Why the Red Head Runs

Hello all you dedicated Readers!

I'm Sadie, the crazy friend who is going to run with Christine in her first 1/2 marathon!!! She has asked me to be a guest blogger and I'm honored! Let me just say that I'm super proud of her for accepting this challenge and so excited to cross the finish line with her. Please, please, please donate to her Livestrong fund and help her reach her goal!

Auntie Di and I on the bike trail at Coeur d'Alene.

As some of you know, my Aunts (Auntie Di and Auntie Sue) were both diagnosed with Breast Cancer about a week before my wedding this year. It is truly amazing that their diagnosis was so close together and that they are traveling the path of being cancer free together. The news was a huge surprise: my Aunts were super fit and health conscious women who were always ready for some sort of physical challenge. Cancer is not what they thought their next challenge would be.

Auntie Di has had a double mastectomy and is in the final rounds of chemo and Auntie Sue is also in the final stages of chemo but will have a double mastectomy early next year. Both will have reconstructive surgery (we will have fun boob shopping as well as clothes shopping as you need to show off the new girls). Everyone in these ladies life's have been so supportive and willing to help in any way and I wish for anyone going through this nightmare to have the support they have.

Our family at the Race for the Cure in 2009 (my first 5k ever!)

So, when I heard the news of my Aunts diagnosis, I do what I do best (this is also one of Christine's strengths) - I turned to list-making. I'm not the most sentimental when it comes to news like this so I needed a list, a list that showed the steps of recovery, the steps of positivity, the steps of my contributions to their cure. Unfortunately a list was not the answer because Cancer has its own path, it is a path that disregards lists and plays by its own rules. So now what? Well, I decided that I needed to be the constant positivity, the person that helps the larger fight that will benefit people like my aunts. I needed to be the goal setter, not just for myself but also for my aunts and everyone in my family. I needed to show my family that Cancer wants to take everyone linked to it into a dark place but there is a fight and survivors that needed to be celebrated. I needed to be the runner.

Running for a cause, running for a survivor, running for a family member fighting like hell, makes you forget the pain shooting through your legs or the hill at the top of a hill (which I hear Austin has in store for us). You are running for people who are battling something so fierce that the drugs needed to fight it make you feel dead - nothing running will ever compare to. I will continue to run for these ladies and all the people who have more strength than I ever will. My aunts can't wait to get back on the bike, back in the pool, and back in the running shoes so I hope that we can all attend the Scottsdale Half marathon in November (the new boobs will make them fit in Scottsdale perfectly) and cross the finish line with a smile and a big f**** you Cancer.

My aunts and I last week celebrating the holidays.

[half] Marathon Monday

I run in celebration of my mother-in-law, Barbara Zumwalt.

College years at Northwest Bible
College in Minot, ND

While I was away at college, I learned that my boyfriend's mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember wishing I could be there more to help with whatever was needed, already feeling like she was my family. Since then, she has become a cancer survivor and an official part of my family. I feel very fortunate to have her in my life.

Barbara is the type of person that will make you feel like one of her own before the end of the first home-cooked meal. Her ability to appreciate and accept everyone is one of her most admirable traits in my eyes.

Zumwalt family. My adorable husband is on the left -
another one of Barbara's great accomplishments.

Not only has she taken in additional children like myself along the way, she has a few of her own (see handsome brood to the right). Barbara is a strong woman who is often the glue of the family, bringing people together or lifting them up when they're down (or homesick). Like most mothers, she always thinks of others before herself and would much rather attend to another person's needs than be the focus of attention. Today's blog isn't intended to make her uncomfortable, but instead let her know that she is appreciated and we are so fortunate that she is a fighter and still with us today. When I am running up  the never-ending hills in Austin, I will think of Barbara, what she has been through, and the amazing women she has helped raise. I will consider myself one of those lucky women and I will keep going because I know the hills are temporary and we are equipped with what it takes to get past them.

Casey, Barbara and Larry Zumwalt at our wedding in 2009.

We love you Barbara! Your kids, your grandkids and the many people who call you a friend are blessed for each day you are in our lives.

Support individuals and families affected by cancer by donating to LIVESTRONG on my fundraising page. I will be running the LIVESTRONG half marathon in February in honor, celebration and in memory of many loved ones, including Barabara.

The Loop

I have been running not walking at Memorial Park on a regular basis for about 6 months now. Even before Sadie proposed running a half marathon, I had been not walking in secret, just to see if I could do it. I didn't want to tell anyone because most people I know here run (for real), and I was afraid they would try and run with me which might have caused extensive embarrassment. Plus, for many years, my motto has been "I don't run, but I will cheer you on." I was trying not to let everyone know I had just been too stubborn to really try until I was sure it could be done.

