RACE DETAILS!

Marathon Information 

Race Details
The race starts at 7:30 am at Grafton High School. It ends at Veteran's Park in Milwaukee.
      - To view a simple map of the entire race route, click here. 

      - If you prefer to see a detailed course map, click here.

The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon has provided a Spectator's Guide! If you have a question...it has the answer.
Runners LOVE spectators and are very appreciate that you dragged your butt out of bed at the crack of dawn in order to show your support. Signs and crazy outfits are highly encouraged - but really, just being there is special enough. Don't be shy when I run by!  Make your presence known.  I suggest you bring chairs or blankets, snacks, and a thermos of coffee. Heck, I will be running for at least four hours, so you could even grab breakfast in-between seeing me at the start of the race and the finish. :)

As for where to watch the marathon...
I e-mailed the race director, Jon Mueller, and told him about my my mission in running the marathon and hope in having a spectator represent someone with cancer at each mile. I asked, "Tell me - is that feasible? If so - HOW is that accomplished? If not - what are the best spots to view the runners?"

This was the response I received:
"While I admire your charitable efforts, it is not possible to have a spectator at each mile mark. Many sections of our course are not accessible to spectators at the request of the individual communities that we run through. At least three of the communities:  Mequon, Bayside, and Fox Point, will not allow spectator parking at all along the course. My best advice is to study the information on the website, plan ahead for the best spots on the course that will serve the varying needs of the spectators who are coming to see you and then allow enough time for them to get to the finish to see you cross."

Given this information, please do not worry about being at the designated mile of your loved one. I do not want people to stress over parking or driving in Milwaukee. Instead, choose a spectator spot of your convenience and enjoy the experience. There are many maps available for your viewing and planning. They include:
      - Finish Area Spectator and Runner Parking Map
      - Detailed Finish Area Map
      - Downtown Map with Directions
      - Finish Area with Directions

I plan on running between a 10 and 11 minute mile.  Meaning, if you are waiting near mile 6, you can expect me to run past between 8:30 and 8:40. You can track me through Email or Facebook. Click the links to get instructions on how to sign-up. Updates will only be posted when I cross miles 7, 13.1, 20, and the finish. Therefore, I suggest being in contact with other spectators coming to cheer me on in order to keep a close track of where I am throughout the race route.  If you are my Facebook friend - post to my wall when and where you see me!  If you are not my Facebook friend, add me :)  If you already have your spectator spot chosen, please leave a comment as to where you will be.  Ideally, I would like to have my spectators spread out along the race route and leaving a comment will help others plan accordingly.

...and then, we CELEBRATE!

I would really love to see you ALL at the finish line.  Your stories, your donations, and your support turned my dream into a reality.  Together we have increased cancer awareness and raised money to find a cure for cancer.  After the marathon, let's celebrate our accomplishments!  Join me at Water Street Brewery in Grafton to sit, relax, watch the Packer game, and enjoy some food and beverages.  

MILE 21: Ellen Berenz - Breast Cancer

Ellen Berenz

July 21, 1925 - April 1962

Ellen is the mother of my aunt and Godmother, Judy.

This is Ellen's story, told by Judy:

     
     My mother, Ellen Vorpahl Berenz, died of breast cancer in April of 1962.  I was 8 years old and don’t know many details. In 1961, she first saw symptoms when she was breastfeeding and was treated for clogged milk duct.  Later, it was diagnosed as breast cancer.  She had both breasts removed and then radiation every day.  I don’t know how long she had radiation, but I know she went to Dr. Tasch in Sheboygan.  I remember her sleeping in a hospital bed in our dining room.  I also remember the morning my grandmother woke us up and told us we didn’t have to go to school.  My dad sat all four of us kids down and told us Mom had gone to heaven.  

     Times were hard and I remember my dad going bankrupt.  We lost everything in our duplex and he had to start over.  Thankfully, relatives bought back some of the furniture and appliances. 

     Times have changed.  There is so much more knowledge about cancer now.  New treatments and natural remedies.  I pray for the day that there is a cure!  

Judy added, "Good luck and God bless!!"   

Ellen will represent Mile 21 for her birthday, July 21st. 

Make a donation in memory of Ellen and others we have lost, those still fighting, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing. 

Give to make yourself a part of this historical effort. 

Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreavorpahl/stridingforacure

MILE 20: Grandpa Petrie - Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Lloyd Petrie
January 19, 1935 - November 26, 2012

Lloyd's story, in the words of his wife and my Grandma, Betty Petrie:
    
     Grandpa was having back problems so we went to the neurosurgeon who did his back surgeries.  He took a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and said he saw spots on the scans so we should go to an oncologist.  The oncologist took a CT (computed tomography) scan and PET (positron emission tomography) scan and on August 8, 2012, he told us Grandpa had lymph node cancer.  He told us it was the easiest to treat and had the highest success rate.  
     Grandpa started chemo treatments and had them every six weeks.  At the third treatment, his blood pressure was too low and they couldn't finish the treatment.  He was also very weak.  The oncologist said the cancer was in check and he should just work on getting stronger and come back for a maintenance treatment on December 20, 2012. 
     Despite his strong will, he kept getting weaker and starting having a hard time swallowing. He hardly ate anything, but he drank Ensure at least three times a day and walked as much as possible to get his strength back.
     Then the doctor decided his esophagus needed to be stretched and that was why he couldn't eat.  We took him to the hospital on a Monday for that procedure.  It was supposed to be done out-patient, but we asked if he could be admitted to the hospital to get an IV and help him get stronger.  He was admitted, and more tests were done and it was determined that the cancer had taken over his whole body.  A decision had to be made whether to take him home or move him to hospice, but Grandpa made up his own mind and decided it was time.  One week from the day he was admitted, our Lord took him home! 
     
My Grandma added, "If all our love helps you get to the finish line, you'll finish easily cause we love you lots!" 

Grandpa will represent Mile 20 in honor of my grandparent's anniversary, October 20.

Mile 19: Vicki Adsit - Breast Cancer

Vicki Adsit

Vicki is my friend and coworker.  

This is Vicki's story, in her own words:

     In September of 2011, I found a lump in my left breast.  Seeing as how I had inflicted some trauma to the area in the weeks prior, (an elbow to the breast while playing volleyball followed by a bike handle-bar jab), I thought that this possibly could be some sort of contusion.  I waited a week or so and reevaluated...along with the umteen million other times I checked it out...no change....ugh!  I came home from work one morning, rechecked, and the light came on, it was then that I knew...I knew I had breast cancer.  I called my PMD, asked if I could come in right away as I needed a mammogram because I most likely had breast cancer. They thought I was nuts, but thankfully did get me in right away...and that is when all of the diagnostics began... 

     I started with a mammogram.  The radiologist showed me the films and there were actually two sites that had abnormal tissue.  To confirm what these growths were, I underwent a needle biopsy to the sites on September 14th, 2011.  During the biopsies, the radiologist had mentioned that the growths were "acting like cysts".  For some reason, I knew otherwise...I just had that gut feeling that I had cancer.  The following day, on September 15th, 2011, the radiologist apologetically called to inform me that I had ductal carcinoma.  He was very kind and offered some very positive words of encouragement to me.  Then, all of the phone calls started coming in...

     The following two weeks were filled with meeting doctors, blood work, port placement and a PET scan.  My scan, of course, showed the two sites in my left breast, but another area "glowed" as well.  I could see it the technician’s face that something else showed up.  I spent the next gut-wrenching days waiting for the results.  I received a call from my oncologist and he explained to me that my ovaries were also slightly "glowing"; however, he said this may be attributed to my young age, and because of that, we were going to forge on with treatment as planned.  My doctor had also recommended that I undergo genetic testing which would not only influence my treatment, but also provide information for my family members as well.  I tested positive for the BRCA 1 genetic mutation, along with my mom and cousin.

     So...a medical oncologist, breast surgeon, plastic surgeon and gynecological oncologist later, I, with the support of these wonderful doctors and nurses, was ready to start treatment.  Given the type of cancer, ER+ (slightly), PR -, Her2 Neu -, my age and previously healthy state, we were going to be aggressive.  Thankfully, there was no lymph node involvement!  It was decided that I would have chemo first, undergo a bilateral mastectomy, and then potentially radiation.  He wanted to start me with chemo so that he could assess the effectiveness of the drugs on tumor shrinkage. 

     On October 5th, 2011, I started by first cycle of what would be a total of four every two weeks of adriamycin and cytoxan.  My cousin came with me to every infusion...I sort of believe we provided some comic relief to many of the other patients...we made many friends!!  After the second cycle, my oncologist could no longer feel one of the two tumors.  The next toxic gun was Taxol.  I received one round of this and my doctor wasn't satisfied with the results on my stubborn, larger tumor so he added more.  I received taxol and carboplatin every three weeks for five more cycles.  We saw some shrinkage of the tumor but it was clearly still there.  Next step, mastectomy and hysterectomy...

