As he led me to the dance floor at a wedding five years ago, I was charmed by his accent;  I had minored in French in college and still love the language even though I can barely speak it now. But I was more enamored of his obvious joie de vivre — even in the face of a serious cancer diagnosis — and his love for Josette, his wife, and his girls, Kim and Lea.

I remembered this as Kim kicked off the seventh season of Gilda’s Gang with her “member minute” two weeks ago. I remembered his charm. His wit. His sense of humor. And his smile. Gilles really had a great smile.

Unfortunately, Kim says, they were unaware of Gilda’s Club when her father was in treatment. They found Gilda’s services after his death on Feb. 10 four years ago.

“This place has been a huge part of my journey through grief and a huge part of my healing,” Kim says. “There are girls from my support group who have become my sisters.

“Thank you for what you are doing. It is a huge accomplishment to do 13.1 miles, so congratulations on that. But you are doing something even greater for people you don’t even know. You are doing this for strangers and that is an awesome, awesome gift.”

Thank you, Kim, for sharing your story and inspiring our team as we train for the Country Music Marathon and raise funds that are so important to keep the red door open for everyone impacted by cancer, free of charge.

We will all be thinking of you and your family as Feb. 10 approaches. Anniversaries are never easy.

And I will be remembering your father’s smile. He would be so proud of you.

PS – Here is Kim’s FirstGiving page. Please consider supporting her training.

Neil Harrington demonstrates how to make a Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie.

Neil Harrington, a dietetic intern who joined us for the kick-off health fair a couple of weeks ago, told us that as we train, we have to think of food as fuel. You know it’s not wise to drive your car on fumes. Same is true for our bodies.

It’s a big mistake to take off on your morning training walk or run without breakfast, but for a lot of us, having to think about what to eat and prepare it is just one more obstacle to getting out of bed and hitting the pavement.

Neil shared this recipe for a smoothie that couldn’t be easier — or tastier.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

• 10 oz. cold milk (skim, 2% or whole – your choice)
• 1 ripe banana
• A large spoonful of peanut butter (chunky or smooth, and how big a spoonful is up to you)
• Cinnamon or vanilla to taste

In a blender, blend the milk and banana together till smooth. Add the peanut butter and blend. Flavor to taste with cinnamon or vanilla.

Neil said that adding ice gives it a slightly different texture, as does freezing the banana before blending.

Give it a try, and let us know what you think.

What do you eat before training? Any recipes to share?

Over the past 24 hours, I have learned of the deaths of three — count ‘em, three — acquaintances who have died of their cancers.

None was what I would classify as a close friend so my anger and grief at their passing is nothing compared to what their family and friends are feeling. But I am angry. Very angry. All three were in the prime of their lives. They had family and friends who loved them. They had more to contribute to this world.

Yes, this post is short. But it could have been even shorter.

I hate cancer.

But first I want to wish everyone well for the first group training walk/run tomorrow starting at 8 a.m. at the Clubhouse (please arrive by 7:45 a.m. for announcements and a “member minute”). I will be doing my three miles Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C., where I’ll be attending a meeting that includes a visit to the National Cancer Institute on Monday. 

And now … Chocolate? Or Pilates?

Day one of half-marathon training and I went for the chocolate cake. I did run, but I ran less than the recommended time telling myself that I would do pilates to make up the difference. And then the chocolate cake was staring me in the face. The pilates video was not.
So I am enjoying some cake while writing and resisting the urge to beat myself up for not doing the right thing (i.e. pilates – or running the full recommended amount). Yet, I am also thinking about what a wise teacher has told me: there are no right or wrong choices, just different consequences.

The consequence for not doing pilates: I will start out my training a little behind schedule. I will probably not sleep as good having so much chocolate.  I will also probably wish that I had exercised instead.

Tonight, though, I have decided to enjoy the consequences of eating some amazing chocolate cake baked by a friend. I’ve also decided that life is too short and that beating myself up gets me nowhere. It definitely won’t help me get to the finish line.

So Chocolate cake it is, and will be more often in the future. And so will pilates and running. The nice thing is that I can have both because if I stop taking the time to beat myself up over something that is meant to be enjoyed, I end up having more time for it all.

Granted, there will be no more exercise tonight, but since I’m not all sweaty in my workout clothes, I’ve given myself permission to sleep in them so that when I get up in the morning I just have to put on my running shoes and glasses. Thankfully, chocolate cake isn’t so appealing that early in the morning.

Read more about Jacqueline’s motivation to participate in Gilda’s Gang and consider supporting her fundraising at her First Giving page.

If you would like to submit a blog post, please click on the “Share Your Story” tab at the top of the page. And let’s all give Jacqueline a round of applause for going first.