State & Corn Hoppin'
Reading Time: 15 minutes
“When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went” – Forrest Gump Week 5 in my experience matches really well with this Forrest Gump quote and the common “Eat, Sleep, Run, Repeat” saying. This due to the lack of sleep catching up to most of us while we had five days of back to back half marathon running ahead of us. | 🇺🇸 Salem (IL), United States of America |
However, this week was also defined by extremely sweet and generous hosts and an incredible service day in Kansas City. This experience helped remind and cherish us why every mile of the 4,346.1 miles from San Francisco to Baltimore matters!
Click on the "Read More" button to read the full post
Click on the "Read More" button to read the full post
This week, we started in Kansas and ended in Illinois. On Tuesday, we had an amazing service opportunity where we got to meet current cancer patients in the local cancer center and a mix of patients and survivors at a local gym with the slogan “We build 4 Life”. The people in the Midwest are extremely friendly and kind! We even got an entire breakfast served to us with tenths of freshly baked waffles and breakfast burritos before our volunteering opportunity in Kansas City! This breakfast was served by two friends that we met in the hot tub only the night before in the assisted living place where we stayed two nights! The sauna and hot tub in this facility were much needed too, especially with all the crazy events happening last week: three teammates sprained their ankles at the same storm sewage, my phone cracked in the host van door which broke my camera and later in the week my screen, and our van got stuck in a ditch… Below, you will be able to read more about week 5’s crazy adventures:
DAY 29 ⠀
Seneca, KS ➡️ Topeka, KS⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 12.8km (8mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 132km (82.4mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 2,558 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Lauren⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Dylan Denner, Carol Hill, and Ashley S.⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Angela, Sandy, Amy, Sarah, Pat,
and Micaela’s Grandmother⠀
⠀
Oof... I didn’t expect Kansas to be this hilly! Lauren and I started almost every 2 mile leg of our 8 mile day with a steep downhill (yay!) to go straight back up the next hill (nay!) 😬 In the van it must have felt like a rollercoaster, haha. At some point, a dog joined our running crew. When we found his house, we got to meet a lovely family who showed us their baby kittens! After our running was over, Sonic donated iced slushees to our team so we could do the 7/11 slushee challange after raising the money!
⠀
MORE ABOUT Micaela’s Grandma: ⠀
Micaela: “My grandma was a very hard working woman while my mother was growing up. I know her as the most adorable little Chinese woman. She will never let you go hungry. This is now her third time fighting cancer. This time around she has decided to stick to more natural remedies since she wants to continue her lifestyle of visiting friends and family in the city of Shanghai, China instead of going through chemo and radiation again at her old age. Grandma (Ruyu Zhou) does Tai chi regularly and loves cooking for her family and looking through photos.”
Seneca, KS ➡️ Topeka, KS⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 12.8km (8mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 132km (82.4mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 2,558 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Lauren⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Dylan Denner, Carol Hill, and Ashley S.⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Angela, Sandy, Amy, Sarah, Pat,
and Micaela’s Grandmother⠀
⠀
Oof... I didn’t expect Kansas to be this hilly! Lauren and I started almost every 2 mile leg of our 8 mile day with a steep downhill (yay!) to go straight back up the next hill (nay!) 😬 In the van it must have felt like a rollercoaster, haha. At some point, a dog joined our running crew. When we found his house, we got to meet a lovely family who showed us their baby kittens! After our running was over, Sonic donated iced slushees to our team so we could do the 7/11 slushee challange after raising the money!
⠀
MORE ABOUT Micaela’s Grandma: ⠀
Micaela: “My grandma was a very hard working woman while my mother was growing up. I know her as the most adorable little Chinese woman. She will never let you go hungry. This is now her third time fighting cancer. This time around she has decided to stick to more natural remedies since she wants to continue her lifestyle of visiting friends and family in the city of Shanghai, China instead of going through chemo and radiation again at her old age. Grandma (Ruyu Zhou) does Tai chi regularly and loves cooking for her family and looking through photos.”
