This is a testimonial written by volunteer Dave F. from La Casa. He is an ultra marathon runner who has been sharing his training experience with team members Walter B. and Chris G. for the upcoming Stroehmanns 20in24 race in Philadelphia.

Emery House Alumni Member Chris G.

Walter & I are both scheduled to run in the “Lone Ranger” category in the upcoming BoMF 20in24 fund raiser in less than 2 weeks in Philadelphia.  We are both excited and terrified because the idea of running for 24 hours is, simply stated, over-the-top daunting.  One way that we are training is to go on 12-hour, all night runs.  We did it once from Emery House over the Memorial Day weekend and we just did it again, well almost did it again, over the 4th of July weekend. We started running on Sunday, July 3rd, at 6pm in the evening and our plan was to run out-and-back on the Mt. Vernon Trail for six 8.4 mile legs which is the same distance as the “loops” at 20in24.   We stashed my car in Crystal City and it was loaded with provisions and just about everything we might need like change of clothes, dry socks, and running shoes. We started running just past 6pm and made it a few hundred yards north of the 14th St. Bridge when the thunder & lightening started.  We dashed back and hung around under the bridge for 20-30 minutes.  Eventually we continued north on the Mt. Vernon Trail and retraced to the car for an 8.3 mile leg.  Took a short break and started running again, this time south into the Old Town Alexandria waterfront area.  We had just reversed direction when Bridget who is on the La Casa Team called. Back at the car we met Bridget, Brittany & Jonah, non-res I run with on La Casa Team.  Walter ran with them while I hung in the small park for a much needed break.  They ran a 7+ mile leg around Crystal City, Pentagon City, and out-and-back to Old Town Alexandria, ending back at my car.  They split around midnight and Walter & I headed out on the same route – we decided that the trail was just too dark to run comfortably at night. We ran north, looped around Pentagon City, ran past the car and headed south.  Just south of Crystal City we stopped at the Renaissance Hotel to use the restroom.  As we were leaving, we mutually decided that we had had enough and wanted to call it off.  That was around 1:00am and we hiked back to the car and called it a night. Walter logged 28 miles and I was just short of 22 miles.  We were trying to run 50 miles in 12 hours and we just didn’t quite make it.  We’ve each run a lot farther than that before [excuse alert!] but it is just awful hard to START running at 6pm but this was good experience.  An important part of being able to run distances further than a marathon is just learning what to drink, eat, taking periodic short breaks, and just getting used to running at an easy pace for many, many hours.  Sunday night, we did indeed experiment with those parts of running. Even though we didn’t reach our mileage goal, we’re both more-and-more confident that both Walter & I will be able to complete nearly 100 miles at 20in24 although it is kind of scary to even think about running that far!

N Street Village hosted their Fifth Annual N Street Village Luncheon to benefit the community and raise awareness about the programs they offer.  The event was held at the National Press Club with N Street Village Executive Director Schroeder Stribling kicking off the afternoon.  Back on My Feet was presented with the Community Ally Award for the support that our program has offered women in the N Street Village community.  BoMF Washington DC Executive Director Autumn Campbell accepted the award for BoMF and gave a wonderful speech (the audience laughed, the audience cried) to the 100+ person crowd filling the banquet room on the top floor.

Dr. Johnnetta Cole, Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art and President Emerita of Bennett College for Women and Spelman College gave what was arguably the greatest introduction speech the world has ever heard.  With a voice that conjures up memories of traditional Southern Baptist preachers, Dr. Cole brought Susan L. Taylor, Editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence magazine and founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement up to the stage to give the keynote address.  Speaking on the urgent need for community building surrounding youth and vulnerable women, Susan had a captive audience that was undoubtedly motivated by her words.  The call to action heard today will benefit the N Street Village community as well National CARES Mentoring Movement.

Many Back on My Feet NSV runners were in attendance for the event, as well as team leader Lauren G.  You can see a few of the pictures here on our Picasa photo album.

NSV Luncheon

“Rethinking Addiction’s Roots and Its Treatment” by Douglas Quendua appeared in the New York Times on July 10^th and continues an interesting discussion on the mechanics of addiction. Quendua writes, “The rethinking of addiction as a medical disease rather than a strictly psychological one began about 15 years ago, when researchers discovered through high-resonance imaging that drug addiction resulted in actual physical changes to the brain.”

