After a six month hiatus from Team In Training... and pretty much from running altogether, it's time to dust off the running shoes and purple singlet, and hit the road for some major miles and serious fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
As you may already know, I lost one of my grandmothers to breast cancer. My other grandmother is still suffering the repercussions of treatment for uterine cancer. My cousin died of brain cancer. My mother-in-law died of pancreatic cancer. My mom's cousin died of lung cancer. My great-uncle died of colon cancer. My friend Dolly died of breast cancer... Several friends have undergone treatment for Leukemia or Lymphoma. Another friend is one year free of throat cancer. And my grandad is currently undergoing treatment for colon cancer.
On a more personal note... I am healing very nicely from a surgery to remove skin cancer from my face.
So my commitment to fundraising to find a cure for cancer comes from a very deep place.
This time around I am training with the team to run the Nike Marathon, which is a race dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Once again, I will be acting as a mentor for the Team... helping the other participants to reach their goals.
My personal goal for this event is to raise $3000 (three thousand dollars)... and I can't do it without your help. Please click on the link in the upper right hand corner to make a donation on my Team In Training fundraising webpage. Any contribution small or large will be greatly appreciated.
M
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
taking a little TNT break...
after a crazy year of perhaps a little too much running and fundraising, it is time for a break.
i have a new dog that needs to age a few more months before i can start conditioning her to be my running companion... then i'll be back at it, running and raising money to beat cancer.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Marine Corps Marathon is just around the corner
I'm feeling woefully unprepared.
I missed our 20 mile run because my brother got married that morning, and the next morning I was recovering from the wedding... and that night was Canadian Thanksgiving... and the next morning we got in the car for a 9 hour drive.. and the following morning I spent the day traveling to get home.
And then it took a week to recover from my travels... and besides, we had a 12 mile run to do on Saturday and then it was time to taper before the race.
So, no 20 miler.
Not that that is a crisis, because in each of my previous two marathons I also missed the 20 miler for one reason or another.
But, since getting home I've really been struggling with fatigue. Some days are good, some days I feel like it is all I can do to muster up the motivation to do the daily household tasks.
My runs are getting slower, and involve more walking.
And I'm feeling a little down on myself because of it.
That said, when Sunday morning rolls around, I will be up and out of bed early... off to meet my friends and Teammates at the start of the race... I'm going to complete the race on my own two feet, no matter how tired I get.
Because I can.
And because there are people who can't.
I missed our 20 mile run because my brother got married that morning, and the next morning I was recovering from the wedding... and that night was Canadian Thanksgiving... and the next morning we got in the car for a 9 hour drive.. and the following morning I spent the day traveling to get home.
And then it took a week to recover from my travels... and besides, we had a 12 mile run to do on Saturday and then it was time to taper before the race.
So, no 20 miler.
Not that that is a crisis, because in each of my previous two marathons I also missed the 20 miler for one reason or another.
But, since getting home I've really been struggling with fatigue. Some days are good, some days I feel like it is all I can do to muster up the motivation to do the daily household tasks.
My runs are getting slower, and involve more walking.
And I'm feeling a little down on myself because of it.
That said, when Sunday morning rolls around, I will be up and out of bed early... off to meet my friends and Teammates at the start of the race... I'm going to complete the race on my own two feet, no matter how tired I get.
Because I can.
And because there are people who can't.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
this one's for you, Grandaddio
Yes, we're still in training, folks!
I know I've not been around for a while, but life gets busy that way... The Virginia Beach Rock & Roll Half Marathon has been and gone, and it was a rocking good time. Now on with the training for the Marine Corps Marathon... This weekend we're doing 18 miles.
I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to tell you all who I'm running for on Saturday... I'm dedicating each and every aching step of those 18 miles to my Grandad, Derek.
In 1994 he lost his granddaughter (my cousin) Amy to brain cancer.
In 1997 he lost his nephew (my mom's cousin) John to lung cancer.
In 1999 his wife (my grandmother) Gladys was diagnosed with breast cancer. After several surgeries and years of treatment, she died of the disease in 2006.
In 2007, his brother (my great-uncle) Art died of colon cancer.
And on Monday he was himself diagnosed with colon cancer.
He knows full well what to expect from his up-coming treatment. He's sat with it all before. He knows the pain and the illness and the fear and the hope against hope.... And he knows that in the end, it may not work for him.
Personally, I'm holding onto the hope. I hope that they've caught it early enough that the treatment is successful. I hope that he doesn't suffer too much. I hope we'll get to play golf together next summer. I hope we'll get to go out for a drive just so we can listen to the baseball game on the radio. I hope he'll get to finish making himself that cello, and learn how to play it. I hope that my (future) children will get to know him.
