TEAM v3.0 Tour de Bass

Well, YES! It's that time again! I'm excited to say I'm back with team!!! I'm currently serving as team mentor for the LLS-Mid America Chapter Tour de Bass team. I'm beyond excited and honored LLS TNT has asked me once again to mentor a team.

This team is going to be very different than any previous experience I've had with team. This is a century cycling team. If you aren't familiar with century cycling, it's a 100 mile ride which takes place all in one single day. Due to my continued health issues, I'm unable to 1/2 marathon anymore. SO, I'm giving this bike thing a try on the urging of my doctors. I'll be honest though, it scares the stuffing out of me! LOL!!! We'll see how this goes.

Despite being scared and still dealing with my own health issues, there are MUCH bigger things at hand here. Thousands of people are fighting everyday just to survive!!! Thousands are hearing the words: leukemia, lymphoma, non-hodgkins, or meyloma for the first time.

Just like last time, I hope to honor my best friend, Michelle Royal. My beautiful Michelle went home to be with the Lord in July of 2012 after her relentless fight with leukemia. She is now at rest but the fight is hardly over. While she is at peace, there are others who need us!!!

So, I've decided throughout this training season to highlight someone who I've personally known with blood cancer. I'll quickly share their story and give them an opportunity to share what life is like with cancer through their eyes. You'll be AMAZED how many people you may know that have battled blood cancer!

Today I want to honor my friend Leesa Gabel. Leesa lives here in my hometown area and I'm honored to know here through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

According to Leesa's own FB page, "On May 28, 2008 I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Having a treatable, but not curable form of cancer sucks. So I've dedicated myself to doing all I can to find a cure for my leukemia and any other form of cancer out there. I do a great deal of volunteer work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and as a Leader for the LIVESTRONG Foundation. My husband and I have raised over $30,000 thru LLS's Team in Training...and have developed a healthier lifestyle along the way by doing endurance events (marathons, century bike rides, triathlons). Cancer won't stop me!! You can read all about my journey at www.TeamWOBO.org"

Additionally, TODAY is Leesa's "CANCERVERSARY" as she is currently a SIX year survivor!!! WHOOHOOO!!! Leesa is an AMAZING mother, wife, friend, advocate and member of our community!!! She is only one of the MANY reasons I have pledged to raise money to help find a cure for blood cancer!

Help honor my friend Leesa today on her SIX year Cancerversary by making a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at http://pages.teamintraining.org/mid/tourbass14/alj62477
Every dollar helps! YOU can make a real difference to people just like Leesa!

And the Saddness Continues...

Well, first off I'm so sorry for being such a slacker in my updates!!! I want to begin by saying training for the upcoming St. Louis Rock N Roll Marathon has been slow. Fundraising has been slow. In a nutshell, I've felt like the amazing mojo I had last year has left the building for good! Unfortunately, blood cancer has NOT. I really have NO excuse for not being as excited or enthusiastic as last year. The need is just as great. My beloved BFF Michelle is still no better. SO, you would think this cause that I'm actually very dedicated to would still command my passion and attention.

I have been serving as my team Mentor. Perhaps I've just been a little burned out?? Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being a mentor! I LOVE meeting our new team members and getting to know our veterans better. I LOVE knowing each Saturday I'll see a group of smiling faces ready to tackle some miles in training. BUT I think my own personal mission may have suffered. I suppose at the end of the day, regardless if I help the team cause of my own efforts - it all goes to an amazing cause.

Now, for my wake up call... I just found out I, and the world, lost an amazing person. A man named Toney Russell came into my life last year through this passion of mine when I combined it with my other one - Drag Racing. Toney owned a competitive race team on the tour my team was racing on. Anyway, when I put out the call last year for all of my racing friends and "family" to help the cause, nobody took on the challenge better than Toney. That is perhaps simply because he was just that kind of guy. You know the type... Guys who would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. It could also been because Toney had a personal relationship with blood cancer. He himself had suffered and battled for years a lesser known blood cancer called multiple myeloma. Toney had endured chemo, bone marrow transplants, and the emotional toll of not knowing if he'd live or die. However, he beat the odds the Dr's all gave him. He lived and what I mean by that, he truly LIVED! SO, last year in the middle of my fundraising, I found myself the recipient of several checks from Alabama totaling hundreds of dollars, all made out to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My new friend down South, Toney Russell, came through in a major way hoping to help save lives from the very cancer he was fighting. Toney lost his battle on Aug 23, 2011. I truly believe is now one of the Lords finest Angels!!!

SO, I guess after this week, I received a very harsh and quick reminder that we MUST be relentless in our fight! WE must fight for those who cannot fight anymore, those too weak, too tired, or those who lost their own personal battle. We have to carry on for people like Toney who never stopped believing even thought it would've been easy to quit. We have to keep up the fight against blood cancer for my Michelle who is still laying in a hospital bed, hooked to life support, fighting. We have to for the almost 1,000,000 people in the United States alone!!!

