Day 19: Dean McLeod

Today we started in Jefferson City, MO and ended in St. Louis. We are staying at Washington University in STL (where I attend school!!).

Support van packed to the brim!! 

I was in the support van with Leya for our second time. The support van has two runners that take everyone's duffle bags to the next host city. They get donations for lunch and/or dinner if we don't have it already donated and other odd end jobs. Leya and I were responsible for getting lunch for the entire team and dinner for about half of them. I had already called ahead to find dinner and other donations because I thought the 4^th of July would be a busy day for restaurants and groceries. I assumed that managers wouldn’t do day of donations. Maggiano’s said they would love to help out and will donate 2 catering pasta’s and salad and bread. The manager I spoke to said it will feed about 25 people!

Jill Klein called her sister Lynn, who lives in Chesterfield, and has organized lunch for us! I got a call from Lynn yesterday and talked about when and where to pick up the food. We got to Lynn’s house this morning around 8:30 and she had everything ready for us; Fruit Salad, 4 things of lunchmeat, loafs of bread and bagel thins, condiments, and 2 pies! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful support group!! –Thank you Lynn and all of Susan’s family. We are very much appreciative of all you have done for us on this trip!

Once we got to St. Louis, we emptied out the support van of everyone’s bags and put them in mine and Leya’s suites. Yeah – that’s right – we get beds tonight!! Whoo! We had a $25 dollar gift card to Sam’s club waiting on us, so we went there to buy some breakfast items for tomorrow morning and some BBQ stuff for the Hope Lodge tonight! Half of our team is going to the Hope Lodge to spend time with the patients. They are having a 4^th of July BBQ and hoping to watch some fireworks.

Dan, my boyfriend, met us at Sam’s club. He was our mail drop for St. Louis. He had so many packages he had to put down his back seat to fit them all into his car! And he wrapped them in red, white, and blue paper so they were like presents! We took pictures and sent them to some of the runners so they could be looking forward to arriving. 

all of our packages! 

Leya and I had to drop off the two Ulman interns that have been with us for 3 days now. Their flight was at 12:50. When we got back to campus we set out the lunch items because the runners were beginning to arrive.

People showered and relaxed before heading to the Hope Lodge. When they left, Dan and I went to pick up the Maggiano’s for everyone else. We then went to his parent’s house for dinner. I was glad to have another home cooked meal. While Dan’s parents were still preparing the food, I got to play with their bunny, Luna. Seeing other people’s pets makes me really miss Reggie!

After dinner I was too exhausted to watch fireworks so I went back to WashU and went to sleep.

Today was dedicated to Dean McLeod. He was the Dean of Arts and Sciences when I first arrived on Campus. Freshman year, Dean McLeod died after a three year struggle against cancer. 

"No single individual has had a greater impact on the vitality and the quality of student life at this   University," Wrighton said in a school-wide e-mail. "Jim was truly a man of wisdom, compassion, and steadfast loyalty to the University. He enjoyed deep and lasting respect from all who were fortunate to interact with him." - Chancellor Wrighton

In 2010, a scholarship was set up in McLeod's name to be given to students who exhibit the qualities he prized most highly. These qualities include leadership, academic achievement, commitment to serving other and integrity.

In early September 2011, Dean McLeod Passes away due to complications with cancer. 

I never met Dean McLeod but I have been very involved with programs and faculty members in the first two years I have attended WashU. I know several friends that were close to Dean McLeod and considered him an ally of theirs. It sounds like he was a phenomenal man and WashU lost a great community member. I am proud that WashU recognizes Dean McLeod to this day and I know that they will forever more. To his friends and family - I send my condolences and I am honored to have worn his name on my calves today. He gave me strength to continue my running. 

Days 17 & 18: Susan Weber and Sharon Leonard

Both of these days are in honor of Dean McLeod. He was the Dean of The School of Arts & Sciences at Washington University. He passed in September of 2011 after a tough battle with cancer. Day 19 - the day our team is running into STL - is dedicated solely to Dean McLeod and I will talk much more about him then.

Day 17 (7/2) and Day 18 (7/3)
These two days we ran from Kansas City, MO to Springfield, MO and then on to Jefferson City, MO. In case you don't know, Jefferson City is the Capitol of Missouri.
Day 17 I was partnered with Leya and Bethy.

4k Runners at Chipotle! 

We had a little trouble this morning finding our way out of Momma 4k's neighborhood. And we had forgotten a very important binder that we had to turn around for. Then we have a rough time finding a gas station... But once we got onto the route we were good to go! or so we thought.... the route ended up being pretty bad roads to run on. We have ran on road with little shoulder before and thought it would be ok today too.
Everyday prior to today, I felt Gabs there pushing me to keep going and encouraging me to keep up my good work. But not today. After 4 miles I decided that I should listen to my gut feeling and stop running for the day. I helped navigate the rest of the running route and promised to try and run my other miles once we got to Springfield...

Will, Molly and I

We are staying at First Baptist Church in Ozark, MO tonight. I looked for places to run but found nothing close by. So instead I went with some of my teammates to a local grocery store to use WiFi for blogging. Sam called a Chipotle and they agreed to feed us! It was so great of them!! We were allowed to order whatever we wanted :) YUM! 

