showers are for wimps...

I am a planner and an organizer. This summer I am learning those skills mean everything and nothing. Right now, I am sitting in an RV that is parked along the side of the road on Route 36 somewhere between Atwood and Norton, KS. The planner in me had already called ahead to the Prairie Dog State Park in Norton, KS. and made arrangements to camp there for the night. What that would have meant was hot showers for the crew and an environment conducive to this lifestyle. But alas... it was not meant to be.

You see, I am traveling as a member of the support team for Mark Allison aka Run Geordie Run. Our ultimate goal every night is not to find the best campground or RV park. Our goal is to find the safest and cheapest (preferably free) place to stay that is as close as possible to the point Mark stopped running that night. We strive for this for two reasons... #1 – we are not on vacation and it is important to remember that. We are here to work and to work hard for St Benedict's Hospice (Charity No. 1019410) and The Children's Foundation (Charity No. 1000013. We do this by providing support for Mark in whatever form that requires. The other reason we live like gypsies is because Mark is funding the cost of this run out of his own pocket. He sold his car and cashed in his savings to pay for the RV and RV essentials such as gas, dumping/water/propane charges and camping fee's when necessary. I will be the first one to tell you that when I go to Mark and tell him I need a night in a place that provides showers and full hook-ups, he is more than happy to provide that for me. In exchange, I make sure I do all of his laundry ( and the rest of the crews) while we are there.

Mark is good to me so I want to return the favor by doing everything I can do to help him save money. If this means that on days like today, when he simply could not go on and I had to make the decision to either drive to the state park and then drive back to this point in the morning OR sleep on the side of the road next to a wheat field in the middle of Kansas in order to save the money we would have spent on gas... the choice was easy. The girl inside of me that rivals Monica Gellar's organizing skills is learning to let go and just let life unfold. Who needs a shower anyway? A thunderstorm is headed this way. Maybe I'll just go dance in the rain. :-)

A glimpse into the heart of the man...

The morning Mark Allison set off on his run, I had the pleasure of meeting Alan Millen who happens to be a songwriter for the Exiles. I was very excited about this because #1, I've always been a big fan of the Exiles and #2, I had purchased both of the songs they wrote for Run Geordie Run off iTunes. They wrote two songs for Mark. One is titled “Runner On a Lonely Road” and the other is “Beneath the Angel's Wings Once More”.

Later that day, I was providing support for Mark via a rental car and as I watched him climb the hills of La Hacienda what should pop up on my iPod but “Runner On a Lonely Road”. Now granted, this happens to be one of my favorite songs and is saved on a list as such in my music library but the irony of the moment was not lost on me. I snapped this photo with that song playing in the background. As I listened to the lyrics (provided below) and watched Mark run, I was lost in one of those rare occasions of hearing the perfect song at just the right moment. Alan and his partner, Tim Readman, seem to have found a way into Mark's soul and mind and translated it into music. The song provides us mere mortals with a non-invasive way of being able to experience what it is like to be Mark Allison for a day... minus the blisters and sore calves, of course

Runner on a Lonely Road / Beneath the Angel's Wings Once More can be downloaded from
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/run-geordie-run-single/id361829604 .All proceeds go to the two charities. 

Runner on a Lonely Road

Who knows what lies ahead for me on my way to the finish line?
The road may twist and the road may bend
But I’ll keep going till I reach the end
I’m a runner on a lonely road

Peaks and valleys, rivers to cross On my way to the finish line
Let the hard rain fall, let the cruel wind blow
Let me bear the torch, let me face the foe
I’m a runner on a lonely road

I might grow weary, I might grow weak
I might bend but I will not break
I’ll go another mile for the magpie clan
And I’ll go another mile for those mates of mine
And I’ll go another mile for the ones I love
In the darkest night I’ll see a bright light shine

Who knows what trials will come my way
On the miles to the finish line
The road may bend and the road may twist
I’ll dig deeper, I’ll clench my fist
I’m a runner on a lonely road

Sand and cactus, dry as bone
On my way to the finish line
Let the sun beat down, Let it scorch my face
Let me sweat and toil, ‘til I run this race I’m a runner on a lonely road

I might grow weary I might grow weak
I might bend but I will not break
And there’s another mile for loved ones gone
And one for the stars and the man in the moon
And there’s another mile for my heart’s delight
And there’s another mile for the Tyne and Toon
Runner on a lonely road

A changing perspective

I know what it is like to force yourself to put one foot in front of the other when all you want to do is stop. I know what it is like to have people publicity vocalize their doubt that you can accomplish your goal. I know what it is like to sacrifice time with my kids and my family. I know what it is like to not have a social life and to be okay with that because my thoughts are obsessed by my drive to succeed.

