15" for $10 OFF - and don't forget to tell them Katie sent you.
For more information on Dr. Perez and her work at Mayo, check out this bio.

DONNA Ambassador - finish Breast Cancer with me!

I am so honored to be one of the chosen ambassadors for the 26.2 with Donna the National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer.  I'm still debating whether I'll run 13.1 or 26.2 - waiting to hear about a couple other possible marathons in that same time frame and don't want to over do it.  But I am also looking forward to riding 52.4 miles for the DONNA bike next month, hopefully with my dad and brother.

As it is October (where has this year gone!) already, it's time to pull out all the pink and start focusing on breast cancer.  At least that's what they tell us.  I read a great blog post this morning from my friend Megan at elbowglitter about where we should really be focusing our efforts.  Take a moment to go read it and let her know that you think she's AWESOME!

She's right though - October shouldn't just be about raising awareness or telling the positive stories.  Fighting cancer is TOUGH.  There's nothing pretty about mastectomies and full hysterectomies.  And the face of breast cancer isn't just women - this is a disease that effects men too, albeit in much smaller percentages.  But I know a man battling breast cancer for the second time - and it's spread beyond just the breast tissue.  My aunt is a survivor.  Cancer in general is so prevalent in our society and it's scary.  My own family history led me to take the BRCA-1 gene test to find out my genetic pre-disposition for the disease.  Luckily it came back negative.  But that doesn't mean I'm free and clear from ever developing cancer.

And that's why, for the second year in a row, I am supporting DONNA.  Last year I raised $500 for the cause, and my goal this year as an ambassador is to double that support.  Why did I choose DONNA?  Sure, my first reason was "I know people" but really - when you learn about DONNA, this is the only breast cancer race to fully donate it's proceeds to cancer research and support women receiving treatment.  The research being done at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville is leading the field to finish breast cancer.  Dr. Perez and her team are doing some amazing things, and being able to support their research is truly an important way to help lead to unlocking the key to finishing all kinds of cancer.

I hope that you will consider supporting my efforts this year - not for me, but for the people fighting cancer on all fronts.  Men and women of all ages, affected by this horrible disease that is eating at their lives.  I want to run and bike with DONNA this year to finish breast cancer and support the amazing work of this great cause.  Will you join me?

To donate, please visit my page.