In early October, we introduced you to Mary O’Brien, a Seattle woman who has spent the better part of this year training to participate in the Divas Half Marathon at Long Island with her four sisters. Mary reports that the event, held October 7th, surpassed her expectations and brought she and her sisters together in ways she never expected. Read more here.
The O'Brien sisters at the start of the half marathon. Left to right: Patty, Meg, Noreen, Mary and Kathleen.
“When you combine a drive to help others with a strong community, great things can happen.” - Lee Rhodes
The results are in…and the Immediate Impact Breast Cancer Walk that was held in San Francisco September 28-30th raised more than $100,000 to help people living with breast cancer in the Greater Bay Area.
24 walkers and eight volunteer crew members came together to make this goal a reality, covering 55 miles in three days.
You can read a first-hand account of the walk, day-by-day, from glassybaby faithful, Trina Chow on her blog. Trina, herself, raised over $14,000 in this inaugural event! In her own words: “Suffice to say: Amazing day, amazing event, amazing friends, amazing experience. So proud, and so honored to have been a part of it all.”
We’re proud and honored of the example you set, Trina! Heartfelt congratulations to you and everyone that participated and supported your efforts. There’s still time to donate to the Immediate Impact Breast Cancer Walk. Donations will accepted through October 31, 2012.
glassybaby is pleased to partner with the Ben Towne Foundation and announce our latest giving color: ‘rudolph’. 10% from the sale of each ‘rudolph’ glassybaby will be donated to the Ben Towne Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
Ben Towne was an amazing little boy who lost his fight with neuroblastoma when he was just three and a half years old. His courage and strength inspired others to establish the Ben Towne Foundation. The Foundation honors the memory of Ben and works to accelerate the pace of childhood cancer research—changing the way pediatric cancers are treated and cured. To purchase ‘rudolph’, click here.
sister
The Divas half-marathon at Long Island was Mary’s first-ever half marathon and a special way for her family to honor the memory of their dad, Jim, who passed from cancer 29 years ago on October 7th—the same date as the race.
The weather forecast for race day was miserable—rainy and very cold. The sisters believe that something greater was working from above when the day dawned with cool temperatures, but bright sunshine. In fact, the rain did not begin to fall until after the sisters had crossed the finish line. They called it “love from above!”
Mary’s goals were to get in better shape, complete the half marathon and re-connect with her sisters, who found themselves on opposite sides of the country when Mary moved to Seattle in 1980. Mary accomplished all three of her goals: she definitely got in better shape, she completed the half-marathon, and she and her sisters have newfound appreciation for each other.
In Mary’s words:
“This experience was so much bigger than the actual half marathon. It was so many little and big things—our unspoken connection, a common goal, family dinners, last minute training together, crossing the finish line with each other to the cheers of family and friends. Truly amazing! We are strong and united with each other, regardless of the geographic boundaries between us.”
glassybaby extends heartfelt congratulations to the O’Brien sisters for accomplishing their goals and honoring the memory of their dad! Along with her running shoes, Mary’s carry-on bag included a collection of ‘sister’ glassybaby—one for each of her sisters.
Read more…
This is one of West Seattle's "hidden staircases" that Mary took advantage of for cross-training. It is located near the intersection of Northrop Place and SW Thistle Street.
In our Monday post, you met Mary O’Brien, a Seattleite who will soon travel to New York to participate in her first half-marathon on October 7tth. Her four sisters, who currently live in New York, will join her for the Divas half-marathon at Long Island.
Mary had wanted to get into better shape and find a physical activity that would inspire and motivate her. Mary’s sister’s, Patty and Meg, learned about the half-marathon and put the challenge out to all four sisters to train and participate in the event. When Mary realized that the half-marathon would take place on the anniversary of her dad’s passing, and that the course was in her hometown, she found both her inspiration and her motivation.
Mary mentioned the half-marathon to her Seattle friends and found an instant source of encouragement. One of those friends referred Mary to a personal trainer, and they met for the first time last February. Aside from forming a friendship and gaining lots of good training advice, Mary said that the trainer kept her accountable.
Mary started out walking three times each week, for a total of two to three miles per week. She used an app on her iphone called MapMyRun to log all of her training activities. Mary often walked after she got off work, in the late afternoon. Some girlfriends would take turns walking with her during the week. By July, Mary was walking three times each week, and logging between eight and nine miles per week. Her husband, Paul, would often join her for the longer Saturday walks. Mary began participating in 5K events, which really helped her training efforts.
In addition to walking, Mary’s trainer recommended cross-training. For this, Mary supplemented her normal routes with hills and stairs. Seattle has a number of “hidden staircases” and plenty of hills. In August, Mary increased her walks to four each week, and also increased her distance. Mary’s longest walk occurred this past weekend, when she walked 11 miles.
Mary’s journey was not without setbacks. An injury, a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis and physical therapy complicated her training efforts. She learned the value of stretching—even on the days that she didn’t walk. Not only did Mary’s training efforts get her ready for next Sunday’s event, she slimmed down a size or two!
Next time: Half-marathon results and a homecoming to remember
Left to right: Patty, Meg, Noreen, Mary and Kathleen.
“As bright and unwavering as the light from a glassybaby, is the inspirational community that has grown up around them.”
-Lee Rhodes
On October 7th, Mary O’Brien and her four sisters will participate in the Divas half-marathon Series at Long Island, NY. Mary lives in Seattle, having moved here in 1990. She is a wife and the proud mother of two teen boys who keep her busy with school and sports activities. She also works full-time.
Running a half-marathon wasn’t something on Mary’s radar. She had been athletic in high school, but hadn’t been physically active for a number of years. Last year, Mary made a commitment to herself to get in better shape. Her motivation? To ensure that she would be here to create memories, give and receive love and friendship, and share her strength with her sons.
The date of the half-marathon–October 7th–has special significance for Mary and her family; it is the 29th anniversary of her dad’s passing. As a girl, Mary would run with her dad, Jim, a New York City policeman. They spent many hours together jogging through Massapequa Park Preserve. The half-marathon course winds through another park that has special meaning to Mary and her family; it is where they went for school sporting events and concerts. Joining Mary for the half-marathon will be her sisters Kathleen, Patty, Meg and Noreen.
glassybaby is proud to support Mary’s efforts to get healthy, reconnect with her family and honor the memory of her dad, Jim. The Long Island half-marathon will benefit Hewlett House, where people with cancer and their families can go to receive support in their fight against cancer. For more information on the Divas half-marathon series, go to runlikeadiva.com/.
Next time: How Mary trained for the half-marathon
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