Hard to Believe it is Over

Wow.  What a great weekend we had in Austin.  So great to spend time with Mary Ann and Craig in their own environment.

So where to start......

The race was great - can't tell you how much I appreciated the support from the Owen's family and the West family.  Starting temperatures were in the high 40's / low 50's - tropical to us Cleveland folks.  I saw Kelly and the Owen's clan at mile 6 which was a great boost.  The first half of the race was a breeze and I was feeling really good.  I saw Mary Ann, Craig and Annie around mile 14.  Really made me smile and gave me tons of energy.  I met up with them again at mile 20.  By then, it had started to get hot and very hilly.....taking a toll on me.  Nice to have some support at that time.  The last 6.2 miles were pretty tough.  Felt a bit nauseous and got dizzy a few times.  Unfortunately, I had to take some longer walk breaks which slowed me down quite a bit.  The worst was the uphill finish that started at mile 26....downhill would have been greatly appreciated at that time.  With the finish line in sight, I saw the families again cheering me on and that got me through the last few hundred meters.

So the final tally is around $16,300 and we continue to get donations.  THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO DONATED AND HELPED ALONG THE WAY.

A couple special thank yous to:

Terry Cassidy (and Jack too) - people have really enjoyed the thank you notes and I really appreciated the all the blog posts.  Your support has been wonderful.

Gina McKinnon - for organizing the cheering section and equipping them with Pom Pons and spirit.  I could see them waving half a mile away.

Lila, Ford, Jackie, Thomas, Holly and Lacy  for the great hospitality in Austin and cheering me on.  The Friday night dinner was great and gave me plenty of carbs and nutrition.  I was impressed to see them at the race start - having driven in from San Antonio.

San and Jack West - for all the nice notes and words of encouragement.  Wish you could have been there, but you certainly had your priorities in the right place.  Great to hear that Violet is doing better - we were thinking and hoping for good news the entire weekend.

John and Rose for taking on three Curtiss children for 5 days....I am sure that brought back memories.  Garrett, Courtney and Ryan loved it.

Kelly for all the support, coordination and love during the process.

More than just raising money, I hope that this event helped Mary Ann and Craig deal with an incredibly challenging situation.  Spending time with them made their situation very real for me and Kelly.  It is my hope that we all can continue to find ways to support and create happiness for them in the times to come.  They will need our help.  

Lastly, I was truly amazed at Mary Ann and Craig's strength.  Even though times are tough, it amazed me how much they smiled and were able to still enjoy themselves.  Mary Ann looks "killer" in her hair style which gives her the opportunity to wear her ever growing hat collection.  Craig has a special relationship with Annie and there is alot of love between the two of them.

Other highlights of the weekend were a dinner at Chuy's - Kelly and I enjoyed some awesome Tex Mex and great Margaritas.  We also had a great dinner with Mary Ann and Craig at the Four Seasons cafe - feasting on a bunch of appetizers and wine.  We enjoyed exploring the parks and the various Austin neighborhoods as well - a very eclectic city.

Thanks again for all the support and God Bless the Sherlocks.   John

More Words from Jean

BRAVO!
CONGRATULATIONS!
AND THANKS!
YOU SURPASSED OUR HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS~~
KUDOS, BLESSINGS AND LOVE FROM, AUNT JEAN ET AL

Beautiful People!

Mary Ann, Craig, John, aka JC Runner, and Kelly out on the town Saturday night before the big run Sunday morning.

