LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE    Team-n-Training Journal ~ Sherry Perkins

DECEMBER 2008 / JANUARY  2009 JANUARY 26, 2009 ~ HERE'S TO YOU LARRY MORRIS!  (March 2, 1955 - Nov. 7, 2005) This Team-in-Training Half Marathon event is being run in honor of Adam, but also in memory of my belated husband, Larry Morris, who died of melanoma cancer, Nov. 7th 2005.  "Here's to you Larry Morris!" JANUARY 25, 2OO9 ~ ENJOY THIS VIDEO CLIP OF ADAM Adam ~ January 2009 Enjoy this short video clip of Adam taken during my Mott Children's hospital visit with Domenic Tamborriello to give his parents some respite from their vigil of care for Adam.  Adam has a train set he loves to set up all over his room with many switching tracks, station stops and bridges.  He has become an amazing 5 year old engineer in his own right.  If there is a problem with the track, he will diligently configure a solution and tell you not only how it works, but why it works!  What an awesome little boy! JANUARY 24, 2009 Arrived late for my Saturday morning run, but joined hearts with my team as I ran out and many of them were already running back.  As much as I like to run with others, I do also like to run by myself.  It's how I started out running after Larry Morris passed, just me and God.  The things of God that come to me on those runs are always deeply meaningful and precious to me. This run on my own was sweet in it's own way; filled with intercessory prayers and playful joyful moments.  I started out cautious of the 12 degree temperature (without the windchill) but I found myself almost too warm as I ran on.  I took that as a great sign that I had finally found the right running gear for me and it was working.  I now have a runner's thermal hoodie that makes me look like a bank robber, Thinsulate ski gloves that make me look like a boxer, and grippers that make me look like a natural Yooper.   So, if you happen to see something out in the park that looks like a 125lb PLWG boxing Yooper on it's way to rob a bank ... could be me; you just never know!    =_)) I don't remember trains going by along side this running path before, but the longest train ran right beside me along this morning's route.  Kind of fun to run along side a slow moving long train. Made me feel like I was running backwards or something as it passed me by.  There was no way I could keep pace with it, but I did try for a moment.  But alas, the Montgomery Gentry song "GONE" rang out in my head ... "Gone like a freight train; gone like yesterday.  Gone, gone, gone!"  Made me smile, and kicked off a stream of oldies but goodies inside me that I was safe to sing out loud in random chorus and made up verses to entertain myself.  In fact, I got so caught up in my thoughts / song I ran past my 4 mile turnaround at the Huron Parkway bridge and eventually found myself at the Dixboro Bridge wondering where I was.  It only added about a mile to my run and I was good with that.  Thank you Lord for helping me increase my miles, which I know I need to do. Many thanks to the Team-in-Training coaches ~ Ted, Annamarie, and others, for their protective watching over in these frigid temperatures of all their runners, me included, and for their provision of water, Gatorade, bananas and almonds and other nutrients that keep us going strong.  You guys rock!  Bless you! ~ Sherry JANUARY 23, 2009 ~ ADAM'S CAREPAGES UPDATE Fever gone: his energy is back "Adam is now more energetic now that his fevers have subsided. He is confined to his room, and we hope that he stays clear of infection and fevers for next 3+ weeks until his immunity is back and he gets to visit our house again for a short time before Round 5. He and his parents are catching up on their sleep after the nights of sleep that were constantly interrupted by side effects and medicines. As long as he can eat and drink well, he may be able to be off the IV for the rest of his stay, unless he gets a cold or infection and needs IV medicines and fluids. He did find time to play soccer in the room last night, as some UM athletes visited, plus one of the Detroit Tigers came by. Right now, he is throwing train track onto the bed, as he visits other countries in our room. Thank you for your prayers and concern. We praise God that we are supported by you, and that his medical team is so patient and helpful with our concerns, even when we are stressed and needy. Every day is a blessing and we are so grateful to be here with excellent care and treatment. God bless you all today."  (Adam's Family) JANUARY 18, 2009 ~ ADAM'S CAREPAGES UPDATE "Adam started his fourth round of chemotherapy on Friday after a short week at home. Usually the first few days back at the hospital are filled with playing in the playroom and running around before being confined to his room later in the month. However, right now, he is having high fevers, interrupted sleep, and they've taken cultures to make sure that he does not have an infection. The good news is that the medical team could see no signs of leukemia in his bone marrow when we returned on Friday. What a blessing it would be to be able to say those words every day for the decades of a long life: no leukemia. Thank you for your continued prayers and your acts of kindness. We know that we're loved, and we thank you. God bless you. ~ (Adam's family)" JANUARY 17, 2009 I was waaaay happy to receive the email from the Team-n-Training running coach that the Saturday morning run was cancelled due to -14 degree wind chill temperatures!   I was especially happy since I had found myself unexpectedly out late the night before with a group of great friends who took some free ballroom dance lessons together with me at Lakeside Health Club in Belleville, MI  and then all went out dancing the night away at a local blues and jazz club.   Let's see, does dancing count as cross-training Coach?    =_)) JANUARY 13, 2009 I am really loving adding in Aqua Jogging for cross training after my workout class.  I had time to do an hour of Aqua Jogging today, slow in the deep end of the exercise pool at the fitness center and faster interval training in the shallow end. Aqua Jogging is exactly what it sounds like…it’s jogging…in the water…but there is actually more to it than that. If you’ve suffered certain kinds of knee or leg injuries that keep you from running on land while you recover, aqua jogging can actually be an excellent alternative to help you stay fit. It sounds simple, because it is simple.  You simply jog…except you do it under water.  This provides a no-impact workout that exercises the same muscles as if you were running on land.  It is tiring, and unlike normal running, it is much easier to lose your balance in the water.  You must have a good, solid, balance form to stay afloat with the pool belt. JANUARY 10, 2009 Janene got me new "grippers" (aka Yaktraks) for Christmas.   They pull on over the bottom of your running shoe to provide cleat like gripping for firmer footing running on snow and ice.  They are AMAZING!!  Though we had about 8 inches of new snow last night and today's run was more of a march than a run, I definitely felt more secure and thus more confident, run-marching trails at Gallup Park this morning. Had a great 5 mile run with my new running buddy, Colleen.  Not too cold once my hands warmed up.  Was glad I had sunglass to keep the rapidly falling snow out of my eyes. Felt strong today and that was nice to find in myself.  I think the cross-training is helping.  Especially the aqua-jogging.  Will try to do more of that. Thank you Janene!!! JANUARY 5, 2009 ~ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Being the goals-oriented person that I am, like many I start the New Year with a vigorous pledge to empower and advance myself, and others, to the highest good. On the running side, it's time for me to shore up my commitment to running and cross training "C-O-N-S-I-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y".   I certainly welcome you to hold me accountable on this, as I count it as encouragement and support, and I always do better with encouragement and support! My plan is to get to the gym for my 6AM Workout class Monday through Thursday, and then spend some time cross-training after the workout.  Cross-training choices are:  stair-stepper, aqua jogging, treadmill, indoor track running, or spinning.  Friday will be a rest/yoga day.  Saturdays will be long runs with the Team-n-Training running group.  Sunday will be another rest/yoga day. Today I did 30 minutes on the stair stepper.  So far so good!    =_)) DECEMBER 26, 2008 ~ ADAM'S CAREPAGES UPDATE: "Though Adam must go through the full course of treatment, which will take him through the beginning of April or June, depending on his body's recovery time between each round of chemotherapy, we have received some more good news: The biopsy of his bone showed no sign of leukemia. Even though he has more months to go, you can imagine how wonderful it was to receive this news and how thankful we feel this Christmas.   Adam’s white blood cell count is low, his immunity is zero, and he may occasionally have to get platelets or blood. When his body recovers sometime in mid or late January, he’ll probably get to go home for a while before the 4th round of chemotherapy, from which the medical team says that there is a longer recovery time as the bone marrow is just tired by then. However, he still doesn’t take naps, and is playing trains with a decent amount of energy. It would be nice if he got to return to kindergarten, but at any rate, he is expected to go on to first grade next fall. Thanks to all of you who have supported us in so many ways: your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your messages and letters, or by just granting us latitude in our usual duties and activities. We thank God for you, and for the medical staff who is called to God’s work. As we always have, we thank God for our son, Adam. If you have a need for prayer, please feel that you can send us a private message on this site. We need to stay connected to your lives and needs and we know that God listens to our prayers, especially if more people are praying. May you feel God's blessings in your life today." DECEMBER 25, 2008 Learning to Snowshoe was definitely my Ishpeming MI Christmas vacation highlight.  