I am getting ready to walk for the American Heart Association Start! Heart Walk on November 14th. I work for CACI and we've been forming teams to fund-raise and train.
When the team names for my department were announced during a recent meeting, one incited giggles throughout the room. I guess the "Pacemakers" conjured an image of limping heart patients in the race barely crossing the finish line long after everyone else had gone home. Well, that's what came to my mind when I giggled. As a result, I thought "surely not many people would pick this team as their first choice" so I did and added my name to that of the team captain, her mom and her boss. Our fund-raising goal was set at $1,000.
Elizabeth (the team captain) and I began exchanging e-mails and she let the team know that she had proposed an exciting fund-raising idea that was later approved by our employer. Her idea led to our team raising over $23,000 in one month. I feel like we're winners even before the race begins.
Just before I set up this blog, I set up my Heart Walk fund-raising web page with the AHA http://heartwalk.kintera.org/dc/cherylsmakingpaces, sent out some e-mails and took a tour of the AHA Heart Walk site. I discovered that the Pacemakers are not only the top team in our company, we're the top team period. As of this writing, we're ahead of the 2nd highest fund-raising team by nearly twice as much as they have raised and have contributed more than 25% of our corporation's total funds. We also have seven members now and we are going to continue to fund-raise.
For the record and just in case you missed it earlier, Elizabeth gets the credit for the idea that has benefitted our team so tremendously. For this, I thank her profusely, but that doesn't mean I am going to just sit back, relax and wait for November 14th. Serendipity may have governed my decision to join this team but I have my own serious work to do.
I am at risk for heart disease and have dozens and scores of pounds to lose (OK, about 100!) I believe it is important to say publicly. Heart disease almost killed my mom the summer after my first year at Virginia Tech. She recovered and had no more heart problems for the rest of her life. Now, I have been healthier than the average fat person despite the extra weight ever since I gained it earlier in adulthood. But, I understand that my relatively good health should not be taken for granted any longer.
So, the first 20 - 25 pounds are going to come off in public! Even if no one visits my Heart Walk site or if this blog has zero readers forever, the accountability of knowing someone might be reading and watching me on-line adds some much needed silent pressure. With that, I hope to receive responses of encouragement and support for my fitness improvement efforts. This will help me build my confidence in this endeavor even if I am the last to limp across the finish line. So whether you choose to pray for me or pat me on the back (or both), thanks in advance.
My plan: My official start date is September 1st and November 14th will be the milestone for my first long term goal of 20 - 25 lbs. lost. I'll set and post a manageable weekly goal and give updates as to how well or badly I did with my previous goal(s) that week. I'll celebrate or dust myself off, make adjustments and keep going forward. I think I'd like to post photos and start tweeting, too. If I do, you'll read about it here first.
Do something beautiful for your heart today.
~ Cheryl ~
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