Well Said From Lila Owens

As I watched John run through the streets of Austin today (Sunday), I was reminded of the two truths I have learned about this disease. First, you cannot fight it alone. You have to have the support of family and friends. Second, as hard as the disease may try, it cannot touch your heart; and it cannot touch your soul. This is all that really matters. Thank you John and Kelly for reminded me and all of us what is important in life.
Lila

Lila Owens is our dear cousin from San Antonio, TX ~ her car now goes into automatic pilot from San Antonio to Austin! Lila, our family will forever be indebted to you for all you are doing for Mary Ann, Craig and Annie. We are scattered from the east coast to the west coast and can't physically be with them. You are our eyes, our ears, our security blanket. You can give the Sherlocks much needed hugs and kisses when we can't. What would we do without your love and support? From the bottom of our hearts, Mary Ann's family thanks you.
Terry

From Mary Ann

"This was such a great day for Craig, Annie and me! John is our hero and he could have never done it all without the love and support of Kelly, Courtney, Garrett and Ryan! The outpouring of support from family, friends, and people whom we have never met has been so wonderful for us to experience. It has been so overwhelming that I have been unable to put it into words how the love and support has made me feel. It is still hard for me to express. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family!"

WOW!

John,

What an accomplishment! We followed the yellow dot from up here in snowy Colorado all morning. What a massive achievement! We are so proud of you!

Wish we could be there to give you a BIG HUG (maybe after your shower!)

We will wear our T-shirts proudly!

much love ~ Aunt San & Uncle Jack

Final Congratulations!!

John, congratulations on your accomplishment. You and Kelly did everything you set out to do and then some! The smiling faces tell it all. Mary Ann, Craig, and Annie will never forget this day. Way to go!!
Uncle Jack

He's Done

He's Done!! John, aka JC Runner, Craig holding Annie, Mary Ann

What a fun morning Jack and I've had tracking John as he made his way through the streets of Austin. Watching that yellow dot move along the course was amazing. The last few months, following John on this blog, as he prepared for today, was like we were there ~ we could almost feel the ice bath! Now the Run for Annie is complete, but we will never forget what John and Kelly Curtiss made possible ~ a very special gift for little Annie Sherlock. Congratulations to you John, for exceeding your goal.

Thanks again to all of you wonderful donors who had faith in John and his mission.

20 Mile Marker

John just passed the 20 mile mark. Doesn't he look awesome!

Tracking JC Runner

Jack and I talked to John last night and he was READY ~ sounded full of energy and this was before his high carb dinner. Love this high tech stuff. We're tracking John ~ he's just run 10 miles. Hope everyone is able to follow the yellow dot. Kelly emailed picture of cheering section with pom poms.

Dear John,

We will pray for your success tomorrow. We will follow your progress with your chip. It breaks our hearts that we cannot be there in person! May those blue Texas skies follow you all along the route!

Our sincere thanks to all of those who have made this day such a success for our Annie!

We'll be waiting here in Colorado for some great pictures!

Lots of love ~ Aunt San & Uncle Jack

Less Than 24 Hours

The race is less than a day away. John, it's hard to believe tomorrow at 7 AM you'll cash in on these past months of training. Know you and Kelly are having a wonderful visit in Austin, and most especially spending time with Mary Ann, Craig and Annie. Lila said last night was fun ~ being with all of you and some of her own crew, Ford, Jackie, Lacy, Thomas and Holly. Thought about you all and the wonderful meal Lila provided, but most of all the fine company that gathered "to break bread!"

Tomorrow morning we'll start tracking JC Runner as he travels those 26 miles through the streets of Austin. Kelly promises to send photos via her phone, which I'll promptly send around. To those of you in the cheering section, we want to see those pom poms in action! John, sleep well tonight and enjoy your run in the morning.

Thanks Lila for the amazing dinner

It was great to see the Owens family last night. We feasted on lasagna, salad, fresh bread, appetizers, two cakes and chocolate covered strawberries. Not sure I need to eat again before the race!

Great to see the Sherlock's too - Annie is all smiles.

Going to pick up all my race stuff in a bit and then plan to rendez vous with MaryAnn and Craig.

Austin is a beautiful place....the lake is very picturesque and the people are super friendly. Awesome food too.

More later.....

Tracking me during the run

Here is a link that will allow interested parties to track my progress throughout the race.

http://mychiptime.com/futureEvent.php?id=3515

It should take me roughly 5 hours to complete and I start at 7 am CST. 2 days and counting.

We continue to get donations which is really wonderful. Hope to end up around $16k.

