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An annoucement, an anniversary (a birthday) and a WINNER!

August 30, 2011 by

Remember the movie MY RUN narrated by academy award winner Billy Bob Thornton? It premiered in March and was screened in 500 theaters across the nation. I loved this film. Every second of it. I found it motivational, inspirational, and amazing. Terry Hitchcock reminds us of the obstacles we face every day – the marathons of life – and that we can overcome them with determination, self-confidence, belief in the extraordinary, and the will to succeed. Plus, Terry ran 75 marathons in 75 consecutive days. Simply amazing! I can only dream of running that far and for that long. Check out my full review if you haven’t already.
Did you miss this film in theaters? Get ready because Virgil Films and Entertainment announced it is coming to DVD on September 20, 2011!

A portion of DVD sales will go to programs that provide direct service to those affected by cancer through the Livestrong Foundation. ‘Be Somebody’s Hero’ today and pre-order your copy. Don’t forget to look for my name in the credits – I will be!
You can find more information and follow updates from MY RUN on Twitter and Facebook.  
Today is not only my birthday, but the anniversary of my first marathon ever! I have run four more since then and a marathon. I ran it with my friend Chrissy and the help of the MIT training program. I could not have done it without either one.  It was only two years ago:
Chrissy & Me finishing the Spirit of Columbus Half.
 
To this day, it has been the greatest experience and accomplishment of my adult life. I have not been the same person since I trained for and ran that race. 
It goes without saying, that I miss my mother more than anything today. She always made birthdays special for us. Thank each and every one of you – and Dad, Michael and Mollie – for making my day as special as it could be. You guys remind me everyday that I am not alone, even when it feels like it.
Dad, Michael, Me, Mollie & Mom on my birthday last year. (I never thought it would be our last as a family)
What better thing to do on my birthday than announce the CEP Compression Running Shorts giveaway winner?
Thank you to everyone who entered – I wish I could give you all shorts! I was thrilled with the number of entries and more importantly, the votes I received for Team Refuel. Thank you so much for supporting me! And, don’t forget, you can VOTE once a day for me until September 15th.
And the winner is, per the random number generator is…
 
Comment #88 (numbered from the first comment posted from 1 to 113) belongs to Laurieb27 from I Can Walk As Fast As You Can Run (which she really can, I’ve witnessed it!). 
Congratulations, Laurie! Please contact me to claim your prize and thank you for your votes!
Until the next mile marker, 
 
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Are There Really ONLY TWO DAYS Until Pittsburgh?

