Have you guys had a chance to catch the new series on Morning Express, Leaders with Heart?

We take a look at people who are taking initiative and making life better for the people around them.

This week, we talk to a woman who works to meet the needs of some very special troops.

Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

It’s just 5 weeks away, and my legs are barkin’. The Las Vegas Rock ‘N Roll marathon/half marathon is December 6th! I am the honorary chairman for the Crohn’s and Colitis foundation of American, the official charity for this race.

I love being part of Team Challenge, the group of people that are racing and raising money for the foundation. You can check them out at ccteamchallenge.org.

Many of the team members have Crohn’s or colitis, yet they power through it and train for the race anyway. These guys are the true heroes in my opinion.

I just ran 9 miles while being healthy Sunday for training and I feel like a bus hit me this morning.

This is the 3rd half marathon of the year for me, and I think I am done running for a while after this. I love and respect the people that have these diseases so much that I can suck it up for one last this year, it’s the least I can do!

Wish me luck, and in a few weeks I’ll solicit for some jokes to tell while I MC the event at the MGM in Vegas.

Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

What's up everybody. I was asked again to be the honorary chairmen for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's half marathon.

This time it's the Las Vegas Rock and Roll half/full marathon in early December. I was told I didn't have to run this time if I didn't want to, but that would be weak on my part. The people that run with these diseases are tough as nails, and I want to try to be just as strong. It isn't easy, but I may be able to beat my record time of 1 hour 49 minutes for the half marathon.

I'm truly honored to be asked to chair the event again, I guess they liked me this past summer when I did the Napa to Sonoma event! This time I get a crack at MC-ing at the MGM on the strip. That's right, I'm playing Vegas baby!

I have to run a ton to get shaped up, the long run this Sunday is 8 miles. Man, that seems like forever. Wish me luck.

For more information visit CCFA.org

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Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

The race is over, and the dust from the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon has settled. It was a rocking great time in Northern California this weekend as I competed in the run as the honorary chairman for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

Bob and his lady after the big race.

I met so many great people from the foundation it made my head spin. The pasta party on Saturday night before the race was awesome, too. I MC'd the event, and met so many people that are battling the diseases and still running that I felt not worthy to even be there.

These people are tough in the truest sense, fighting through pain and still completing the half marathon! Every individual that I had the pleasure to meet had a great story behind them: why they ran and why they felt they had to compete in the race.

They raised over 2.4 million dollars for the fight against Crohn's and Colitis for the half marathon alone! If you want to contribute, please do so here.

The foundation is looking for participants in December's Rock 'N' Roll Las Vegas half marathon now. Check out CCFA.ORG to sign up for that.

I won't be running anytime soon, I think I am done for a while. I just need a break from the time commitment it takes to train for a half marathon. My wife and I needed to find baby sitters just so we could do our long runs. She, btw, kicked butt. She's a gamer and had a great time on the trail.

We ran through vineyards, farms, and ultimately ended up on the Sonoma Square. It was great.

I was just humbled and honored to help raise awareness for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and want to thank them for letting me be involved with the race. It was the bomb crossing that finish line with the bright orange Team Challenge jersey to a roaring crowd.

Morning Express meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

It is hard to believe the Napa to Sonoma half marathon is only 3 weeks away.  I can't wait to not train in the Atlanta heat anymore!

I am proud to be the honorary chairman for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and this race will bring much needed attention to these diseases.  1.4 million Americans are living with Crohn's and ulcerative colitis and over 150,000 are under the age of 18.  An estimated 2/3 to 3/4 of children with Crohn's disease will require one or more operations in their lifetime!

You can help support me by making a donation to CCFA right here.

This week's training schedule is pretty rough, but my 'handles' have shrunken to a new low.  I haven't seen my ribs since I was 19, but now you can see they may be there through a thinner layer of flab.  I guess I'll still run after this half marathon.

