Cigna Inspires: Overcoming Cancer and Celebrating Life

Hey y'all- IT'S FINALLY WDW MARATHON WEEKEND!!

I'll be posting like a maniac on Instagram and Twitter this week/weekend so make sure you're following along to see all the Disney goodness!

In honor of this week-long celebration of running, I have another inspirational runner to introduce you to, Bindu Panapalli. Bindu has survived ovarian cancer and a resulting injury to her leg due to eight rounds of chemotherapy. Despite the challenges she's faced, Bindu will toe the line for the Walt Disney World 10k on Friday. Thank you, Cigna, for allowing me to share these awesome stories! Enjoy!

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Bindu Panapalli, 47 years old and resident of Glen Allen, Va. near Richmond, always felt a desire to help people with cancer through research. By February 2016, she found herself at the start of 18 months of firsthand experience battling the disease through three surgeries and eight rounds of chemo – she just didn’t know it at the time.

Her journey began with a scheduled surgery to treat fibroids and a hysterectomy, leaving her bedridden. Six weeks later, persistent pain led the doctor to find a bowel obstruction and scheduled another surgery. This time, the doctor discovered ovarian cancer and it spread. Six rounds of chemotherapy, which also caused numbness in her leg hindering her ability to walk, stretched from summer into the fall. By November, the third surgery removed the rest of the cancer, but the battle still required two more rounds of chemotherapy in February 2017 before she could finally say she would feel like she’s truly recovering.

“I never thought I would get cancer,” Bindu recalled. “Even before all this, I wanted to help people with cancer as a researcher. After the diagnosis and treatment, I volunteered at the cancer treatment center every Thursday encouraging people during chemotherapy treatment. I was even on the bone marrow donor list.”

By August, she felt ready to start thinking about a return to work. She researched what her employer’s Cigna disability insurance benefits offered including the vocational coaching program, so she requested referral. That’s when she met Robin Randol, her Cigna vocational coach, who offered assistance.

“Every customer’s needs are different,” said Robin. “What she wanted was to build up her physical strength, so we talked about self-care and various strategies and tips to address fatigue and stamina. She also wanted to find a new job that matched her passion. We talked about career goals, updated her resume, and I provided help researching job leads.”

Well-educated, Bindu’s background includes nearly enough for a doctorate from India. She hopes to take her work history, education, and personal experience to help people.

“I want to help people,” said Bindu. “I want to interact with patients. Not sit in a lab anymore, but a make a real difference in people’s lives. Now, that I’ve had this experience fighting cancer, I can be even more helpful.”

Robin helped prepare her for job interviews and gave her the encouragement she’s needed to help take back her health and move closer to a job for which she can feel truly passionate.

One of the training programs Robin offered was the Cigna customer referral program with Achilles International, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities participate in athletic events. Cigna partners with organizations like Achilles International to help customers achieve their health and return to work goals by providing: access to additional rehabilitation resources including ergonomic office equipment, software, education and accommodations to help customers stay safe and be productive at work, encouragement and support, resume review and job placement assistance.

As a result of her hard work and dedication, Cigna offered Bindu the opportunity to participate in the Walt Disney World® 10K presented by Cigna on Friday, January 5th as a member of Team Cigna. She will be guided on the race course by Jonathan Prokup, Cigna's executive sponsor of Achilles International and General Counsel for Cigna.

“I’m celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary in January at the race,” said Bindu. “When I cross that finish line, I want to raise a glass and celebrate life.”

The Cigna Customer Referral Program with Achilles International demonstrates Cigna’s promise to partner with customers “Together, All the Way” along their unique health journey. When injury or illness occurs, Cigna helps them get back on track to achieve their goals.

“For Cigna customers, participating in a race represents a healthy milestone on the road to recovery, but also independence,” said Robin. “As people gain physical strength, they also build confidence, which can positively affect all areas of your life.”

“Cancer is a part of me,” said Bindu. “It changed my life completely. Now, because of Robin, I’m back at work part time work with a new employer building towards full time. I want to thank Robin because now I can look forward.”

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Pretty amazing, right?!

If you're running this weekend at Disney (or anywhere else), GOOD LUCK! Remember, when your legs get tired, run with your heart. ❤

RW Half & Festival: Come Run With Me!

