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In-Kind

3/27/2022

 
“So, you are a sponsor of the race?” 
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Definition of sponsor
1: one who presents a candidate for baptism or confirmation and undertakes responsibility for the person's religious education or spiritual welfare
2: one who assumes responsibility for some other person or thing
3: a person or an organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity especially one that pays the cost of a radio or television program usually in return for advertising time during its course

Definition of donation

the act or an instance of donating: such as
a: the making of a gift especially to a charity or public institution
b: a free contribution : GIFT
“YES!”
To recognize the value of my in-kind design work as well as my contributions to digital marketing and social media, I asked to be included as a sponsor on the back of the 2022 Charlottesville Ten Miler shirt.
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Thank you Nicole Brimer for being an amazing race director and true friend.

For 14 years, I helped the Charlottesville Track Club (CTC) with graphic and web design, marketing, and event management. For 13 years, I supported five race directors (Alice Wiggins, Mike Inge, Maria Bell, Deb Gilbert, and Nicole Brimer) with the Charlottesville Ten Miler (CTM). I’m grateful and honored to have worked closely with people who valued my ideas, creativity, dedication, passion, and time.

There aren’t enough words to describe how much it meant to me to see my “Twins Run in Our Family” logo on the backs of fellow runners as I ran this iconic race. I loved seeing the new CTC logo I designed (last year) at the top of the shirt, too!

I’ve been struggling emotionally and financially since I lost my job of 22+ years in September 2020. During the 50+ interviews I’ve had since turning 50, I've always spoken about my volunteer work in the Charlottesville running community as my proudest accomplishment. 

During COVID-19 I devoted my time and talents to help Mark Lorenzoni promote the Charlottesville Track Club’s modified events during the pandemic and I especially enjoyed marketing and managing the C-VILLE-athon, Race Fest, Marathon and Half Marathon Training Program, Winter Training Program, the All-Comers Summer Track Meets, and Bruce Barnes Mile. 

During this time a conflict arose between me and various CTC board members. Unfortunately, in spite of my best efforts, this conflict could not be resolved. Therefore, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away from the CTC in September 2021. 

Although I had to separate myself from the CTC, I knew I wanted to help CTM race director, Nicole Brimer, with the 2022 Charlottesville Ten Miler. It was very important for me to end my tenure with the CTC on a high note. So, I made a variety of new designs for a special bib, stickers, and volunteer shirt as well other logos that I never got to use. 

I wore my rainbow sparkle skirt and formerly white running shoes that I colored with a rainbow of sharpies. So many spectators and fellow runners complimented me on my tutu and I appreciated the encouragement as I was rather untrained for this endeavor! 

The best part of the race was seeing my identical twin sister cheering in her inflatable T-Rex costume at mile 4 and the finish line. Being able to finally share this historic event with her made a difficult day of saying goodbye to this race a bit easier. 

Thank you to Nicole for allowing me do what I love and including me as a valuable contributor to this spring tradition in Charlottesville.
Thank you also to Mindy (a.k.a. Ann Hill), my better half, for encouraging me to celebrate my final Ten Miler and to be brave enough to ask for public recognition of what I've accomplished, and, more importantly, to value and thank myself (especially when others wouldn't).
I have had very dark moments during this past week when I was frozen in fear, panicked about how others in the running community view me especially in light of the fact that I haven't spoken with Mark Lorenzoni in six months. Sadly that lack of communication was not my choice, but I hope he knows that whenever he's ready, I'm always available to listen.


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Thanks to Albemarle Baking Company for creating the perfect cake to celebrate my final Ten Miler.
Mark and I were a good team and I'll never forget that. Over the 13 years we worked together, he had a plethora of ideas and he let me run with whatever I liked to make things happen. A former CTM race director once said, "Leah just does things." That might have been a criticism or a compliment, or maybe both! Some people can be uncomfortable and threatened by my drive and impatience to get things done, but Mark let me be me. That was a true gift. Thank you Mark!
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Thank you Mark Lorenzoni for helping me get to the Boston Marathon and supporting my race, the Rivanna Greenbelt Marathon.
Finally, thank you Natalie for capturing me during the race yesterday. I always love to look at the beautiful moments you catch along the course. 
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Thank you Natalie Krovetz for your stunning photography.
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I'm not sure who will be the next director for the Charlottesville Ten Miler and what changes will be made under new leadership. I know that my twin and I will always smile when we see someone wearing a shirt from one of the years I helped support the race, especially the shirts with my designs (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020/21, and 2022).
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music is my therapy

All the right songs came up at the right moment .....
​https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/final-ten-miler/pl.u-b3b8oGGHyMLRGd

TWINS RUN 50(K) RECAP

5/20/2021

 
Read all about my challenge to finish 50K on my 50th birthday!
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Spoiler alert: I DID IT! 🙂

HELP WANTED

5/15/2021

 
I’d much rather offer my help than ask for it.
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When I talk about my volunteer work with the Charlottesville Track Club during interviews, I always explain that I will never criticize something unless I’m willing to try to fix it or improve it. That’s how I started with the Marathon and Half Marathon Training Program. I saw the way people signed up (on paper!) and it didn’t seem to be ideal. I made suggestions to help modernize registration and disseminate information on a website and social media. On May 23 we have our orientation meeting for the program I’ve helped coordinate for over 13 years and I can’t wait to keep making it better with each edition.