DAY 30 ⠀
Topeka, KS ➡️ Kansas City, KS⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.6 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 181 km (113 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 4976 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Laurel⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
The Bowers, Hunter Adams, and Jasmine Wood⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Emilie, Richard, Papa Joe,
and Peggy Sanders⠀
⠀
The 4K isn’t always about smiling faces and red roses. The 4K can be extremely hard and both physically and mentally exhausting. Today was one of those and I could not have finished the 12 miles without my friend Laurel. Days can be really tough when you only sleep 5 hours on average a night, on the floor, at a different host each day while running a half marathon distance with daily 4:30AM wake ups. Or when we dedicate our miles in the morning during our dedication circle and emotional stories are shared. Two days ago, we heard Sandy’s story. A girl who was only allowed to turn 12 years old until cancer got too strong for her to fight back... These days make us closer as a team and stronger as a person, an athlete. A word I haven’t defined myself with in months due to PCS, but I think I start to believe in myself as one again...and that is 4K OK! 🦋⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Leighton: ⠀
Sharona: ...”Some time, our pretty little princess Leighton Hailey will be awaken by a kiss and we will live together happily ever after.”⠀
Topeka, KS ➡️ Kansas City, KS⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.6 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 181 km (113 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 4976 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Laurel⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
The Bowers, Hunter Adams, and Jasmine Wood⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Emilie, Richard, Papa Joe,
and Peggy Sanders⠀
⠀
The 4K isn’t always about smiling faces and red roses. The 4K can be extremely hard and both physically and mentally exhausting. Today was one of those and I could not have finished the 12 miles without my friend Laurel. Days can be really tough when you only sleep 5 hours on average a night, on the floor, at a different host each day while running a half marathon distance with daily 4:30AM wake ups. Or when we dedicate our miles in the morning during our dedication circle and emotional stories are shared. Two days ago, we heard Sandy’s story. A girl who was only allowed to turn 12 years old until cancer got too strong for her to fight back... These days make us closer as a team and stronger as a person, an athlete. A word I haven’t defined myself with in months due to PCS, but I think I start to believe in myself as one again...and that is 4K OK! 🦋⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Leighton: ⠀
Sharona: ...”Some time, our pretty little princess Leighton Hailey will be awaken by a kiss and we will live together happily ever after.”⠀
DAY 31 ⠀
📍Kansas City, KS⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 (rest day)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 0 (service day)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: NA⠀
👭Running buddy: NA⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Pennington’s, Tom Delissen, and Theta Tau⠀
💕Today I dedicate to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen⠀
⠀
Today we had two really fun and meaningful service event during our 7th rest day of the trip. In the morning, we were offered a delicious breakfast by an amazing family that we met in the hot tub last night at the assisted living place where we are staying! After breakfast, we went to the Research Medical Center to write and deliver note cards to cancer patients. I got to meet a lovely lady from Kansas City who was the most positive and inspiring person I met! After some exploring in down town, we went to the Cancer Wellness for Life where we did some fun physical activities with patients and other survivors 🤩⠀
📍Kansas City, KS⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 (rest day)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 0 (service day)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: NA⠀
👭Running buddy: NA⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Pennington’s, Tom Delissen, and Theta Tau⠀
💕Today I dedicate to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen⠀
⠀
Today we had two really fun and meaningful service event during our 7th rest day of the trip. In the morning, we were offered a delicious breakfast by an amazing family that we met in the hot tub last night at the assisted living place where we are staying! After breakfast, we went to the Research Medical Center to write and deliver note cards to cancer patients. I got to meet a lovely lady from Kansas City who was the most positive and inspiring person I met! After some exploring in down town, we went to the Cancer Wellness for Life where we did some fun physical activities with patients and other survivors 🤩⠀
