Next Goal Race (Lake Effect Half Marathon)

22 Comments

Last year I ran one of the hardest half marathons of my life in Syracuse, NY.  Not because I was out of shape or the course was hilly or that I took it out to fast…it was one of the hardest races of my life because it was cold and snowing.  It’s not a secret that I absolutely hate the cold, snow and ice. Little did I know last year that the race was sponsored by Ophelia’s Place located in Syracuse, NY.

The Race director, Todd and I.
The Race director, Todd and I.

Yet I sit here today and that is the only race I’ve signed up for in the Spring so far.  I plan to drive 6 hours to Syracuse to run the Lake Effect Half Marathon February 23 as my next goal race.   Not a goal race because I want to PR (it’s next to impossible in white out conditions) but a goal race because I want to do big things with this race. 

Ophelia’s Place is an inpatient Eating Disorder treatment facility.  The Lake Effect Half Marathon brings in money and fundraising towards them.  This year I want to be a part of the Fundraising.  I will be running for Charity and raising money along the way.  Though I did pay for my own entry to this race my goal is to raise 2000 dollars and create awareness along the way.

I have never had an eating disorder but as every human I have struggled with body image from time to time.  Whether that is body image to make me faster in running, body image because I don’t feel like I look good in a bathing suit or spandex…every person has had negative body image thoughts at one time.

In college my major was community health.  My senior seminar was based upon creating programming for raising awareness about eating disorders.  It’s a topic that a lot of people don’t know or understand.  It’s a topic that is made light of yet such a serious mental health issue.  It isn’t a case of “I look gross today so I won’t eat” or I want to be thinner so I will just purge my food.  Eating disorders are very complex and deep topics that a single post or day couldn’t explain.  My entire program was 50 pages and I honestly felt like I hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface.

So I won’t try too in this post.  Over the course of the next few months while I prepare for my next goal race, The Lake Effect Half Marathon, I will be posting weekly posts and stories.  If you have a story or post that you want to share, please email me (lolzthatswim (at)gmail.

I realize that many bloggers or people who read my blog know far more about eating disorders due to personal experiences or a much bigger knowledge base.  That is why I am asking for help.  It would mean the world to me if you could help me reach my goal of raising 2000 dollars (or more) for Ophelia’s place and my next goal race. 

I have two goals for this race: to fundraise as much as possible and to raise as much awareness and educate as much as possible.  If you are interested in helping or interesting in sharing a story please email me at lolzthatswim(at) gmail.  

**If you would prepare to share a story anonymously please don’t hesitate to let me know.  If you don’t have a blog and want to share a story, please don’t hesitate to let me know!  Anyone is more than welcome! 

Also if you are interested in learning more about a certain disorder please email me and I’ll be sure to include that. 

Here is my fundraising page and I appreciate all the help, support and education that I hope will come from this.

22 Comments

  2. well I fully support this cause, I had no idea that was the fundraiser for it! It is funny because I still remember when I raised money for NEDA – I thought my whole family would shy away from supporting it, just because of my past. In the end, they all donated and even my uncle (who I thought could never understand) made one of the most generous donations possible.

  3. This is a great cause – and close to home for me both with personal experiences, and literally because Ithaca is basically Syracuse’s back yard. I hope you meet both of your goals!

  7. Hollie, that’s an absolutely fantastic goal.

    I love the humility you display in this post, as opposed to presenting yourself as an ED ‘expert’ like so many other people do. You’re absolutely right about how complex and nuanced EDs are – I neither fully understand my own (EDNOS, though I disagree with that diagnosis…) nor my mother’s (anorexia) despite having so much experience with both. Particularly in the case of my Mum, it’s a severe mental illness that has long lasting physical and psychological consequences, and it’s so heartbreaking that a lot of people still don’t ‘get’ that.

    xxx

    1. Thank you so much and thank you for donating as well. It is so heartbreaking that many people truly do not understand the mental aspect. It isn’t just a “desire to be skinny”

  8. Another reason why you are aweome Hollie! If I ever get my ass into running again I want to run for Alzheimer’s. We recently put my grandpa into a home and what better way to run than for a good cause.
    You have my $$…!

  11. Heyo, Syracuse! I love the idea of raising money for a charity and using our gifts/talents to help others.

  13. This is a great cause and as someone who has been in residential treatment three times before finally recovering, I thank you. I know grammar and spelling aren’t that important to you, but since you are asking people to send money, you may want to correct this post. It’s INpatient. Not impatient.

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