Outrun CF Virtual Race: October 1, 2011!

The first Out Run CF Virtual Race was a huge success. Runners and walkers from all over the world came together with one thing in mind, to Out Run Cystic Fibrosis! This fall, on October 1, 2011, we plan to do it again. The Rock CF Foundation and CysticLife are joining forces, once again, to bring you another Out Run CF Virtual Race.

In case you missed out last time, or need a refresher, here is how it works. Anyone and everyone is invited to participate: Fibros, Cysters, parents, spouses, friends, extended family, you name it! Participants will find a route near their house. Then on October 1, 2011, EVERYONE will lace up their sneakers and hit the pavement in their Out Run CF shirt (Each registrant will receive a t-shirt unique to this fall’s race from us in the mail).

No distance is too long, or too short. YOU pick YOUR mileage. 1 mile? 5K? 10K? 10 miles? Half Marathon? Marathon? It’s up to you! Nothing is too fast or too slow YOU pick YOUR speed. We just want to get the entire CF community out of their houses and into their running shoes on the same day, for the same cause.

Registrants can blog about their training, ask questions, and share tips on CysticLife.org. We want the entire site to be plastered with talk of exercise, running, and encouragement. On race day, we want people to post their times and their experiences. Let’s make this Virtual Race even BIGGER than the first one! Let’s make it the biggest race the community, and the world, has ever seen!!

So here again are the hard facts:

Who: Everyone
What: Outrun CF Virtual Race held by Rock CF Foundation and CysticLife
When: October 1, 2011
Where: Anywhere
Why: Because anyone can run—whether it’s for a minute or a marathon! Together we can Out Run CF.
How : Register at http://www.active.com/running/anytown-mi/out-run-cfvirtual-run-fall-edition-2011

Helpful sites to get you started:

CysticLife.org—Blog about your progress, ask questions about training to the community, post Airwaves with your daily run updates, connect with others to encourage them and be encouraged

Dailymile.com—Make and account and join the Rock CF/CysticLife group to track your miles and keep track of others! http://www.dailymile.com/groups/1463-rock-cf-and-cysticlife-virtual-runners/

Facebook.com—Join the Out Run CF group to see how many people are outrunning CF and connect with them! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Out-Run-CF/164020056961598

Runnersworld.com—Get inspired, find training programs.

I Outrun CF.

Yesterday was a great day for the CF community at large. All over the nation, and in fact the world, we got together (virtually) to "out run" CF. The Rock CF and CysticLife foundations teamed up to put on a special virtual race that could be run anywhere, by anyone and at any distance. When putting together an event like this you never quite know how it's going to turn out and I think that the foundations behind it are very pleased and surprised with the results. We had runners, joggers and walkers post pictures from all over the world on the Outrun CF Facebook page as well as their own personal blogs which I've included some examples here here here here here here here here and here. I mean seriously how cool is that? It was as simple as registering online (over 200 people did just that), putting on your T-shirt and getting a group together (or running solo) all in the name of out running CF. It really warms my heart when you can see the community get together and get behind something as simple as this. It was as if with one loud voice we all screamed that we were not going to take this lying down and we were going to do what we had to do to literally out run CF!

So how did I out run CF yesterday? Well, at 7:30 in the morning I laced up my shoes, mapped out my course and then hit the pavement (right after my morning treatment of course!). I set out to do a 5K not knowing whether I would run the entire time or do some walking intermittently between the runs. The answer is I ran as well as walked. I certainly wanted to run the entire time but I didn't have the legs nor the lungs yesterday morning. Good news is that my legs probably held me back more than my lungs did. This entire last week I ran every single day and by the time Sunday rolled around my legs were pretty fatigued. After being in the hospital for 28 days it definitely takes some time to get my conditioning to the point that I can run for three straight miles. However this time out of the Hole I'm further along than most times due to all the workouts I did while in the hospital. All in all I was very happy with my time and my distance and most of all that I was out running CF with each step.

Mandi also outran CF yesterday. Under doctors orders she's not allowed to run just yet however she did manage to walk 6 miles. I know it's killing her not being able to run and she is counting down the days until she gets the green light. Right now she just has to take it easy as our little peanut grows. Mandi's definition of "taking it easy" is different than most others though. She's been doing all that she can to stay active and generally takes at least two walks a day plus whatever she has going on at the gym. Her dedication to stay fit and healthy is such a large driving force for me in my journey to awesome health and lung function.

I encourage all of you to click on the links above, "like" the Outrun CF Facebook page and check out all the blogs yesterday that were out running CF. If you have any blogs or pictures that you'd like to share of you out running CF please include the link in the comment section below. Thank you all who participated and please know that this was not a one-time event! If you weren't able to out run CF yesterday I promise that you'll be out running CF in the near future!

Running Buddies Online?

**Post written by Mandi (I'm really messing things up this week. Post on Saturday, post on Wednesday, but slacked on my Mandi Monday!)

If you haven’t heard already, the Rock CF Foundation and CF rock star, Emily Schaller, is holding a Rock CF Rivers Half Marathon and 5K on March 20, 2011 in Grosse Ile, Michigan (Get details here: http://www.outruncf.com/). It will be the first half marathon specifically for CF. If you live in Michigan, anywhere remotely close, or are a baller and can fly there for the race, start training and go!!!

BUUUUUT for those of us who aren't lucky enough to be there in person, Rock CF and CysticLife has teamed up on a new concept so we too can participate! The concept: Out Run CF Virtual Run. It's the race of the future! You can run this race from anywhere in the world. So the race is a way for everyone to participate, get some new "virtual" running buddies, and get into shape. Anyone and everyone is invited to participate: Fibros, Cysters, parents, spouses, friends, extended family, you name it! I mean, if you can now find love and make BFF's online, you might as well be able to make running buddies online too! Right?

Participants will find a route or race by their house; report back to their fellow virtual runners online as they train; and then on March 20, 2011, EVERYONE will lace up their joggers and hit the road in their Out Run CF shirt (which you receive when you register for the race).

And here's the best part (in my opinion) people choose their mileage. 1 mile? 5K? 10K? 10 Miles? Half Marathon? Marathon? It's doesn't matter! Nothing is too short or too long, too fast or too slow. The goal just to get the entire CF community out of the house and into their running shoes on the same day.

So again, here are the hard facts:

Who: EVERYONE

What: An Out Run CF Virtual Race held by Rock CF and CysticLife

When: March 20, 2011

Where: ANYWHERE

Why: Because anyone can run – whether it’s for a minute or a marathon! Together, we can Out Run CF.

How: Register at http://www.active.com/running/anytown-mi/out-run-cfvirtual-run-2011

Helpful Sites to Get You Started:

DailyMile.com – Make an account and join the Rock CF/CysticLife group to track your miles and keep track of others!

Facebook.com – Join the Out Run CF group to see just how many people are outrunning CF and connect with them!!

Runnersworld.com – Get inspired, find training programs.

So definitely check it out. Ronnie and I will both be training for the race using dailymile.com and connecting with other runners on CysticLife and Facebook. And so far there looks to be a decent group - people are already registering and there's a growing group on the Out Run CF Facebook page. I'm just excited to have an "excuse" to run, and I have to admit, I'm really excited about getting an Out Run CF T-shirt - maybe not the best reason to run...but hey, whatcha gonna do, right?!