'Save Our Peaks' Benefit A Success!

On Sunday, June 6th, Brian and I hosted 'Save Our Peaks' - A Breast Cancer Prevention Benefit at the fabulous North Bend Bar & Grill: http://northbendbarandgrill.com/. Thanks to the very generous owner of the North Bend Bar & Grill - Keith, the wonderful General Manager Liz, all of the great staff of the Bar & Grill, and all of our friends and fellow North Bend neighbors, we raised $3,500 for the Breast Cancer Fund!

Thank you to all of our 'Outdoor Experts' that came to talk with guests: Nathan & Jer Barnes from www.hikingwithmybrother.com, Tracie and Bear from King County Search & Rescue: http://www.kcesar.org/, Brian Johnson - North Bend based climber, Martin Volken - owner of Pro Guiding Service: http://www.proguiding.com/, and LaVonne Finnerud - Team LUNA Chix: http://www.teamlunachix.com. A special thank you to Casi Heintzman for organizing our trivia night, to all of the local Seattle and North Bend vendors that contributed gifts for the raffle, silent auction, and trivia, to Carly Chomer and Connie George for helping support the event from afar, and to Laura Geggel and Allison Espiritu for the great articles on the event!

It made my heart swell how supportive our family, friends and the community have been. Thank you so much for coming out to the Bar & Grill to eat, drink, buy raffle tickets, bid on silent auction items, play some trivia, and just keep us company :) We really appreciate it, as do all of the women who will benefit from your contributions by learning ways to avoid breast cancer in the first place!

Brian and I leave for Mt. Shasta this Friday. I head up for the summit on June 16th. You can get the latest updates at http://www.insideprevention.org/climb_against_the_odds/. I'm ready to climb that beautiful mountain... and carry those prayer flags to the top for loved ones that have fallen to or are still struggling against cancer!

Our Breast Cancer Fund table outside the Bar and Grill

Jamie and some of the featured 'Outdoor Experts' - Nathan & Jer, founders of http://www.hikingwithmybrother.com/

Check out the banner the restaurant made for me to take to Shasta. We are going to get a team picture with it... maybe I'll even carry it to the top! :)

Jamie and Liz - the General Manager of the North Bend Bar & Grill

Brian posing with some more 'Outdoor Experts' - Tracie and Bear from King County Search & Rescue

Brian Johnson, our 4pm 'Outdoor Expert'... check out that set-up!

Jamie and LaVonne - our 6pm 'Outdoor Expert' - Seattle Team LUNA Chix team leader

Some of our silent auction items

The trivia gang!

The final hours....thank you everyone!

Welcome Supporters of CATO 2010!

Hello friends, family, and supporters! I've created this site for you, so that you can follow my training and fundraising progress for Climb Against the Odds 2010.

In June 2010, I will be part of a team of breast cancer survivors and others touched by this disease to climb a mountain for breast cancer prevention. Together we will attempt 14,179-foot Mt. Shasta in Northern California for Climb Against the Odds 2010, the 11th major mountain expedition hosted by the Breast Cancer Fund.

The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on eliminating the environmental risks, including toxic chemicals and radiation, associated with breast cancer. Not only have I committed to climbing 14,179 feet but I have also committed to raising $14,179 for the Breast Cancer Fund. I cannot do this alone and will need your support.

The postings that will follow will track our progress in achieving both goals together! Thank you in advance for your support!

DONATE TODAY AT: www.breastcancerfund.org/10climb/jamie

Training begins, in an unlikely location!

The last major mountain I climbed was Mt. Shasta back in 2006 for Climb Against the Odds. Since then, there have been 2 years of business school, 4 cross Atlantic moves, 1 all consuming job, and 1 wedding. Not exactly the best circumstances for staying in shape :)

With just over 4 months until the climb, it's time to get going. My first 'training hike' actually took place halfway around the world while traveling for work in Singapore. Luckily my husband was able to join me on the trip, so I had a training partner. In a city full of concrete and skyscrapers, it can be hard to find a hike. But thanks to a recommendation from a colleague, we found the Southern Ridges 9K Trail, a trail that connects parks along the southern ridge of Singapore.

