Winning-Is Not About Crossing The Finish Line First

I remember finally falling asleep somewhere around 2a.m. and thinking today is the day Carter will go head to head with his disease.  Today is the day he will prevail....


Bzzz.Bzzz the alarm went off it was already 5:30 a.m., hadn't I just gone to sleep?  Oh well, no rest for the weary. By the time Zach, Nana and I were ready, Sean had already had all the race stuff done!  It was like someone gave him 10 cups of espresso.  He had Carter down eating, he ate and he was double checking everything again!


We decided to join Carter for a quick bite and of course ran into a bunch of other racers preparing for the race as well.  We finished eating and headed for the start line. 


Arrival Time 6:45 a.m.  Race Time 7:55 a.m.


Since we were there in plenty of time it allowed Carter to settle his nerves, even though he will never admit to being nervous. He was able to hydrate more and get in some warm up time. Plus it gave him a chance to see the other kids he was riding with.  Carter's race jersey by far, I think was the best!  He looked so awesome in his Carter's Challenger Race Jersey and supporting CMTA!  We all wore our CMTA shirts as well, thanks Jeanna!  So Team Carter's Challenge was pumped and ready!


Finally it was time to get him over the start line. They announced that the Junior Race would begin in a couple of minutes.  We have never participated in a bike race before so, we really didn't know what to do. 
Thank goodness a lot of the event coordinators were helpful.  They told us Carter had to go through a pre race check.
1. Junior gears- Check
2. Race Number Visible-Check
3. USA Cycling License- Check
4.All systems a Go-Check


The guy told them all to watch the signs because there are several different courses. They had to follow the signs for the Jr 4/5 open. He also told them to be careful of the roads, since we have been in a severe drought the roads have cracked and they need to watch were they are riding. 


They all bunched up and Carter was towards the back.  We kept telling him just ride and have fun.  Don't worry about anything else, just have fun and finish!


The announcer told them to get ready and next thing you know they are off!!!!  We were all screaming and yelling and then he disappeared over the hill in the street.  Sean and Zach quickly ran to the car to try and find a way to the first feed zone.  Nana, Ayden and I held back so we could see the finish.  One of the moms said don't worry he will be fine.  It usually takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours for them to finish.  "Hopefully, he won't get dropped by the group." Huh? What are you kidding me? I hope not either, he has no idea where he is going or what he is doing!  But, Carter is strong and if anything he is resourceful.  So no worries...right?


Phone rings and its Zach yelling "we are following Carter!  He got dropped by the group already."  I could hear Sean cheering him on and telling him to shift into a different gear.  Then Zach yelling "Go Carter!"  He then told me not to worry cause he and daddy would make sure Carter was fine and take pics and video along the way.


As time went on I was more and more nervous and the my phone rang again.  Zach said that they lost Carter.  They had to stop and help another kid.  Carter had caught up to one of the kids and was riding by him.  Then all of sudden the kid hit a crack and went flying over his bike and into a ditch!  Carter, Zach and Sean watched it all take place right in front of them.  Carter said he slowed down and didn't know if he should stop or keep going.  Then he heard his dad yelling "GO! CARTER KEEP GOING!" "WE GOT HIM CARTER GO!" 


Sean and Zach immediately pulled the car over, hopped out and ran to the kid.  He was shaken up pretty good.  Chain was off of bike and he was in pain.  Sean asked the kid do you want to me load your bike onto my car and drive you back to start line?  The kid so no I want to try and finish!  So Sean helped him get up, fixed his chain and got him on the road again.  They did follow him for a bit but to be honest, Sean and Zach were more concerned with Carter and finding him. 


As Sean and Zach approached this road they saw in the distance a kid being chased by a dog!  Hmmm... Who do you think that was?  Yep Carter.. I guess as Carter passed the farm house two dogs came out and started chasing him.  He said the black lab just kept barking and running along the side of him.  He said "I really didn't know what to do."  He was scared to stop but also scared the dog was going to jump onto the bike and knock him over.  So he said he started to peddle even harder and told the dog to go away and eventually the dog stopped!  Crazy!!!! Only on a back country road race would this happen.