Day 18 I was partnered with Lindsay.
We were in the first van. Again the route was a little tough with hilly roads and no shoulders in some spots but I felt much better about the running today. My bad gut feeling was gone and I was ready to crank out my 12 miles. I ended up doing 13!! Lindsay and I were a good match. Each of our segments went really well. Unfortunately coming up on mile 9, Lindsay rolled her ankle! She had to stop for the day. I joined Skyler and Hallie. Then to finish the three of us joined Erica and Sam to form a super group!!
We are staying in the Capitol of MO tonight. The town of Jefferson City celebrates the 4th of July on the 3rd and 4th. Once we got to the church we showered and were served dinner that some of the church members so graciously prepared for us and then we walked a block down to the festivities!

These two days were dedicated to Susan Weber and Sharon Leonard. I heard both of their stories two nights ago when we stayed with Jill Klein.

Jill Klein and I

Susan Weber is Jill's sister. Susan passed away on April 12th of this year. She was diagnosed on Jan 5th 2012 with Colon Cancer. At the time of her diagnosis, the cancer was stage 4 and had spread to her liver. Her surgeon said that after a round of chemo, if the tumor was small enough then he would take her into surgery. By April 12th, it had shrank and surgery to remove her entire colon and part of her liver was able to be preformed. At Susan's next check-up, the part of her liver that had grown back was full of malignant tumors. Jill told me that the cancer had like trifolded. It grew astronomically and the doctors didn't know what to say about it.
Jill said that Susan kept trying different drugs and her chemo treatments were scheduled back to back. Still no progress was made in getting rid of the cancer. Nothing ever seemed to work. There was one drug left and so they tried it. Still no progress. By this time the cancer had spread to Susan's brain and had caused the left side of her face to become paralyzed. That is when they knew the end of Susan's struggle was near.
Jill says that some of the hardest moments since Jill's passing is when she remembers the times they had together. Jill and Susan were only two years apart; so many of Jill's childhood memories include her sister. Jill said that it's almost like her memories are missing because Susan is no longer here. Susan and Jill used to joke about how they were going to be silly old women together. Susan would stand on her head on every birthday and Jill does a cartwheel every year. Jill said that her sister was an outstanding woman. She told our team that if Susan were still here she would be the one opening her house to us. Susan was a servant at hearts and she worked with underprivileged individuals.

Sharon Leonard is a friend of Jill's. Sharon is currently fighting against colon cancer. This summer will mark three years of her fight. Sharon had a colostomy. She has been taught how to care for her own colostomy pouch and she has to watch for infection. Sharon also has spots on her lungs. This spots have become stable due to routine chemotherapy treatments. Sharon has been told by her doctors that there is no cure for her disease. She will remain on what they call "maintenance chemo" and eventually her conditions will worsen.

Jill- Thank you for sharing these two stories. And for all of your support with our run this year! I will always be thinking of and praying for your family. It sounds like your sister was an amazing woman. I wish I could have met her. She stayed tough the whole time! And I know you said she was worried her two grandchildren may not remember her, but with the help of you and your other family members I am sure those two little girls will know how much Susan loved them and everyone else around her. I will also have Sharon on my mind. We will be running right be her in the upcoming days. Make sure to tell her the 4k team is running for her! You will always been a welcomed part of the 4k family. We love you "Momma 4k"! 

Day 16: Mary Lou Klutho

July 1, 2013

Today we ran from Salina, KS to Kansas City, KS.

4k Runners and San Fran Team morning dedication circle

This morning the San Francisco biking team joined us for our dedication circle before we headed out to run to Kansas City and they finished getting ready before riding to Wichita, KS. 

Sam and I after running for the day had finished

My running partner today was Sam. I love getting to run with her!! Unfortunately her shin splints are really bad and she could only complete 3 miles. After Sam started driving for us, I tacked on to Kim L. and Will’s pair to finish up my miles for the day. I ended the day with only 11 miles due to the flip-flopping of teams. But eventually I will make up that one mile. So I’m not stressed about it.

Tonight we were invited to stay at the home of Amanda’s friend. Mrs. Jill Klein told us to come on over when we got finished with our running. She wasn’t home from work yet but her son and daughter-in-law were both there. They had tons of lunchmeat, wraps, and fruit for us to eat for lunch. Half of our team are staying in Jill’s house and the rest are staying in her husband’s house. They recently got married and haven’t gotten a chance to put her house on the market so she said it was perfect timing to have us running through town! 

Jill had some coworkers come over after work and they helped her prepare our dinner. It was amazing! We had pulled pork, chicken salad, croissants, fruit, salad, and coleslaw. We barely spoke while we ate, it was so good!

Mrs. Jill preparing our dinner! God Bless her!

The Klein's Dogs :) 

After the very filling and delicious dinner, we got ready for bed. I got to talk to Jill about her sister Susan that passed away due to colon cancer. Tomorrow I will be running for her.