It was a balmy 96 degrees out, not a cloud in the sky and plenty of humidity... just like the Pacific Northwest :) It took us over 3 hours to complete this hike (w/ picture breaks included :) We capped off the hike with a few beers and dinner in Little India. Not exactly the most strenuous training hike on the planet, but a great start!

February Training, an unintentional hike

After returning from Singapore, training had to intensify. Peaks of 300 ft and day packs with 3 lbs of weight weren't going to get me ready to climb 14,179 ft to the top of Mt. Shasta. It was time to get down to business. Brian and I planned to do a 7 mile hike down the CCC Road off exit 34 on I-90 (just outside North Bend, WA). Unfortunately, we missed a turnoff, which was hidden across a creek, and instead headed up Bessemer Mountain, a 13 mile round trip hike with 4100 ft in elevation gain. Yikes! Although I wanted to increase the intensity of my training, this was a bit much.

This was also my second climb with 20 pounds of kitty litter bags in my backpack (a great mechanism for getting used to hiking with weight in your pack - for the Mt. Shasta climb I will need to carry up to 60 pounds in my pack). Just over 2 hours into it, the sweat was dripping off my hat like a waterfall and I could barely feel my legs. It was time to turn around. Summit fever wouldn't get us today :)

Inspiration

I thought you might like to see a few of the reasons why I climb. In March, we had the pleasure of baby sitting our niece and nephew, Robin and Jake, while their parents took a much needed break. My brother-in-law Joel has been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma since the day after our wedding last year. He and his wife Amy have been through many ups and downs over the last eight months, but through it all, they have kept their heads up and remained so unbelievably positive. All while continuing to be fantastic parents to their two adorable kids!

We have also had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my mother-in-law (Marsha or "Momo" to most of us) who has been battling ovarian cancer for the last four months. Like everything else in life, she is tackling her treatment head on. She is an incredibly strong woman with a great attitude and an unending reserve of energy!

Like most of us, both Joel and Marsha never expected this. No one ever expects this. And you never want to see an individual or family have to go through this. Cancer rates have continued to escalate dramatically over the last 50 years. This is not by chance. Something has to change. This is why I climb. This is why I raise funds for the Breast Cancer Fund, as they are committed to identifying and eliminating environmental and other preventable causes of cancer. I can't fight the cancer for Joel or Momo, but through climbing and fundraising, I feel I can change the future for the next generation of mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters.

March Training, let it snow

I am starting to get into a pretty good training rhythm. I have been lifting weights 2-3 times a week at a class in our local community center, led by one of the most energetic women I have ever met! Brian and I have also been doing a mix of hiking, running, and biking. While my knees are starting to feel the consequences of being a softball catcher for 8 years, they are hanging in there. Whenever I start to feel the ache in my legs and knees, I begin to think about the friends and family that I am climbing for and the pain and struggles they must face every single morning. This keeps me going as I feel a responsibility to push myself for them. If physically pushing my body can help raise funds to enable a future where cancer doesn't exist, then I am up for it any day of the week.

For this month's training hike, my training partners (Brian and our dog Truck) and I headed to Annette Lake off exit 47 on I-90 (just before Snoqualmie Pass, WA). The trail is 7.5 miles roundtrip with 1400 ft elevation gain. Normally, a fairly mild hike, add 20 pounds of kitty litter and a trail covered in 1-2 ft of snow, and you get quite the thigh burner. I am definitely dreaming of summer when the trails are snow free :)

Fundraising Update: $12,759 to go!

Besides the goal of climbing 14,179 ft Mt. Shasta, I also have the goal of raising $14,179 for the Breast Cancer Fund ($1 for each foot of Mt. Shasta). Inspired by the words of the Breast Cancer Fund's founder:

"We climb to demonstrate our commitment, to ourselves and to others, that we stand for a world in which cancer is a thing of the past. We apply our courage and faith that anything is possible, if taken one step at a time. And we do it all as part of a team, climbers and supporters, knowing that there is more that we can achieve together than apart. Success lies in the journey, not on the summit." -Andrea Ravinett Martin (1946-2003)

Won't you please help me reach this fundraising goal... and help the Breast Cancer Fund create a future where cancer is a thing of the past!