DAY 32 & 33⠀
Kansas City, KS ➡️ Columbia, MO ⠀
➡️ St. Louis, MO⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 + 21km (12mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 467km (292mi) ⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 13,373 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Katelyn & Cristina⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Suzanne van der Veer, Tina, Ruka, Alex Pennington, Rosanne W.,
and Qing⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Bo, Lisa, Big Sue, Helene, Hans van Leeuwen, and Marie Kroon⠀
⠀
Had some crazy days behind us in Missouri with 3 teammates suffering from sprained ankles caused at the same location, my phone totally cracking but still working except from the camera, and our van getting stuck in a ditch... Can’t wait for Illinois! 😬⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Marie Kroon: ⠀
Charlotte Kroon: “In september 2013 waren we op vakantie naar Italië. Op de terugweg kreeg mijn moeder van de dokter een telefoontje dat zij naar het ziekenhuis moest komen voor een controle. Kort daarna werd mijn moeder gediagnostiseerd met borstkanker. Het was het begin van een heftige periode met vele lange en zware ziekenhuisbezoeken, operaties en radiotherapieën. Sporten en het hebben van een positieve mindset hebben mijn moeder ontzettend geholpen. Naar zeggen van mijn moeder heeft de steun van vrienden en familie de rest gedaan, al denk ik dat haar eigen houding en kijk op het leven de allerbelangrijkste factor is geweest in haar strijd tegen borstkanker. Inmiddels gaat het weer helemaal goed met mijn moeder en geniet ze volop van het leven.” Charlotte en haar zussen Morganne en Victoria leerde ik kennen op de middelbare school en ik ben blij dat we nog steeds contact hebben ondanks hun verhuizing naar Frankrijk en de mijne naar Amerika 💕⠀
Kansas City, KS ➡️ Columbia, MO ⠀
➡️ St. Louis, MO⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 0 + 21km (12mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 467km (292mi) ⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 13,373 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Katelyn & Cristina⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Suzanne van der Veer, Tina, Ruka, Alex Pennington, Rosanne W.,
and Qing⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Bo, Lisa, Big Sue, Helene, Hans van Leeuwen, and Marie Kroon⠀
⠀
Had some crazy days behind us in Missouri with 3 teammates suffering from sprained ankles caused at the same location, my phone totally cracking but still working except from the camera, and our van getting stuck in a ditch... Can’t wait for Illinois! 😬⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Marie Kroon: ⠀
Charlotte Kroon: “In september 2013 waren we op vakantie naar Italië. Op de terugweg kreeg mijn moeder van de dokter een telefoontje dat zij naar het ziekenhuis moest komen voor een controle. Kort daarna werd mijn moeder gediagnostiseerd met borstkanker. Het was het begin van een heftige periode met vele lange en zware ziekenhuisbezoeken, operaties en radiotherapieën. Sporten en het hebben van een positieve mindset hebben mijn moeder ontzettend geholpen. Naar zeggen van mijn moeder heeft de steun van vrienden en familie de rest gedaan, al denk ik dat haar eigen houding en kijk op het leven de allerbelangrijkste factor is geweest in haar strijd tegen borstkanker. Inmiddels gaat het weer helemaal goed met mijn moeder en geniet ze volop van het leven.” Charlotte en haar zussen Morganne en Victoria leerde ik kennen op de middelbare school en ik ben blij dat we nog steeds contact hebben ondanks hun verhuizing naar Frankrijk en de mijne naar Amerika 💕⠀
DAY 34 ⠀
St. Louis, MO ➡️ Springfield, IL⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.2 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 189 km (118 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 2,810 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Brie & Lauren⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Lucie, Sherida Tauber, and Lisanne Manders⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Nadia, Tammy,
and Laurel’s Mom & Nana⠀
⠀
Heat. Humidity. Sweat. These three things were some of the core values that defined Day 34 of the 4K for Cancer while leaving Missouri for Illinois, our 9th state. Today was also defined by supportive teammates, refreshing rhino showers, and getting to know each other intensely with lots and lots of questions for the evening’s team activity. It is so much fun to hear other people’s (life)stories and it makes the running part fly by! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Laurel’s mom & nana: ⠀
