On Saturday, April 16th BoMF Chicago took part in the CARA Lakefront 10 Miler. 11 Residential members from all three Chicago BoMF teams participated in the 10 mile race along Chicago’s lakefront path. In addition to running, BoMF also hosted an aid station along the course, and helped cheer on all the race participants. Despite some early morning storms, all of the BoMF participants finished the race with great times and big smiles! The 10 Mile race was BoMF Chicago’s second longest to date, and a good precursor for summer half marathon and marathon training. Congratulations to all the finishers! Way to go BoMF!

Name: Eric Arnold

Team: Progress House

Favorite Music: Country

Favorite Movie: Tommy Boy

Bucket List Item: To play on Augusta National

Favorite Quote: “Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain but I would have had to miss the dance”.

I moved to Indianapolis from Alabama when I was a teenager. I had a fairly normal upbringing, single parent household, a younger sister, went to school, average student, played sports etc. I had my first drink at 17, got sicker than I ever thought possible and swore I would never do that again. An oath I would continue to make years later. Alcohol wasn’t an issue for me in high school or college for that matter. I graduated from college, got a job and started my life. I got married and had two kids. I also developed an addiction to prescription painkillers following back surgery. This addiction cost me my job, my home in Fishers, my wife and the biggest loss, my children.

At this point my family stepped in and I entered The Progress House. This was almost three years ago. I got clean, got a new job and moved out of The Progress House after roughly four months. I was putting my life back together, or at least I thought I was. The truth was that I was only going through the motions. I had the job, I had the girlfriend and I lived in a nice house. I looked great from the outside but I was dying on the inside. Fast forward to a year and a half later, I lose the job and the house of cards I had built was in danger of collapsing.

That’s when I really started drinking. I didn’t want to go back to pills, but convinced myself that drinking was ok. Needless to say, it wasn’t. I spent over a year drinking, lost my girlfriend, the house, my friends and any self respect or respect from others that I may have had left. My bottom was waking up in the ER with a nurse looking at me telling me that they didn’t get many people as drunk as I was in there. I had broken three bones in my hand in a drunken rage. Brick walls don’t lose fights. I had nowhere to go and no one to help me. I called a guy I knew from AA and asked him for help. He gave me some advice and got the ball rolling. I came back to the Progress House and almost 120 days later I am amazed at what’s become of my life.

When I first heard about BoMF, I honestly figured that I could use it as a tool to get back into shape. Nothing more, nothing less. How wrong I was. From the first day this program has become entwined into my daily life. I have utilized it for the weight loss and getting back into shape aspects but also for so much more. It has given me a new set of friends in the staff and volunteers along with my teammates. It has instilled in me a sense of pride that I honestly have never felt, at least not about myself. It has shown me that I am able to commit to something, and if I apply myself and put in the required effort I will receive so much more in return. This program gives to me daily and only asks me to give three days a week. As for my future, well that is still somewhat of a mystery. I am working again and I am continuing to take my sobriety one day at a time. While I may not have a clear picture of my future at this moment, I do know that BoMF will always be a part of it.

Check out Eric Running his First 5K!

What was all the buzz about at the morning runs at Progress House? last weekend’s  Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. This was a huge weekend the men of PH , as for most of them, this was their very first race of any kind.

We talked about goals for the 3.1 miles and here’s what I hear most:

-         To run the entire race without stopping

-         To finish

-         To run in X amount of minutes

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Charlie, AKA “Chuck,” “Carlitos,” “Tortuga,” “The Rock,” and “Rocky” is always smiling.  At mile 1, at mile 9, in the rain and in the snow, Charlie is there with a huge, infectious grin.

At morning circle, Charlie has taken the lead for each Question of the Day, and he is never without one that makes his teammates think.  At 5:30 in the morning when most of us are still groggy eyed and shuffling through the morning stretches, Charlie is wide awake, cracking jokes and bringing a sense of comfort to the group.

But even as recently as earlier this year, the self proclaimed “Tortuga” had yet to come out of his shell.  In his purple Back On My Feet windbreaker with the pickle pin, he would stand a bit outside of the circle and speak softly when asked a question (still with a smile, though).  But as the winter wore on and Team Vets became even more of a tight knit family, Charlie started to open up.

We learned facts about Charlie none of us could have guessed: he teaches sailing out of the Boston Boathouse on the Charles River, he tutors a man in Spanish on Friday nights, and most surprising, he’s an incredibly fast runner! Most mornings Charlie spends his time running with the slower paced group. Suddenly, he’s now whizzing by the fastest runners on the team (usually raising his hand in a wave and yelling “GOOD MORNING!” as he passes in a purple blur).