The Runner's World Half & Festival holds a very, very special place in my heart. The beautiful city of Bethlehem, the changing leaves and perfect running weather in October, the super cool expo speakers, the opportunity to meet and run with editors from Runner's World...  it all adds up to one awesome running weekend.

Photo credit: Runner's World

But I've actually never even run any of the races during the RW Half & Festival Weekend! So, how can I love a race so much when I've never crossed the starting line? Let's rewind to October 2014....

If you've been a long-time reader of this blog, then you know I suffered a second metatarsal stress fracture in September 2014 and was on a knee scooter/non-weight bearing for seven long, torturous weeks. I missed several races that fall and winter- one of which was the "Hat Trick" at RW Half & Festival. I was supposed to run the 5k and 10k on Saturday and then the half on Sunday. Instead, I found myself cheering on lots of friends, volunteering at the expo, and stalking Bart Yasso all weekend 😊

And I had an AWESOME time! Even though I couldn't run, I still got to chat with Runner's World editors/staff, hang out in between races with friends, and just enjoy the atmosphere of a weekend catered to runners of all levels.

We met Mandy for the first time this weekend!

Then in 2015, I returned to Bethlehem, not to run, but to cheer on several runners/friends that were in town to run the race. The steel stacks are only two hours from my home so I couldn't not make the trip to see Dani (Weight Off My Shoulders), Linzie (Sharp Endurance), Jenna (This Princess Runs For Sparkle) and Kristin (Bama Girl Runs) who had traveled from all over the country/state for the races!

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So, is it any surprise that I am SO EXCITED to head back to Bethlehem this fall and actually get to run the "Grand Slam" as part of the RW Half & Festival Run Crew?! I literally cannot wait!

I'll be running all the races during the weekend (minus the Kids Race and the Dog Run): a 3.8 mile trail race on Friday, 5k and 10k on Saturday, and the half marathon on Sunday.

Want to join me for one of the best race weekends on the east coast??

The awesomely generous folks at Runner's World have given me one FREE RACE ENTRY for any of the weekend's events to giveaway to one lucky blog reader! See details below for your chance to win!

Giveaway Rules: This giveaway will run until 8/23/17 at midnight. At that time, rafflecopter randomly selects a winner from all the entries. The more points you accumulate, the more entries you can get- make sure to tweet about the giveaway every day to get more chances to win!

I will contact the winner on 8/23/17 by email and will give a two day window to respond/claim the prize. If I have not heard from the winner by midnight on 8/25/17, I will draw another name/winner from the rafflecopter list.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


If you don't happen to win the free entry, you can still get a 10% discount on any of the weekend's races by using the code "SPARKLYRUNNER" at checkout. 



Good luck and see you in Bethlehem!

ENELL Ambassador Race Recap & Review: Race 13.1 Baltimore 10k

Note: As an ENELL Racing Ambassador, I receive race entry fees and merchandise, but I genuinely love the brand. All opinions here are my own. 

Last weekend, Matthew and I ran the inaugural Baltimore Race 13.1 10k. I know that sounds confusing- the race's name is "Race 13.1" and they offered a half marathon, 5k, and 10k option in Baltimore. Because Matthew and I had six miles on our marathon training plan anyway, and because we rarely find any 10k races in our area, we signed up for the 10k race.

This was also my last event as an ENELL Race Team Ambassador- talk about a bittersweet race! It has been a real joy getting to represent ENELL over the past year and this race was no different. Because it was going to be cold, somewhere in the 38-42 degree range, I decided to wear a long-sleeved quarter zip up under my ENELL singlet. And obviously, I had to add a Santa hat and a Sparkle Athletic skirt! 😁

Naturally, I had to wear my "Rock It Red" ENELL for this holiday-themed race.

Matthew and I chose to pick up our packets race morning. We parked in the recommended lot ($15) and walked the short walk down to Canton Waterfront Park to pick up our bibs and shirts. It felt 20 degrees colder when we were down near the water! This race started at 7 am and packet pick up was advertised for 5-6 am- so it was still dark out when we got our stuff. We opted to head back to the car and sit in the warmth until the race start- of course, not after we made a pit stop at the brand spankin' new port-o-potties!

New, clean port-o-potties with no line?! Every runner's dream! 