Thanks for the support.....John

Arrived in Austin

Arrived to awesome weather and some great food. Just got back from Chuy's - tex mex restaurant. Very good eating. Just under 3 days. Having pasta dinner with Owens and Sherlocks tomorrow night.

Very excited that Violet's surgery was a success.....she is in our prayers.

More tomorrow!

You are the man!!

What more can be said? Who would have thought your great idea could turn into this successful team effort? Have a great week-end! There is no doubt that you are the winner of this event.
Good luck Sunday! We are all with you!!

Thanks to all who have donated to this worthy cause!

Thanks to Everyone

Jack and I wanted to thank all who are participating in this effort! It has been spectacular to watch the project unfold.

Thank you Kelly for sending a new invitation to post; it seems to have worked this time.

San and Jack West

From Jack & San West

And this from Annie's grandparents who are in Black Hawk, CO taking care of her four year old cousin, Caroline, while her baby sister, Violet, is in the hospital following heart surgery. Annie's Uncle Ned (Mary Ann's brother) and Aunt Jen are staying at the hospital with Violet, and appreciate San and Jack being there for them. Caroline is in good hands and having lots of fun with her Texas grandparents. Violet's surgery was Friday, and as of now, her condition continues to be critical, but she's holding her own.

John and Kelly,
You are both so wonderful to do this for our Annie. If circumstances prevent us from being there in the flesh, you know we will be with you in spirit. Our prayers will be with you all day Sunday to help carry you along the way. Keep safe, keep well, and enjoy all those carbs. Lots of love ~ Aunt San & Uncle Jack

Want Details

John, aka JC Runner, the Big Run is a week away and I know you are psyched. Hope you located your shirts. Craig wears his well ~ love that picture. Know you and Kelly will be busy this week as you prepare for your trip to Austin. Let's hope no more snow in Ohio until you return. Johnny and Rose, I'm confident you can easily handle three children for a few days, without any panicky phone calls to Kelly.

Inquiring minds want to know ~ How long do you expect it to take you from start to finish? What will you eat leading up to race day? What's for dinner Saturday (Lila's lasagna or is that for Sunday), will you eat breakfast Sunday, do you snack during the race? Will you take frequent breaks/rests or a couple long ones? What type of exercise will you do once you arrive in Austin on Thursday? Will you explore the layout of the marathon prior to running it? And, last but not least, will you have another ice bath (torture) after the run?

Stay well, sleep well!

Words From Sister Jean

Hello everybody~~ Yahoo I'm back on the blog thanks to the blog-saviness of my (smarty-pants) sister, Terry ~ hahaha {o:~~
How quickly the big marathon day is approaching~
John and Kelly ~ what a marvelous job you two have done orchestrating this event~ the tee shirts and publicity perfect~fund raising phenomenal~ your training SO admirable~putting ALL of us to shame in that regard~but perhaps inspirational also- Boo and I have talked about half walking and biking 26 miles simply to get a feel for the space that you will be covering unmotorized on the 15th -
okay... please don't ask us next time you see us if we ever actually did this! I'll volunteer that info if we do accomplish that feat!!
JOHN, YOU ARE OUR HERO~~ YOU TOO, KELLY~~
Thursday Boo and I are going to hunt quail on a plantation in the middle of "nowhere", South Carolina; most definitely a cell-phone-dead-zone: we will be anxious to get back into a chat area (email) Sunday afternoon and get an update on the marathon.
And so, John Curtiss.. Godspeed to you and Kelly for safe travels next weekend~ indulge and enjoy the big bad carbs load-up. Pre-marathon... stretch..stretch...and stretch again... and hopefully when you begin you'll feel a glide in your stride ~the lightness of a feather~ wings to soar like an eagle~~ like "a hot knife cuttin' buttah"... that's how it is said in the South!!!!!
Love to all~~
run, John, run.........or.. glide..drag.. soar.. run..slip.. ..trip... fall.. fail.. WHATEVER~ we love,appreciate and admire you, John Curtiss~~

And, once again, Jean says it best.