The boys caught up to Carter and watched him through the rest of the race.  Encouraging him to push harder, peddle harder and to just keep going.  Words of encouragement and love can go such a long way.  They would call and let me listen to them cheering him on and in the end I think it was the best place for them to be. Zachy cheering, videotaping and encouraging his big brother to push through it.  Sean, gently pushing and coaching his oldest son through his first road race to fight a horrible disease that has struck both of his older boys. 


This race was not about winning, medals, time or distance, this race was about a young man finding the courage. strength and passion to fight CMT.  To show that this disease will not stop him and to show his brothers that they too can fight this disease head on.  TOGETHER THEY CAN DO ANYTHING!


Did Carter finish the race?  YOU BET HE DID!  He finished it about 1 hour and 45 minutes. He didn't win but WINNING IS NOT ABOUT CROSSING THE FINISH LINE FIRST! 


WINNING IS ABOUT  FEELING GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF, STAYING STRONG AND BELIEVING IN YOURSELF!


Even though he was in pain and was exhausted after the race he said he would gladly do it all over again.  He cannot wait for his next race.  So back to training and looks like we might already have another race in mind......


UNTIL NEXT TIME.............REMEMBER YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU BELIEVE!


"STAY STRONG, BELIEVE"~Carter Hayes




P.S. I just have to say as a mom, this will be one of those moments in life I will never forget.  I AM SO PROUD OF YOU CARTER! Again, you inspire me! Zachy- You would make a great coach. Thanks for cheering on your big bro and taking such great pics and video xo mom

Lets Get Ready To Rumble!!! Cotton Patch Challenge!

Well we made it to Greenville, Texas in one piece! At least without to much whining, are we there yet? We checked into our hotel, went to pick up race packet and then ate dinner. Now its time for bed.

Carter is sooo excited yet a little nervous. We told him to relax and have fun which I know is easier said then done. We told him its not about where you finish its about having fun and raising awareness for CMT. He siad he knows but just wants to finish race strong. I know without a doubt he will give 100%.

He ate a big dinner to insure he will have plenty of food for ride and went to bed early since we have to be there at 6:55 am so we are up at 5:30am, yep that's right 5:30! What the heck was I thinking? Of course it's like 10:45pm n I am still blogging and posting updates on facebbok n twitter.....need sleep!

It started to drizzle tonight we are hoping for sunshine in morning. especially since this is his first race and he has never ridden in rain before. We haven't had any here in Texas! News says at race timeitwill be 72 so we are hoping they are correct.

Carter's race will begin at 7:55am and is 31 miles long. Sean, will be driving to checkpoints to check on him and me,my mom and his brother's,Zach n Ayden will be there at beginning of race and then head over to finish. We will be taking lots of pics and posting them.

I actually think we are more nervous then Carter! Sean is busy getting all race gear ready and checking bike. He has double,triple checked all gear and has water and sport bottles ready. I on the other hand don't know anything about cycling so I am in charge of other kids and raising awareness and cheering!

Unfortunately, I am sicker than a dog and don't have much of a voice, so my normal loud mouth will not be up to par tomorrow. None the less, I will be cheering with what little voice I have left. Cause that is what mom's do!

Wish us luck, well Carter luck! Please send us tweets @carterschalleng on twitter. I will be tweeting before, during and after race. Yes, our twitter is carterschalleng without the e because the e made it too long....

Until Next Time......GO CARTER!

"Stay Strong, Believe!"Carter Hayes

Looking back 10 years to 9/11 and Where We Are Now-Carter-Turns 16 and Cotton Patch Challenge!

Tonight I was on Facebook and one of my friends Sara posted something that just really rang true(see below.)  I guess this week is not just a big week for Carter it is for me as well.  My first born son, my guardian angel is turning the big 16.  Sixteen is one of those big bdays because it symbolizes more independence, responsibility and maturity.  Sixteen is when they get their drivers license which is a huge responsibility and leads to discovering new freedom. They become more aware of their future and start to seriously think about College and their future.  All of these things leave me as a mom longing for the days when he was 6.

