Stress Less, or How I Avoid Throat Punching Jerks

It's been a horrible week at work. I found out from a client that my coworker has been badmouthing me and the company at every opportunity. I'm not sure what I did to this person, my boss suggested it was a sarcastic comment I made some months ago. All I know is that in my life I have never taken a crude comment or gesture from another employee as a ticket to try to ruin their career.

I've spoken with my manager, the Human Resources Manager, the Lead Project Manager and everyone short of the President about this situation hoping to find some relief. All I've found is that they are reluctant to let this bonehead go. It's painfully clear to me that my position and contributions aren't of any value if they are willing to continue to employ someone who would undermine my actions and the company's at every opportunity. I made it clear to my boss that next week I would be waiting for a decision, jerk or me. There's not enough room in the cube farm for both of us.

Now I sit and wait... and worry. I worry because I don't want to put my family in financial stress. I worry because I don't want to have a bad mark on my employment record. I worry because I don't know that I'll have a job Monday morning. I worry because the stress is taking a toll on me mentally and physically. And when something is stressful enough that it takes a toll on my running I know that I have to do something to handle it. I haven't been eating or sleeping properly and my left knee is still giving me grief. I'm starting to think it's psychological.

Thankfully, my husband made plans to get me out of the house and onto the trails this weekend. There's a group of runners in our area that I've begun to think of as the 'regulars'. I'm not sure that my husband and I fall into this group but I'd like to think so. These are the faces I see at every race and the names I hear in every running conversation. They're the runners that always have plans, races and food for everyone. The plan today was for everyone to meet in a park not too far from our home and run 10 miles.

The best part about this plan is that my husband has never done more than 5 miles. The 'race' was a 2 mile out and back on a trail going one direction and then a 3 mile out and back going the opposite direction. My husband said he was planning to stop after the first 4 miles. When I reached the 4 mile mark and didn't see him waiting I figured I missed him. Turns out he decided he could do the whole thing and amazingly he did, still faster than me, in 1:25.

I finished in 1:40 and felt pretty good with that. According to my Garmin it was 10.1 miles which works out to a 9:56 average pace. Maybe I can pull off this 4:19 marathon afterall?! My stomach was not happy and my knee was aching but overall I felt more relaxed than I've felt in the last 5 days. I really needed that run and the company too.

So hopefully I'll be back next week with a lower stress level one way or another. And I'll also be back to announce the winners of my IAFF Charity Raffle! So don't forget to make your donation and get those last entries! Then in February I'll be coming up with some more fun ways to benefit this fantastic cause! So help me out if you can and run a mile for me while you're at it please?!

XOXO

In it to Win it!

If you've already entered my IAFF Burn Fund Charity giveaway then you're in for some exciting news! If you haven't entered yet get crackin'! I'm drawing a bunch of winners on February 1 and the prizes just keep coming!

I just got the go ahead to add some nice gear from the IAFF themselves! A polo and a wind jacket! The pictures below don't do these items justice at all! And both will be black in your choice of sizes!





And I hope to add more prizes before the end of this if I can! So keep the generous donations coming please! I'm now at 111% of my goal and growing! Thank you all so much for all your help! The IAFF Burn Fund means a lot to me and I deeply appreciate the support of my friends, coworkers, family, and the running & blogging community who have helped me honor my father's memory in such a tangible way!

XOXO,
Sara

Light a Fire Under Your Butt New Year's Giveaway and Raffle!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! Now that we're all looking to 2012 and planning bigger and better things it's time to start the New Year off right! And to do that I'm doing the biggest giveaway yet!

To start off you may remember my review of GoSportID. This is an awesome start up company and a wonderful product! I'm rocking my purple band today! You can check out their products here! GoSportID was kind enough to donate TWO $25 gift cards to our giveaway! So enter to win and start picking your personalized inscription!



Next up is every runners dream for carrying necessities like a phone, keys, ID, or gels. If you don't know SPIbelt, you should! I wore a pink SPIbelt for my 50 miler and I was so impressed I got another one for my husband (look for a full review coming soon!). SPIbelt was generous enough to donate TWO SPIbelts, a red and a blue! Believe me when I say you NEED one of these! They don't bounce or chafe and they carry a TON of stuff!