Asking for help has been really hard for me. I don’t have a lot of memories about my time at the Child Guidance Center in Philadelphia’s Children’s Hospital, when I suffered from Anorexia Nervosa, but the one that clearly stands out is when I couldn’t ask for a tissue. I don’t know why I was crying, but I remember the counselor offering me a tissue and then questioning why I couldn’t ask for one myself when I clearly needed it. That sticks with me almost 40 years later … that I could have tears and snot all over my face and still not ask for help.

I’m trying very hard to change this hesitancy of mine. It’s not that I think it’s weak to ask for help; I don’t. It’s just that sometimes I feel like I don’t want to bother people or I think maybe I don’t deserve help or kindness because there are so many people with greater needs than mine. Or, I fear rejection when someone doesn’t respond in the way I’d hope for.
I’m learning that it’s worth the risk to put yourself out there and ask for something that someone might enthusiastically give you. That’s why I recently sent out an email with the subject line, “I need your help.” I didn’t want to hide the fact that my twin sister and I had been struggling with some big changes over the past year and we wanted our 50th birthday to be special and memorable. A photo from a friend could be the one bright spot in an otherwise challenging day. No one can read my mind so I need to tell people how meaningful it would be get that picture. And guess what? It’s working! We’ve already received adorable and beautiful photos of our “Flat Twins” and I can’t wait to see more.
The sign in the store window for a job opening might be “Help Wanted”, but I’m finding the job hunt to be a lot like dating. It’s a confusing mixture of “Swipe right” and “Swipe left” on both sides. Is this the dream job? Is she the ideal candidate?
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We all want the offer/acceptance instead of the rejection/denial. Is it worse to get a interview only to be rejected or to get passed on right away? I can’t quite figure it all out just yet. All I know is that it’s very challenging and exciting at the same time.

I never dated much and I had the same job longer than my marriage, so how do I maneuver myself in this strange world of hiring? Sometimes I think I just need to have the right conversation with the right person and they will know that I want this and that I can do it. (OMG I’m quoting Shiv from HBO’s Succession. I hope my resume doesn’t get torn apart like her memo did!)

I’m very lucky to be getting interviews for positions that I really want or am genuinely interested in, but I find myself thinking afterwards, “Oh **** I was too honest!” I wonder: Is my unique and transparent personality getting in the way of receiving an offer or do I just not have the experience needed? As a former supervisor once told one of my colleagues, “You’ve got to let Leah be Leah.” I know deep down that if I can’t be valued or appreciated for being my authentic self, then it’s probably not the right position for me. That being said, perhaps I should try to avoid any self-deprecating humor next time I’m on Zoom.
I’m going to do a deep dive analysis of my job hunt so far and work on improving my resume and my elevator pitch to market myself to potential employers. I was thinking about writing my bio for a company website where I want to work as if I were hired to see what I come up with. I also thought on my two-hour walk this morning that maybe I need to work on my tagline, but all I could come up with were funny ones for an edition of the “Real Running Housewives of Charlottesville.” Seriously Bravo come here to cast your next franchise!

“I’ve got a one track mind, but don’t always stay in my lane.” 

“No need to analyze my face, just check my resting heart rate.” 


“It’s time for me to roll, but only because my piriformis really hurts.” 


“I want to break the glass ceiling like I’ve shattered my sesamoids … into many little pieces.” 


​“Every mile is a gift and I love presents! (especially in Pokemon Go)”


​So please send me and my twin lots of birthday “presents” on Tuesday, May 18th … especially Flat Twin photos and Pokemon Go gifts (they’re FREE!).
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#TWINSRUN50K

5/1/2021

 
Read about my 50K attempt on my WordPress blog.

50K on my 50th Birthday!

5/1/2021

 
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For my 50th birthday on May 18th, I'll be running 50K (and let's be honest, walking some of it too!) to raise awareness for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.

Make a donation to keep me motivated or sign up for your own challenge: runsignup.com/twinsrun50

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Be notified of live updates via my Facebook events page.

l've been supporting and fundraising for ALSF for almost 10 years and love their mission: ❤️🍋
  • To raise money and awareness of childhood cancer causes, primarily research into new treatments and cures.
  • To encourage and empower others, especially children, to raise money for childhood cancer by holding their own Alex's Lemonade Stands.
    alexslemonade.org

50th Birthday

4/15/2021

 
Our 50th birthday is a month away and we're getting ready to celebrate!

We want you to join in the fun by taking a photo with a Flat Twin and signing up for  a virtual challenge to walk or run a total of 5K, 50K, or 50 miles in the month of May to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.
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    @leahcville

    1/2 of  @TwinsRun
    Wife of @SportingKyd
    Mom of 2 with James Joyce inspired names
    Director of @RivannaMarathon
    Writer at @agoodgroup
    #PokémonGo enthusiast
    #GeeksWhoDrink player

    #TWINSRUN50K

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  • Home
  • Resume
    • Overview
    • References
    • LinkedIn
    • Download Resume PDF
    • Design Portfolio
  • Design Portfolio
  • Blog
  • Creative Writing
    • Transitional Objects
    • Excuse Bad Writing
    • The Daily Collegian
    • Engaged in an "Epizzle"
    • Annotated Bibliography of "Araby"
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Twins Run in Our Family
    • In the News
  • Advocacy
  • Twins Run