All I Can Say is WOW!!!

SO, first off - sorry for the long gap in time since the last post... As everyone knows, fundraising has gone very well, and I'm thankful for all who have helped cure blood cancer! I really want to thank my friend Samantha McCaully-Green and the Crawl for Cancer for their VERY generous donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If there is a Crawl for Cancer in your town, be sure to put together a team and participate! This is proof of the amazing work they are doing!!!!!

Well, the big marathon... Last Friday it was off to San Francisco for the Nike Woman's Marathon. I was amazed to see all of the other Team in Training participants from all over the US and Canada. Unknown to me at the time NWM (Nike Women's Marathon) is the 10 largest marathon and the LARGEST Women's marathon in the WORLD! WOW right??

So the event started with a large dinner called the Inspiration Dinner LLS and TNT (Team in Training) does for us. As soon as we (the participants) all walked into the hall, hundreds of LLS staff members were there cheering VERY loudly for us. FOR ME! It was so loud, so overwhelming, so emotional. It made me realize what a big thing I was a part of. As I made my way though the procession, I noticed a man holding a sign that said, "I'm a survivor because of you"; I began to tear up. That is when the "ugly cry" started. The millions TNT and marathons raise for LLS does help find cures and treatments for blood cancer! For this event alone, we with TNT raised 13 MILLION DOLLARS for LLS and NWM raised 105 Million! Can you believe it?? I couldn't. I was overwhelmed... This money could be helping Michelle and so many like her.

Throughout the dinner, we were able to see so many faces and names of those this program helps. We heard from people touched by LLS and who are dealing with blood cancer. Needless to say, many of us were left in tears. We were so touched and honored to be a part of such an amazing cause.

Well, race day... The event was to start at 7 am. Unfortunately, the day was gray, cold, and WET. Yup, it rained most of the day! UGH! BUT despite the cold rain, my spirit was high and I was on a mission to FINISH the event. The scenery was amazing, with a lot to look at along the way. There were performances by a wonderful gospel choir, cheerleaders, bands, and DJ's spinning the best tunes to run to! The hills were TOUGH and MUCH harder than I had anticipated, but I managed to make it up each one. I will admit though, somewhere around mile eight I was getting pretty tired and stiff. BUT I just kept thinking about Michelle and something my Honor Patient Matthew said... "If you think this is hard, you should try chemo" and that kept me going. It's crazy to see what you can do when you are determined to do it!

I was able to cross the finish line quicker than I had ever thought! In just over three hours I did 13.1 miles. My first 1/2 marathon. I had to do this, not for me, but for my BFF laying in ICU back home, for my new friend Matthew Mellor who just went into remission, a fellow racer Toney Russell, my friend Kelle's step-mom, and the millions of others effected by blood cancer. I crossed the finish line, received my Tiffany necklace, and reflected. When I signed up for this almost six months ago, I had three goals. To help make a difference, to raise as much money as possible for LLS and to finish my event. I'm proud but humble to say I accomplished all I set out to do. After all donations and corporate matching is accounted for, with YOUR help, I raised over $7,000 for LLS.

Overall this experience has made me stronger, thankful, grateful, and hopefully and better person. I've made new friends, got in better shape and had a lot of fun. For me, this has been a life line while I've worried about Michelle and in my own way, I've felt I've been able to do something for her.

I plan on keeping this blog up and my facebook page up, because I WILL be doing another event! I'll keep you updated on what I'm doing!

Thank you again for your support and help during all of this!!!

Racing for a Cure

SUNDAY! SUNDAY! Hahaha!!! Seriously, if any of you know me, you know drag racing is a passion of mine. SO naturally, I've brought together my two loves... Raising money for LLS and drag racing! Hence, Racing for a Cure!

I am still lucky enough to work for a Pro Modified team that runs in a national circuit called the ADRL, or the American Drag Racing League. This allows our car to be seen all over the USA! Well, of course me being the opportunist I am, quickly jumped on the chance to help raise money for LLS, raise awareness of blood cancer, and just remind people of the Society. Needless to say it was a big hit! My friend Kellie and I were able to raise a substantial amount of money for LLS. Remember, it only takes $1000 to give 10 children cancer medicine for a month, so lets say a lot of kids could get the medicine they need, or a medical researcher could make a breakthrough in a cure, or a family might receive help with their insurance co-pays... Regardless, we know we helped make a difference, and moreover - drag race fans all over the WORLD have helped make a difference.

