Team Transplant, UWMC » week in review

Superstars of the Week – September 3

greenglove — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:12:31 +0000

Superstars of the Week

Laura “the Animal” Lewis…Laura is one of our UWMC social workers who joined us during the 2009 spring season. She has since become a regular on the Team Transplant scene and finished her first half with us last November. For June’s Rock’n Roll Half, you might remember that incredible surge of encouragement you got at 9-miles…well that was Laura Lewis who along with Lenore Miller made up our very spirited race day cheering section! And this past Saturday she was once again out on the sidelines…this time providing Gatorade and Fig Newtons in addition to encouragement at our 6-mile turnaround water station. It’s very clear she enjoys spending time with the team and truly looks forward to her long walks with all of you on Saturday mornings. And…it seems that all that hard work is paying off as she went back after practice and completed the super human feat of picking up all of the yellow cones by herself! Laura…you’re an animal!:-)

Meanwhile back at the ranch…Micah Gwinn and Steve Miller minded home base. Micah is one of our kidney transplants and is returning for his 4th season. Steve and his wife, Lenore, joined the team several years ago as a way to support Lenore’s sister who is waiting for a heart transplant. The three have become regulars at practices and even get together for midweek training sessions around Green Lake. Their incredible friendship has become a symbol of one of the greatest rewards of being on the team… making new friends and developing lasting relationships!

Gary Lanis! Gary, one of our liver recipients and an original Team Transplant member, took some time off last year, and it seems the break has paid off. He competed in the Snoqualmie Railroad Days 5k Aug. 21st, finishing the course in 43:48. That works out to a very fine 14:08/mile pace…Nice job, Gary!

And…last, but certainly, not least… Lenore Miller.…I know I’ve already mentioned her name a couple of times here, but I had a request to give her her own special Superstar status….and not just because she’s been such an incredible support on the sidelines or because she’s been such an amazing training partner for Micah and Steve, but to recognize all of the improvements she’s made through her own hard work and training! Her nominator writes…
I cannot express my joy enough over witnessing the progress of Lenore last Saturday. The expression on her face to feel so FIT AND STRONG was more than a thousand words. She is feeling great and her form has improved so much. You gotta give her a nod for your Super Star of the week. REALLY !!!

Protected: Schedule Update – September 3

greenglove — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:06:06 +0000

Jennifer Herlihy takes GOLD at Transplant Olympics!!

greenglove — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:06:45 +0000

This is just too good for me to sit on any longer…

Jennifer Herlihy, one of our liver recipients, flew to Madison Wisconsin last week to compete for her first time ever in the Transplant Olympics…and let’s just say…she has certainly made the experience worth the trip!

On Saturday, with some solid pacing from her husband, Todd, she won her age group in the 5k in an amazing time of 24:29 (~7:53/mile)….Then on Monday she returned to action on the track where she managed to pick up not one…not two…but THREE MORE MEDALS!!!!: Gold in the 1500m (6:45) and 800m (3:27) and silver in the 400m (1:42.5)…not bad for someone who’s been training for half marathons!

Congratulations, Jen! You done us proud!:-)

If you’d like to see a picture of Jen on the awards stand, you can go to: http://www.kidney.org/news/tgames2010/USGames/photos/index.cfm
Click on 5k Race. She and Todd are in the one 21st from the end…They’re both wearing blue tie-dye shirts…

