I am thrilled to write a donor acknowledgement for Tara Corbett, an undergraduate Periclean Scholar, Class of 2013. Thank you for answering the call of Director Tom Arcaro to support the chitenge challenge. Tara, the money that you have put forth in support of my journey will come back to you and your projects - it is an investment in Chiapas, Mexico, as it is an investment in all Periclean projects. I am excited to follow your class's journey and successes and provide as much support as I can to you. I look forward to the opportunity to meet you in person and thank you for your contributions - perhaps during the 2011 Homecoming meeting.
Thank you, Tara.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Donor Acknowledgement - Eva Situ
What a pleasant surprise to see that one of my very best friends from high school, Eva Situ, supported Periclean Scholars for the chitenge challenge! Eva, I am positive that you would love to see me in my red, white, and blue Zambian chitenge at work. While I wish that she could come out here for the occasion, there will be pictures and I will do my very best to give you the experience as if you were there. Also, as my friend whose work is most likely to cure cancer, I think you would appreciate much of the work that the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association is doing to work toward a similar goal of alleviating long-term suffering around the world - such as the clinics in Ghana and the HIV/AIDS awareness in Namibia.You are an amazing person that has just supported an amazing organization. I am honored by your contribution.
Thank you, Eva.
Thank you, Eva.
Donor Acknowledgement - Nancy Conklin Dukeshire
A million thanks to Nancy Conklin Dukeshire, a friend of my mom's, who made a contribution last night toward the Chitenge Challenge. Nancy, it means so much to me that you wish to see me succeed with my fundraising goal. By doing so, you have supported a great organization in Periclean Scholars - please read the blog posts tagged "Periclean Scholars" to learn more. Your donation will inspire me to stay strong during my Marine Corps Marathon journey, both in the upcoming training and at the race itself - as your donation has brought me closer to my goal. I hope that I have the chance to thank you in person on an upcoming trip home to New Jersey.
Thank you, Nancy.
My (First) Scary Marathon Dream
I just had the most bizarre dream - and it was about the marathon. Luckily, since I just woke up, I still remember most of the details.
I had dreamed that we were lined up in our corrals, and I was in the one that I had pre-selected (5 hours... I wonder if I can change that by the way?). The race was about to start, and I located Drew Carey in a cerulean blue t-shirt. I stared at him, and then he pointed at me. I pointed back. When the gun went off, he ran backwards toward me and asked what my finishing time was. I said I was shooting for four hours, and he said so was he. I looked away, but when I looked back he was suddenly in a racing wheelchair and went by me very fast. By the time I got to the actual start line, there were not a lot of people around me. For some reason, in my mind I had become someone else, because all of a sudden I was sitting and watching the race with spectators at a picnic table a little further up from the race start. I snacked along with them and had crackers and chocolate. I asked how Jill was doing and then everybody told me that that was me - so I got back on the course. Thanks to the crackers and chocolate, I had bad cramps. I was so distraught by what had happened that I stopped running. Soon after, the first finishers came through with their medals and finishers' t-shirts, and people were taking pictures of them. All of the finishers were beautiful and handsome and looked like models. I was still very sad for me but also very happy that all of the finishers had met their goal.
What does it all mean? I wonder if this means I am nervous already. Part of me thinks that this marathon dream is akin to the dreams that friends have had before they got married - just scary dreams that little things will go wrong when the big day comes. I think the dreams happen because you invest a lot of time and energy into making sure they will run perfectly, and you count on them to go smoothly on this one specific day. Maybe my marathon day is my "big day", as far as this dream goes...
Any dream interpreters out there that wish to give their opinion?
I had dreamed that we were lined up in our corrals, and I was in the one that I had pre-selected (5 hours... I wonder if I can change that by the way?). The race was about to start, and I located Drew Carey in a cerulean blue t-shirt. I stared at him, and then he pointed at me. I pointed back. When the gun went off, he ran backwards toward me and asked what my finishing time was. I said I was shooting for four hours, and he said so was he. I looked away, but when I looked back he was suddenly in a racing wheelchair and went by me very fast. By the time I got to the actual start line, there were not a lot of people around me. For some reason, in my mind I had become someone else, because all of a sudden I was sitting and watching the race with spectators at a picnic table a little further up from the race start. I snacked along with them and had crackers and chocolate. I asked how Jill was doing and then everybody told me that that was me - so I got back on the course. Thanks to the crackers and chocolate, I had bad cramps. I was so distraught by what had happened that I stopped running. Soon after, the first finishers came through with their medals and finishers' t-shirts, and people were taking pictures of them. All of the finishers were beautiful and handsome and looked like models. I was still very sad for me but also very happy that all of the finishers had met their goal.