For the ladies, I had to get something special! Who doesn't love to be stylish on the run?! BIC Bands blew me out of the water by donating a DOZEN of their newest sparkle bands! If you haven't tried these out yet you won't be disappointed! They stay put, look amazing, and part every purchase is given back to charity! You can check out which charity they are working with this month by following them on FaceBook or on Twitter using @BICBands! The packages of BIC Bands will include Minnie Sparkle Apple Green, Minnie Sparkle Blue, Minnie Sparkle Fuschia, Minnie Sparkle Peacock, Minnie Sparkle Petal Pink, Skinny Sparkle Apple Green, Skinny Sparkle Aqua, Skinny Sparkle Black, Skinny Sparkle Gunmetal, Skinny Sparkle Orange, Skinny Sparkle Petal Pink, and Skinny Sparkle White! Check out the amazing color, Peacock, below!



Now, for all you race junkies I have something totally mind blowing! I have been in love with Allied Medal Hangers for a long time now. In fact my husband just bought me number 4 for Christmas! Allied's hangers are laser cut from stainless steel and they are STURDY. Between my husband, older daughter, and I we have crammed medals onto these until we can't fit anymore and they don't bend or sag under the weight! They hold a huge amount of medals too! You have got to check out all the photos on their FaceBook page! The one I just got for Christmas is below followed by a (really bad) picture of our other three! The winner of the medal hanger will get their choice so go drool now!





Last but not least I have a product I've been dying to try out, the Wind X-treme. You can use the WDX like a cap, headband, scarf, balaclava, mask, wristband, or a million other ways! Disclaimer: This product was not donated! I purchased it for the purpose of this giveaway and I haven't even tried mine out yet but it looks awesome!



So now you're wondering how you get a chance to get your hands on all this great stuff right?! Well here's your answer! To comply with regulations I can't *require* you to pay anything to enter so here's how I'm going to skirt the issue!

Ways to enter without purchase! Leave a comment for each one:
- Follow my blog or tell me if you already do*
- Follow or like each of the awesome product sites above on Twitter and/or FaceBook and leave a comment for each one*
- Post this giveaway on FaceBook, DailyMile, Twitter and/or any other social media site and leave a comment telling me where*

*To make this a little harder there is only ONE free entry per person. After that you can add one free entry for each dollar you donate!

How to get all the entries you want!
- Donate to my IAFF Burn Fund page.
- Donate $50 or more up until midnight January 31, 2012 and earn DOUBLE entries (multiple donations over the period will be added together).
-If you already donated leave me a comment telling me so I can match up your donation with your entries!

*For every dollar you donate you get one entry. And for every dollar you donate you can also do one more of the free entries so you build your chances!

Entries will close January 31 at midnight. I will draw winners using Random.org on February 1. Good luck!

Thank you so much for helping me remember my father in a tangible way!

If you would be interested in donating a product for future giveaways and/or fundraising please email me at sbrunazzi (at) gmail.com!

Forged By Fire

I've got a huge announcement! I've partnered with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to raise money for their burn fund. The fund uses donations to provide education, awarness, advocacy, burn research and to improve the quality of life for burn survivors. They sponsor an annual Burn Camp in Washington, D.C. to bring together youth affected by burns and help them return to a normal life.

You might be wondering why this matters so much to me. Let me just preface this with a warning. Be prepared to cry if you read on. I will certainly be crying as I type. These are painful memories but ones that may serve to save many lives, maybe even the life of someone you love. So if you want to stop reading now please take a moment to visit my donation page. Even $1 helps! And please stop back in a few days because that small donation could net you some BIG prizes! I can't say anything for certain yet but I'm putting together a very nice package of prizes for a few lucky winners who make a donation.

Now on to the tough stuff....

When I was about two years old I climbed onto my grandmother's kitchen table while she was making breakfast. I was wearing my footed pajamas and happily awaiting breakfast. What I didn't expect was the pot of boiling hot coffee on the table. It poured down my leg, melting my pajamas to my skin. I don't remember much about the ordeal except for the sickening pain and terror. I know the ambulance was called and I remember that they couldn't get a stretcher through the narrow hallway to the kitchen. Instead they passed a backboard through the kitchen window and then slid it back out to the ambulance with me attached. The actual details are vague and fuzzy but I can never forget the searing pain and the fear that gripped me. It almost makes what came next worse because I have had a small taste of that unimaginable pain and I can not fathom what severe burn victims suffer through. But before I get any further let me introduce you to the hero of my story.

My father's name is Michael. He was born on March 17, 1956. My father was the epitome of class clowns. His Donald Duck impression was dead on! Despite his biker facade with tattoos and an unkempt beard he was fun-loving and helpful. I spent many weekends at my father's side helping a neighbor with yard work or fixing a dirt bike at the track. I can still remember how much I loved to ride in my daddy's big blue truck. It was a stick shift and I thought it was the greatest thing in the world when it backfired!