With the addition of the Team Vets blog and open email forum, Charlie has truly found his voice.  Our day wouldn’t be complete without an email from him with encouraging words of wisdom and enthusiasm.  You can feel him smiling at you when you read his words and as much as he says the team means to him, he means even more to us.  Charlie  is the epitome of the Team Vets spirit and we are all better people for knowing him.

On Saturday morning amidst a sea of pink t-shirts, Team Back on My Feet Indianapolis was wearing the signature blue Back on My Feet t-shirts. We walked to the start line for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Indianapolis.  The sense of running for a great cause and for a personal victory permeated through the crowd and before you knew it, the gun went off and Back on My Feet Indianapolis started it’s first 5k!

Read more…

Back on My Feet is gearing up for the Baltimore 10-Miler on June 18, 2011! Come join the Back on My Feet Baltimore 10-Miler FundRacing team and run alongside members, volunteers and supporters to experience the inspiration that comes from helping someone achieve more than just a 10-mile goal!

Registration is now open, and is expected to sell out quickly. Hurry and secure your spot today! Email Cathryn at cathryn@backonmyfeet.org or call 215-772-1080 x111 for more information!

Team Saint John’s got rolling this month with a phenomenal showing at the Philly BoMF Chapter Bowling night in Northern Liberties at the beginning of the month. Several of our resident members including Leo, Mike, Jonathan, and Javier proved to be expert bowlers. The entire group had fun eating pizza, socializing, and showing off their bowling skills.

For the first time, Saint John’s BoMF volunteers served dinner at Saint John’s Hospice and hung out afterwards with our resident members. A special thanks to Ben, Cathryn, Heather, Justin, and Rachelle for anchoring our first dinner serving event. Moving forward, we plan to serve dinner once a month.

This month we also challenged Team RWA to a relay at City Hall. Both teams had a tremendous amount of fun and we plan to follow-up with a joint team social within the next few weeks.

Finally, several of our resident members participated in the Caesar Rodney 5k or half-marathon to conclude a busy, but successful, March. Congratulations to Joe on completing his second half-marathon and to Leo for completing his first race with BoMF. Javier and Bob also ran great 5k times. Also a huge shout out to all the amazing Saint John’s volunteers that came out to support the guys this weekend including Abby, Wesley, Chau Rachelle, Daniel, Allison, and Tyler (despite the threat of snow showers). Also a special thanks to RWA Team Leader, Sarah for pacing Joe through the entire half-marathon. Sarah, you’re amazing!

While that concludes the highlights for March, we do want to recognize two individuals as our resident and non-resident of the Month. Congratulations to Malcolm, our resident of the month. Since Joining BoMF, Malcolm has shown commitment, dedication, and passion, all essential ingredients to being successful within the BoMF program. We also congratulate Dan as our non-resident of the month. Formally, Dan was Team Leader at Brotherhood, and since joining Saint John’s he’s been a source of inspiration for all of us, residents and non-residents alike.

Who: Marty Posch

Team: Progress House

Shoe Size: 9.5

Favorite Athlete: Derrick Rose

Favorite Food: Pizza…. always pizza

Favorite Running music: Anywhere from, Eminem to Metallica  to Bon Jovi, to Phil Collins

Bucket List Item he will complete this year: Running the Chicago Marathon

Other Random Marty Facts:

While I disagree completely, many people say that my voice reminds them of Vince Vaughn

My family owned an Italian restaurant growing up on the south side of Chicago.

My step dad may or may not have been in the mafia…his name was Vito Nicola Parente

The very first thing I heard about Marty before meeting him is that he is always upbeat, positive, and that he will be my go-to person to lift me up if I’m having a bad day. Let’s just say when I met him all the things I had heard about him rang loud and clear. Marty is larger than life in his speaking, in his professional work, and in his charity work. Marty gives 110% effort and enthusiasm at everything he does. He’ll greet you with a high five or a hug, but more importantly, you will never leave Marty without a smile on your face. I sat down with Marty to learn more about his running and here is what I learned:

KM: When did you start running and why?

MP: I started running in November of 2009. I had never run before and wanted to be more active and get in shape. I also wanted to accomplish something I never thought I could do, which was running in the mini marathon.

KM: What made you decide to start volunteering with BoMF?

MP: I was intrigued by Back on My Feet long before they came to Indianapolis. I thought they were a wonderful and unique organization. When they came to Indianapolis and I learned that Finish Line was a major partner I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

KM: What has been the most rewarding thing about running with BoMF?