Laurel: “My connection to the cancer community is both common and unique. In the fall of 2015 my mom was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. She underwent surgery right after the new year, and endured radiation through march of 2016. This was an extremely difficult time in my life because while this was all happening at home, I was studying abroad across the globe in Bilbao, Spain. Unfortunately, my mother is not the only member of my family to struggle with this awful disease. My grandmother and my mom’s mother, survived breast cancer in her early fifties.” I had the pleasure of meeting Laurel in San Francisco last summer before the 2018 send-off. Who thought we would end up on the same team a year later?! 💕
St. Louis, MO ➡️ Springfield, IL⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.2 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 189 km (118 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 2,810 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Brie & Lauren⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Lucie, Sherida Tauber, and Lisanne Manders⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Nadia, Tammy,
and Laurel’s Mom & Nana⠀
⠀
Heat. Humidity. Sweat. These three things were some of the core values that defined Day 34 of the 4K for Cancer while leaving Missouri for Illinois, our 9th state. Today was also defined by supportive teammates, refreshing rhino showers, and getting to know each other intensely with lots and lots of questions for the evening’s team activity. It is so much fun to hear other people’s (life)stories and it makes the running part fly by! ⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Laurel’s mom & nana: ⠀
Laurel: “My connection to the cancer community is both common and unique. In the fall of 2015 my mom was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. She underwent surgery right after the new year, and endured radiation through march of 2016. This was an extremely difficult time in my life because while this was all happening at home, I was studying abroad across the globe in Bilbao, Spain. Unfortunately, my mother is not the only member of my family to struggle with this awful disease. My grandmother and my mom’s mother, survived breast cancer in her early fifties.” I had the pleasure of meeting Laurel in San Francisco last summer before the 2018 send-off. Who thought we would end up on the same team a year later?! 💕
DAY 35 ⠀
Springfield, IL ➡️ Salem, IL⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.4 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 197 km (123 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 2,139 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Juliana ⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Anja Hartman, Erwin Paap, and Jessy Verbeek⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Nadia, Will, and Ben & Jeremy George⠀
⠀
Another day of endless cornfields and extreme heat & humidity on our 12 mile (19.2 kilometers) runs from Springfield to Salem, Illinois. My VT buddy Juliana and I were matched up again for a third time now and as running partners we crushed the heat index of 104F (40C)! Lots of dance parties with the van today as people are practicing for tomorrow’s talent show 🤩⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Jeremy George: ⠀
“Jeremy was diagnosed in March 2008 with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 17 when he was a senior at Avon Lake High School. Originally, it was only in his marrow, but it relapsed in October 2008. The leukemia crossed the blood/brain barrier and lesions formed on the brain and affected his central nervous system.⠀
Then, the day before Christmas Eve of 2008c a Bone Marrow Transplant was performed with his COURAGEOUS 12-year old brother, Ben, as his donor. Jeremy has been in remission for 11 years now!” 💪🏼⠀
I met Ben George my sophomore year at Ohio University when I got accepted to our coed fraternity Theta Tau. I was honored to be able to run for him and his family today! 💛❤️
Springfield, IL ➡️ Salem, IL⠀
⠀
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 19.4 km (12 mi)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 197 km (123 mi)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 2,139 feet⠀
👭Running buddy: Juliana ⠀
🏆Donation shout out:⠀
Anja Hartman, Erwin Paap, and Jessy Verbeek⠀
💕Today I dedicate my miles to: ⠀
Leighton Hailey van Leeuwen, Nadia, Will, and Ben & Jeremy George⠀
⠀
Another day of endless cornfields and extreme heat & humidity on our 12 mile (19.2 kilometers) runs from Springfield to Salem, Illinois. My VT buddy Juliana and I were matched up again for a third time now and as running partners we crushed the heat index of 104F (40C)! Lots of dance parties with the van today as people are practicing for tomorrow’s talent show 🤩⠀
⠀
MORE ABOUT Jeremy George: ⠀