What does it all mean? I wonder if this means I am nervous already. Part of me thinks that this marathon dream is akin to the dreams that friends have had before they got married - just scary dreams that little things will go wrong when the big day comes. I think the dreams happen because you invest a lot of time and energy into making sure they will run perfectly, and you count on them to go smoothly on this one specific day. Maybe my marathon day is my "big day", as far as this dream goes...
Any dream interpreters out there that wish to give their opinion?
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Donor Acknowledgement - Eric Medhus (Dad)
At first, I was a bit surprised that my dad made a second donation, but then I read his comment: he is going to provide even more incentive to everyone to participate in the chitenge challenge on or before July 4!
Here’s my dad’s challenge to everyone:
If any current contributors (who made a donation prior to July 1) on the list of contributors makes a donation specifically towards the chitenge challenge by midnight July 4th, my dad will donate an additional $10.00 per contributor. If you receive other contributors through July 4th (have not donated prior to July 1), who make any contribution at all, my dad will add an additional $5.00 per new contributor on top of that, up to $50.
So - if you support Periclean Scholars through my active link through July 4 at midnight, your donation will be worth $5 more (if you’re one of the first 10 to donate) and $10 more if you’ve already given!
Thank you, Dad, for continuing to support Periclean Scholars by providing an incentive for new and recurring donations - and, of course, following along with the training blog and supporting me throughout the journey.
Here’s my dad’s challenge to everyone:
If any current contributors (who made a donation prior to July 1) on the list of contributors makes a donation specifically towards the chitenge challenge by midnight July 4th, my dad will donate an additional $10.00 per contributor. If you receive other contributors through July 4th (have not donated prior to July 1), who make any contribution at all, my dad will add an additional $5.00 per new contributor on top of that, up to $50.
So - if you support Periclean Scholars through my active link through July 4 at midnight, your donation will be worth $5 more (if you’re one of the first 10 to donate) and $10 more if you’ve already given!
Thank you, Dad, for continuing to support Periclean Scholars by providing an incentive for new and recurring donations - and, of course, following along with the training blog and supporting me throughout the journey.
16 Mile Run - Saturday 7/2
Today's 16 miler took me back the same route I went last week - Four Mile Run trail. To make it 16 miles, I went a bit further up the Mount Vernon Trail than I did last week. I did this trail again for two reasons: one, I wanted a clean run without any of the confusion I had last week. I got it down perfect this week. Two, I had a feeling that DC's trails would be a little bit crowded because of Independence Day weekend, so I preferred to stay on the Virginia side.
I am now halfway through my training. My long run at the start of training was 6 miles, and I have now worked up to 16. Three of my runs per week are now longer than that first long run! Give me another 4 months, and I will add 10 miles to that number to make 26.
Today's run did not feel as good as past runs for one reason. When I started walking down the hall to get to the elevator this morning, I felt a tendon on my inner right ankle hurting with each foot strike. I had not experienced this yesterday, so it was somewhat out of the blue. However, earlier in my training I did feel a little pain at times in that spot, but it has always gone away with time and care. At the start of my run, I told myself that if I did not feel better by 5 miles, then I would turn around and call it a day. Luckily, after about 2 miles, the pain started to dissipate and I barely even felt it toward the end. Weird.
One aspect of the run that was considerably better than last week was the sports bra burns. Thanks to the Vaseline, I did not get any burns this week. Thank you to Sarah for that suggestion and Dad for the reminder.
Sometimes, you find pleasant surprises on the trail. Today, I had two. One was this beautiful oriole walking next to the Mount Vernon Trail - which I am sure is a common sight in the DC area but it is a novelty for a New Jersey native. Another was a runner who brought along his two dogs. I passed them under the bridge by Crystal City. Because of the bridge's acoustics, it sounded like there was one big dog under the bridge.
