Always Trust Your Cape...

I have a confession.....I'm afraid to fly. I don't mean "I don't like getting in airplanes" afraid. I mean, "yell out loud, grab perfect strangers, need prescription medication" afraid. My husband jokingly asks if he can get a seat at the other end of the plane when we have to buy plane tickets. I'm pretty sure this isn't a secret because I tell everyone...especially when they start talking about flying. See, I tell them in hopes that they will change the subject. I'm afraid of a lot of things. Wading in the ocean (forget swimming), driving on bridges, failing my children, saying the wrong thing....the list goes on and on. For example, you could say that right now I'm nearly paralyzed with fear about hosting a 5k race for the community in hopes that we can show breast cancer survivors how important they are and how much we want to help them fight the disease.

I remember having tea with Sarah at Starbucks a long time ago and talking about some silly fear I was experiencing with my boys. I asked her how she coped with stress of every day situations. She told me when she started swimming competitively she would get almost physically ill before she competed. She said she started telling herself that whatever is going to happen has already been decided so it was unnecessary to make herself worried sick about it. I think about that conversation a lot. I think about all my fears and thinking of Sarah really puts those things in perspective. She faced the worst possible fear any of us could probably face......every single day. On top of that, she felt physically ill most of the time. Every day, she got up and she faced that fear with the same resolve. She didn't let it paralyze her, grab perfect strangers, yell out (although all those reactions would have been completely acceptable as far as I'm concerned).

I certainly haven't stopped having all those fears, but I think about the level of courage it must have taken Sarah to face the worst possible outcome day in and day out, all the while feeling far from top shape. I can get in a plane, swim in the ocean, take risks with my children, plan the F.A.B. 5k with my wonderful friends. The outcome has already been decided. I might as well relax and enjoy the ride (or the surf).

So....if this your first race (walking or running), do NOT be afraid. You are doing something wonderful to honor people like Sarah who face our worst fears every single day. It's three miles, one morning, one race entry fee, a few hours out of your schedule. This is easy.

"She was just one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith. Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape". -- Eric Bibb, The Cape

Then....and Now....

Wow....we have less than 5 weeks to the starting gun (note: this year we will test it prior to the official start) ;). We thought it would be fun to reflect upon where we are now versus where we were this time last year (plus a little perspective will help keep us motivated!)

For starters, as of today we have a little over 100 registrants for the 2nd Annual F.A.B. 5k. Last year, we knew we had a little over 100 registered the night before the race. That is a big difference! This year we introduced online registration at signmeup.com in an effort to streamline the process on race day and reduce data entry. This has helped immensely allowing us to better plan the race day and understand who our participants are. Any guesses on what the average registrant age is?.....to be revealed at a later date.

We have a wine tasting under our belts this year already. Earlier in April, we hosted a fundraiser at Vintages in Arlington Heights. It was a great success and we hope to do the same event next year. We raised over $1,500 for the F.A.B. 5k and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Last year, a secondary event to the race was no where on our radar screen.

We’ve got T-shirts printed already! This time last year we were still tinkering with our logo. Email us if you would like to purchase one (fab5krun@gmail.com). We will also have them for sale at the packet pickup-up and on race day.

This year the F.A.B. 5k has again received generous corporate sponsorships from our inaugural sponsors --- The John Buck Company, Running Unlimited, Glenview State Bank, Westgate Dental Care and Waltz, Palmer & Dawson LLC. In addition to these sponsors, we are proud to add three more this year: Awesome Design Contracting, Vintages and Wright Socks.

While it is safe to say we are ahead of where we were last year in terms of logistics, we are still working very hard on maximizing participation and making this the best neighborhood 5k it can be. Please help us by registering today and telling your friends, family and co-worker’s about our cause.

Why Sarah Chose BCRF

Last year, the race committee asked my wife, Sarah Lopez, which organization she would recommend as the beneficiary of the F.A.B. 5k fundraising efforts. Because she felt that breast cancer awareness was already being covered well in the public, she searched for the best research-focused organization and found the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Research leading to a cure is urgent for so many women out there with metastatic breast cancer - their lives hang in the balance! Although breast cancer claimed the life of my beloved Sarah after a courageous 5 year struggle, she and I both believed that her life was saved several times in that period due to new treatment methods and advances in research. Organizations like BCRF are making a difference. They support science that is giving families more precious, priceless time together - and we are getting closer to curative treatments each year. As I grieve for Sarah, my heart also goes out to the many families with a mother who might still be given the opportunity to see her children grow up if we can keep pushing hard and supporting research for a cure! I invite you to join us in supporting the BCRF through your F.A.B. 5k race registration and additional donations. The BCRF received a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for the 9th consecutive year and is the only breast cancer organization to hold an A+ from the American Institute of Philanthropy. It is known for high efficiency with over 90% of donations going straight to funding research. It's mission is to "Find The Cause" and "Find The Cure!"
Let's run the F.A.B. 5k together this year on 11 June. Let's make a difference!