While we huddled in the car, we both decided to put on the race shirt because it was a little colder than we expected. The shirt we got was a really nice tech shirt and I put mine on under the long-sleeved quarter zip and my ENELL singlet. Another reason I love ENELL bras- I can change in public and not feel like I'm exposing myself to the world. 😜

The back of the shirt has the race's mantra printed on it: "You can. You will."

At about 6:40, we made our way to the starting line in Canton Waterfront Park. We noticed the different colored bibs for the different distances and realized that there were very few 10kers in comparison to the half marathoners. The half and 10k were going to start at 7 and then the 5k would start at 7:10 am.

There weren't many people at the race, maybe around 1,500, and there were even fewer folks that dressed up in holiday gear. While taking a few pre-race pictures, I did manage to find some other like-minded runners, however:

Christmas, in runner form.

Proud ENELL ambassador.

After a quick playing of the National Anthem, the race began! The half marathoners and 10kers would follow the same course for the first three miles and then the 10kers would turn around to head back to the park and the finish line. This course was very different from most of the Baltimore races I've done- mainly because we did very little running near the Inner Harbor, where most of the Baltimore races start and finish.

This course was pretty easy to follow- there were plenty of volunteers and police out there making sure we knew where we were going and making sure we were safe. The course wasn't totally closed; there were times where the police had to stop traffic to allow the runners to safely cross the road. But there were absolutely no issues at all with us being able to run our race and feel safe.

Waiting at the start...

Good morning, Canton!

A beautiful day for a race.

The turnaround point for the 10k was right near the National Aquarium and it was well-marked. Matthew and I were keeping a pretty good pace averaging right around 11:45 minute miles. I noticed that my Garmin was picking up the miles a few hundred feet before the posted mile marker (not unusual) until mile five. We saw the mile marker for mile five and then my Garmin didn't hit five until well after the mile marker. In fact, my Garmin recorded the race as being 6.15 miles long, not the 6.2 that is the correct distance for a 10k. Weird, but not totally unusual for my watch to be different than the course.

The views on the way back to the finish were absolutely stunning- watching the sun come up over the water was so gorgeous! However, I wished I'd brought sunglasses- it was so bright! I also ended up being over dressed. Around mile three I was so damn hot. I should have left the race shirt in the car.

I think we're supposed to turn here 😜

So pretty.

The Inner Harbor from a different angle.

When we finished the race, we headed over to the food table. I was expecting some water and bananas but there was so much more! Panera bagels, bear claws, scones, etc. It was quite a spread!

They also had computers there where we could check out our official finish time- 1:13:37. Matthew grabbed a bagel, I got some fruit, we took a few selfies and then headed back to our car.

Stats from Garmin Connect.

All. The. Carbs. 

What's better than a Panera bagel?!

Goofs.

In summary, this was a well-organized and fun race with a unique course. The race shirt is pretty cool and the post-race food was abundant and awesome. And oh yeah, there was a man playing an accordion at the start and then again at the finish so that should definitely fit into your decision making if you want to put this one on your calendar. 😂

As always, I was thankful to have my ENELL bra to support the girls while I was pounding the pavement. And though you couldn't see it, I was happy my bra matched my outfit. I'm pretty sure that's always a contributing factor to having a good run/race. ❤


Have you participated in a Race 13.1 race before? What did you think?

Race Recap & Review: The Great Race

On a Sunday in late September, the great city of Pittsburgh holds an annual event: The Great Race. It is a race that's sponsored by the city, extremely large (10,000+ runners and walkers), and is a point-to-point, meaning the race starts in one area and finishes in a completely different area.

Last year, I was signed up for this event but wasn't able to participate due to my stress fracture. This year, I was determined to get my revenge on this course and finally complete it.

And then my foot started acting up in early September. And I had my first DNF the day before the Great Race at Akron. Yeah- these races are back-to-back. Our wonderful friends put us up at their house in Pittsburgh the night of the Akron races- luckily Pittsburgh is only a two hour drive from Akron.

So the night before the Great Race I was debating a lot on what to do. Should I start the race with a bum foot? What if I had to stop- how would I get to the finish area? What if I walked the whole thing? Could I walk six miles? Would this hurt my foot even more? Was this a stupid decision to attempt this race?