During this time, I ran my first full mile since high school. It was painful, and I still didn't like running but I was proud of the fact that I lugged myself a whole mile without stopping for the first time in my adult life. Additional distance didn't come quickly after that,  but I still ran occasionally, proud of each mile.

My running spot of choice (for the time being) is the Seymour Lieberman trail at Memorial Park. It's about a 3 mile loop with quarter mile markers along the way. I don't have fancy watches, phones or apps to keep track of how far & fast I go, so it's a nice way to tell how far I run while trying to remember to time myself. Baby steps.


When I first started not walking, I would always go around the entire loop, trying to run as much as I could and walking in between. I remember thinking that maybe one day I would start my run and go around the whole loop without stopping. And no only that...  but maybe the day would come where it didn't suck.

Well, today was that day.

I have run this loop without stopping a couple of times before and an equal distance elsewhere a time or two, but today was the day I ran that loop without too much difficulty. I felt pretty good, I didn't contemplate stopping to walk and I didn't have to concentrate on my breathing the whole time. Toward the end, I thought of myself trying to do this 6 months ago - a mile was a painful victory. And here I am doing the things I only thought were maaaybe possible such a short time ago. These kinds of personal victories are so sweet!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

These are the perfect cookies for
a holiday party  in the South!

Yesterday was the first day that it felt wintry and Christmasy to me. I seems hard to get into the holiday spirit, partially because of the desensitization caused by Christmas decorations going up in October, but I think it's mostly due to the fact that the high temperature on December 1st was 73 degrees. This is not winter wonderland weather! (Don't be mistaken, that is not a complaint)

In the last few days it's gotten pretty chilly. And yes, it does actually get cold in Houston. It was in the mid 30s on my way to work this morning. Brr! As I was driving home last night, it was so crisp outside and darker than usual. This in combination with the lights on top of all of the office buildings and decorations in retail windows did it for me. It's almost Christmas!!! This was soon followed by the present panic. So many people and so few presents purchased... We are definitely behind on the present front this year in comparison to previous years, and I shall blame the lack of time and funds on the University of Houston.

I find that I get a kick out of the decorations here. I mean, who doesn't love lights on palm trees?! I still can't get over the fact that we live in a place that has palm trees - I feel like they're only for vacation, not for real places. 

Not only are there lights everywhere, but all of the cool kids put giant bows on top of their businesses. I can't even begin to imagine the electricity bill for this city in the winter. I love all of the decorations, but appreciate them more when they show up at the right time - after Thanksgiving. Nordstrom is even on the same page, which I can appreciate even though I don't ever shop there (let's be serious).

I'm starting to get excited for Christmas and our upcoming trip home! Even though it can be stressful, it can be equally awesome. Happy Holidays!

How to Drive in Houston

I think driving in the city of Houston could be considered a sport. I have come to the conclusion that the manual I studied to get my driver's licence is completely useless here. I am also pretty sure the majority of drivers don't know who has the right of way in any given situation, which results in epic multi-direction traffic jams.

Car vs. pedestrian: who has the right of way?

ME!

It doesn't matter who is the car or the pedestrian. I am going somewhere important and I should have the right of way. The end.

I thought it would be interesting to share my view of the unspoken driving rules in Houston. I hope this does not deter you from visiting. (We love visitors!)

1. Your vehicle must be BIG. If it is not, obscenely expensive will suffice.

2. If you're not tailgating or speeding, you're not really driving. True Houstonians do both at the same time.

3. You must not use your blinker. If you do use a blinker, it should in no way indicate what your next move will be.

4. Switching one lane at a time is for sissies.

5. When getting out of your car in a parking lot, swing the door with gusto. Denting someone's car, it's not big deal! If they've been in Houston for any amount of time, their doors probably look like the surface of a golf ball anyway.

6. Texting and driving is required. If you don't have the capacity to do both simultaneously, texting is obviously the first priority.

7. Tire repairs should be a category included in your monthly budget.

8. Gas pump hoses are long for a reason: to be stretched around your entire car. If given the opportunity, take full advantage.

9. Using your blinker will never persuade another driver to let you in. If you go, they will get out of the way (usually).

10. Never forget, you are the only one that matters.

Parents who teach their children to drive here should receive some sort of medal of honor or a serious discount on anxiety prescriptions. Like my grandmother, I'm not sure that I'm up to having kids in Texas.

I imagine little road rage apprentices ramming their Power Wheels together screaming, "Hey Y'all, get out of the way!" ...that is until they grow up. As in any city, Houston road rage is less polite and full of grown-up words.

Here's to all of the brave souls that drive the streets of this city regularly. And to those who make a simple trip to the grocery store a thrilling adventure for the rest of us: you live in the south. Since you do everything else so slowly, why not try this too?