Love and Running - The View From the Sideline

Yesterday was AMAZING, not just because it’s my 6^th Pittsburgh Marathon Event (YAY), but because for the first time ever I got to watch from the sideline as my fiancé was running towards his goal. I think this may have been the first time I had an opportunity to cheer him in from the sideline and it was SO MUCH FUN!! It was such a great feeling to have the opportunity to cheer in the very man who is in the rain, snow, and heat either competing beside me or waiting for me at the finish (camera in hand to capture the moment).

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Join me today at Marathon Google Hangout with some of Pittsburgh's Leading Experts!

We are getting really excited for our marathon nutrition Google Hangout today at 12:30pm: http://bit.ly/Qvfpb2

Be sure to tune and ask questions! Here is our panel of experts (left to right in picture):

Mandy Budzowski, health coach Manager, UPMC Health Plan

- The onsite health coach manager for UPMC Health Plan. She helps members transform their lives for the better through the power of healthy lifestyles.

- Favorite fuel: dried fruit. Favorite hydration: homemade sports drink.

- Has completed the Louisville 140.6 mile IRONMAN, and over 85 marathons, half marathons, adventure races, triathlons, and 5 & 10K races all over the country.

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My DETERMINATION, Your DONATION

Hi Team!! It's hard to believe that training is really starting to gear up and I am just a little under 4 months away from IRONMAN Mont Tremblant.  I am getting more and more excited with each passing day that I start to get more and more involved in immersing myself again in this process. I have a great support team behind me ready to help me complete this journey of 140.6 miles. This time it’s different though. IRONMAN was such a big deal for me and now I get to use the sport to raise awareness and funds for blood related cancers and all those who are fighting them daily. As the largest endurance training program in the U.S., Team In Training raises money towards finding a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma and all other blood cancers.

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Let me Run with Your Loved Ones Touched by Cancer

What will I get out of Team in Training over the next 5 months as I finish my journey to IRONMAN Mont Tremblant? Well, I’ve already walked away with new friends, amazing accomplishments and the sense that I have done something even more important than racing or being in good shape. I am contributing to helping save lives and raise awareness of blood cancer. As many of you now cancer has had a profound impact on my life, most likely changing the trajectory of anything that I would have ever done with my life. Most of the reason that I have grown and developed into the woman I am is because of the disease and the possibilities to help save even one life at a time.  

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Leaning on Some Friends I Know

Hi IRONFRIENDS! Can you believe that we are about 5 months our from IRONMAN Mont Tremblant? The entire experience for training for another IRONMAN has had it's up's and down and I am so happy to be here and in great spirit. I have an amazing support team behind me (all of you) and I am so grateful to share the mission of TNT and the fight for a cure. I owe a huge THANK YOU to all of you for tipping me over the half way mark to $5000!! You are all amazing and I appreciate you!

Let me tell you a little about what I've been up to- last week I had the opportunity to return to Louisville and the home of my first IRONMAN. It was so re-energizing to be there and I just completely took it in. I ran the swim and the run course (photos below) and had a blast. I will definitely be going back to Louisville in 2015 to conquer that course now that I understand a little more about the demand of an August race in the dead heat like that. And I am pleased to say that I found the Churchill Downs (since I missed it at IMLOU)!

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Thank You!

 Fundraising is hard, right? i find myself being stressed out over it sometimes because the goal I have set out fort seems like alot, and many of my friends and family have already donated.

I owe a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to our event this weekend at Priors Tap and Tavern. We ended up raising almost $700 towards my Team in Training goal for IMMT!  Also THANKS to everyone who purchased from the 31 party that we had. That event brought in $190 in fundraising PLUS over $300 worth of product that was used for the raffles at the Priors event! The basket auction was a huge success bringing in the bulk of the cash and the 50/50 raffle also went over extremely well! Priors was also great in that they donated 10% of food and drink sales to us! Huge shout out to my friend Rachel for organizing it!

We plan to have another event there in April which will be a tournament style event with the same basket type auction and 50/50 raffle. To gear up for the next event too we are hosting another 31 party with a $1200 selling goal to get over $500 in free product for the basket raffles!!

We've been raising alot of awareness to TNT and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but there's still more to do! Thanks for being here!

Mandy

Have a Heart, Do your Part Radiothon

In November 2011, At the age of just 4 years old, my cousin Ava Turner was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia – a very aggressive blood and bone marrow cancer .  She immediately began an intense outpatient treatment program at Akron Children’s Hospital’s Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. After undergoing rounds of chemotherapy, steroid regimens and occasional hospital stays, Ava got stronger and gained renewed strength through the expert care of her physicians and nurses.

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