I must admit most of my fundraising accomplishments have come via racing... The racing community is amazing for lending their support for worthy causes. Not only have fans came out in full force to donate, but so have teams and drivers. Many of my Pro Mod adversaries have gave big... Good folks like Gaylen Smith and his LenMar Motorsports Team, Frankie "Mad Man" Taylor, Mike Castallana, Danny Rowe, Toney Russell, Josh Hernandez and Keith Goolsby of Superlifts who all gave large donations, and my new friend "Fast" Jack Beckman who is lending his star power... Mr Beckman, who is an inspiration himself, is a major contender in Top Fuel Funny Car in the NHRA Full Throttle Series and is also a lymphoma survivor. Commanding such major attention in the world of motorsports, having Mr. Beckman help lend his name to the cause is proving to be priceless.

Regardless if you are a drag race fan or not, you cannot dispute what big hearts the fans, drivers, and crew's have for helping those who need it. Without the generosity of those within the industry I love so much, I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now in my overall fundraising efforts. Besides, racing has helped me keep the "fun" in fundraising. Hahaha! Okay, that was a bit dorky even for me!

There is No "I" in TEAM!

A major part of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program is the TEAM aspect. I know I've referenced this a few times, but I'm not sure if I've really explained the whole deal. Really, at the end of the day, it's part of what makes this whole experience so fun and addicting!

Here in Kansas City, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has a local chapter, which is the Mid America Chapter. We cover a large part of Missouri and a large portion of Kansas. The Team in Training (TNT) team I'm on is under the Mid America LLS. Under our Mid America LLS TNT team, there are several teams training all at once. Each separate "sub" team is training for a different marathon, and one very tough team training for a triathlon. There are also seasons. We are training with the 2010 Fall season, as our events are all in the fall.... (DUH! LOL). Anyway, the team I'm a part of is the Nike Women's Marathon, which will be in San Francisco, CA. There is also a team training for the Waddell and Reed KC Marathon, and the team training for The Nation's Triathlon in DC.

Each team has a fantastic support system, which includes team Mentor's. The Mentor's are experienced in this program and help with training, fundraising, moral, etc... Our Mentor's for Nike is Aimee and Amy. Not kidding! I know very few Amy's (or Aimee's), and now, I know two fantastic ones!!! Tonight Aimee and Amy hosted a BBQ for our team. We all got a chance to bond a little more and to learn more about each other. We gathered with good food, and really had time to share some amazing stories on why we are embarking on this experience. Needless to say, when it was my turn to share - I did the Oprah "ugly cry" thing when I spoke of my dear Michelle and how much I miss her everyday. Regardless, with every mile I log with my TNT Team, I feel I could be making a difference for others who could be in Michelle's position in the future.

SO, as the evening went on the the sharing went on, I sat back and realized this experience is not about myself, or even Michelle. I've now really become a part of something much bigger! Marathon running is an individual sport, but somehow The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has turned this into a very cool team sport. The camaraderie and encouragement is amazing and I've been blown away by the ease of instant "friendship" and acceptance I've found with my new teammates. I suppose this adds to the addiction of the program. I left the evening feeling like I'm EXACTLY where I'm supposed to be, doing EXACTLY what I'm supposed to be doing!

You can still be a part of OUR Team! You can find out about your local TNT Chapter or you can help us find a cure by visiting http://pages.teamintraining.org/mid/nikesf10/ajohnsotl9 and donating what you can...

Blessings to you!
~AJ

The Honor is All Mine

Part of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Team in Training program is to learn more about blood cancer, and to become more involved in their mission. In order to do so, each team is given an Honor Patient. When I first joined Team in Training, I thought the idea of an Honor Patient was cool for those needing to put a face with the disease, but I already had my face and personal drive. I had Michelle pushing me to make a difference. Regardless, I was interested in how the Honor Patient deal worked but was somewhat skeptical at the all the while.


I'm sure you are all sitting there thinking I've now hit the height of hypocrisy. Skeptical?? I've been personally touched by leukemia with someone I love very much, and now I'm skeptical about being put in touch with someone else who is fighting for their life. What kind of a jerk am I?? Well, it wasn't that simple. Blood cancer is nasty. Well, any cancer is nasty. For any of you who really know me, knows I'm a much more tender hearted person then I let on. In my mind, I was expecting to see a small, frail child, or someone who, like Michelle, looked and acted very ill and could possibly be dying. For me, the thought of becoming "attached" to someone else who has blood cancer was an almost unbearable thought.


Fast forward to our kick-off party. Back at the first part of June, we had a big kick-off party, where everyone with the Mid-America Chapter of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training program got together to finally meet face-to-face. We all broke-up into our actual team, which is based on which marathon (or for a few elite few, a triathlon) you are participating in. For me, it will be the Women's Nike Marathon in San Francisco, CA. Anyway, each team is assigned their Honor Patient. Our team, was the only team who's patient was at the party. To my surprise, the gentleman who addressed us seemed to be near my age... He is a father of two young boys and oddly, prior to his leukemia diagnosis, he was an avid marathon and triathlon participant.