There is an age-old debate over alcoholism: is the problem in the sufferer’s head — something that can be overcome through willpower, spirituality or talk therapy, perhaps — or is it a physical disease, one that needs continuing medical treatment in much the same way as, say, diabetes or epilepsy?

Increasingly, the medical establishment is putting its weight behind the physical diagnosis. In the latest evidence, 10 medical institutions have just introduced the first accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, where doctors who have completed medical school and a primary residency will be able to spend a year studying the relationship between addiction and brain chemistry.

“This is a first step toward bringing recognition, respectability and rigor to addiction medicine,” said David Withers, who oversees the new residency program at the Marworth Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Treatment Center in Waverly, Pa.

The goal of the residency programs, which started July 1 with 20 students at the various institutions, is to establish addiction medicine as a standard specialty along the lines of pediatrics, oncology or dermatology. The residents will treat patients with a range of addictions — alcohol, drugs, prescription medicines, nicotine and more — and study the brain chemistry involved, as well as the role of heredity.

To continue reading the article click here.

20in24, YOU’RE ONLY A DAY AWAY!

We have been anxiously counting down the days, but finally we can say that The 4th Annual Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24 will be in full swing tomorrow at 10 AM!

Running in 20in24? Be sure to check out the the race pagefor details about the event and DON’T FORGET to come to Llloyd Hall today, Friday July 15th, between 5 PM-9PM to pick up your race packet and check in! All runners are asked to come check in at this time, but if you absolutely cannot, there will be another check in time on race day, Saturday July 16th, from 7-8:15 AM. Registration closes promptly at 8:15 AM. **Lone Rangers: reminder your vitals must be taken before the race at check-in!**

Make sure you get yourself checked in so you can focus on what’s ahead–your big race and more importantly, the huge contribution you are making to help those in need!

Want a sneak peak of the 8.4 mile loop around gorgeous Kelly Drive and Boat House Row? See the course here.

We’re all set to show Philly the best, most fun, and ONLY 24-hour marathon. Get ready to have a great time with BoMF and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10!

On Saturday, June 4^th several of our team members played volleyball at Rash Field in the Inner Harbor.  There was some good-humored “trash talking” and intense competition, but no hurt feelings at the end of the day.  The general consensus was that this was a great event and we should do it again!

After working hard for several months, Mike B. got his EDP (External Diploma Program). Mike’s not sure of his next step yet, but college looks like an option.  Along with that, the team just found out that Steven W. was working on his GED behind the scenes and just got it!  He would also like to attend college and is working on his future plans.  Congrats, Mike and Steven! Read more…

Patrick is native to Baltimore, MD. He has always been an athlete. His remarkable athletic ability is evidenced by his star running back skills during his time at Community College Baltimore and star backup quarterback skills during the community pick-up games. He proudly admits that he was the first black boy to play for the South Baltimore Boys Club and even practiced on Swann Field as Reggie Jackson did.

Read more…

June was a very exciting month for Team CP with the addition of five new residential members and plenty of races and events that had everyone out in support of BoMF.

Early in the month, we had several teammates run the Torchbearer 5k in Druid Hill Park.  This was Abdullah’s first race and the hilly course didn’t slow him down!  Hatchett also ran and said he felt inspired since he hadn’t run a race in while.  Both res are considering the Baltimore Running Festival half marathon in October and considering their showing at this 5k, we’re confident they’ll be ready. Read more…

Tom Gardner has been a faithful leader for team HVAF from day one. He has only missed TWO days of practice since our launch early March. He has been at every race running next to one of our veterans, including the Carmel Half Marathon with Ron Gephart (pictured above!)

Some things you can always expect when you see Tom early in the morning are a lot of smiles, high energy, encouragement and a positive attitude. I have never heard a negative comment out of Tom- NEVER. That is a testament to his character- among many other great qualities.

Shoe Size: 9

Favorite Post Run Food: A great big bowl of Blueberry morning cereal with a great big glass of orange juice. (After a marathon, I love a great big meal of anything and a cold brewski)

How many marathons have you done: 5 (Big Sur, MCM, Boston, Mardi Gras, Tecumseh)

Favorite Music: David Gray (It reminds of when I met Deb and these were the 1^st songs we listened to together).