I decided to make a game-time decision: I would make the call at race time. The next morning, race morning, I got up and dressed and joined Matthew and our friends for the short drive to Pittsburgh. We parked downtown and joined the ever-expanding line to get on the shuttles to take us to the start line. As we were walking, I heard someone yelling for "sparkly runner." It was a sweet blog reader, Elana! We chatted for a few minutes and grabbed a selfie. Then I went back to the end of the line with our friends and waited for our turn to get on the shuttle.

The never-ending shuttle line.

"Official" bus stop. 

Once at the start, we had some time to kill. There were a TON of people there and it was near impossible to get to the bathrooms- all of which had extremely long lines. So, I went behind this little brick wall :-) I credit my love of running with my ability to pee anywhere!

The starting line of this race is really odd; it is literally in a neighborhood. People were coming out of their homes, drinking coffee, and just staring at the thousands of people standing on their street.

Starting line before it got super busy...

...starting line with thousands of runners.

At the starting line, I decided that I was going to walk the entire race. I wasn't 100% about my foot but knew I wanted to try. Our friends spread out in the starting corral to what pace they wanted to run. Matthew and I said our goodbyes as he moved up towards the eight minute mile pacer. Gloria, Kelsey and I made our way to the back of the pack so we could start towards the last people as we didn't want to get trampled. My ipod had died that morning so I borrowed Steff's instead- I cued up her awesome running playlist and started my walk over the starting line.

Probably my favorite picture of the entire race.

Because I was worried about keeping up with the required pace, 14 minutes/mile, I was hustling that first mile- I think it was just under 13 minutes! Which was about my pace when I first started running five years ago! It was really, really difficult to NOT run. I was so excited to be racing and my foot was feeling great and it was so tough not to just break into a run.

But I didn't run. Instead, I was power-walking the crap out of the Great Race. I was lost in the new music and the surroundings when around mile two, this man came up and started talking to me. I took my headphones out and he said, "You walk as fast as I run! Can I stay with you a while?" Obviously, you know my answer- "Of course!" I said to him.

Jim became my new running buddy for the last four miles of the course. I learned all about his life (he's a professor for Pitt's medical school- moved here from the mid-west a long time ago), his wife (married for 30+ years), his son (studied art in college), and why he was running the Great Race. As it turns out, Jim was a runner for many years but eventually, his joints gave out on him and he could no longer run. He switched to cycling but in his mind, that doesn't compare to running- he runs the Great Race every year as his one running "indulgence." How cool is that?

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this race- Jim running beside me, me walking fast to keep us on pace, chatting and laughing as the miles flew by. Parts of this course were very familiar to me as I've run in Pittsburgh a few times now. I  knew some of the hills we'd face on the later part of the course towards the finish line. Even with the heat (it was crazy sunny and hot) and the hills, the course is beautiful and offers spectacular views of the city.

And there were greyhounds on the course! Just like during the Pittsburgh Marathon!

One of Pittsburgh's many bridges and river views.

As we neared the finish, I spotted Kelsey making her way up the last hill. I introduced her to Jim and the three of us headed towards the last downhill of the race.

Matthew had called me to let me know he'd finished and that he and some of our other friends were on the course waiting to cheer for us. As we neared the downtown area, I spotted Matthew, Coach Jeff, and a very pregnant Natalie on the sidewalk. You may recall, Natalie had run the Akron Half Marathon the day before and I had stayed with her (and Coach Jeff and her husband Jimmy) for the first part of the course and my relay leg.

Before I knew what was happening, Jeff and Natalie jumped in and said they were going to see us to the finish! My heart swelled with love for these people- especially soon-to-be momma Natalie as I can't imagine it's easy to run when you're seven months pregnant! Matthew snapped a few pictures and we rounded the corner to the finish line. Now, even though I said I was going to walk the whole thing, I may have ran in the last .1 mile :-)

Coach Jeff, Natalie, Me, and new friend Jim.

We crossed the finish line, exchanged emails, grabbed a picture, and then headed to get some post-race snacks and water. I also ran into Elana again and we were able to get a picture on my phone.

Smiling 10k finishers.

I always look creepy-happy when I meet readers in real life!

We finished in 1:21:34 with a 13:07 average pace. And I WALKED! I can't tell you the last time I'd walked that much- probably during Dopey training two years ago. Walking is a totally different mechanical function- it's definitely not the same as running six miles and it definitely feels different in your legs, back, hips, etc.