Other times, you see things on the trail that make you cringe. I had two of those today, too. My first one came near the start of the run, when I passed three guys who had clearly not slept all night and partook in Independence Day festivities. They tried to grab and swing from a branch on a nearby tree that was not particularly stable. On noticing that I was running past them, one of the guys made the hand motions like he was running - he probably thought he was hilarious. What would have made me laugh would have been if he tried to keep up with me for 16 miles. Now that would be a sight! My second cringe-worthy moment occurred as I was finishing up my run, going north past the airport, when I saw a cyclist fall off of his bike from far away. I am not sure if he hit a runner or just had a colossal fall on his own, but two runners stopped their runs to see if he was okay. When I passed, they were inspecting his bike, and he seemed to be okay. It was painful to watch and made me feel grateful that I didn't have any equipment to worry about (other than my legs and my water bottle).
I am starting to recognize some people on the trail that I have seen week after week. It makes it easy to recognize people when they wear the same outfit every week. For instance, I recognize this one lady who always wears pink shorts and a teal/green top. I also recognize the man that runs with nothing but gray shorts (with an orange stripe) and a knee brace. In fact, he now wears two knee braces. As far as cyclists, I also recognize some of them based on their passing calls. I now know this slower biker by the distinct tone he uses when he tells runners "bike left".
At two different points in my run, I had people on my heels. I knew that I picked up the pace then, and it was evidenced on my watch when I got home. My pace per mile was faster than in previous weeks - even on my longest run yet (and on a run when I wasn't feeling 100%). This is hugely motivating and makes me feel like I am moving in the right direction.
I am now icing my ankle and will take a quick dip in the pool to reduce any inflammation. I have earned my rest for this long weekend. Next week is a stepback week - only 11 miles. Ha! You know you're a marathoner in training when you use "only" and "11 miles" in the same sentence.
Have a great Independence Day weekend, everyone - and if you feel like making my weekend, support (or tell a friend about) Periclean Scholars and my new chitenge challenge!
I am now halfway through my training. My long run at the start of training was 6 miles, and I have now worked up to 16. Three of my runs per week are now longer than that first long run! Give me another 4 months, and I will add 10 miles to that number to make 26.
Today's run did not feel as good as past runs for one reason. When I started walking down the hall to get to the elevator this morning, I felt a tendon on my inner right ankle hurting with each foot strike. I had not experienced this yesterday, so it was somewhat out of the blue. However, earlier in my training I did feel a little pain at times in that spot, but it has always gone away with time and care. At the start of my run, I told myself that if I did not feel better by 5 miles, then I would turn around and call it a day. Luckily, after about 2 miles, the pain started to dissipate and I barely even felt it toward the end. Weird.
One aspect of the run that was considerably better than last week was the sports bra burns. Thanks to the Vaseline, I did not get any burns this week. Thank you to Sarah for that suggestion and Dad for the reminder.
Sometimes, you find pleasant surprises on the trail. Today, I had two. One was this beautiful oriole walking next to the Mount Vernon Trail - which I am sure is a common sight in the DC area but it is a novelty for a New Jersey native. Another was a runner who brought along his two dogs. I passed them under the bridge by Crystal City. Because of the bridge's acoustics, it sounded like there was one big dog under the bridge.
Other times, you see things on the trail that make you cringe. I had two of those today, too. My first one came near the start of the run, when I passed three guys who had clearly not slept all night and partook in Independence Day festivities. They tried to grab and swing from a branch on a nearby tree that was not particularly stable. On noticing that I was running past them, one of the guys made the hand motions like he was running - he probably thought he was hilarious. What would have made me laugh would have been if he tried to keep up with me for 16 miles. Now that would be a sight! My second cringe-worthy moment occurred as I was finishing up my run, going north past the airport, when I saw a cyclist fall off of his bike from far away. I am not sure if he hit a runner or just had a colossal fall on his own, but two runners stopped their runs to see if he was okay. When I passed, they were inspecting his bike, and he seemed to be okay. It was painful to watch and made me feel grateful that I didn't have any equipment to worry about (other than my legs and my water bottle).
I am starting to recognize some people on the trail that I have seen week after week. It makes it easy to recognize people when they wear the same outfit every week. For instance, I recognize this one lady who always wears pink shorts and a teal/green top. I also recognize the man that runs with nothing but gray shorts (with an orange stripe) and a knee brace. In fact, he now wears two knee braces. As far as cyclists, I also recognize some of them based on their passing calls. I now know this slower biker by the distinct tone he uses when he tells runners "bike left".