Matthew Mellor addressed the entire room and gave us insight into his diagnosis with a rare form of leukemia, CML, his treatments, and his life, both before and during cancer. Needless to say, by the end of his talk, I was in tears. Suddenly my new "hobby" had become even more real. I suddenly had another "Michelle" right in my face and this one could talk back to me. It made me miss her so much more, but it made me more determined to help find a cure. Not just for her, but for Matthew and his wife and boys.


Well, to my excitement - Matthew is now in remission!! The oh, so sweet word has finally came for him and his loved ones! During his time of trials and hardship he never lost his faith or his determination that he would triumph over leukemia. He kept up his physical strength as much as possible and to everyone's delight, last Sunday, Matthew just participated in his first triathlon since leukemia.


A fellow TNT member, Kay, and I went to Shawnee Mission park to support Matthew in his triathlon. He amazed us both with how well he tackled the swimming and biking part of in his race. We were so excited for him. Not so much for the race, but more for what the day the race signified for him. Just as Matthew was rounding the final part of the bike portion, the race was cancelled because of a bad storm. Regardless, he was a serious winner!!!


SO, now I'm thinking the term "Honor Patient" is completely wrong... I've learned so much from my Honor Patient. BOTH of them. Michelle and Matthew have taught me more than I could ever imagine. It's funny but I somehow wonder if they were cut from the same mold, so to speak. They both have shown more grace and dignity than most people would in their situation. They both have a tremendous amount of heart and have been determined to triumph over anything. For me, I am the one who is honored. The honor has been mine to not only know them, but to compete for them. To say I'm a part of THEIR team has made me feel more honor than I have felt in a long time...

Please honor them and their fight by joining our team and by helping us all find a cure!!! We still need your help and your donations!

Thanks!!

~AJ

Walking, and Running, and Fundraising, OH MY!

Oh my, what a month! Well, so much has been going on... First let me start by saying THANK YOU to everyone who made it out to Sweet Tomatoes to help me celebrate my Birthday and most importantly, to help support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I'm not sure how much money we raised, but we did have a good time!

Well, the past month or so has been INSANE to say the least. Training has taken off full force... I will admit, I've been most nervous about the training; not the fundraising. I'm delighted to report however, the training has actually been fun! The hardest part is during the week. I have to maintain a strict training regimen our coaches have planned all week, but this is independent. The exciting part is our Saturday team training sessions. I've made some new friends, and honestly, as crazy as it sounds, I enjoy getting up at 4:30 AM to make a 6 AM run! Okay, I'll be 100% honest - I'm not exactly running yet, but I am getting into a little jogging. Regardless, we are working up to some serious mileage!

At the top of the page, the picture I put up is of a rainbow Kellie took while we were driving back home. It was after our first team training session. After the session, we had a fitness and nutrition workshop. There was so much information to digest, but when we got back in the car, we both felt we were EXACTLY where we are supposed to be! The entire experience has been amazing. I'm getting so much from this experience. Far more than I feel I'm putting into the deal.

So, fundraising... Well, I am past what the program calls our "recommit" amount. This is good! I had until the end of August to make this mark, but I'm early, so hopefully the momentum will continue! Kellie and I have teamed up on our efforts. The most recent was during the ADRL Hardee's Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka. The race team I still do PR for has been a tremendous help and supporter of the cause, so they offered their services to help us and LLS out! I'm so happy to report, we were able to raise over $1500 in just over a day! Unfortunately, the race rained out - so needless to say, we didn't do as well as we had hoped, but every dime matters. We never could have hit that amount if it wasn't for some dear friends of mine in the racing business! I want to give a big thank you to Gaylen Smith and Lenmar Motorsports, Frankie "Madman" Taylor, Mike Castalana and his team, and Keith Goolsby of Superlifts. Those teams all gave over $100!! The support of the racing community has been such an inspiration! You can read all about our efforts here - http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php/drag-racing/news/14646-barklage-brothers-racing-for-a-cause-

SO, Emotions?? Well, I miss my dear friend Michelle. She is after all the reason I've gotten involved. She is still holding her own but still in a coma. It's come to the point I can barely drag myself to the hospital. I just miss her so much. During my fundraising efforts, I've had the honor of meeting so many who have had loved ones fight blood cancer. I never knew how many people are effected. During my journey, I've discovered every four minutes, someone new in the USA is diagnosed with blood cancer and only $1000 will give 10 children cancer med's for an entire month. Kinda puts things in prospective uha??

Well, if you are so blessed to have healthy family and friends, thank the Lord for your blessings. If you are one of those who are sick or have a loved one who is sick, remember - this journey we are doing is for YOU!

Remember, if you haven't donated and you can - please visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/mid/nikesf10/ajohnsotl9

Every dime helps!

Thanks!

~AJ