Savor the Memories – July 5

greenglove — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 04:14:15 +0000

It all started when I showed up down at Safeco Field around 4:25 am.  Shirley Schultz and Ida Boecksteigel were already there. I parked my car a couple of blocks away, and as I walked to greet them, I started to feel kind of guilty…really…was it necessary to have them get there so early?…I made a lame attempt at apologizing, saying something like, “you know…this might’ve been overkill. We’ll have to talk about if we really need to get here so early next time.”
To which they both energetically responded, “Oh…Dick’s already been here and signed in!”
I waited with them for the next hour seizing the opportunity to recharge my energy stores by plugging into the enthusiasm that Mark Scott, Micah Gwinn, Janette Morantes, Jason Stahl, James Boecksteigel , Dave and Carla Trulson Essenberg, Katherine MacDonald, Allen Vary, Jonathon Baird and his niece all brought with them as they chose to launch their journey down to Tukwila from our check-in station.
Leaving downtown around 5:30, I headed out to my post. I parked above I-90 with plans to run to Seward Park. It’d been a long time since I’d made it out to run that early…shocking how tight I am at that hour! Nonetheless, I timed everything just right so that I had enough time to run up the very long hill from Seward Park to the Colombia City Cafe Vita for coffee and a piece of squash bread before the first runners came through. Otherwise, I’m sure I would’ve collapsed on my couch much earlier in the day!
I positioned myself at my post just as the elite runners started to run by…and made small talk with the event official until our team members started to appear….
The first Team Transplanter on the scene was Jennifer Herlihy. Looking very fit and comfortable, she cruised down the hill with training partner Lynne Sloan, yelling, “We love you Alysun!”   To which I responded, “I love you more!”   They looked awesome…like they were on an easy Sunday afternoon run.   I know Jen was hoping for a big PR, but her time of 2:0:40 was still very respectable especially when you consider that she was injured most of last fall.   Her performance on Saturday was a certain sign that she’s back and that she has a good training base to take along with her to the Transplant games later this month!
Next to arrive was  Allen Vary.   While Allen’s become a self-proclaimed aerobic training junkie since his transplant, he’s had all kinds of obstacles challenging his status as a super endurance athlete. The most recent was a stumble (something about admiring someone’s shoes??) that left him with a broken hand about 3 weeks before the race. While this curtailed his cycling, he managed to maintain enough of a running/walking regimen to finish the half marathon in a very fine 2:18:01…It’ll be exciting when he actually gets a day when all the pieces to fall into place…I hope to be there to see it happen!
Mari Jo Fraser once again squeezed us in between baseball games…I think I read somewhere on Sunday night that she had completed a half marathon and 3 baseball games over the weekend. Now…really….how many people can say they’ve done that in a lifetime let alone in 2 days?!! Her half marathon time was 2:33:45.
The next participants were a bit of surprise.   Lenard Yen and Mark Scott somehow found each other during the first 5 miles of the race. And anyone who’s come to a practice knows that when you mix a little Lenard Yen with a little Mark Scott…well….you just have to hold your breath and hope for the best. And heaven forbid you should get a dose of an awful lot of either one of them! From all reports (well…this would be all of the reports from Mark and Lenard), they spent the entire race egging each other on and pushing each other. If you look at the race photos, you can’t find one shot that doesn’t have both of them in it…or one that doesn’t show the steely determined look of competition on each of their faces.   When they flew by me going downhill to Seward Park…it was very clear they were on a mission…
In the final results…Mark, aka, the “coyote” or ”the sticky green guy,” prevailed with an official time 3 minutes faster (a reflection of the corral start) than Lenard, aka, “rock star” or ” cheerleader charmer,” although from the race photos, it’s obvious that in the head-to-head competition, Lenard wasn’t about to Mark an inch and just clipped him at the line. Both finished with incredible times with Mark finishing in 2:52:31, a near personal best, and Lenard, who has spent the last 2 years ringing on the 3 hour doorbell and who had apparently grown weary of waiting for someone to answer, deciding to just go ahead and bust the whole darn door down. He crossed the line in a mind-numbing 2:55:27!
And…what of that other walker??….the one that would not be named…the mystery Team Transplanter of Lenard’s e-mail…the one who was sneaking along the course disguised in a hot pink skort… Well….Far be it for me to ruin the intrigue or blow her cover…but I believe it’s important to give credit where credit is due…and while I have yet to get a formal confirmation…I believe that that elusive walker…the one who managed to overtake the cat’n mouse game just ahead of her… was none other than lung transplant, Anne Hagerty!   Anne completely ripped up the course, finishing in a super spectacular PR of 2:45:13!!!   Coming so close on the heels of her big race down in Oregon where she set finished in 2:46:30, it’s obvious she was able to ride that thin line between recovery and preparation in the months leading up to the Rock’n Roll Half…not an easy thing to do! Nice work, hot-pink-skirted mystery transplant walker!   We’re proud to call you one of us!
Jonathan Baird once again had an impressive day that showcased his incredible consistency.   While he got off to a slow start this season, he rallied his training over the last few months, and was bouyed by the support of his niece, who has become a regular at TT events, on race day. As they passed me, they flashed big grins and laughed…Who laughs in the middle of a half marathon?? People who are having a good time, that’s who…It’s awesome to be in the kind of shape that you can go out and do 13.1 miles and enjoy it! Jonathon, wearing his floppy safari hat to the end, finished in just over 3 hours, as his chip time was a very fine 3:01:54.