I know all about grueling journeys.

I have spent the last 6 years trying to earn a college degree. I entered the world of academia as a non-traditional student and endured the smirks of much younger students and the disdain of my generation who cannot imagine why in the world I would want to attempt such a thing.

I've always had a drive to exceed others expectations of me. I am not a perfectionist but I do believe that if we fail to push ourselves, we will miss opportunities for greatness. I think the thing that keeps that fire burning is to surround ourselves with like-minded people that serve as our examples and/or mentors.

That is what I have in Mark Allison. When I first met him, I was struck by how down-to-earth he really is. And how ordinary he seemed. You see, I had put Mark on a pedestal, where gods and heroes belong. And while there is nothing wrong with a l'il “hero worship”, it does tend to make that individual a little hard to relate to. I would read about his 3 day marathon and tell myself to suck it up. I felt bad about not being as tough as he is.

And then I met him... and I discovered he is very human. I watched him order a juicy hamburger and enjoy every second of it. Then I watched him do it again the next day. This time he made the choice to order a salad instead of fries as his side item but that didn't stop him from stealing some of mine. I watched him fight his nervousness when we entered a ward of sick children. I could tell the father in him wanted to run away from such sad images. I watched him struggle with dehydration and heard his yells as he soaked his feet in ice water for the first time after he finished on day one. I heard him bare his soul to a fellow traveler as he attempted to make sense of his own drive to run across the country.

For me, Mark lost his superhero status.... and that makes me happy.

He is still one of my hero's. I still look up to and admire him. But he is no longer on a pedestal where I can't reach him. Instead, he is by my side giving me words of encouragement and expressing gratitude for the littlest things. He is quick with a smile and a joke. He is genuinely concerned about my feelings . I can tell my happiness is important to him.

What this revelation of Mark's mortality has done for me is provide me with a new vision about my own future. You see, I don't have to be a superhero. I don't have to be perfect. I don't even have to achieve all my goals. The lessons I have learned from Mark are pretty simple. I do have to try. I have to do the best I can everyday and then be humble enough to know my limitations. I have to take the time to enjoy the scenery along life's road because otherwise, the journey was a waste.

If Mark can make himself get up every day and run as far as he can, then I can make myself get up every day and study while riding in the RV. If he can cross the finish line in NYC in August, then I can cross that stage in Witherspoon Hall in December.

Mark isn't Superman. He's an example of how a mere human can accomplish his dreams through determination and will power. Mark is a mentor. And that is exactly what we need in this world.

For more information about Mark and his run, go to www.rungeordierun.com

Ready....set..... WE'RE OFF!

Last night I pulled an all-nighter. As a college student this is not a new phenomenon to me. I am used to going with very little sleep this time of year. Tonight is different. I've been walking around today feeling like I am on the brink of a life-changing experience. It's so surreal it's hard to describe. One would think I would be extremely stressed out but the reality is... I am full of peace. I wanted to say relaxed but then reflected on how busy I have been the last 24 hours and decided “relaxed” wasn't an appropriate description.I had to finish 2 final exam projects, finish packing, and make sure I had everything I would need to make my trip to LA a success.

In 1 hour I will head to RDU and catch a plane to Los Angeles. By 7 pm tonight, I will meet a man that has consumed the better part of my thoughts for a year now. His name is Mark Allison and he is taking on a challenge I personally could never accomplish. Mark is running from Huntington Beach, CA to Coney Island, NY and he's doing it in 100 days. I can't run 1 mile. Hell, let's be honest... I can't run a block without feeling like I need oxygen and a cute EMT ;-) When I volunteered to be his PR agent over a year ago, I had no idea how big this task would become but I have surprised myself in how much I really am able to accomplish when I put my mind to it. It helps that Mark is raising money for charities I can relate to. It also helps that he's from Newcastle.

Tonight, two more Geordies will enter my life . Mark and his publicist, Stu from Tonto Books. If you know about my love for all things Newcastle, you know why this makes me smile. I plan to teach them how to say "ya'll", feed them eat grits and educate them on the finer points of country music. I expect there to be a lot of dialect confusion which should add glee to the shenanigans.

Wye Aye... ya'll

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto...