10 years ago on September 11 2001 we lived in Seattle, Washington.  Carter was turning 6 on the 15th and Zach was just 8 months old.  I remember waking up, getting everyone ready to take Carter to school,we dropped him off and went to go get my coffee at my fav coffee drive thru.  When I pulled up the lady said "Oh my god can you believe what is happening?  I looked at her a little puzzled, I had no idea what she was talking about and would have never guessed at what she was about to tell me.  It all seemed like something out of a movie, could this really be happening here? In America?  I quickly turned on my car radio and tried to call my husband but couldn't get through, so I tried the school and couldn't get through.  At that point I just started driving back over to the school to go pick up Carter.  Since no one seemed to know if and when there might be another attack.  When I arrived at Carter's school there were a ton of people there doing the same thing. Pulling their kids out in order to assure their safety.

I remember Carter asking me questions and having to explain what was happening but not leading on that I too was afraid. I told him when we get home, go downstairs and play in the playroom while mommy watches the news and makes some calls.  I told him don't worry, its going to be o.k. 

I remember watching the towers go down and my heart sinking.The Pentagon and shaking my head  and I remember hearing about United 93 and thinking what amazing heroes!  I also remember that night we were all in fear, fear of the unknown.  Would they strike again?  If so where? As Sean and I lay in our bed that night we could hear fighter jets flying over.  Something you don't hear to often.  At times they were so low it sounded like a big boom.  It was a night of little sleep. 

Carter woke up the next day and of course was concerned about his bday party we had scheduled.  So I got back on the phone and started asking the moms what should I do?  We all decided the kids really needed the bday party still.  They were only 5 and 6 and really didn't need to understand the full complexity of what had just happened.  Plus it gave us adults time to comfort each other.  So the party went on as planned.

Fast forward 10 years and here we are 9/11/2011 planning his 16th bday and his first road race with CMT at the Cotton Patch Challenge.  Please pray for him to do well and have a great time.   Amazing how time flies and how life has changed.  We are now in Texas and Zach and Carter have Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, something I never even imagined would happen.  Yet, here we are getting ready to celebrate his 16th bday in a couple of days and watch him take on CMT head to head.  Am I worried yes, but Sean thinks I am a worry wart.  I think I just love my kids an awful lot.  On September 15th he will be 16 which for me means, he will be gone in two years to college, he will not need me as much as he used to, he will ignore me more often, choose his friends over me and maybe even a girlfriend over me! I hope he will always remember just how much I love him.  How when he doesn't come home on time- mom doesn't sleep.

I know I will make it these next couple of years but it is going to be a rough rode emotionally.  I know its time to let go a little but I am just not there! This whole post came from a post from a friend and it just happened to hit me on 9/11 and on his Sixteenth Bday week. 

I've made mistakes being a Mum, more than I'd like to admit. I am not perfect at all. But I will always be there for you, to hear you, to cheer for you, to laugh or cry with you, to protect you with my life and tell you things you don't want to hear. I will love you forever, even when you don't love me. No matter how old you get. No One will ever love you more than I do, because I am your Mum. Re-post if you have children that you love with all your heart ♥♥♥


Until Next Time...........HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN CARTER BABY! WE LUV YA! XO

"STAY STRONG, BELIEVER"~Carter Hayes

Charcot Marie Tooth Awareness Month- Take The Challenge

WOW!!!! So far September has kicked off to a great start.  Between the article in the Cross Timbers Gazette, the article on National CMT Resource Center, posting posters in local doctors offices and getting ready for the Cotton Patch Challenge my head is spinning!


We also have decided to have a booth at the Marcus 2 Cross Country Invitational on September 24th.  We will be passing out information on CMT, selling Carter's Challenge bracelets, giving out CMTA bracelets n t-shirts, all to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth Disease and the CMTA. 

I also will be working with local businesses to raise awareness for CMT.  Some of them are willing to help not only raise awareness but raise funds as well for research and one day a cure! 

I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW IF I, A STAY AT HOME MOM OF 4, CAN RAISE A BIT OF AWARENESS THEN U CAN TO! 