Next…was newcomer, Maggie Kim. Hard to believe this Team Transplanter is just 6 months out from her surgery as she coasted through the course, running every other mile.   It was a lot of fun to see her cruising downhill to Seward Park…headphones in place…dressed in a brown tank top with her foliage green TT shirt wrapped around her waist…and huge smile on her face! hmmmm… seems to be a theme here!   Maggie finished in a stellar debut of 3:04:35!
Dan Tennant made his second appearance in the Team Transplant green…and make no doubt about it…we love seeing him in that color! Another recent transplant, it’s amazing to see the progress he’s made in the past year! He was someone who got right into training after his surgery which probably explains why he looked so comfortable as he walked by. He and his wife finished in fine form with a very respectable 3:22:11.
And then…came Dennis Cole…What an incredible story this is! Dennis received his 2nd heart transplant about 2 years ago…His first one lasted 18+ years. I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to see him running down that hill. Also dressed in his best TT green, he was flashing one of those amazing smiles as he paused to give me a report on the first half of the race…and make some editorial comments about the water. I know he slowed down a bit at the end…his final time was 3:27:05…but you know…that just means he’s got a good goal for next time!
Now…about this point, you’re probably thinking…STOP!! Stop it with all the good stuff, Alysun…I can’t take anymore, but…I can’t do that…because you see…there’s still more good stuff to share! And…rememeber…I’ve had all this marinating and simmering inside of me for a WEEK so I’ve got to go somewhere with it…
The next wave included our kidney transplants, Micah Gwinn and Jason Stahl. Micah was in a group with James Boecksteigel that was commandeered by Janette Morantes. They were all business as they marched by…Janette was determined to keep everyone moving and on task. Incredibly….they all fell in line and the extra focus paid off as Micah who has really been making great strides with his training this past year, finished along with Janette in an unbelievable 45-minute PR, completing the 13.1 miles in 3:28:45….James, who’s also overcome some incredible obstacles to be there on Saturday, finished in 3:10:04 (obviously he used the corral start to his advantage)…
Jason Stahl, biding his time back in the chase pack…was soaking it all in…the crowds…the music….the scenery…the cheering squads….He had waited one very long year for this moment and he wasn’t going to miss out on any part of it! He cruised by looking incredibly at ease and relaxed…With this approach, it was obvious that he was in for a big day…and a big day it was! He chopped an astounding 30 minutes off his time in Seattle last fall crossing the line in….3:48:11!
Also sneaking in with this group was Carla Trulson-Essenberg.   Walking her second half marathon as a Team Transplanter, she once again showed us that gritty determination and competetiveness that we’ve come to expect and love. Despite a foot issue that popped up during the week leading up to the race, she hung on to finish in a time that was just 5 minutes off of her impressive debut in last year’s event.    I know it was big race for her as as both her husband and son walked along with her this year. Carla’s official time was 3:47:11.
Dick Fitzgerald and Ron Adkins, two of our seasoned veterans, rounded out the squad.   Both steady and focused, they wisely avoided the quick early pace and patiently made their way along the course as they waited to make their big strategic moves up the hill to I-90. When the dust had cleared, Ron, together with his daughter, Heather, managed to edge out Dick at the end, crossing the line in 4:24:14. Dick still pulled off an excellent finish, winding up the 13.1 mile race in 4:24:30!
Once everyone had cleared the Seward Park area, I started to make my way back to I-90 and my car…darting in and out of the competitors and stopping to walk with team members…whew…it had been 5 hours since I’d last journeyed along this path. Shocking how stiff I can get when I stand around for 5 hours in between runs!   As I approached I-90, our cheering section was still going strong. The Millers and Laura Lewis were still every bit as excited to see people come by then as I’m sure they were earlier in the day. I stayed with them until everyone had passed the 9 –mile mark….
I retrieved my car….headed back to QWEST Field…enjoyed the music and reverie of the finish area…and then once everyone was in, headed back home where I had 45 minute break until the fabulous celebration started back up again in my backyard.
It was a wonderful day…and a wonderful celebration. Thanks to all of you who helped make it possible…especially those of you working behind the scenes and on the sidelines!   The day would never have happened with out you….
•   Sign in /Sign Out…
Shirley Schultz, Ida Boecksteigel, Jeannie Reynolds, Suzann Stahl, Cindy Weber, Colin Rines, and Vanessa Whitacre
•   Mile 9 Hoopla Station!
Lenore Miller, Steve Miller, and Laura Lewis
•   BBQ
Kris Hendricks, Steve Miller, Dennis Cole, Janette Morantes, and Susan Bussell…and everyone else who contributed to the potluck! It was unbelievable!
And… I need to give an extra big helping of thanks to Steve and Lenore Miller…Steve was at my house on Friday afternoon ready and eager to report for yardwork duty; both of them were out at the Mile 9 Hoopla Station all morning on Saturday;  and then they showed up early to help with the BBQ set up and ran the grill for all of us.   They definitely earned their Hollywood stars last weekend!
That’s all for now…I’ll be sending updates on our fall season very, very soon. Tenative plan is to start up training again the week of August 9th!
Have a wonderful summer…and savor the memories!