Favorite Athlete: Lance Armstrong, I have to admire everything he has been through in life, and what he has accomplished

Bucket List Item you plan to cross off soon: Riding the RAINSTORM

LH: Why do you run?

TG: I love the finish line.  I love the feeling when the endorphins kick in.  The heart rate slows, the breathing calms and you feel like you can run forever.  Of course the benefits of running and your overall fitness benefits is why I run as well.  I love going out running by myself, with the opportunity to just let your mind wander and think about things in life.  I love going out and running in a group and solving the world problems with great conversations during the run.

LH: What is the favorite race you’ve ever done?

TG: Gosh, I love things about every race.  I guess the highlights are the last three miles of MCM and qualifying for Boston; the last mile of Boston;  Big Sur, running along the coast of CA, and stuffing my mouth with fresh strawberries at mile 23, and seeing that finish line to complete my 1^st marathon.

LH: Why did you choose to get so involved with BoMF?

TG: I was in the process of starting up a new company, Endurance IT.  The reason for this company was to fund and support the Endurance IT Foundation.  I was doing lots of investigating of local organizations that I might get involved with.  All of a sudden out of the blue, I get an email from BlueMile inviting me to an orientation meeting.  I have been hooked ever since.   It really wasn’t a choice to get so involved.  It just came naturally.

LH: What has BoMF meant to you?

TG: I keep telling Deb, I can’t imagine my life without BoMF.  I look forward to getting up in the mornings and go see our running friends (both res and non-res).  It is so great to see how this running has changed people’s lives.

LH: What is your all-time Favorite BoMF memory?

TG: I have many favorites:  Seeing Joe’s  big smile when he finished the 5K Finish Line run.  Hearing Ron and Joe tell us how this program has changed their life.  Their heartfelt stories of accomplishment in such a short time.  Seeing/hearing Frank sprinting towards the finish line with his patented bark & sprint.  During our training runs and seeing Nanette with the Gatorade stops and saying “hi” to the Progress group as we pass each other at the canal.

LH: Anything else you would like to share with our lovely readers?

TG: This a wonderful program.  We are blessed to be part of this program with great leadership and the opportunity to meet such great people

This is the power couple- Tom and Deb Gardner – Back on My Feet Indianapolis would not be what it is today without these two. Look for a feature coming up soon at a blog near you highlighting the one and only Deb!

With only four months until the 2011 ING NYC Marathon on November 6th, BoMF is getting ready to take on the city that never sleeps in a BIG way! Along for the journey are our incredible FundRacers who have every intention of conquering the course and are ready to cross that finish line at Central Park! With the help of our FundRacers, we plan to raise over $100,000 for Back on My Feet to further strengthen our organization and more importantly, our mission and dedication to the self sufficiency of the homeless population!

Over the next few months, we are going to be profiling our each of our NYC Marathon team members as they work and train hard to take a bite out of the Big Apple. Be sure to check out each member’s profile and find out who will be running New York City on behalf of Back on My Feet!

With only days away from the The 4th Annual Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24 and the BoMF office is getting busy with excitement!

Need some 20in24 refreshing? This 24 hour marathon begins on Saturday July 16 at 10 AM.  It is Back on My Feet’s biggest national event of the year and it takes place in the city where BoMF was founded, Philadelphia, along a beautiful Boat House Row and Kelly Drive race course.  The event consists of four different races: The Relay Challenge, Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon, Midnight Madness Run & Pajama Loop.

Our FundRacers have been working hard not only by training intensely in this summer heat, but working toward their fundraising goals to help BoMF further continue to fight the battle of homelessness and help others get on the right path towards independence and self sufficiency.

The weather is looking BE-A-UTIFUL and our runners are lacing up their sneakers..now all we need is YOU! BoMF is looking for quality volunteers to help out at 20in24.  There are various volunteer opportunities for this weekend–come join the fun and spend a day on the city’s amazing waterfront!

Not convinced? How about a FREE 20in24 volunteer shirt and goodie bag! If that’s not enough, the satisfaction of knowing you aided in a great cause plus the copious amounts of good karma will suffice! Please visit our volunteer site for more information.

We look forward to seeing all of you this weekend (and Grampa does too)!