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COME JOIN THE NF ENDURANCE TEAM IN LONG BEACH  

LONG BEACH
October 12, 2008

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Members of the 2005 Long Beach team
gathered on race day.

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Bob Skold, Lauren Achee and Kelly Achee take a break for a photograph at Long Beach.

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MEET OLIVIA HERNANDEZ

NF2 has stolen many things from Olivia Hernandez -- her grandmother, her uncle, her mother and her hearing. It has not however taken her spirit or commitment to living an active life. As a wife and mother of two small children, Hernandez manages to balance a hectic schedule and also rally efforts to bring increased awareness to NF.

Q. What do you do to stay focused and positive on the days when you don't feel like it?
A. Nobody is positive all of the time. It would be unrealistic for anyone, especially someone with NF2, to be happy every moment. When I start to lose focus and get negative I allow myself to work through my feelings on my blog. Once I vent and share my frustration, I focus on a solution. I think, what can I DO to battle this? Then I just do it! 
Q. Do you have any routines or traditions on your runs?  I like to always wind down with a few basic yoga poses, it really helps keep me from getting sore!

Q. What do you hope to model to your children?
A. I hope to show them that it is not ok to give up, you should always fight. Even if you lose, at least you can be proud of your effort.  

Q. What has running taught you? A. Running is teaching me to be more patient. Running faster on a long run wont get you to the end any quicker if you burn out. You have to pace yourself, and save your reserves.
Q. If you could do anything, what would it be?
A. Listen to my children laugh, I have never heard either of my children speak.

Q. Do you have a running/personal motto? Just like the NF2 Crew says, Never Give Up!! That applies to my health as well as every step of every run.
Q. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
A. Just a year ago I hated running! I don't know why, since I had never run anywhere! As soon as I had the motivation of running for NF, I laced up my shoes and never looked back. Now, I have to run at least 3 times a week to satisfy my urge to run!



Check out Olivia's blog
 

A NOTE FROM THE TEAM CO-CAPTAIN

Hello Long Beach Team!   

    I wanted to contact all of our past, present and future Long Beach NF Endurance Team members to remind you of the upcoming Long Beach Marathon on October 12th.  This is a great opportunity to gain exposure for our team, and continue to build upon our past success in raising awareness for NF.
    Long Beach hosts a fantastic race and expo. It is one of the most scenic and flat courses to run while also enjoying views of a spectacular ocean and the historic oceanliner (now hotel) The Queen Mary. There are many fun things to do in Long Beach. Of course the best reward, however, is to be a part of the NF Endurance Team and feel that together we can make a difference!  It all adds up to a weekend you don't want to miss.  
    If you are a past team member, you may recall that we are a sponsored charity at this event. This status provides a booth at the Long Beach Marathon Health and Fitness Expo on Saturday, and a  team gathering location/booth at the finish line. We can hang our banners and "get the word out" to other race participants and their supporters.  These additional opportunities to spread awareness and encourage others to join in the excitement around the NF Endurance Team are a huge bonus.   It would be great to have even more people than last year, ensuring that we have plenty of our bright yellow singlets on the different race courses, with bright yellow T-shirts to cheer us on.  
     I have countless wonderful memories from each year my family and I have participated in this event.  It has been so meaningful the night before the race to share our stories, enjoy a delicious pasta dinner and meet people at the Expo. The next day as you run that beautiful course, you feel each step you take is getting us closer to a cure.    
     Please join us as a participant or a volunteer. This is a great opportunity to support and raise awareness for NF in the greater Long Beach/Los Angeles area (with last year Long Beach having over 18,000 participants). As always, it is very easy to sign up. By using the links to the left, you can sign up on the NF Endurance Team Web site and register with Long Beach as well. This year we will again have our pasta dinner at L'Opera. Whether you are participating in one of the race events, or coming to cheer us on, you and your family are welcome to attend this event -- just let us know if you can make it and how many people will be coming by emailing Trish Hardy at thardy@ctf.org.  
     We really look forward to seeing you in Long Beach the weekend of October 12.  Please join me and my family, my Co-Captain Chris McKay, NF Endurance Director Steve Kendra and the rest of the Long Beach NF Endurance Team for a weekend we will all remember!
 
Sincerely,

Kelly Achee
NF Team Co-Captain for the Long Beach Marathon


LONG BEACH RACE INFO                                                  
  • WEATHER: The average high temperature is 79°F and the average low temperature is 58°F for mid-October in Long Beach. Long Beach averages nearly 345 days of sunshine every year!
    MUSIC: There will be 20 entertainment stations featuring live music and festivities.    
  • COURSE MAP: Click here to read a description of the course outlining the marathon, half marathon and 5K
  • THINGS TO DO AND SEE: Nestled on the California coast, Long Beach sits just 30 minutes from Disneyland and Los Angeles.
  • DID YOU KNOW: Originally developed to be Willmore City, Long Beach took its current name in 1888 when the city became incorporated. Residents decided on the name Long Beach after the area's long and wide beaches.
  • RACE DAY SCHEDULE:
    6:00 am Bike Tour
    6:15 am Marathon Walkers
    7:30 am Marathon & Half-Marathon
    8:30 am 5K Run / Walk
    9:00 am Kids 1 Mile Fun Run



    John Sullivan grabs a drink at a  water station on the Long Beach course.
RUNNING WITH OUR HEARTS AND LEGS
"This is our first time running Long Beach, but we've heard from other team members that it's flat and beautiful so we're looking forward to it. We started running on Carly's team with the San Diego Rock and Roll 4 years ago. The feeling of running with the NF team, for a great kid and a great cause was so rewarding in so many ways. The purple team has nothing on us!"
- Christina and Douglas Jones