Alysun

Race Day is Upon Us!

greenglove — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:54:16 +0000

This is it!

The Second Annual Seattle Rock’n Roll Half Marathon…a wonderful celebration of everything you’ve accomplished over the past 16 weeks! The whole process of getting to this point can seem so mundane…going out for your daily walk or run…eating right…stretching…hydrating…pacing. Just looking at any one individual day, it may not seem like much…but when you add them all up…each day that you followed through on your commitment to exercise; all of the time you shared with your teammates….or enjoyed the solitude of a walk or run in the rain…or spent reading one of Alysun’s lengthy e-mails; every healthy lifestyle behavior that has now become routine…it all becomes something incredibly special!

It becomes the bundle of memories, learning experiences, relationships, improved health, and sense of peace that makes all of the hard work and early mornings worth it. It redefines how you see yourself…adjusts what you see as your limitations…and expands how you see your role in this world. Finishing a half marathon is a big deal…there’s no doubt about that…but even bigger is the ripple effect that accomplishing such a feat can create. If you can walk or run 13.1 miles…what other things are out there waiting for you to conquer?

Yes…training can be a grind…but having the discipline to stick to a plan…to set a goal that you actually reach…to put yourself out on the start line on race day…well…those are mighty powerful things! And they’re the things that you can take with you to your next great endeavor…

But…let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we solve the problems of the world…and yes…I believe this group could make some great strides toward doing that…let’s not overlook the specialness of this Saturday morning. You’ve worked hard to get to this point, and it’s going to be an amazing day….an incredible reward for sticking to the daily grind. So soak it up! Enjoy the bands…enjoy your teammates and all of the people around you…and enjoy the fact that you truly belong out there…It’s going to be a wonderful celebration!