     But, before the surgeries, I had a repeat PET scan.  The results of this scan were much better than the first.  Although the stubborn tumor was still there, as I knew it would be, the second tumor was completely gone and my ovaries were no longer "glowing".  Yay! 

     On April 24th, 2012 I had a complete hysterectomy.  My GYN oncologist used the DiVinci robot for this surgery, leaving me with smaller laparoscopic scars instead of one larger scar and a quicker healing time.  I decided to have the hysterectomy due to my BRCA 1 status.  People with this gene mutation have an 87% chance of getting breast cancer and an almost 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer.  I was also at a slighter risk for uterine cancer as well, therefore, I had it all removed.   My mom had ovarian cancer when she was in her 40's, it was a very scary time for us,  so I certainly wanted to eliminate this risk.  As I said before, my mom and cousin are both BRCA 1 positive...with this information, they both underwent prophylactic mastectomies.  Thankfully so, because my mom had ductal carcinoma in situ in two sites in her left breast (stage 0/pre-cancer).   No further treatment was necessary for her :)

     On May 2nd, 2012, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (expanders) and sentinel node biopsy (wow, did the dye injections hurt!).  The surgery went well.  The tumor was "abutted" to my pectoral muscle so they did have to shave off a little of my muscle for a cleaner border.  My lymph nodes remained negative which was awesome news.

     Then, at the end of June I began radiation.  Although my borders were all negative, my oncologist wanted me to do so because of the close proximity of the tumor to my pectoral muscle.  I went five days a week for six weeks.  I was also finally able to come back to work at this time...it seemed like forever.  I was so happy to come back, but it was also strange for me to flip back to the other side of things...to go back to nursing rather than being the patient, after all, that was all I knew for 8 months.  I learned a lot about myself and my strength and determination during those eight months...I guess I am a pretty tough cookie :)   

     I am currently just a year past my last day of treatment...I can't believe it!!  I will continue to take tamoxifen for at least 5 years, I can certainly handle that.  And now, I have graduated from every three month doctor visits to every six.  I value and love life and appreciate every single day...

Vicki chose Mile 19 in honor of her grandma, whose birthday is January 19.   She wrote, "I sadly lost my grandma, my best friend, two days after my first round of chemo.  She is now my angel that watches over me and protects me....there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her and miss her!"

Make a donation in honor of Vicki and others still fighting, those we have lost, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing. 

Give to make yourself a part of this historical effort. 

Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreavorpahl/stridingforacure

MILE 18: Tony Colvin - Ewing's Sarcoma-PNET

Tony Colvin

Tony, Leslie, Owen, and Lucy

Tony is the husband of my friend, Leslie. I met Leslie through WGirls, an organization that provides underprivileged women and children with the support and resources necessary to achieve health, happiness, and the ability to lead productive and successful adult lives. Leslie was introduced to WGirls when Tony was getting cancer treatment in New York and they were served dinner by WGirls-New York.  After Tony went into remission, she vowed to pay it forward and did so by starting a WGirls chapter in Milwaukee.

Tony had these words to share about his cancer experience:

     I finished a triathlon in August of 2008 and felt great.  A few days later I noticed blood in my urine and went to the ER for what I thought was a kidney stone (nothing major).  A few minutes later a CT scan changed my life. The ER doctor presumed the tennis ball size tumor in my left kidney was cancerous and needed to be dealt with quickly. After several consultations at different hospitals the consensus was I had renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer). 
     On September 15, 2008, I had surgery to remove my left kidney (radical nephrectomy) at Froedtert Memorial Hospital. The plan was to have surgery and remove the kidney and move on without chemotherapy or radiation. The biggest surprise was yet to come. The original assumption of kidney cancer was inaccurate. The team of doctors ruled out kidney cancer but did not have a final determination of what type of cancer I had.  Two weeks later the finding was made - I had Ewing’s Sarcoma-PNET (primitive neuroectodermal tumor) of the left kidney.  Chemothererapy would be in order as soon as I was recovered.  The only problem was the cancer was so rare in adults (400 cases/year in the US and only 10% are age 20 and older) that very few hospitals specialized in sarcomas, let alone Ewing's Sarcoma.  On top of this news our family was growing in size with my wife pregnant with our second child.  We consulted doctors in NYC at Memorial Sloan Kettering and agreed to start chemotherapy out in NYC.  Fast forward a long nine months, which included the birth of our daughter Lucy (now 4 years old), we made it through the treatment.  In total, I had surgery to remove my left kidney and followed that up with seven rounds of chemotherapy rotating each treatment between NYC and Milwaukee.