A PIC of Craig and Annie

Mary Ann sent us the pic to the left.  Craig is sporting his new tshirt and Annie is full of smiles!!

Looking forward to seeing them later next week.

Thanks To Wonderful Folks

104 donations ~ thanks to you wonderful folks out there. It's in the works, but soon, for those of you who do not personally know them, you will "meet" the Curtiss family via a photo on this blog. You need to put faces with the names of this special family that made The Run for Annie possible. John and Kelly have taken time from their precious children to make this fantastic event a reality ~ thank you Curtiss family. You will also see Craig, holding daughter Annie, proudly wearing an awesome T-shirt. Stay tuned.

Donors surpass 100

So far, we have received 104 donations.....104 really special people making a difference for Annie.  This is great news.  Total donations are at $14,135.

One week to marathon.  Weather forecast for Austin calls for low of 40 and a high of 63.  A great day to race.

I think they delivered my running shirts to the wrong address....so i am trying to follow up on that this weekend.  

Looking forward to getting to Austin to see the Sherlock's and West's.

Hope Violet's surgery went really well.....we have been thinking of her alot recently too.

Lots of Snow.......

Amazing....it just keeps snowing up here.  I am glad that I do not need to be planning more long runs.  I am starting to prep for the trip next week.  Trying to figure out what to wear - temps supposed to start out in the 40s and rise up to the 70s.  Not used to that kind of heat.

Tshirts should be arriving in the next day or so.  

Donations keep coming.  We received another $300 today, so the total is around $13,800.

So far, we have received 98 donations....we are closing in on 100.

I will post more soon!  John

Neat Shirts

Love the design work on the T-shirts ~ a great attention getter. You all will definitely stand out in the crowd, especially those of you in the cheering section waving the matching pom poms. Eleven days to go!

Run for Annie Tshirts

We designed tshirts for the race.  To the left is a picture of what they will look like.

The top image will be on the front of the shirt and the bottom image will be on the back.

If anyone wants one, let me know and I can order some extras.  They run about $35 and are being produced by a local firm down in Austin, TX.  For more info on sizing, please go to    www.runningbanana.com/faqs.html?id=PGCHxsn4#09

Annie has a really great smile!

Donations at $13,500

With a little over a week left, we hit $13.5k.  Thank You all.

Words from San & Jack

As previously mentioned, many are "blog challenged" and I offered to help post messages for those who've had problems publishing to this blog. This is from San and Jack, Mary Ann's parents and Annie's grandparents.

John,

On February 15, May the Austin skies be a beautiful Texas blue. May the wind be at your back. May the hands of God hold you up throughout the race. Our family is so blessed by your dedication to Annie's education. Thank you.

love ~ Aunt San & Uncle Jack

Wonderful Article!

What a great article in your hometown paper! Can you believe donations have doubled since the newspaper interviewed you just a few weeks ago? AWESOME! It is heartwarming that so many wonderful people have reached out to the Sherlock family. Thanks to each and everyone of you.

Link to Article on the Marathon / Donations at $12.8k / 82 donors

We got some press from the local Chagrin Sun newspaper.

http://blog.cleveland.com/chagrinheraldsun/2009/01/chagrin_falls_progressive_insu.html

John

Donations up to nearly $12k

With a little over two weeks left we are just shy of $12k.  The local Chagrin paper did run the article on Annie. Once I get the link, I will post it and send it around.  Some nice pics of Mary Ann and Annie.

Thanks for the continued support!  John

She says it ALL!!

