Krista, Joanna, Darla, Renae

                                                   LENAPE SURVIVAL CHALLENGE

If you would have drove past the Perkiomen Watershed in Schwenksville on April 28 you would have seen a bunch of runners getting ready to run the "Lenape Survival Challenge".  It's a great race--first you run a hilly 4.7 miles, then a quick sprint up and down Spring Mount, followed by a 2.5 mile canoe race down the Perkiomen Creek!  We've been doing the race for years!  But this year--with life so upside down--we didn't make any plans.  But when I received the postcard in my mailbox I decided to register myself and Darla.  I emailed her, "Are you ready to run?  We are NOT going to miss out this year!"  And with tears in both of our eyes--we decided to go for it.

So, just like every year--we met our good friends Joanna and Krista at the parking lot, tried to decide what to wear, and listened to the last minute instructions on how to paddle a canoe!  As I pinned my bib number on I couldn't help but compare myself to last year.  How different I look.  How my confidence in myself and my strength has been stolen.  How others look at me.  How much things have changed in my life.  But today was not a day for sadness--rather a day for celebration.  I mean.  . . seriously . . . how many people run races in the middle of chemo treatments?  Before my chemo treatments started I was stockpiling groceries thinking I would not even be able to make it to the store!  Now, here I stood ready to run!  This was a victory on MANY levels!

We lined up along Haldeman Road and were off!  It's funny. . . probably the place where I feel the most comfortable walking around bald is at the gym and with fellow exercisers!  Maybe it's because it takes so much energy to exercise, run, bike--you just don't care what you look like--you just hope to make it to the finish!

Here we are jumping into our canoe!  It always feels good to give the legs a rest and get the arms working!  The day was beautiful!  We were laughing about all of our canoeing experienes!  We noticed the creek was a little low and knew we might have trouble downstream!

As we worked our way downstream we came across a couple areas where the water was so low that we had to hop out of our canoe and push it over the rocks--a canoe drag!  I was wishing I hadn't eaten so many cheesy fries the night before!  ;-)

After we finished the race, Darla and I just hugged each other!  WE MADE IT!  Our first race together after this cancer nightmare.  In so many ways--a symbol--a victory--a statement to myself . . .

I am strong.
I will not give in.
I will not give up.
I will try and then I will try harder.
I will not allow cancer to define who I am.
I will cry but I will continue to push forward.
I will embrace life to its fullest.
I will love and laugh.
I will cherish every moment.
I will LIVE!