Well, once again, I’ve let too much time pass since my last post. But that is because of the simple fact that I have been so busy with work, school, the Crescent City Cafe, and TRAINING!!! After my last post, I did the 10 mile run with the whole Louisiana team in Baton Rouge. That was a wonderful experience, because we had the chance to meet our honored Teammate, Sarah Hull.
On December 1, 2009, Sarah, who was 20 weeks pregnant was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin anaplastic large T-Cell Lymphoma, an aggressive cancer. CHOP Chemotherapy was begun on December 26, 2008.
Sarah’s baby, named Meg, miraculously endured four rounds of chemo over a three month period. On March 23, 2009, Meg was born as 5lbs, 4ozs of perfection. Chemotherapy was completed on May 1, 2009. Sarah has had two negative PET scans and is determined to become a survivor. She is now expecting her second child!
While it was tough to wake up at 3:45 on a Saturday morning and drive to Baton Rouge for a 10 mile run, it was totally worth it because we had the opportunity to meet Sarah and hear about how the funds we raise for the LLS directly benefited her. Meeting Sarah has made the fundraising and training experience so much more meaningful to me.
Following that run, I ran a distance of 13 miles or more every single weekend for 7 straight weekends. The distances were as follows: 15, 14, 16, 18, 13, 20, 15, and finally a taper run this past weekend of only 10 miles. These distances, with the exception of the last two, were all done in the dead heat of August and September in New Orleans. I had to wake up around 4 a.m. for nearly all of them. I’m not gonna sugar coat it- it was tough. The first 15 mile was very hot and much of it was spent in direct sunlight. For the 14 mile run, we went to Diamond Head, MS, to do some hill training, and wound up running through a thunder storm (which was neat, and I was just grateful for the break from the heat!). The 16 mile run was intense as well, and I was very thankful to have one of my running buddies, Amanda, there to encourage me through to the end.
The 18 mile run was the most challenging run of my life. I had to miss the group run on Saturday, and wound up doing the run by myself on Sunday. I got started at 5 a.m., but even at that time in early September in New Orleans, it was still brutally hot and humid. I finished the first 10 miles in a little over two hours, which is pretty normal for me. But it took me three hours to complete the last 8 miles, because the heat just zapped me. I would later learn that the heat index temperature was 116 degrees. If I would have been thinking straight, I would have quit and called someone to come pick me up. But at that point I was a little crazed and thought it necessary to keep going. I wound up walking the entire last two miles, which was very disheartening. During the last mile, it was a struggle to even keep my eyes open- I just wanted to pass out right there on the ground. All I kept thinking was, “how am I ever going to do 8 more miles???”
When I got home, I called my Mom and cried. I told her how discouraged I felt, and how scared I was that I would either not be able to do the race, or that I would lose heart all together and quit. I knew I needed an attitude adjustment, but I didn’t know what it would take.
The next weekend I lucked out, and we had a slight break in the heat and a lower mileage run of only 13 miles. And I had the team with me, so I wasn’t alone with my thoughts the whole time. It was a great run- it was just what I needed to restore my faith in my ability to run long distances. The following weekend, we completed our 20 mile run (it actually wound up being 20.5!), and after that, I knew I had made it. I was pretty tickled all day that I had run over 20 miles! In our training program, that is as high as you go before the actual marathon. Ever since then, we have been tapering with a 15 mile run and a 10 mile run this past weekend.
My asthma has played a part in this challenge, but my eczema has been even more challenging. The extreme heat, sweat, and dehydration have taken a real toll on my skin. It has always been sensitive, but lately it has been downright angry with me all the time. Especially the skin around my eyes and my mouth. All vanity has had to go out the window. ”I’ll worry about looking pretty again after the race,” I find myself thinking when I look at my broken skin. But as I read magazine articles and stories about the health obstacles that other people overcome to race, it really puts things into perspective. Training for a marathon isn’t easy for anyone… that’s why not everyone does it. But I have to say- if I can do it, almost anyone can do it!
I am so excited to go back to San Francisco and tackle this challenge that I have been wanting to accomplish for many years now! I am nervous about the hills, but mostly, I am relieved that the training process is over, and now it’s time for the race. I have raised over $3,400.00 (way over my fundraising minimum), thanks to the support of so many wonderful donors, to whom I am very grateful. Between this year and last year, I have been able to raise over $11,000.00 total! It is a wonderful feeling to know that these funds make a real difference in the lives of people like Sarah Hull. This Sunday, I will run in honor of Massimo and Mike. I ask that if you have kept reading to this point and you feel so inclined, please say a prayer for these people and their families, and for my health and safety during the run, and for the health and safety of all the other runners. More stories to come after the race. Thank you, much love, and God bless!!
The next time I write, I will be an official marathon runner… (!!!)