For whatever reason, posting on the blog has become more than a challenge. It appears to be no longer user friendly ~ it's those crazy letters you have to uncode. Glad I got on when I did. I just can't let this email from sister Jean, another of Annie's great-aunts go unposted. She says it all. I want all of you who have so generously donated to this fabulous event to read what Jean so eloquently says ~ I quote:

Blog challenge - if so..you are not alone~ and I understand some of the "young" ones even are- be not ashamed- perhaps maybe not all of our computers are compatible with the runforannieblog~ or some of us just don't know how to key it in~~WHATEVER- so why not revert back to the old standby e-mail.. if we would like to "publicly to the family" .. express our appreciation, awe and gratitude to the wonderful John and Kelly Curtiss~ for their brilliance in the concept, the perserverance in the gathering of funds and race training~ the arduous trial runs, the battling of the elements, the icy baths, the inevitable sour muscles and fatigue~ and that we are PROUD to know you, proud to have you in our family, and proud of your accomplishments thus far. Our hope is that when you arrive in Austin you feel you have the strength of the Hulk, the wind at your back, "fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee"~ (think that last part was from Casius Clay; obviuosly after too many whacks to the head.) ~ anywhoo~~ we will be "with you" (mentally,emotionally, etc!) every step of the way during your 26 mile trek ~~
YOU ROCK JOHN CURTISS .. YOU de mannn~~ Love and thanks to John and Kelly for all~~~
this was waaay easier than fighting the blog entry!! love to all.. xo

...

Ice bath on top of a 26-mile run. What a day!! John & Kelly, this was quite a project you all undertook & you have been generous with your time & energy. Viewing the blog & experiencing the love & support is an awesome feeling. It'll be a great day in Austin with you running & Kelly & Annie's family on the sidelines.

Donations at $11.5k

We continue to receive donations which is wonderful.  Three weeks to go!

Thanks to everyone who has participated and to those who are posting to the blog!

We are glad it is your body, not ours, that is running 26 miles in the middle of a Cleveland winter and then being subjected to an ice bath. Given the choice, we would probably choose waterboarding. Regardless, we are impressed with your fund raising idea and the perseverance that has made it a reality.
We wish you the best,
Rose and John

Ice Bath??

John, are you a glutton for punishment or what? An ice bath ~ sounds more like torture! Now a good deep tissue or hot stone massage ~ that would soothe my aching muscles. From what Lila says, you'll need an ice bath after running in the warmer Austin temperature. Seriously, I can't say it enough, what you are doing for Annie, Mary Ann and Craig is wonderful. Your dedication to this project is awesome and because of that, you've exceeded your goal. All of us thank you.

Time to Taper

I got my final long training run done on Friday.   A full 26 miles.  It was a great day....high 30s and sunny.  A little sore afterwards.  Actually took an ice bath - I felt great afterwards, but it is definitely challenging to initially get in.  My whole lower body is covered in freezing cold water and then ice is added.  Supposedly helps prevent lactic acid build up.

Three weeks to the race and counting. I think we are now close to $11k.  

Kelly and I are really looking forward to seeing everyone in Austin - it will be special for everyone.

Enjoy the weekend!

geat job John!!

John, you have done a fantastic job for Annie and her family. First you came up with a terrific idea and now you have already exceeded your goal and I am sure more donations are on the way. It does not surpise me that you have lead this tremendous effort allowing all of us to contribute to this wonderful cause. The possitve traits you have shown as a father, husband and nephew-in-law makes it obvious that you are the right person for this challenging task. You and Kelly make a great team. After training in your "snow shoes" Austin should be a piece of cake!

How Do You Do It....

John? What do you wear to run in two feet of snow and still snowing? Do you have ice grippers or what on your shoes!? We'll keep our fingers crossed for beautiful weather and a perfect temperature on race day. What is an ideal temperature to run 26 miles? Following your training, including the Wii (I've tried the tennis and that's a challenge, mostly because I kept thinking I'd hit Jake in the head), updates on donations, etc. has been fun to follow ~ so exciting. Thanks for keeping us informed. Do wish Jack and I could be there.

Donations up to $10,700

Donations keep coming in which is very exciting.  We have surpassed the goal and hope to continue momentum for the next month until race day.

Race day is 4 Sundays from today.

Two feet of snow and below 0 temps have forced me indoors.  Schools were actually closed on Friday b/c it was so cold.  I shared the age old stories of walking up hill both ways to school when I was a child with Garrett and Courtney......they did not buy it.  More snow today, but I hope to get my run in this afternoon.