Go Team!

A few final tips…

It may be warm tomorrow…
Remember to hydrate! Both during the race…and before. If you have a long wait at the start, be sure to bring (or seek out) water to sip on.
Dress appropriately! If it seems chilly at the start, remember that it (and you) will warm up! Layer your clothing for easy removal later in the race when you may not want all of it.
As the sun comes up, try to run and walk on the shady side of the road…
…and remember SUNSCREEN!!!!

For those of you not participating in the race, consider meeting up with Lenore Miller and Laura Lewis out on Lake Washington Blvd where the racers connect with I-90. They’re planning to show up around 8:00am.

That’s all for now…Take it easy today…Get some good rest tonight.

I’ll see ya at O’Dark Thirty tomorrow morning!

Superstars of the Week – June 18

greenglove — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:42:37 +0000

Superstar of the Week…
Let’s hear it for Susan Bussell…Susan is one of our outpatient dietitians here at UWMC and has been a member of Team Transplant since the very beginning. She has been working hard behind the scenes to coordinate water stations for practices this season, and she has done a wonderful job! Last Saturday, she stepped forward when we were a little shorthanded and ended up running between 2 different stations herself to make sure everyone was okay and had what they needed to stay hydrated and well-fueled for the entire workout.. We certainly appreciate her diligence and the extra effort she made….It made a huge difference knowing that the course was covered. This weekend…we look forward to giving her have a chance to enjoy an well-deserved run! Thanks, Susan!

Protected: Schedule Updates – June 18

greenglove — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:41:31 +0000

Superstars of the Week – June 11

greenglove — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:50:21 +0000

Superstars of the Week (s)…

Thanks so much to Cindy Weber, our water station helper out at Juanita Beach. She braved a miserable day and hung out in a mud-puddled gravel parking lot just so she could make sure everyone finished the workout successfully and had water, Gatorade, Fig Newtons, and her own special homemade Granola Bars when they were done. She’s even passed along the recipe…which I will be passing along to you very soon. Cindy comes to Team Transplant as part of the Mark Scott, & Co package and has been an incredible supporter of the group for the past 5 years!

And let’s hear for Jennifer Herlihy and Lynne Sloan who managed the water stations last Saturday out at Alki. Jen’s been on the team now for about 6 years and I think has done more half marathons than I have in that time. Last year at the Rock’n Roll Half she set her PR of 1:59:48. She continues to improve through incredible consistency and hard work. It’s wonderful to see how running has become such an integral part of her life! In fact, once she and Lynne were done with water station duty, they jumped out on the course and ran their 10 mile workout…That’s dedication!

Lynne, her training bud, is one of our nurses here at UWMC. Lynne’s been on board with Team Transplant since the beginning and has been a huge source of encouragement and support along the way. She’s an awesome example of a healthcare worker walking and running the talk! Last year she outkicked Jen at the end of the Rock’n Roll Half….It’ll be fun to see who comes out on top this year!

Superstars of the Week – May 20

greenglove — Sat, 22 May 2010 03:18:31 +0000

Superstars of the week

By Sam Patterson . I think he’s after my job!

TEAM TRANSPLANT SMILING IN TIMELY FASHION

OLYMPIA,WA (May 17, 2010)- Standing tall amidst a packed Washington Park here downtown, stood the statue of two-time elected Governor John Rogers from the turn of the 20th century. His face seemed to smile at all the commotion around him. About five or so yards from His Honor gathered six participants in extraordinary green jersies. Their eyes had a sly smile about them. Who swallowed the canary here ? …And what or who on earth is Team Transplant?

Extending pleasantries, our valiant warriors stretch together, wait in line at the porta-potties together, cheer on half marathon runner LINDA BENEFIEL at the start of her race together, move in unison to the starting area together, stretch one more time together, and line up out on the street…together.