MP: Easily the most rewarding aspect of BoMF is the guys on my team, Progress House. It is so amazing to see their energy and passion for this program. The friendships that I have already made have made a profound impact on my life and I can only hope that I have made half the impact on them that they have on me.

KM: How has running changed your life?

MP: Running has changed my life in a few distinct ways. First off it has proven to me that I can accomplish anything if I get out there and grab it. Running a mini marathon seemed impossible to me a year and a half ago. But since I put my mind to it and dedicated myself to conquering that goal, it was accomplished. It also gives me time to be just with me and my thoughts. I have a busy life and am involved with a lot of different public organizations. So taking this time just for myself to think or reflect or just enjoy a nice run is very therapeutic for me! It also allows me to get out and support many organizations that I am passionate about through their run / walks.

KM: What are your running goals?

MP: My goals are to finish my second Mini Marathon this May in a better time than my first, and then I am taking on my first full marathon, the Chicago Marathon, in October. After that we will see. I am also looking forward to start running a couple of half marathons in different cities with my sister moving forward (in nice weather!). She lives in Seattle and we don’t get to see much of each other so this is a great way for us to spend time together.

If you haven’t had a chance to meet Marty yet, the next time you see him introduce yourself and you’ll quickly be drawn to his enthusiasm and the energy he exudes. Progress House is very fortunate to have such a motivated Non-Res member on its team!

*Marty is a non-res member of team Progress House, he works full time as the Executive Director for the Finish Line Youth Foundation and is the co-founder of Giving + Sum.

Dawn has been running with Back on My Feet Philadelphia for nearly four months.  During this time, Dawn has maintained a 100% attendance rate and has put in over 50 miles.

Dawn is a proud mother of four children. Dawn believes in overcoming adversity, a characteristic that is reflected in her personal life as she works to overcome homelessness.  She’s showed perseverance in her running life and has progressed to running her first 5k at the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon and 5k in March.

Dawn first joined BoMF as a way to stay in shape, stay healthy, and keep her mind off of her crisis situation.  At first, Dawn didn’t think she could complete the program, but the energy of being out in the morning with other people has pushed her through and has given her hope and encouragement.  Now,  she loves the program and loves running.  Dawn loves the family-oriented feel of the program and her team.  She is proud and honored to be a part of her team.  “At different points, you may want to give up, but you have people there to support you and cheer you on.”

Dawn believes in giving back to her community.  She shows compassion and believes in reaching out to other people.  Dawn says that experiencing homelessness has changed her perspective and has given her the opportunity to develop more patience and empathy toward others.  Dawn is striving to make her experience with homelessness a positive one: working as a peer counselor in the shelter, serving as a dorm captain, and holding an integral part in the BoMF team.

Dawn is overcoming homelessness one step at a time and has huge dreams for her life.  Dawn hopes to go into culinary arts and to someday open her own business.  With her go-getter attitude and her incredible perseverance, we have no doubt that Dawn will achieve her goals.

Dawn tells newcomers  to BoMF to do the best that they can!  “If you can’t run, at least walk.  It’s not going to be easy when you first start, but don’t give up and beat yourself up.  Put your heart into it.  You’d be surprised by how much you can do.”

“Believe in yourself and be true to yourself.  Be honest to yourself.  If you see it, you can achieve it.  Aim for the stars.  Dream big, dream real big.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”

Kris Steen, Dawn’s Team Leader has this to say about Dawn:

“Dawn joined our team 2 days before Christmas and what a great gift it was!  Since then she has had 100% attendance, logged over 50 miles and competed in her first race – the Caesar Rodney 5K. That is a lot for one woman to accomplish is less than 4 months.

Not only is Dawn a great athlete, she is a wonderful person. She encourages her teammates every day and never let’s anyone run alone. If her running buddies need to slow down then she slows down with them and if they need a little push to go further she is right by their side giving them strength.  She has a very positive attitude and is a kind and loving person.

I can honestly say that our team has changed for the better with Dawn in the morning circle. She brings a commitment and passion for getting back on her feet that is contagious.  We are very proud of her and thankful to have her as our teammate.“

Croix Sather, motivational speaker and inspirational author, stopped by the Dallas teams on April 11. The special occasion? Croix is currently running across America. He will run 3,000 miles from San Diego to New York in 100 days. It was great meeting with Croix and his crew as they make this once in a lifetime trek! All of our members received a free copy of Croix’s book, Dream Big, Act Big! And we got the answers to some very important questions like, how much do you eat?

We look forward to following Croix’s trip across America as he visits the BoMF Baltimore and Philadelphia chapters over the next month.