May 13, 2011 by
Countdown to Pittsburgh = 2 Days. In a little less than 48 hours I will be running this:
Please do your best to ignore MOUNT Washington somewhere around Mile 7
I’ve never been more scared for a race (although I might have said that before my first half, at least my husband seems to think I did).
I don’t even know what to wear anymore! I think I want to change my outfit and I have to pack and make sure I have all of my running gear! I’ve never made sure to pack my running gear before – I have never run this far away for any more than a 5k!?! Ack! And my stomach is queasy – must be the nerves – my throat is slightly sore – pray to the Heavens that I am NOT getting sick! I need to remember my camera and my cell phone charger and my laptop – right?!
Calming down, in major freak-out mode here!
The support and encouragement I have received from my running buddies has been amazing! Today I do also feel a tinge of excitement. I expect Pittsburgh to be a rollercoaster ride of emotions for me. The tidbits of encouragement and advice you have been sending to me this week have been wonderful – THANK YOU!
Here is just a little of what has been keeping me going:
“You will do great! You have trained hard for this & you’ll have friends & family supporting you.” Laurel, MIT Lucky 13ish (she’s fast!) who is running the half on Sunday
“I just wanted to let you know I will be thinking of you and your journey at your first marathon. I wanted to make sure you lube the following put a ton of lube on these areas:
Boobs
nipples ( I would even wear nipple guards)
under your arm pits
your thighs
between your butt cheeks
toes
and right where you sports bra is around your chest upper and lower.You have big boobs like me and let me tell you after so long the bra does start to move and cause friction EVERYWHERE! Be prepared to go through every emotion you have. For some reason I went through it all Excitement, I almost started crying at one point because I got to thinking about way to many things. You are going to want to stop but you just keep trucking and look toward that finish line! I know you will be awesome. Be prepared for every single one of those emotions to hit all at once, once you cross the finish line and they put that medal around your neck. This is your first marathon so always expect the unexpected.” –Adrianne, my friend (Thanks for the tips, girl!)
Me, Bart and my Mom
“I will be thinking about you in the marathon. Start out slowly and enjoy the day. Your Mom will be looking down at you with a very proud smile.” – Bart Yasso, um, only my RUNNING HERO!
“Sara, wishing you great weather and a terrific run this weekend in Pittsburgh. You can do it and your mom’s spirit will be the angel on your shoulder running with you the whole way! You will be in my thoughts and prayers.” – Karen, a family friend
“Every day can be a bad day. But every day can be a good day. Suck it up Wyen and RUN! Make it a GREAT day!” – Wendy, my training partner for most of this MIT season, hero and my friend.
“You rock! Remember to savor the experience because there will be many more marathons in your future, but there is only ever one first marathon!” – Heather, MIT running buddy
“Good luck. I will be thinking of you Sat. I cant wait to hear about your stories. You inspire me.” – Darlene, MIT Lucky 13 
“Good luck in Pitt my friend! This will be epic and you my dear will be AWESOME! I cant wait to read your blog!” – Shana, my friend
“I am so excited for you! You are going to be awesome tomorrow. Simply fantastic. You can so do this. Have fun and good luck!!” – Keri, MIT Lucky 13
“You’re getting so close to your Marathon! I’ll be rooting for you from afar like a crazy girl. :)” –Jen, my blogland buddy
I could go ON and ON……….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you guys!
2 days and counting…During the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 15th, I will be thinking of:
Mile 21: YASSO did it!
“Never limit where running can take you.” My mom and I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Yasso earlier this spring and hear him speak. It was unbelievable. He came to run with MIT and even though I was sick that weekend and could not run, meeting Bart is one of the coolest people I have ever met! At Mile 21, I will be thinking about all of the amazing things he has achieved through this sport that we share. I am humbled by his sheer determination to run and overcome the biggest and baddest of obstacles – Death Valley in the middle of summer, a charging Rhino is India, the onset of Lyme disease in the oxygen-deprived atmosphere of Mt. Kilimanjaro, drug and alcohol addiction, bicycling across the U.S. alone, and training ex-cons to run their first relay. Talk about not limiting yourself! 
 
Bart was a hero to my mother too. We had plans to look for him in Pittsburgh on Sunday (he will be there)! I told him when I met him I would keep an eye out towards the finish line. Bart was even kind enough to remember me and send a message, “Sara, I’m so sorry to hear about your Mom. I remember meeting her at Fleet Feet. I’m sure yesterday [Cap City] was a tough day for you. We never got to run together in Columbus. I hope our paths cross and we can go for a run together someday. Bart” How cool would that be?!? I hope to run with you too, Bart, but don’t worry, you’ll be running Mile 21 with me in spirit!
Mile 22: Terri did it!
“Human beings can accomplish anything they put their minds to. All they need to get started is someone to show them it’s possible.” Mr. Terry Hitchcock – another running hero of me and my family and the star of his own personal story My Run. At 57 years old Terry Hitchcock was left to raise three small children on his own after losing his wife to breast cancer. Not long after his wife’s passing, Terry also lost his job and soon found out how difficult raising a family alone could be. He decided, against all odds, to raise awareness for single-parent households and the struggles that are faced each and every day, by running 75 consecutive marathons in 75 days on an over 2,000 mile cross country trek. If Terry can do it, I can do it. I don’t have a single right to complain about even one single mile in Pittsburgh.
Terry reminds us of the obstacles we face every day – the marathons of life – and that we can overcome them with determination, self-confidence, belief in the extraordinary, and the will to succeed. Right now I am running more than one Marathon in the race of life. Since my mother’s passing, Terry’s story means more than it ever did before.
Mile 23: Don’t Stop Believing
“Hold on to the feelin’?” I will not give up. I will not give up. I will not give up. I will cross the Finish Line! What are 3.2 more miles? Just about a 5K! Why stop now? You’re practically there!
Mile 24: Pain is Temporary
 This moment, however you are feeling, is only temporary. Savor the moment. The pain you feel now, will only be secondary to the big finish. 
Mile 25: ONE MORE MILE
Literally this time. The God-honest truth, for real. Just one more mile to go! Don’t give up NOW! If you run just one more mile, you will be done!
Mile 26: Finishing is Forever
(See Mile 24). You will not regret this – you know this to be true. Running has changed your life. Cherish this moment. Remember it always; you only get one first marathon! Your family and friends will be there to cheer you on!
You went from never even exercising to running a marathon – time to celebrate!!
Until the next mile marker, 