Race weekend is shaping up nicely.  Kelly and I will be leaving on 2/12 (Thursday for Austin).  Kelly is picking out Mexican food for Thursday.  We will then join the Sherlocks and Owens on Friday for dinner.  Thanks Lila.  Saturday we will likely visit with family and I will start to prepare to run on Sunday.  There will be a focused cheering section (Owens family, Kelly, Sherlocks and the Wests)  which will be GREAT!

This has been a very special experience for me and thank you for you generosity and contributions!!!

Stay warm,

John

No Words Can Express...

...the gratitude and love that Mary Ann and I feel for each of you wonderful donors. It's really overwhelming. This whole project started with John Curtiss' incredible idea, and none of us would be here without the entire Curtiss family. That said, the rest of you, our incredible family and friends, have taken this thing to an entirely different level. Might I say that you've "run with it"? Sorry. I'm the king of dumb jokes. Just ask Mary Ann.

We are indebted not only for your generous donations to Annie's future, but also your kind, healing letters and emails. I know Mary Ann regrets that she hasn't been able to respond to you as quickly as she would like sometimes, but hopes you understand. She's strong, but tired. Keeping up with Annie and enduring treatments is exhausting business. (Not to mention putting up with me!)

I guess about the best thing I can say to all of you is THANK YOU. We are stronger, better people because of you. We hope to see you all real soon...

Much Love,
Craig and Mary Ann

Congrats!!

Wow! Congrats on making your goal and giving this loving gift to Annie. With four weeks to go, I'm sure you'll surpass the original $10,000 goal. I know you're getting psyched as the big race day approaches. Don't know how you train in the cold frozen north of Chagrin Falls, but keep up the good work. Thanks for adding Annie's Christmas picture.

We hit $10,000!

Last night, we hit our inital goal of $10k for Annie's 529 Plan. Jay Garrett's donation put us over the top. Thank you to everyone who has contributed thus far. The list is getting long.

We are roughly 4 wks from race day and I will keep working to obtain donations.

This is very exciting!

Feel the love

Wonderful your blog's & marathon's goals are being acheived. You can feel the love & support for Annie, Mary Ann & family. Please share the reporter's story when published. 2 feet of snow -wow!

Very exciting day!

Over the weekend, we have received several donations.  Annie's fund is now at $9,700 and it continues to grow!  

Five weeks left to the marathon.  No running this weekend....blizzards and two feet of snow.  Kelly was out of town, so the kids and I did Wii Fit.  Very fun!

A local newspaper picked up the Blog via Google Alerts.  A reporter stopped by to interview on Friday.  Hopefully we will get published towards the end of the month.

Thanks again for all the help and support.  The Sherlock's are extremely grateful!

Stay warm.

Doing Good John

Congrats John! More than halfway to your goal with 5 1/2 weeks to go. You'll get there. I too want to thank everyone for the donations you have so generously given. The love and support means so much to all of us, Mary Ann's extended family.

Hope the weather cooperates for you next long run and all the training in between. I'm especially glad Kelly is going with you to Austin ~ you'll love to see her smiling face as you cross that finish line. Let's pray Mary Ann gets a good report and can celebrate with you all. It will be a beautiful day.

Update - half way to goal!

Great news.....total donations have surpassed the $5,000 mark. We are half way to our goal for Craig and Mary Ann. Thanks for all the support and donations.

Quick update on the training front....I got a 23 mile run in on Sunday. It was cool (32 degrees) but not precipitation. Only 1 long run left before the big day on the 15th.

Logistics - Kelly and I are headed down to Austin on Thursday the 12th of Feb. We hope to see MA and Craig once they get back from MD Anderson that day. Praying for good test results. I am going to find a chip that I can wear on my shoe that will let people track my progress during the run.

Thanks again for all the support! John

Donations surpasss $4,000

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope everyone had a great time last night.  Total donations are now up to  $4,208.  Thanks for all the continued support.

I have another long run coming up......I am getting psyched up.

John