I CHALLENGE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU TO DO ONE NEW EVENT, FACEBOOK POST, EMAIL, LETTER, NEWSPAPER AD, RADIO....SOMETHING BY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH.

EACH INDIVIDUALS EFFORTS NO MATTER HOW SMALL CAN BRING US ONE STEP CLOSER TO A CURE!

SO PLEASE TAKE ON CARTERS CHALLENGE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY.   STAY STRONG, BELIEVE!

UNTIL NEXT TIME..........U CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

CMT Awareness Month

Boy, how time flies.  I cannot believe it is almost September!  I suddenly feel like I am really far behind with everything.  There are a few things I want to ask everyone to do for us.

1. If you have a facebook account please change your Avatar to a CMT Awareness Avatar. You can find these by "liking" https://www.facebook.com/CMTAssociation please do so starting September 1st. 

2. Again, if you have facebook please put a post about CMT on your wall.  Remember, the end of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease begins with you! Activate. Educate. Donate.

3. Twitter about CMT. 

4. Put an email together about CMT and how it affects you or a loved one.  Send it to all your contacts, the more people that are aware of CMT the better chance for a cure.

That should be a good start for everyone! 

What are we doing?

• Cotton Patch Challenge- September 17th Greenville, Tx come out and support Carter's Challenge!
• Posting CMT information at local doctor offices and businesses.
• Selling bracelets and all proceeds go to STAR INTIATIVE! Go Green!
• Carter's Birthday Wish- All month- more to come in next couple of days!

Last but not least tell 3 people about CMT by Saturday. 

Until Next Time.........SPREAD AWARENESS~THE TIME IS NOW!

"Stay Strong,Believe" Carter Hayes

CMT Awareness Month and Cotton Patch Challenge

It has been a crazy week getting ready for CMT Awareness Month and for Carter's first race!  He is training really hard right now and I am so proud of him!  Today he went out with his dad and they rode 31 miles, which is how long the Cotton Patch Challenge is.  Sean said he did great and Carter pulled away from him on some hills.  With only a couple of weeks left to train he is going to be pushing himself pretty hard.  Carter will to start to increase his miles and do some sprints to better prepare for the race.  I took some pictures of him today getting ready to head out on his ride.  So proud of him!

Bake sale planning is underway and already have people willing to bake and some places willing to donate for the bake sale.  Now I just need to come up with a date! Should have date wrapped up before Saturday and will keep you all posted as to who, what, when, where and how! 

I am making this post short and sweet since I have sooo much to do right now. 

Until Next Time.............Ride like the wind!
"Stay Strong, Believe"~Carter Hayes

Cotton Patch Challenge

Carter's Challenge presented a challenge to all of you the other day.  We asked you to email or tell 5 people about this website. Did you tell or email 5 people?  Let us know by leaving a comment or email us. 

Carter's first road race will be taking place on September 17th and 18th.  He will be racing in the Cotton Patch Challenge in Greenville, Tx.  The race begins at 7:55 am and is 31 miles long!  Carter is so ecstatic about racing in his first race, his birthday week and when his Nana is in town.  We would also like to invite all our friends and family to come cheer Carter on in his first race. 

Carter has been training pretty hard for this race.  He tries to cycle for 1-2 hours a day right now.  He is not training outside since it is 105-111 here in Texas!  The heat is just too much and we don't want him to get dehydrated or heat exhaustion.  We have an indoor trainer that allows Carter to ride his bike inside and he can watch t.v. while riding so that is a plus. 

So far Carter has done very well with his training on the bike.  He hasn't had too much pain just every now and then he will get it in his knees, but his feet aren't bothering him at all!  He of course is fatigued when he is done, but that is expected since fatigue is a huge problem with CMT patients.  Plus riding for 1-2 hours can wear you out.  Overall, he feels good when he is on the bike. 

Please feel free to leave some encouraging comments for Carter to help him get through his training for the race.  To all our CMT friends we have a question for you.  Have you done a cycling race before?  If so tell us about it we would love to hear about your experience and any tips you may have.

Until Next Time......................"Anything is possible.  You can be told that you have a 90-percent chance or a 50-percent chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight." ~Lance Armstrong