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‘My Run’ Movie Review

April 5, 2011 by
Here’s an interesting and little-known fact about me: I don’t really like movies. I find them boring, predictable, and too theatrical for my tastes. Sure, I have a few select favorites that kept me on the edge of my seat and also made me use my brain (okay, the only thing I can think of in recent history is Inception). I don’t like comedies and I don’t like romance. I know, I’m weird, but I would rather read a book and use my own imagination to create the picture. Then again, I own like 92 copies of Wuthering Heights because it is my favorite book and no one gets that except my husband who is creepily reminded of Mark David Chapman.
All that aside, I must admit, I went to see My Run with high hopes – something that is completely out of character for me. I couldn’t wait to see it. In fact, after premiering on a Thursday night, the film would serve as motivation for my first 18 mile run on Saturday – no matter how good (or bad) it was.
My Run is the story of 57-year-old Terry Hitchcock who, after losing his wife to breast cancer, was left to raise three small children on his own. Not long after his wife’s passing, Terry also lost his job and soon found out how difficult raising a family alone could be. He decided, against all odds, to raise awareness for single-parent households and the struggles that are faced each and every day, by running 75 consecutive marathons in 75 days on an over 2,000 mile cross country trek.
The film is simplistic in nature and is primarily an interview of Terry, his three children, and his road team intermixed with footage from the road, newspaper clippings, and original music. This format is perfect for this film because it allows Terry to tell his own story. As he recounts the days spent living out of a trailer – and eventually the front seat of a car – Terry proves that “human beings can accomplish anything they put their minds to.  All they need to get started is someone to show them it’s possible.” We get all caught up in the latest running fashions, shoes, nutrition, and technology – Terry just ran. He ran through rain, blazing heat, cold, uphill, downhill, on the freeways and back country roads. He even ran with chest pains and stress fractures in his ankles and knee.
Even after his young team returned to their home in St. Paul, Minnesota (They said it was too hard and Terry was too cranky) and Terry was left with only his oldest son, he kept running – each day, every day – strengthening an unbreakable bond between father and son— not stopping until he broke the finish line tape in Atlanta, Georgia. His son crossed the line with him.
Terry, in fact, doesn’t even describe himself as a runner. He trained for 17 months prior to his odyssey. His trainer, Scott Meier, knowing there was no way to prepare Terry (who had never run in his life) for such a journey, focused on teaching Terry how to never give up and how to “climb the highest mountain.” Terry ran 2 or 3 miles every day and Scott taught Terry to push beyond his physical abilities in preparation to complete the run. Halfway through the training, Terry had a heart attack. His cardiologist said it was impossible for him to run. He shouldn’t even consider running to Atlanta. Terry had his mind set on the goal, though, and he recovered and continued with his training. Terry never told Scott he had the heart attack until just a few years ago!  
I have had a few people ask me what I thought of the film and my verdict is? I loved it. Every second of it. I found it motivational, inspirational, and amazing. Terry reminds us of the obstacles we face every day – the marathons of life – and that we can overcome them with determination, self-confidence, belief in the extraordinary, and the will to succeed. I have also had people tell me that they thought the Terry Fox story or Sprit of the Marathon were better stories, but I find this discouraging. The fact that anyone stands up for what they believe in and goes to such extreme measures, overcoming all odds, to do so, is not for me to judge. I admire all of these people for what they have done and the odds they have overcome to solidify their belief – it is all amazing to me. In Terry’s situation, I can’t imagine losing the love of my life, raising children without that someone (which I don’t even have), and running in pain and alone across the country – that is remarkable. I know his team supported him throughout and were cheering him on, but even they packed it up and headed home when the going got tough, but not Terry. He set his mind to accomplish a goal and he prevailed – like many others, no doubt – but his story is unique just like the others because it is his.   
I am awed by the passion, determination, perseverance and sheer mental toughness of Terry Hitchcock – in fact, it helped get me through 18 miles Saturday. 75 marathons in 75 days?! I don’t have a right to complain about one mile in Pittsburgh! Congratulations to Mr. Mark Castaldo and his team on a wonderful film and thank you for sharing Terry’s story with all of us! And, once again, thank you for including my name in the film credits as a “My Runner.” How cool is that!? Terry is sure to be an inspiration to me for a long time to come!
Until the next mile marker,