Once more… they check cell phone numbers and directions to the post-race brunch…Got it? GOT IT!! NOW GET IT!!!

A horn blasts at the start. A record number of 5-mile participants rally through the first and second turns of the course. The climb up Capital Way begins. STEVE MILLER and his daughter JACQUE are leading the walking pack and setting a brisk pace. SAM PATTERSON, joined by native Olympian, JASON STAHL, is close behind. They will stay neck and neck for two and half miles. LENORE MILLER and MICAH GWINN are settling in to a comfortable pace.

Meanwhile…in the half marathon…Linda (“Benny”) is cruising along, hanging tough with the other competitors in her age group.

Steve and Jacque are starting to pick it up…50 yards and Steve’s infamous brimmed hat becomes less visible.

Sam and Jason are pacing an unofficial 17 minutes/mile for the first two miles through the Wildwood residential area…

“Sam, I’m gonna stretch it out. I’ll see ya up the line.” Jason begins to roll halfway through Wildwood.

The cheering from the townsfolk crescend upon the racers. It’s a perfect day with a cool sunny crispness in the air.

Jacque is now out a good 3 minutes ahead of Steve and eventually lengthens her lead to nearly 7 minutes, finishing in 56:49. The elder Miller still crosses the finish line in a blistering 1:03.38 clipping off a 12:14/mile pace. Jason, maintaining excellent posture and form, comes in at 1:23.04 for a beautiful 15.58/mile pace. And Sam taking 17 seconds off his 2009 finish crosses the line in 1:25.10 for a season’s best 16:23 pace.

“I thought it would be nice to finish near 17 min/mile pace since I ve been stuck at 18 all season,” he says. ”This really blows me away !!”

Micah and Lenore close triumphantly…hand in hand…at 1:37.51. The teammates are ecstatic. Lenore is especially happy. “I feel great!” she exclaims… eyes sparkling and smile beaming.

Linda, the sole Team Transplant representative in the half marathon, closes the day finishing her 13.1 mile race in 2:06:42. Despite struggling through miles 7-11, she holds on strong to place 2nd in her age group. Looking toward the future, she says, “Now it’s on to Rock’n Roll…WOOHOO!”

Shortly afterwards, an absolutely scrumptious brunch was had at the waterfront Bud Bay restaurant by the known finishers. Smiles of satisfaction were noted all the way around the table. No one may know who swallowed the canary this morning, but we definitely known who topped off their meal with Chocolate Mousse decadence…to the victors truly go the spoils !!!

Superstars of the Week – May 14

greenglove — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:05:42 +0000

Superstars…

Hats off to Lenard Yen and Maggie Kim who helped with our water stations last weekend. Lenard, one of our liver transplant recipients, has become an integral fixture on the Team Transplant scene…He has an amazing commitment to training and takes a holistic approach to racing which, make no mistake, he loves to do. He developed our team website (www.uwmcteamtransplant.com) which does a wonderful job of capturing the Team Transplant spirit!

Maggie is only about 4 months out from liver transplant and is already fitting right in with the rest of the group. It’s been fun getting to know her (and Seuss) and we look forward to sharing many more miles with her in the future!

…and it turns out that the weekend of May 2nd was a big one for racing…Here are some more Team Transplant results…
•   Jeff Edelman, Vancouver Marathon, 3:53:58, a BIG PR!!!
•   Marty Chakoian, Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon in Portland, 1:52:56…
•   Seth Hennessey, Tacoma Half Marathon, 1:47:39
◦   The only race report I’ve gotten is from Seth who found the less hilly nature and smaller participant field of the Tacoma course to his liking. He also discovered the benefit of a running watch as he used it during the race to control his pace at the start and to maintain it throughout the entire 13.1 miles. He was also very excited that his wife walked and finished her first half marathon! Perhaps another Team Transplanter in the making??