Tuesday: weights, 5 mile run
Wednesday: weights, 45 minute tempo run
Thursday: weights, 3 mile run
Friday: weights, no run (thank you!!)
Saturday: 5 mile at 8:20 pace
Sunday: 11 mile run

Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

It's starting to get more difficult. Training for a half marathon is never fun, but now that the temperatures are in the mid 90s every day it's downright miserable.

It's blazing hot in the summertime in Atlanta.

My wife and I continue to run for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, you can check out my prior blogs about it here.

Last week our long run was ten miles, something that is easier to do outside. This past weekend, however, featured 95-degree temperatures in Atlanta. We were forced to run the ten on our treadmill.

Everything was going well for me until about mile 8.5 when my son decides to use the bathroom right next to the treadmill.

He's only five, but he can clear a room. The last one and a half miles were dreadful.

This week, the training ramps up:
Monday: weights, rest
Tuesday: weights, 5 miles
Wednesday: weights, nine 400 yard sprints
Thursday: weights, 3 miles
Friday: weights, rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 15 K run

Would you like to make a donation to the Crohn's and Colitis foundation of America? Please do so here.

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Morning Express meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

So, according to this study, New York City has the most road rage: big whoop. Everybody knows that if you've ever taken the bridge or tunnel into one of the five boroughs.

Growing up on the Jersey side of the Hudson, I can tell you that in the early 90s it was like a Mad Max movie once you emerged from the Lincoln Tunnel onto Dyer Ave (they don't call it that for nothing!) Horns, fingers out the window, shaking fists, the works.

One guy I work with at HLN, from Atlanta, told me a great story. He was in a cab, the light turns green but some other guy blocks the intersection because he couldn't get through in time. The cabby pulls behind him, opens his window, and pulls out a hammer. With 3 good whacks he dents up the guy's trunk. "He knows the deal," he says to my friend in the back seat. Granted that was about fifteen years ago, but apparently things haven’t changed much in the big apple.

Road rage isn't just for NYC, I've seen it in Philly too. Leaving a Flyers game at the old Spectrum, I was cut off and yelled at at least a dozen times. I think the Rangers bumper sticker put a target on my back, but whatever. It made me aggressive and brought me down to the disgruntled fans' level. My finger never got more exercise.

I lived in Syracuse for a while too, and some people would tailgate the person ahead even with 3 feet of snow on the ground.

I do have a problem with Atlanta being on the worst list though. I live here now, and the people couldn't be nicer. I watched a guy sit through a green light and not move, and nobody even honked. When the light turned green again and he didn't move, I was the only one to blare my horn to get him going, and that worked. I guess that means I'm the biggest jerk in town!

Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen

My wife and I are continuing to train for our big half marathon race on July 19th. It benefits the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, and I have gotten a lot of feedback from the people that are involved with the big day.

It is such an honor to try and raise awareness for the diseases, since many people really don't know much about. That's amazing to me, since 1.4 million Americans suffer from Crohn's or colitis. I know how hard it is to train for a marathon while feeling healthy, but the folks that run in Team Challenge while their symptoms flare are simply tough as nails, heroes in my estimation.

This past week featured a long run on Saturday, nine miles. My wife and I ran this on the Silver Comet Trail, a cool path in western Georgia. Around mile 3, I began smelling cigar smoke. It instantly took my back 20 years to High School football practices, where my head coach was a big cigar smoker.

Imagine ... 90 degrees, huffing and puffing, and your coach is stinking up the joint with a big stogey. Good times. Anyway, as we passed the guy walking with his wife smoking, another buffed-out runner was coming the other way, and yells at him "Disgusting!" The smoker turns his head and says "Yeah, well so are you!" His wife hits him and says "Mike! Stop!"

We are right in the middle of this man's drama, and I thought I was going to have to step in and break something up. Luckily, it dispersed and we kept running. It made us laugh for the next six miles though.

This week's training:
Monday: weights, no run
Tuesday: weights, 4.5 mile run
Wednesday: weights, 40 minute tempo run
Thursday: weights, 3 miles
Friday: weights, 10 mile run
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 5 mile pace run

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