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MY RUN is Your Run (The BIG Reveal!)

February 24, 2011 by

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days?

I dream of running one marathon in May – to run 75 back to back is unfathomable.
Yet, for one 56 year-old man, Mr. Terry Hitchcock, running from his home in St. Paul, Minnesota to Atlanta, Georgia – a journey of over 2,000 miles – running the equivalent of a marathon a day for 75 days straight, would not even be the greatest obstacle he would face.
I’m beyond excited to announce that Indiewood Pictures and Destiny Pictures have teamed with NCM Fathom to bring the 10-time award-winning documentary MY RUN about Terry and his journey to theaters for a special one night only premier on MARCH 31, 2011!
Terry’s battle began nearly 12 years earlier when his wife, Sue, died of breast cancer and Terry found himself abruptly left alone to raise three small children. Throughout his struggle raise his family, Terry may have made a few mistakes, but his mission was absolute: to keep his family together. Terry’s experiences after loosing Sue taught about how difficult it is to maintain a family – especially as a single parent. He learned that it took faith and courage, stamina and stubbornness to keep his family whole – not unlike the qualities it takes to run a marathon. Feeling blessed to survive the challenges of single parenthood and having kept his family together, Terry ran to raise awareness for everyday heroes and to make others aware of the nearly 23 million kids who come home each night to a single parent household facing extraordinary obstacles everyday.
Terry’s story is certain to remind us that we are all running a marathon one way or another in life. Whether it is staying afloat as a single working parent, battling a disease, losing a loved one or trying to conquer another one of life’s obstacles, it all involves a fight. Don’t miss this unforgettably uplifting and inspirational film! You can see the trailer HERE.
MY RUN will be in 500 Movie Theaters Nationwide for a ONE NIGHT ONLY Premiere Event on MARCH 31, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. local time! Get YOUR tickets TODAY! A list of participating theaters and ticketing information can be found at www.FathomEvents.com/MyRun.
A portion of proceeds from the MY RUN Premier event will benefit the Livestrong Foundation.
Additionally, I am so thrilled and proud to announce that Mr. Mark Castaldo, producer of MY RUN, has graciously provided me with not one, but TWO PAIRS OF TICKETS to give away to my Words to Run By readers!
Here’s How to Win:
 (Please leave a comment for each)
1. Check HERE to make sure MY RUN is playing at a theater near you and let me know that it is (+1)
2. Share the news about this movie! Post to FB, Twitter or your Blog (+1 for each)
3. Include a link to this giveaway in one of your blog posts (+2)
4. Have a special blog post dedicated to this movie (+3)

You have until midnight on Thursday, March 10 to enter this giveaway! I will announce the winners on my blog on Friday, March 11.

“I firmly believe human beings can accomplish anything they put their minds to. All they need to get started is is someone to show them it’s possible.” – Terry Hitchcock

Happy Running,

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