Running with Hagit

Or should I say, my friend Hagit ran with me in her heart while she completed her second Mini-10K in NYC Central Park this past Saturday. I was supposed to run with her; we ran the race together last year. That was her inaugural race only after a few weeks of training. We have done several races since then, but this one was special because it represented a year of running for her; a transformation of not only her body, but also her mind and spirit. You can tell just from looking at her post-race photos that something has changed inside her and that change has her aura illuminating. I am so proud of her, she ran this years race all by herself and she had her very first PR. I am so proud of you Hagit and I wish I could have been there with you, but you know I was in heart.

Last Sunday I was doing a ride for the cure with our dear friend Jack Lally to raise money and awareness for diabetes. The ride was so beautiful, the views were breathtaking of the old country roads and houses in Basking Ridge and Chatham, NJ. Our course was 75 miles and it was easy enough to follow the mile markers that were painted on the roads. Jack and I had a few laughs about our bike shorts asking each other if they made our butts look big and we joked about the trophy we would win at the end because we were "winning!" Only at approximately 25 minutes into the race my beautiful road bike hit an enormous pothole; it was on a sudden downhill that curved around a corner. The roads are bad this year I suppose because of the brutal winter we experienced. At the moment that my bike hit the pothole I felt myself falling, I actually had the thought "can I stop this." But I knew instantly that I could not stop myself from falling and committed myself to the fall. I flew over the handle bars and landed directly on my head while also managing to scrape my left side hip and elbow. I never lost consciousness but I also could not move anything in my body. Jack was there in an instant and he managed to roll me out of the road before I could get hit by any oncoming cars or cyclists that were behind us. He was asking me questions like what hurts the most; but initially I could not speak. All I wanted to do was go to sleep, but somehow I managed to keep my eyes open. I remembered from somewhere that you should not go to sleep after a head injury so I fought against it desperately.

Besides the pain, the first thing I felt was nauseas and the second thing I felt was cold. A man stopped his truck to make sure we were alright, we did not wait for an ambulance, he packed me in his SUV (bike and all) and took me back to the start. We did not wait for an ambulance, Jack's daughter (and my friend) Kelsey took me to the ER in Morristown right away. I was so cold that Kelsey gave me a blanket; she was sweating because it was hot out but I was cold? The ER took us in right away and Kelsey left to get things sorted out back at the start of the race, but Paul showed up soon after. I thought I broke my elbow because it hurt so badly and I could barely move it, but it turns out that was not the worst of my problems. I was brave, I thought I was OK, throughout the ordeal I did not cry once. I had a feeling something was wrong when the woman next to me got her CT results before me even though her test was done after mine. Finally the doctor came in and told me that I have a small bleed in my brain and they are going to have to admit me. He was a very nice doctor and he said I was going to be OK. The next thing I knew they were taking me to the ICU. I had a blood pressure monitor connected to my left arm, electrodes on my chest, a heart rate monitor on my finger, an IV in my right arm and compression socks on my legs. To top all of that off, they said I could not eat anything in case they needed to do a procedure if the bleed or my neurological symptoms got worse. The staff was more than wonderful with me and there was someone checking in on me every 10 minutes (or so it seemed). When I was in pain, Kelsey made sure they gave me some pain medication. A few hours later in the ICU the doctor came by to tell me that what I have is a traumatic sub-arachnoid brain hemorrhage. Several doctors came in to tell me that without my helmet I would have died instantly.

It has been a week since the ordeal and I am at home recovering. I continue to have headaches that occur spontaneously and hurt in strange places in my head. Most of all I feel very tired. I have good days and bad days. For example, Friday I slept most of the day and Saturday I slept until 11:30 and then went back to bed at 4:30pm. They say that feeling tired is a normal part of the healing process and I need to be patient with myself. However, I am still getting used to not remembering things or being able to find the right words. The other day I left the refrigerator door wide open, and I never do that.

I am just happy that I am here, enjoying another beautiful day as I look out my window and I know the healing will come in time. Oh and Jack texted me the other day to see how I was feeling and I texted back "I am Winning!"

For my mother....Violet

"I am fooling only myself when I say my mother exists now only in the photograph on my bulletin board or in the outline of my hand or in the armful of memories I still hold tight. She lives on in everything I do. Her presence influenced who I was, and her absence influences who I am. Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide." Hope Edelman

1. Name: Karen Marciano


2. Home town and who you live with: Three Bridges, NJ with my husband Paul
3. Where were you born: Bay Shore, Long Island (Jersey Girls are great, but Long Island girls are the coolest :)


4. What states/countries have you lived in: Long Island, NYC, and New Jersey


5. Where did you go to college (if applicable): Hofstra University (Undergraduate), Caldwell College (Graduate-Presently)


6. What was your major (if applicable): Accounting for undergrad, but now I am getting my masters in Education


7. What do you do for a living: After 12 years in business, I have decided to become a teacher and in the fall I do my student teaching.

8. How many siblings do you have: 2 Older Brothers


9. Favorite Movies: Wicker Park and  the Black Swan

10. Favorite Books: I love to read. Patricia Cornwell is one of my favorite authors.


11. Favorite Songs: Antologia by Shakira, The Scientist by Coldplay, I will always love you by the Cure, Wild Horses by Alicia Keys, I am ready for love by India Arie, and Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T's

12. Favorite Vacation Destination: Travel is in my heart completely and I have travelled all over but these places two places I have returned to many times: Spain (my dream is to live there for a few months...I love Spain) and the DR which I have already been 3 times, I also loved Hawaii and want to go back to Kauai one day!

13. Hobbies: Running, spinning, weight training, hot yoga, taking our dog for walks on the farm, talking on the phone to my friends, reading a good book, sleeping ;)

14. Favorite Drink: Water, but when I need caffeine well then Green Tea Latte, Cappuccino, Iced Cafe Mocha.


15. Favorite Food: Salad, peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, avocados and guacamole


16. Favorite Inspirational Quote: "Faith is believing despite the evidence and then watching the evidence change." I also like, "You don't know what you don't know"

17. Why did you decide to join Team in Training? For my mom, for everyone who has battled cancer, for those who are battling with it today. In 2005 I lost my mother to cancer and I miss her every day. I saw what cancer did to her and know how much support is needed. And while I know I cannot bring her back I decided to run with team in training to make a difference in cancer patients today and in the future. Together we can achieve miracles. 
If you would like to help me raise money for cancer please go to my fundraising page.


http://pages.teamintraining.org/nj/nikesf11/kmarciano