At two different points in my run, I had people on my heels. I knew that I picked up the pace then, and it was evidenced on my watch when I got home. My pace per mile was faster than in previous weeks - even on my longest run yet (and on a run when I wasn't feeling 100%). This is hugely motivating and makes me feel like I am moving in the right direction.
I am now icing my ankle and will take a quick dip in the pool to reduce any inflammation. I have earned my rest for this long weekend. Next week is a stepback week - only 11 miles. Ha! You know you're a marathoner in training when you use "only" and "11 miles" in the same sentence.
Have a great Independence Day weekend, everyone - and if you feel like making my weekend, support (or tell a friend about) Periclean Scholars and my new chitenge challenge!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Reason #19 to Support Periclean Scholars: Chitenge Challenge
The Marine Corps Marathon is now exactly four months away. Since I began training in late February, I am currently halfway through training. I set up my blog and my fundraising page in early May, so I am now 1/3 of the way through my Periclean Scholars fundraising window.
I checked my total fundraising number today, and I am currently... 8% to my goal. I am thrilled about all of the support that has already been given to the PSAA, but I know we can collectively do better - and I am prepared to incentivize that.
Here is my challenge for the month of July: if I can reach $1500 (slightly under halfway to my goal) by July 31, I will wear a chitenge to work.
What is a chitenge, you may ask? A chitenge is the traditional women's clothing in Zambia. It is similar to a sarong in other cultures and can be worn around the waist, around the head, or in carrying a child.
One of the first things we did when we completed Habitat for Humanity orientation in Zambia was purchase chitenges for wear throughout our time in Zambia. It would be immodest for any of the women to wear any garment shorter than a long chitenge. (The men, of course, got to wear whatever they wanted.)
There are many, many options for chitenge design. However, when we saw the garment that the shopkeeper had selected for all of us, we just had to laugh:
We wore matching red, white, and blue chitenges that screamed, "Yes, I am an American; yes, I am a muzungu."
Over the course of my time in Zambia, I did get one more chitenge (a red and orange design), but the chitenge I will wear if the chitenge challenge is successfully completed is the red, white, and blue one.
Since the chitenge is modest dress, I have no need to worry about the dress code at work. However, I can guarantee that nobody will have seen anything like my red, white, and blue chitenge in the office environment.
Here is the donation page link: http://active.com/donate/pericleanmcm2011 (You can always find it under the "Links" section of the blog.)
As always, I will write heartfelt donor acknowledgements for all of my donors. No donation is too small - they all count toward the grand total, and for the month of July, they get me closer to wearing a chitenge at work.
Thank you for your consideration of supporting Periclean Scholars - and of getting me to wear a chitenge in a federal office space!
I checked my total fundraising number today, and I am currently... 8% to my goal. I am thrilled about all of the support that has already been given to the PSAA, but I know we can collectively do better - and I am prepared to incentivize that.
Here is my challenge for the month of July: if I can reach $1500 (slightly under halfway to my goal) by July 31, I will wear a chitenge to work.
What is a chitenge, you may ask? A chitenge is the traditional women's clothing in Zambia. It is similar to a sarong in other cultures and can be worn around the waist, around the head, or in carrying a child.
 |
| A Zambian woman wearing the traditional dress, a chitenge |
 |
| A Zambian woman wearing one chitenge around the waist and another to carry her child |
One of the first things we did when we completed Habitat for Humanity orientation in Zambia was purchase chitenges for wear throughout our time in Zambia. It would be immodest for any of the women to wear any garment shorter than a long chitenge. (The men, of course, got to wear whatever they wanted.)
There are many, many options for chitenge design. However, when we saw the garment that the shopkeeper had selected for all of us, we just had to laugh:
 |
| The group learns how to put on chitenges in HFHZ Headquarters. |
Over the course of my time in Zambia, I did get one more chitenge (a red and orange design), but the chitenge I will wear if the chitenge challenge is successfully completed is the red, white, and blue one.
Since the chitenge is modest dress, I have no need to worry about the dress code at work. However, I can guarantee that nobody will have seen anything like my red, white, and blue chitenge in the office environment.
Here is the donation page link: http://active.com/donate/pericleanmcm2011 (You can always find it under the "Links" section of the blog.)
As always, I will write heartfelt donor acknowledgements for all of my donors. No donation is too small - they all count toward the grand total, and for the month of July, they get me closer to wearing a chitenge at work.
Thank you for your consideration of supporting Periclean Scholars - and of getting me to wear a chitenge in a federal office space!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)