Today was dedicated to Mary Lou Klutho. She is my boyfriend’s grandmother. I ran today for her because her granddaughter will be attending school in Kansas City next year. Here are the words from Dan his grandmother:

"My grandmother’s name was Mary Lou Klutho. At the age of 52, she contracted non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and died two years later in 1988. My mother was 23 at the time and I never got to meet her myself because I would not be born for almost another five years. My grandmother was the youngest of three children and grew up on a dairy farm. Her father, my great-grandfather, died of the same cancer at the age of 45 before doctors knew how to diagnose it. She never had more than a high-school education, but she was an intelligent and driven individual. When she met my grandfather, he was working as a mechanic in the family garage in southern Illinois. She realized that a tiny local garage would not support three families and was able to finance sending my grandfather through college to get his degree in engineering. Even though he was the one with the college degree, she still controlled the family finances. She supported and defended her family no matter the circumstance. When my mother did not get a summer internship at McDonald-Douglass, my grandmother found an employee that was currently contracting out to NASA as an astronaut and told him the company was making a huge mistake by turning down her daughter. Two weeks later my mother got an acceptance letter from them. My mother says the hardest thing about her passing was that she missed some of the most important moments in my mother’s life such as her marriage and the births of her children. My grandmother died at a relatively young age, so my mother was never able to fully develop their mother-daughter relationship to one between two adults. She was not able to be there to give guidance and support when my mother was planning her wedding or raising my sister and me. Luckily my mother was self-sufficient when my grandmother died. She had graduated college and found a job, but she still missed having a mother during some pretty important life events. It seems this disease runs in the family, so all I can do is hope it does not afflict my mother or she beats it, so I will not have to undergo what my mother experienced."

Dan- It sounds like your grandmother was a wonderful woman. It's unfortunate that you and Emma never got the chance to meet her. But it sounds like your mother inherited great traits from her mom and I am glad that you all have been able to know your grandma through stories and memories that your mom holds dear to her. I also hope that no one in your immediate family will ever be diagnosed with the same disease. Know that I am running, thinking, and praying for your family. Thanks for sharing the story of Mary Lou Klutho. 

Rest - Day 15: Ashley Averett

6/30/13

Lala admiring her delicious
short stack :) 

Today is our second rest day! We woke up at New Community Christian Church in Saline, KS this morning and left to get breakfast. Half of our team went to starbucks for pastries and internet access. I went with 9 other teammates to IHOP. The short stacks they donated were amazing!!

Part of the team at IHOP!

After an amazing breakfast we went to a playground at a Catholic middle school. We pitched a tent and played some card games. Amanda and I went to the 10:45 am NCCC service. It felt good to be back in church (last Sunday we spent 4 hours getting lost on the top of a mountain on our way from Moab, UT to Aspen, CO).

Our shelter to chill at the park

Egyptian Rat Slap

After church we didn’t really do much until our second check ceremony at 4 pm. 
At 4, our team went to the park for a check ceremony. Today's rest was dedicated to Ashley Averett. She is the recipient of our second $2500 scholarship. Ashley was diagnosed in May 2012 with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. This coming week will be her 9 month check up since completion of treatment!
Our team made fajitas for the event and the San Francisco Biking team met up with us there to meet and present Ashley her check. The Bikers ended up staying with us at NCCC. 

Day 14: Shana Callahan

Today we ran from Hays, KS to Salina, KS. 

My running partner was Lauriann. She runs for her father. He passed away 5 years ago from Pancreatic Cancer.

We finished our 12 miles, no problem. We even did arm workouts during the breaks before the van got back to pick us up! Lauriann timed each segment we ran and it totaled up to a little less than 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Lindsay, Myself and Bethy at Speakeasy

Tonight some of us went out to a Bar and Grill for food and good company. We went to the Speakeasy in Salina, KS. There were lots of people there for a high school reunion. They were looking through old yearbooks and everything!! We had a good time talking about the trip so far and we spotted a man that looked identical to one of the head guys in charge of the 4k For Cancer program.  We made our way back to NCCC for bed at our normal time since we can’t sleep in through their Sunday services.

Today was dedicated to Shana Callahan, a teammate of mine. Shana was diagnosed with DCIS a couple years ago. She had a lumpectomy and decided not to go through radiation. Her doctors told her that without the treatment the chance of cancer coming back was much higher but Shana felt like it wouldn’t. She knew they had removed all the cancerous cells (in the ducts) and felt that the chances of her getting breast cancer were now the same as any other female out there. She had regular appointments to be checked - more often than normal annual appointments. 

The DCIS did come back. Shana had it removed once again and did radiation. She now has doctor appointments every two months. Before flying out to San Francisco to start our run, Shana had another scare. Thankfully, this lump was a cist not a tumor.

We are so blessed to have Shana on our team. She is the only member that has had cancer. Her story makes us all realize that it can happen to anyone. She inspires us to keep going. If a person I run with, and sleep on the floor in our sleeping bags with, and eat bagels with peanut butter on it everyday, can do this – then so can I! I feel like that inspiration is something that everyone gets from being on a team with Shana.

Total Miles: 149