Such a beautiful winding climbing drive lined in tall evergreens whose branches carried shelves of snow like they were presenting their own version of a frosty sparkly rich Christmas feast especially prepared for the day against clear blues skies, and streams of sunlight. As we drove on down narrower and narrower roads, we came upon what only a trained eye would recognize as a possible path now covered in fresh knee deep untrodden snow. Such a still and quite place. So serene. I didn't even want the brrrr of my breathe to disturb the majesty of the depth of silence I found myself in. But one can't hold their breathe forever. Oh yeah, maybe it was that I didn't know how to move my feet and my body gracefully now that they were elongated with aluminum snowshoes for the first time in my life. Hmmm... how do you walk in these things anyway? I quickly found my way with marching-like steps. I thought of Alexa my drum major, leading the way with a song in her heart. I found a song in my heart too and took to imagining myself marching, even stomp dancing to Indian tribal drumbeats to exaggerate wild body motion until I could find my own kind of runner pace with such sachsquatch feet. The sound of a running waterfall began to humm in on the insulated silence as we approached a wooden bridge. At least the open side rail was wooden. Who knew what deeply snow covered floor of the bridge was made of or what condition it was in as it angled downward going over top the running waterfall below. Beautiful, truly beautiful, but if you think I am going to step out on that thing no knowing what is under my feet, you'd have completely miscalculated my fears. I heart began to race and I broke out in a hot flash that had me wanting to get naked in the middle of a snowbank!! My friend Cliff pointed out the newest of the strong wood side rails. I was not convinced. He ventured ahead to cross over first to reassure me that if the bridge could hold him, it could hold me. His steps made a trail I could follow and began to consider sincerely trying to conquer my fear of crossing over a waterfall on a snow covered open-sided bridge. Something like Jesus, who has prepared the way for us in advance to walk in and to follow Him. Yes, it is my scriptural guide to walk by faith and not by sight, but it is also my scriptural guide to walk in wisdom. This didn't seem like wisdom. That aside, I strongly recognized the opportunity God and life was presenting to me to face my fears, to allow risk and adventure into my life, to trust God, to grow and to live full out. If I fall to my death ~ what a great way to go ~ taking on life to the fullest with no regrets! I began to be aware that I would regret it, if I did not take the adventure of growing in overcoming all things through Christ who strengthens me, if I did not take this opportunity. If I did not get out of the boat and walk on water, so to speak. I stepped out on to the bridge ~ "Right Foot, Left Foot, Trust God". I was doing it! I was safe! It was gorgeous to stand in the middle of the bridge, and raise my hands in personal triumph and praise to God. I was elated!! Thank you Lord that YOU take our fears of "crossing over" and transform them into elated joys we have never known, as we just choose to say YES to You! ~ AMEN! DECEMBER 20, 2008 ~ HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!!! It's my 50th birthday and I decided to give myself the gift of sleeping in and taking a day off to do whatever I'd like and then meet up with Janene at her house for dinner and then go out some place she has in mind. Arriving at Janene's later that evening ~ WOW! ~ I have no words, and I am effervescing in words, all at the same time, as I am stunned, amazed, surprised, shocked, marveled, mystified, stupefied, delighted, overjoyed, and beyond overwhelmed at the arranging of, and pulling off, Janene's giving me a SURPRISE 50th Birthday Party!! YOU all got me good!!! AND ALEXA AND NICK here all the way from Washington DC!!!! ~ Oh my life! I don't think I've ever been so blessed, so honored, so loved all at once by all those I also love.  Thanks so much for all of YOU, for your brave love, and awesomeness. Always my love and prayers ~ Sherry DECEMBER 14, 2008 Domenic Tamborriello and I were able to visit Adam at Mott Children's Hospital for the afternoon and give his Mom a little respite time to take care of things at home. It was delightful to build an elaborate train track through the floor of Adam's room, not just for the many Tom Train pieces to travel, but also ~ MARBLES!  