Before my parents had me they worked together as volunteer firefighters and EMT's. My daddy served Hampton Township VFD #1 from 1977-1981. In 1981 my father joined the Army and served as a Fireman at Fort Ritchie in Maryland. In 1984 I came along and ruined all the fun and my parents settled down in Pittsburgh to raise their family.


My father in his Army photo

In the early 90's my father fell on hard times. He took a job at a rendering plant to make ends meet. This rendering plant had a spotty history with OSHA and no regard for their employees' safety. My father hadn't been working there very long when misfortune struck. On February 17, 1996 he slipped on the rendered fat and oil covering the floor and landed in a scalding pit of water and animal fat. My father was stoic as ever and pulled himself to safety. He somehow made his way to the shower room and undressed. It must have been excruciating! The first responders found him there curled into a ball under the running water with second and third degree burns over 75% of his body. All of his skin from his neck to his feet was blistering and peeling off.

My father was taken to Mercy Hospital where he spent the next 56 days. I will never forget my mother telling me that daddy was hurt and taking me to get him a get well card. I felt so sure my daddy would be okay. He was too strong not to be! At first the hospital scared me. The beeping machines and glaring lights adding to my state of distress. I grew less afraid of the hospital over time as it became the place where I spent most of my time. Friendly nurses and staff brought my sister and I puzzles, coloring books, and games. We decorated my father's room with cards and pictures and notes from friends around the world.


My father's VFD badge

When my father's immune system couldn't fight anymore he developed infections that ravaged his body. His beautiful brown eyes, exactly the same shade as my own, turned a brilliant and terrifying blue. His heart had to work overtime and started to fail. The doctors thought amputating a leg, or both, might help since that's where the infection was taking hold. When I saw my father with a flat spot under the blanket where his legs used to lie I was scared. But I also had visions of pushing him in a wheelchair, sitting in his lap, and maybe even racing him on my bike. My daddy HAD to be okay now!

The infection wasn't giving up though. For my father's 40th birthday we were blessed with more bad news. His heart was being damaged by the strain. My father went into cardiac arrest several times but he always fought and came back to us. I would light a candle every night and pray harder than any 11 year old should have to. I promised God I would become a nun or whatever he wanted if he would just heal my daddy. I would stand by my father and tell him about my day as calmly as I could. I didn't want him to hear the terror in my voice as my burly father wasted away in front of me. I'll never forget that, even in his drug-induced 'coma', he would still squeeze my hand when I told him I loved him.


My daddy and I

On April 12, 1996 my sister and I told our father we loved him for the last time. My family made the horrifying decision to end my daddy's suffering. That night doctors removed the ventilator and my sister and I sat in shocked silence while we waited for the confirmation that it was finally over. I'll never forget the faces of my family when they came back into the waiting room for us. No one should EVER have to watch their loved one die. I would give my own soul to erase the grief I saw on the faces of everyone I love that day. It is etched into my memory and I never knew what to do about it... until now.

When I ran the Savannah Marathon I was introduced to the American Cancer Society (ACS). At first I decided to run the Rock n Roll D.C. Marathon for them. Until something clicked in my brain, March 17, 2011. My father's 55th birthday. I decided then and there that ACS would have to wait. This race was going to be special! I started researching and contacted the IAFF. They were more than helpful in helping me get a fundraising page set up and I've got a uniform to run in on its way to me right now!

Having run two marathons and several ultras I understand pain. I even seek it. I understand mental toughness and enduring when it seems impossible. But I will never suffer like some of the IAFF's best. I saw a shirt on an ultra runner that read 'meaningless suffering without a point'. That may be the case for most races but not this time! This time my suffering is going to benefit a family that's facing long stays in the hospital, lost income, painful choices, and children that are losing their innocence way too young! I am going to make a difference for someone that I don't even know but that I am bonded to by shared grief and loss.

Maybe everything I went through myself had a purpose. Maybe I am a 'crazy' ultrarunner because of the things I endured and survived! Maybe, just maybe, a soul can be forged by fire and come out stronger!

So please, if you have a dollar to spare, donate. I promise you that even the smallest donation will change lives! If you made it this far, thank you! I'm forever grateful for you, my friends that live in my computer!

XOXO,
Sara Brunazzi and the IAFF