Sunday, May 13, 2018

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day-


What does this day mean to me?  It really is a typical Sunday for the Isler household.  We run around and try and get done as many errands as we can.  We clean the house and do loads of laundry. We hit up the soccer field (unless the game gets canceled due to rain) and watch S run around and try and use up some of his energy.


Today, I woke up with a smile.  I listened and didn’t hear rain hitting the roof of the house.  This meant that I could run outside. Last night I checked the forecast and it showed rain all day.  I dressed quickly and went for a run. The weather was perfect and I was able to complete a 7.2 mile run. During my run I spent time reflecting on the people that sponsored me right away.  It was such a great feeling to get an email notifying me that I had been sponsored. So thank you to the Brown Family, Erica, Jill, Devorah, and Suzy for starting me off on the right foot. (see what I did there…..)


Mom, Mommy, Ima, Mother are some of the names that my children or students call me.  Yes, I get called mom in class on occasion. Yes, I do answer because, well….I am a mom, not their mom, but I am a mom. Being a mom is an important job.  It is not an easy job but it is an important job. I feel that I have learned how to be a mom from my mom and my grandmother. I had a great relationship with my mom’s mom.  I would talk with her often. I learned a lot of the games that I play from her. She was kind and was one of my biggest supporters. She taught me how to be patient with our elders and how to cherish every moment and to enjoy the little things in life. I also have a great relationship with my mom.  We talk daily. She is my number one fan and always supports me on my challenges. When an obstacle arose my mom would figure out a way to overcome it. Watching my mom solve these challenges has helped me be the mom that I am today. I try to be the best mom to my three children. I try to make sure to spend equal time with each of them. I try to encourage them to take risks. I try to teach them to be kind to everyone. I have tried to teach them to love one another and to be there for one another.  Watching my kids work together and help out with the laundry or making the lunches for the week has shown me that even though today is a typical Sunday, it is also a special day- Mother’s Day.
I love how they have so much fun together! 




I run because of my grandmothers who lost their battles to cancer.  


I run for my mom who never lost faith in me and encourages me to remain strong.


I run for my daughters to show them I am strong.


I run for myself to remind myself how far I have come.


I run for you.


Thank you for your support!



The last time we were all together.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Why I run....

Why do I run?




I used to run all the time as a teen. Throughout high school and college I could be found running through the streets of my town on a regular basis. I got married and had a few kids.  I got away from the running for a bit. Then I got sick and yearned to run again. There was something about being able to go outside and push my limits with a run.


I am turning 40 in about a month.  I decided that I am going to check running a half marathon off my bucket list.


It is not going to be just any half marathon.


Five years ago I ran a half of a half marathon in Las Vegas with my sister-in-law Devorah.  Together we raised over 8,000 dollars for Chai Lifeline. Five years ago running 6 miles was extremely hard for me.  Those were post chemo and radiation days. My feet hurt me all the time. Training for 6 miles was a painful experience.  


Five years later-  I am going back but this year I will run the half marathon.  My feet don’t hurt me nearly as much as they did five years ago.  Don’t get me wrong, there are still side effects from the chemo and radiation that I will live with forever. But I will not let them slow me down!


This race will be a true challenge for me.  I have been thinking about running this race for over a year now.  I go back and forth on wanting to sign up. I will have to train for this race.  The training is on me and I will not let you down.


I am aiming to raise $5,000.  I did it once before and I am counting on you to help me do it again.  Over the next couple of weeks, I hope to write a few blogs. In these blogs, I will explain why I am running for Chai Lifeline.  I will explain why this organization is so important and how it connects to my life. I hope that I can convince you to be a part of this journey with me.


So what do you say? Are you in?

https://www.teamlifeline.org/team-lifeline-vegas/rachelisler

I have this to hang my half marathon medal on.