Yes, we discovered that marbles move along the grove in the wooden track quite well, and if you put all the marbles on the track and whack them hard, they scatter all over the room in every direction!   Scurrying around the room to pick them up from every crack and crevasse is great fun too ... if you have done your yoga and are flexible enough to stretch under chairs, hospital beds, medical poles, chemo equipment and other places we won't talk about. What an amazing child Adam is! Brilliant, creative, funny, self aware, self confident, just precious!  I came to know of Adam through multiple intercessory prayer requests that came to me first from Domenic Tamborriello MSW, then also prayer warriors at the Ann Arbor Vineyard Church, and St. Luke Lutheran Church.  As I began to intercede for his healing, the Lord really graphed him into my heart and began to keep him in front of me.  This came thundering home to me at the Team-n-Training informational meeting when I almost didn't sign up because the fundraising commitment was more than I thought I could meet.  God reminded me that He is able; and He will do it as I step out in faith trusting Him to be able to accomplish so much more than I ever could.  Thank you Lord.  I decided to sign up with Team-n-Training to run in memory of my late husband, Larry Morris who died of Melanoma Cancer, November 7, 2005, and in honor of Adam Stafford Guerriero and his family. Thank you for promoting donations to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission of a cure for blood cancers like Adam has. No amount is too small. Please also pass the link below along to those you know who might like to support victory over blood cancers. CLICK HERE:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/cmc09/sperkinmrz   Blessings! ~ Sherry DECEMBER 13, 2008 Had some kind of stomach issue all through the night; little sleep, lots of bathroom trips.   Decided not to run this morning. DECEMBER 06, 2008 ~ 9:00AM  Victory over self!  Sherry was found running with the Team-n-Training group in 6 degree wind-chill and light snow.   Thank you Lord!   Anytime I can take victory over that inner voice that wrestles with my highest good; I am grateful.  Started out running, but changed to a walk/run when my partner came up with a strained leg muscle.  Walking kept us at a slower pace, not generating nearly as much body heat.  I was fine, except for my fingers.  They were so cold by the time I got to my car that I could not manage to turn the key in the car door to unlock it.  A passing by runner/good Samaritan helped me out, but I still had to turn the key in the ignition.  After a few minutes thawing out, I was able to get my fingers going and get home to soak in a nice hot bath. ~ 8:00AM I don't' wanna and you can't make me! Today Hi: 28° Lo: 17° Wind Chill 6° & Snow I am suppose to run at 9AM outside in Gallup Park. Self Talk ... ~ I could stay in bed where it is warm ~ I could go to the gym and run on the treadmill where it is warm ~ I could run outside later this afternoon when it warms up a little Oh my life!  Where has my dedication and motivation gone?  Does it blow away like the wind in weather, challenge, adversity? This is a COMMITMENT, NOT AN OPTION!!  Just GO!!! ~ ~ ~ "As true as this is for the success of a corporation, it is even more so for the individual. The most important single factor in individual success is COMMITMENT. Commitment ignites action. To commit is to pledge yourself to a certain purpose or line of conduct. It also means practicing your beliefs consistently. There are, therefore, two fundamental conditions for commitment. The first is having a sound set of beliefs. There is an old saying that goes, "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything." The second is faithful adherence to those beliefs with your behavior. Possibly the best description of commitment is "persistence with a purpose". (from Thomas J. Watson, Jr., A Business and its Beliefs - The ideas that helped build IBM). Apart from the new reality check that I am going to be running outside in the &^%$^ cold weather all Winter (I really must have lost my mind somewhere!), I am really glad I signed up for this.  The runners in training each have their own journey; each journey a story of the endearing preciousness of the value of a day; the value of a life. QUOTE (from a Father who lost his 14 year old son) "If you are a child and you loose your parents, you are an orphan.  If you are a wife and loose your husband, you are a widow; or a husband a widower.  But we don't have a word for a parent who looses a child.  It is a lost too indescribable for words."

 

One night I dreamed a dream.  I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord. When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma. "Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me." He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."