We found our running ohana, snapped a quick picture and then headed back to Steff's to shower and get on the road to home.

While it wasn't quite the comeback race I'd been planning, it was still awesome. I met a new friend, learned that I can walk a pretty quick 10k, and got to see my running ohana all weekend long- sounds like the definition of a great race to me. :-)

The crew. 

Have you ever participated in the Great Race or any other city-sponsored race?



AND- Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! :-)

Jeff Galloway Says: How to Run Faster

Happy Monday, friends! As most of you know, I'm quite the speed demon when it comes to running. Ha! I wish! In this edition of "Jeff Galloway Says," Jeff offers some helpful tips for improving your speed. It sounds so simple: to be a faster runner just run faster, right? LOL. I wish it were that easy. For me, improving speed means hill workouts, track repeats, and longer long runs. I'd love to try some of the tips he mentions in the following post- especially the water running! Check out Jeff's tips below and you'll be on your way to running faster in no time!

FIVE WAYS TO GET FASTER by Olympian Jeff Galloway Longer Long Runs Increasing the length of the longest long run has produced the greatest amount of improvement that I've seen among my coaching clients.  Several surveys have shown more than 13 minutes of time improvement when runners increase their longest long run from 20 miles to 26 miles before a marathon.  Comparable time improvements are experienced in 10K runners and half marathoners when they increase their long runs above race distance as noted in my YEAR ROUND PLAN book that covers all the distances.  Long runs must be at least 2 min/mi slower than current ability, with liberal walk breaks.  The slower the pace, the quicker the recovery.  I suggest doing the long runs every 2-3 weeks. Speed Repetitions—increasing the number My runners have improved by an average of over 6 minutes in a marathon (3+ minutes in a half marathon) by increasing the number of speed repetitions to 14 x 1 mile for the marathon, and 14 x 800 meter for the half marathon.  I recommend that each of these be run 30 sec/mi faster than goal pace.  The recovery interval is a 5 min walk between miles and a 3 minute walk between 800's.  These workouts prepare one to maintain or pick up pace at the end of the goal race, instead of slowing down.  See GALLOWAYTRAINING PROGRAMS & HALF MARATHON books for details (www.RunInjuryFree.com). Improve Running Form Most runners I've monitored have improved several minutes in a marathon by fine-tuning their running form.  As the mechanics become smoother and within one's limits, there is a significant reduction in aches, pains and injuries.  The two best ways to improve form are water running and cadence drills: Water running uses the same basic motion as when running on land, using a flotation device so that the feet don't touch the bottom of the pool.  When done for at least 15 minutes, once a week, the legs find a more efficient path through the water—eliminating extraneous motion. The cadence drill is done for 30 seconds, counting the number of times the foot touches the ground.  This drill is detailed in most of my books.  I've found the key to improving speed on the mechanical side is quicker turnover. Race in Shorter Events Dropping down a standard distance or two can improve your mechanics for running faster and your ability to handle a higher level of oxygen debt.  On non-long-run weekends, during a half marathon program, try some 5K or 10K races.  When training for a marathon, race at the 10K or half marathon distance.  At first, the faster pace of the shorter distance may seem awkward.  But after several short races, you will adapt—especially if you do some speed training for the shorter/faster event.  These performance improvements can translate into faster times in the longer distances.  My book 5K/10K details the training and the racing strategies for these events. Hill Training The only way I've found to build strength for running is to run hill repeats.  On a moderate grade hill, start at a jog and pick up the turnover rate of the feet and legs as you go up the hill, shortening your stride.  Walk down the hill for recovery.  Don't sprint, and follow the other hill training guidelines in my books and at  www.RunInjuryFree.com.  The strength from hill training will allow you to perform better in speed sessions which will help you improve in your goal race.  You'll also run faster on hilly courses, during your races.

Save NOW and register for the JeffGalloway 13.1 and Barb's 5K.  Prices increases tomorrow May 2nd!  Don't let your readers miss out on these savings! Register now at http://www.jeffgalloway131.com. Listen and share this great podcast "JeffGalloway's Tips For Beginner Runners" with Mark Kennedy from Healthynomics!  From how Jeff got running to breathing while you run; it's all here!

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Do you train to get faster? What works for you?