There’s nothing like waiting for a natural disaster to strike. You know it can turn out to be nothing or it can be catastrophic. Your only option is to do what you can to prepare and then wait and see. I love those moments. I am one of those freaks that loves inclement weather. There’s nothing cooler than watching a thunder storm build up momentum and put on a lightning storm that makes one wonder how people don’t believe in God. Having lived in the Southern states most of my life, I am no stranger to impending natural disasters. I’ve ridden out more hurricanes than I can count and tornado warnings are a natural part of severe weather warnings. We watch the weather channel religiously during those times and smile and nod knowingly as it skips past us or dies out before it gets here. Hence my lackadaisical attitude this past Saturday, April 16^th. Never again…

It wasn’t the wind or the rain or even the dark skies that told me this was more than a practice run. It wasn’t even the screaming bullhorn of the weather alerts that were repeatedly interrupting the weather reports I was on TV. It wasn’t even the panic in the reports voice who was frantically reporting that a tornado had touched down in Sanford, wiped out 30 homes and flattened a Lowe’s Hardware. I thought “Sanford’s 30 miles away from here so I’m safe.” The thing that made me pack my most precious possessions in garbage bags and stick them in my backpack was my dog. I have an 11 yr. old retriever and she flipped out. I had the sliding glass door open to my balcony before the storm actually hit so I could watch the skies better and she would run out there and bark her head off and run into me and bark frantically. This was repeated over and over. Finally, I decided to peek out my front door and what I saw scared the life out of me. The sky was kind of dark but the winds… the winds were straight from hell. I had to push with all my might just to get my door open and saw people being blown around the parking lot, along with lawn furniture and garbage cans. In the distance I saw clouds coming to far down and too fast for them to be rain. I saw debris flying. I shut my door to go get my camera and when I came back to the door, there was Lilly, standing between me and the door and she wouldn’t move. I finally shoved her aside but by then I couldn’t get my front door open so I grabbed the backpack, put it on my back, and shoved Lilly in the tub and followed her in there. I left the sliding door open just in case it hit my building so it wouldn’t blow out the windows and I could hear the winds and the storm come crashing down.

The storm eventually bypassed us and less than a mile up the road smashed into Holly Springs, tearing up roads and homes. It then moved into Raleigh and wreaked havoc like I have never seen before in my life. A man I go to church with lost everything. Several other people I go to church with suffered extensive damage to their property. Yesterday I rode through the campus of Shaw University and it has so much damage they have suspended classes for the rest of the semester. NC State's campus had some damage but nothing like Shaw's.

I am 2 days past this disaster and yet, while sitting in traffic yesterday, emergency crew workers came racing up the road and my first response was to look toward the sky. I never thought I'd say this but I was actually happy to see the color Carolina Blue painted across the skyline.

Drum roll please...

The Run Geordie Run campaign is starting to pick up speed at a frantic pace. I had just hit the point of wondering how I was EVER going to get everything done when, down from Heaven, floats Ms. Katy Beaver. She heard me speak at PR Day and then again in her PR writing class and she came to me and asked if she could volunteer her services. Her willingness to tackle huge task and the determination I saw in her eyes when she started to tackle her first task as soon as I gave it to her told me we are lucky to have her join the Run Geordie Run PR team.

Per Katy, "I wanted to volunteer my time and energy with the Run Geordie Run campaign because I know the opportunity of working with Shelli Mayfield and being involved with a global campaign, will allow me to gain valuable experience in a 100 day time span. When first approaching Shelli on the topic of volunteering with the campaign, I was eager to do anything for her and the campaign. I thought that I would be lucky to staple papers together or make a couple phone calls. But after speaking with Shelli and realizing that she wanted me for the entire campaign and she wanted me to dive in, my expectations were exceeded.

I am so excited to work with such a great campaign, where the idea behind the event is to benefit two charities that have impacted the lives of everyone in the campaign. I can't wait to see the success of everyone's hard work!"

May I proudly introduce my new Assistant Account Executive... Ms. Katy Beaver!

Funding for the Run Geordie Run support team

To say that life is chaotic at this moment is an understatement. I am a senior at NC State and it is nearing the end of the spring semester. For me (and most other seniors), this means a time of nothing but studying and finishing projects and attempting to finish out the semester without having a nervous break down. I am also working at Rumley Marketing in Apex as their Social Media Coordinator. I handle all the social media needs for their two main divisions: Encourage Them Ministries and Support Military Spouses as well as Support Military Spouses flagship campaign, Mission Heart Hug.

Having said all that, my true love at the moment is my PR work for the Run Geordie Run campaign. I will fly to California April 26th to meet up with Mark and a member of the support team, Stuart Wheatman. We will spend the 4 days before the official start of the run getting Mark and Stuart acclimated to the weather and the time change. We also have some media appearances we are lining up!

I recently spoke to my church group about helping out with funding for some needs the support team has in regards to accommodations and transportation. This is the slide show I shared with them.

Run Geordie Run PR

View more presentations from Shellimay.

There is a Paypal button on the right side of this blog for anyone wanting to use Paypal to donate $$ to the needs of the support teams. In addition, be sure to go to the Run Geordie Run website and donate to these two charities also. Any monies left over after securing the needs of the support team will be donated to these charities.