     I approached chemotherapy thinking it would just be another hard obstacle in my path, but quickly realized it was going to be much more mentally and physically challenging than I thought.  With the support of family (my wife who was teaching at the time) and extended family and our faith in God that we would eventually get through the dark times, we were able to navigate through the darkness into brighter days that still continue today!
     As an adult having been treated in a pediatric hospital we (my wife and I) saw firsthand how challenging it can be for children and families to go through fighting cancer.  It didn’t seem fair to see children, as young as 3 and as old as 18, fighting for their lives.  
     Raising awareness and funding for pediatric cancer is a noble pursuit.  Knowing that there are others in need, especially young children with cancer, is heartbreaking and anything we can do to bring additional funding and awareness is commendable.  Run, run faster and run for the kids!  So thankful!

Tony chose MILE 18 because, "On June 18^th of 2009, I walked out of chemotherapy for the last time and have never looked back -  while never forgetting how fortunate I am for each and every day."    

To read more of Tony's story, visit:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tonycolvin

Make a donation in honor of Tony and others still fighting, those we have lost, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing. 

Give to make yourself a part of this historical effort. 

Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreavorpahl/stridingforacure

MILE 17: Margaret "Peggy" Reichert - Bone Marrow Cancer

Margaret "Peggy" Reichert

April 17, 1953 - January 1966

Peggy and her sisters

Mary Jo is Peggy's sister and the mother of my friend, Karen.

Mary Jo shared these words:

     Peggy was my older sister. She was the second oldest of five sisters. It was just after her 12th birthday and I was 10 years old when she was diagnosed with Bone Marrow Cancer. At first they thought she had “water on the knee.”  They tried to extract the “water” but found it was a mass.
     Peggy had to go in for surgery to explore and find out what was wrong. Her biggest fear was that she would come out of surgery with a cast and she didn’t want that. My parents were told that it was cancer and the best treatment was to amputate the leg as high up as possible to take all the cancer.
     My mother spent some time with me after the birth of my first child and I asked her how she made it through those days. She said that when Peggy was coming out of the anesthesia they were supposed to be positive and smiling for Peggy, so she wouldn’t be scared. My mom said she walked down the hall toward Peggy’s room and would break down crying, so she’d go back and try again. It took several times, but she finally made it in the room.
     Peggy was told they had to take the entire leg to get all the disease. She didn’t believe them because she could still feel her leg. Her nerves were still sending impulses to her brain telling her it was still there. Reality hit when they showed her.
     When Peggy came home, she was on crutches with one leg. We waited a few months until she could get her prosthesis. I remember the leg standing in the corner of our bedroom, and it would strap on around her hips like a heavy girdle. Peggy adapted quite well, even learning to water ski on one leg and how to walk with it.  However, the cancer kept spreading and she died in January of 1966, when she was 13 years old.
     I was only in 6th grade, so I didn’t know what to expect - certainly death was never a thought. As she entered 8th grade, I remember her staying home more and more feeling very sick. We eventually made our living room into her bedroom, so she could have visitors.
     The Christmas of 1965 will always be a memorable one for me. While my sisters were out looking at Christmas decorations around the city with my father and grandfather, something was happening at home. When we got back, there was a huge red felt bag in the living room. My mother said she heard the doorbell ring and when she went to answer it there was no one there, just this huge red bag. Peggy told her to leave it on the porch; it was so large she was afraid there was a person inside the bag. My mother assured her there was no one in the bag, and she dragged it into the house.
     After we were home, we untied the top of the bag and there were many gifts for all of us girls in there. Some seemed like they may have been used before, but they were all new to us and we were very happy. We never knew who dropped off that bag, we presumed it may have been neighbors, or families from the Catholic School we were attending. That bag is still around and I was fortunate to have it for years with our children, retelling the story of the bag each year.
     A couple of years ago when my brother-in-law was fighting his battle with brain cancer, we again filled the bag for my sister, brother-in-law, their children and grandchildren and dropped it off for them. Now that I was older, I could finally understand the deep gratitude my parents had for that bag.
     Be thankful for the legs you have to run.  Some day we will find a cure for cancer and it is because of what we are doing that scientists can keep searching for a cure. God be with you run for a cure!!

Peggy's family chose Mile 17 for her birthday on April 17th.

