The Kona Marathon and Family fun run is coming up in just over a month, June 23rd to be exact. This is one of my top marathon picks and it so much more than a marathon. For openers, they follow the IRONMAN course down Alii drive which is Epic. They also offer a 5K Friday night- The Aloha Friday Run filled with entertainment, food and celebrating Aloha Friday Kona Marathon style. It is a fun run and only $15 if you sign up before June 15th. www.alohafridayrun.com.  Well Kona is calling me … [Read more...]

Running 1,362.4 miles you can imagine I listened to everything from Disney to Frank Sinatra to Rage Against the Machine.  Here are my top 10 picks: Number 10: Led-Zeppelin-When the Levee Breaks.  You can't go wrong with any Led Zeppelin song, but this one was great for the first mile or 2 to get me to go out slow and get warmed up. [youtube fOEQTJV_3-w] Number 9: Neon Trees: Everybody Talks- This song is great.  Once you're warmed up, it helps you to get your groove on. It's got a great … [Read more...]

Thank you all for supporting me in this amazing journey of hope, inspiration and love.  It has truly been an honor to run for your loved ones.  Thank you for the donations,  every dollar helps to make a difference. I would like to honor those that sponsored a mile for the final 26.2 miles.  I apologize if I have missed anyone, if so please let me know and I can edit after the race.  Below is a picture of the beautiful grace bands that I will be wearing tomorrow.  With so much love on my … [Read more...]

I met my beautiful new friend Belinda at the LA Marathon's Big 5 training night in El Segundo.  We started talking and she told me about her sister Lydia and that she passed from pancreatic cancer at the very young age of 52. We started crying and  I instantly knew I had to dedicate #52 to Lydia.  Lydia was a great woman.  She and her sister raised their children together.  She gave all she could to help people that she loved the most.  She was funny and strong willed.  She loved Jimmy … [Read more...]

I met my dear friend Robert on Facebook last year and I am so grateful that I did.  Robert is an 8 year pancreatic cancer SURVIVOR.  He is a loving husband, father and grandfather of the cutest little granddaughter ever. He first felt pain back in 2004 with pain in his left side, he thought he had just pulled a muscle that just wouldn't heal.  It turned out he had neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer.  He had surgery and still has several issues from the cancer. PC hit him hard but he … [Read more...]

Lupe ran her first LA marathon in 1999 while her young son was in the Marines. He encouraged her to run so she thought she would try it just once. Her parents, her niece and her sister were at the finish line, so proud of Lupe when she finished. That same year on November 4th her father died. She continued to run. She ran the LA Marathon every year after that for the next 10 years. Life happens so running was therapy for her, a stress release. She hadn't run a marathon in 4 years but since she … [Read more...]

My dear friend Lupe a Pancreatic Cancer SURVIVOR who I am running for this weekend just told me about her friends brother who was not as fortunate. They just lost their brother Master Sergeant Richard J. Cox (USMC Ret) to pancreatic cancer this past Sunday. He was diagnosed January 30th. He was 64years old. Master Sergeant Cox was  laid to rest with full military honors on March 14th. He took pride and honor in serving  his country.  He was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle. … [Read more...]

  Why 51 in 51 you ask? Because this darn pancreatic cancer took my dear friends mother at the young age of 51. Therefore marathon #51 is also for Sweet Eleanor Gertrude Bergstrom Adams. Eleanor was born in 1918 and died of pancreatic cancer in 1969, way to young. She grew up on a farm in a family of 9 children. She was the fifth child, so she had an important role caring for her three younger brothers, but everyone worked very hard! She attended school in a one-room school house, … [Read more...]

It is with great emotion and deep passion that I share with you Molli Serrano's story of strength and will.  Molli  has pushed herself beyond limits once thought impossible. Molli is married and she is a beautiful young mother of two precious twins. I learned about her story last year and was inspired beyond belief and thought to myself, this is the strongest person I haver ever seen. Molli won the battle of pancreatic cancer back in 2011, and if that was not enough, she also was also … [Read more...]

My facebook friend Amanda contacted me about one of her family members who passed away so young, Mike Aston. His friends and family say his laugh was infectious, one-of-kind, the best laugh ever. Mike was a man of many talents, but his best role was being a loving father and husband. Mike was blessed with his blushing bride Robin. They tied the knot in Aug. 2008 and their son Riley arrived soon after.Mike was diagnosed with terminal stage IV pancreatic cancer in April 2011 shortly after the … [Read more...]