PLEASE DONATE TODAY: www.breastcancerfund.org/10climb/jamie

April Training, hiking, hiking, & more hiking

Well April has been a busy month. Lots of training, lots of fundraising, and lots of planning for my inaugural fundraiser at the North Bend Bar & Grill on Sunday, June 6th. On top of the Shasta preparation, I also made a huge life decision and quit my job in order to pursue a dream of mine - starting my own venture that could potentially help millions of people with their careers. If I've learned anything in my life so far, it's that life is a gift not to be taken for granted. One day it is here, the next day it could be gone. We all get one shot to live our lives - to pursue the life we have always imagined for ourselves. I decided it was time to stop waiting, and time to start living. We each have a vision of what we want our life to be. For me, it is to inspire and help as many people as I can to reach their full potential and purpose in life.

It has been difficult waking up in the morning without the structure of a corporate job. But my work with the Breast Cancer Fund and preparation for the climb has helped by giving me a near term goal on which to focus. And focus I have... Brian, Truck and I climbed four different mountains this month in preparation for the climb.

Our first was Mount Defiance at 5584 ft via the Ira Spring Trail (off exit 45 on I-90 just before Snoqualmie Pass). We weren't planning on making it to the top of the mountain due to the extreme snow cover, but we were hoping to make it to Mason Lake at 4750 ft (6 miles roundtrip, 2550 elevation gain). Once again we had 20 lbs of kitty litter in our packs along with our extra clothes, snow shoes, water, and 10 essentials. Thanks to Mother Nature, the trail was covered in snow, sometimes knee deep. I had checked the avalanche warnings at www.nwac.us prior to our departure, and this was one of the few mountains that was in the green/yellow zone (which means avalanche danger is low to medium). While I felt like I was starting to get into pretty good shape, 2.5 hours of hiking in ankle to knee deep snow took it out of me. With my legs feeling like Jell-O and my knees starting to ache, we decided to turn around. As my handy Garmin 405 CX watch would later show, we turned around 300 ft short of Mason Lake. While it was a bit disappointing (especially when I needed help carrying down my 20 lbs of kitty litter to avoid my knees from giving out), in the grand scheme of things, it was a great day - crystal clear views of Mt. Rainier, fresh snow on the trees, sunshine in April, and hiking with my two favorite partners. You can't be that!

Our next adventure was Rattlesnake Ridge, a 10 mile ridge behind our house that we have wanted to hike for years. The knees were pretty sore so, thanks to some advice from my hubby, I decided to go without weight in my pack for this trip. 4 hours later and 3200 ft in elevation gain, we descended to the parking lot off of exit 27 on I-90 (Snoqualmie, WA). It was a beautiful day with amazing views of the Snoqualmie Valley!

Finally, this past weekend we headed down to the Columbia River Gorge along the border of Washington and Oregon for some camping and hiking. It was an incredible time of year to go... green covered cliffs falling straight down into the wide waters of the Columbia River. We camped at Mary Hill State Park (boy that was a windy night) and then climbed Dog Mountain on Saturday. With the climb up Shasta nearing, it was time to up the kitty litter to 30 lbs. With all the other goodies in my pack, I was probably saddled down with about 40 lbs of weight in my pack. Today was going to be a big test. Could I make it up the nearly 3,000 ft and 4 miles with

all this weight in my pack? The answer - YES!!!! Absolutely exhausted at the end, it felt great knowing that my training was starting to pay off. We celebrated with some chili and a hot shower at Beacon Rock State Park.

Wanting to simulate the conditions of the climb on Mt. Shasta (where we will have to hike two days back to back), we decided to climb Hamilton Mountain on Sunday. Reluctantly I put 'The Beast" back on (this is my nickname for my backpack with 40lbs of fun in it), and we headed up the mountain. My knees and legs were definitely feeling the pain... they started burning about 2 minutes into the hike. This was going to be a tough one. We gave it a solid 2 hours and a 1,000 or so feet in elevation gain and called it good. It took us a little over an hour to get down the steep terrain with our tired legs. Once at the car, we were wishing someone was there to drive us home :)