Make a donation in memory of Peggy and others we have lost, those still fighting, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing. 

Give to make yourself a part of this historical effort. 

Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreavorpahl/stridingforacure

Mile 16: Mike Pleshek - Pancreatic Cancer

Mike Pleshek 

August 16, 1959 - December 4, 2010

Mike and Annette,
as DeeDee and Bullmoose from Li'l Abner

Mike is the husband of my sister's friend, Annette. 

Annette had these words to say about Mike:

     Mike had been having pains in his spine area.  We thought it might be another disk - he had back surgery about 10 years earlier, and so he talked with doctors.  They originally thought the same.  Unfortunately, one pain management doctor told Mike that some of the problem may be emotional rather than physical.  Mike had an MRI and the person looking at the results thought he "saw something that should be looked at further".  We then had an appointment made with a doctor in Appleton and another scan was done.  The scan showed a mass attached to his pancreas in a very dangerous area.  The mass was lying across a main artery that cannot be moved or operated on.  We then got a referral to see a doctor at the University of Wisconsin Madison Hospital.  This doctor looked at the scans and told us Mike was not eligible for surgery unless the mass was shrunk.  Then it would be a possibility, but not a guarantee.

     Mike started chemotherapy in June of 2010.  The first round did not shrink the tumor.  Another round was tried.  Again, the tumor did not shrink and eventually there was spreading of the cancer into his liver.  Mike’s kidneys began to fail in October, so he was put on dialysis.  The Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, we found out his kidneys were working on their own. We were thrilled. Mike was able to go deer hunting and see Jenna, our daughter, shoot her first deer on her first day of being eligible to hunt, with having been in the woods about 5 minutes. Shortly after Thanksgiving, Mike’s health deteriorated quickly. Mike died, December 4th, on his sister’s/only sibling’s 50th birthday with family with him.
     Mike had a very good sense of humor and was one who could and would befriend any person. When asked “How’s it going?” He would put his fingers on the pulse of one wrist and answer, “It’s still ticking!”  He was a great musician and he played FREEBIRD as well/or better than professional guitarists.  He wrote lyrics and music.  Loved the 60’s and 70’s music – Led Zepplin; AC/DC; Lynard Skynard; etc.  His favorite guitarist/singer/song-writer was John Prine.  Mike used to say, “he sings in my key.”

Annette chose Mile 16 for Mike for his birthday, August 16th, and their anniversary, June 16th. 

Make a donation in memory of Mike and others we have lost, those still fighting, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing. 

Give to make yourself a part of this historical effort. 

Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreavorpahl/stridingforacure

MILE 15: Carol Wester - Ovarian Cancer

Carol Wester

May 15, 1936 - October 3, 2007

Carol is the grandmother of my friends, Steph and Liz. 

Steph shared these words about her grandma:

     Grandma knew something was wrong when she started getting up to go to the bathroom at night much more than usual. She went to a urologist in late April 2003, and the urologist sent her straight to an oncologist.  She was diagnosed in June 2003 with stage 4 ovarian cancer.
     She went to Froedtert for a hysterectomy and, when in the surgery, the doctor also found spots on her liver and removed a section of her bowel.  She may have had it in other areas as well, but she wasn’t all that upfront with her grandchildren. She went through chemo and radiation after surgery and was pronounced cancer free!...until the cancer came back December 2003. This cycle happened a few times until she finally succumbed to the awful disease on October 3, 2007.
     I expected her to lose her hair and not feel well...but I also expected her to bounce back. She had been a fighter and always came out on top.  I didn't expect her to lose her memory before she passed… Or for her to not beat it.  I couldn't imagine her not being here for my wedding… or the birth of her first great-grandchild, etc. I remember thinking,"Why does this have to happen to someone who gives so much of herself to others?"  Cancer sucks.
     
Steph added, "Grandma was an avid runner and will certainly be with you in spirit that day…. And for sure will not let you get away with walking. You can do it!"

In honor of her birthday, May 15, Carol will represent Mile 15. 

Carol's family set up a run/walk in her memory.  The funds go to the Carol Rose Wester Memorial Fund at Holy Family Memorial Cancer Care Center in Manitowoc.  The money is used to lift the spirits of those going through chemotherapy.  The learn more, visit the race
website: www.crwmemorial.com.

Make a donation in memory of Carol and others we have lost, those still fighting, and those who may one day be spared this fight because of what we‘re doing.
Give to make yourself a part of this historical effort.
Visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreavorpahl/stridingforacure