“Jeremy was diagnosed in March 2008 with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 17 when he was a senior at Avon Lake High School. Originally, it was only in his marrow, but it relapsed in October 2008. The leukemia crossed the blood/brain barrier and lesions formed on the brain and affected his central nervous system.⠀
Then, the day before Christmas Eve of 2008c a Bone Marrow Transplant was performed with his COURAGEOUS 12-year old brother, Ben, as his donor. Jeremy has been in remission for 11 years now!” 💪🏼⠀
I met Ben George my sophomore year at Ohio University when I got accepted to our coed fraternity Theta Tau. I was honored to be able to run for him and his family today! 💛❤️
Total Stats for Week 5:
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 92 km (147.2 miles)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 1,166 km (728.8 miles)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 8,618 meters (25,856 feet)
Total Stats after 5 Weeks:
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 458.4 km (286.5 miles)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 5,202 km (3,251 miles)⠀
Upcoming Route for Week 6:
Sunday (July 21st): Salem, IL – Evansville, IN
Monday (July 22rd): Evansville, IN (Rest & Service Day 8)
Tuesday (July 23rd): Evansville, IN – Salem, IN
Wednesday (July 24th): Salem, IN – Cincinnati, OH
Thursday (July 25th): Cincinnati, OH – Columbus, OH
Friday (July 26th): Columbus, OH (Rest & Service Day 9)
Saturday (July 27th): Columbus, OH – Canton, OH
It slowly starts to kick in that this adventure is about to end within the next two weeks. A thought extremely terrifying, but also relieving and exciting for some reason. Terrifying to say (temporarily) goodbyes to my teammates and becoming a 4K alum from an organization I worked with for two years. Relieving because the daily physical and emotional loading on my body is causing PCS symptoms to come back, which - unfortunately – makes it challenging to participate in all our (team) activities and finish my miles for the day. Exciting to see my boyfriend in Columbus and hopefully some friends along the way in Ohio, and of course seeing Danny, Sharon, and Bryce - Leighton’s little brother – at the finish line in Baltimore!
The fact that my camera (and Iphone) broke were quite upsetting as well since we all know I LOVE to take pictures and record everything for my social media, blogs, and hundreds of scrapbooks. Sometimes, I prefer throwbacks more as it is often hard for me to enjoy the very moment for some reason... Now having a dead phone for the next couple of days – before getting my new Iphone XS in Columbus - I am aiming to soak it all in. To get even closer with my teammates without camera responsibilities and distractions from my phone. Updates may be slightly delayed, but I am sure you understand 😊
Love, Illona
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 92 km (147.2 miles)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 1,166 km (728.8 miles)⠀
🏔Total elevation gain: 8,618 meters (25,856 feet)
Total Stats after 5 Weeks:
🏃🏽♀️Personal mileage: 458.4 km (286.5 miles)⠀
🛤Team mileage: 5,202 km (3,251 miles)⠀
Upcoming Route for Week 6:
Sunday (July 21st): Salem, IL – Evansville, IN
Monday (July 22rd): Evansville, IN (Rest & Service Day 8)
Tuesday (July 23rd): Evansville, IN – Salem, IN
Wednesday (July 24th): Salem, IN – Cincinnati, OH
Thursday (July 25th): Cincinnati, OH – Columbus, OH
Friday (July 26th): Columbus, OH (Rest & Service Day 9)
Saturday (July 27th): Columbus, OH – Canton, OH
It slowly starts to kick in that this adventure is about to end within the next two weeks. A thought extremely terrifying, but also relieving and exciting for some reason. Terrifying to say (temporarily) goodbyes to my teammates and becoming a 4K alum from an organization I worked with for two years. Relieving because the daily physical and emotional loading on my body is causing PCS symptoms to come back, which - unfortunately – makes it challenging to participate in all our (team) activities and finish my miles for the day. Exciting to see my boyfriend in Columbus and hopefully some friends along the way in Ohio, and of course seeing Danny, Sharon, and Bryce - Leighton’s little brother – at the finish line in Baltimore!
The fact that my camera (and Iphone) broke were quite upsetting as well since we all know I LOVE to take pictures and record everything for my social media, blogs, and hundreds of scrapbooks. Sometimes, I prefer throwbacks more as it is often hard for me to enjoy the very moment for some reason... Now having a dead phone for the next couple of days – before getting my new Iphone XS in Columbus - I am aiming to soak it all in. To get even closer with my teammates without camera responsibilities and distractions from my phone. Updates may be slightly delayed, but I am sure you understand 😊
Love, Illona