I know that none of my family (so far) have been afflicted with a blood cancer... but I'm here, raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in the hopes that every step we take toward finding a cure for blood cancers also advances our efforts in finding a cure for cancer, period.
So when you're on the trail on Saturday, if you don't have a personal honoured teammate that you're running for... please feel free to send a little thought out to my Grandad.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
here i am... for my monthly check in!
the summer is just flying by, and the first race of Fall season is now just three weeks away.
Saturday was our 12 mile run... the last LONG long run before Virginia Beach Rock & Roll Half Marathon. it was lovely, cool and overcast... and the icing on the cake was that my sweetheart got up at 5:30 on his day off to come out and support us on the course. it was his first time volunteering as "water stop guy"... handing out water and gatorade and pretzels and such, and more importantly cheering as the runners came in to see him.
what a trooper! and he had such a good time that i'm SURE he's going to volunteer to do it again.
doesn't hurt that i had rounded up a few other guys to keep him company :)
Saturday was our 12 mile run... the last LONG long run before Virginia Beach Rock & Roll Half Marathon. it was lovely, cool and overcast... and the icing on the cake was that my sweetheart got up at 5:30 on his day off to come out and support us on the course. it was his first time volunteering as "water stop guy"... handing out water and gatorade and pretzels and such, and more importantly cheering as the runners came in to see him.
what a trooper! and he had such a good time that i'm SURE he's going to volunteer to do it again.
doesn't hurt that i had rounded up a few other guys to keep him company :)
it has been a challenging season for a lot of our runners.... the heat has been oppressive. there have been a number of injuries, loved ones have become ill... but these are the things that draw us together and turn us into a Team.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
oh, i'm a slacker!!
you see, i've been meaning to write...
in other news, it's been crazy hot and humid... which makes training (and all other things that take place outside of my air-conditioned walls) unpleasant and rather miserable.
we hosted a big yard sale fundraiser this weekend... lots of former TNT teammates donated stuff for the sale (thank you!) and a colleague of my husband donated his driveway and yard (because he lives in a good yard sale-ing neighbourhood)... and we raised almost $350.
unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whether or not you're standing in my kitchen) there was a lot of donated stuff left over... so i'm now at a loss about where to store it (other than my kitchen) until such time as we can throw another yard sale.
the team is rapidly approaching it's first double digits run... Saturday will be a 10 mile run, and the majority of the team has never run that far. in fact, many of them started saying "this is the furthest i've ever run" once they hit the 4 mile mark.... and every week thereafter!
one of our teammates has yet to come to a group training run... and i was telling him that he might really enjoy the group runs now that the mileage is getting up there. saying things like "20 miles is a really long distance to run by yourself"
and then, my little brother called to tell me he and his fiancee have finally set a date to get married... and it is Oct 9th of this year... which just happens to be the day we're scheduled to run our 20 miler.
so it looks like i will be running 20 miles on my own... at high altitude (well, significantly higher altitude that Virginia).... possibly with a touch of jet-lag... and possibly the morning before the wedding.
which means i'll probably sleep through the whole ceremony. every wedding movie shows an elderly relative who nods off... i'll do the honours this time 'round.
if they're lucky, i won't snore.
in other news, it's been crazy hot and humid... which makes training (and all other things that take place outside of my air-conditioned walls) unpleasant and rather miserable.
we hosted a big yard sale fundraiser this weekend... lots of former TNT teammates donated stuff for the sale (thank you!) and a colleague of my husband donated his driveway and yard (because he lives in a good yard sale-ing neighbourhood)... and we raised almost $350.
unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whether or not you're standing in my kitchen) there was a lot of donated stuff left over... so i'm now at a loss about where to store it (other than my kitchen) until such time as we can throw another yard sale.
the team is rapidly approaching it's first double digits run... Saturday will be a 10 mile run, and the majority of the team has never run that far. in fact, many of them started saying "this is the furthest i've ever run" once they hit the 4 mile mark.... and every week thereafter!
one of our teammates has yet to come to a group training run... and i was telling him that he might really enjoy the group runs now that the mileage is getting up there. saying things like "20 miles is a really long distance to run by yourself"
and then, my little brother called to tell me he and his fiancee have finally set a date to get married... and it is Oct 9th of this year... which just happens to be the day we're scheduled to run our 20 miler.
so it looks like i will be running 20 miles on my own... at high altitude (well, significantly higher altitude that Virginia).... possibly with a touch of jet-lag... and possibly the morning before the wedding.
which means i'll probably sleep through the whole ceremony. every wedding movie shows an elderly relative who nods off... i'll do the honours this time 'round.
if they're lucky, i won't snore.
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