Two Weeks Post Marathon

I didn't post my marathon update on this blog- - -should have, but didn't. If you didn't get a chance to read it, you can CLICK HERE.

Today has been two weeks since our marathon and you know what, I WANTED to go for a run today! Jeff thinks I am crazy, but I must really like to run- - -because after that horrid Chicago race, I wasn't sure I would ever run again.

It felt good to be able to just go out and run five miles, five little, short, and fast miles. I think I will continue to run, but just not another marathon. I beleive 5 K's, 10 K's and half marathons will be much better for me. Hopefully, I will get to run for Team in Training again some day. It was an awesome experience and we met so many wonderful people! What they are doing for LLS is amazing!

12 Hours To Go

We just got back to the room from the Team in Training Pasta Dinner. It was an emotional, funny, encouraging, sad, entertaining and inspiring dinner. All of the honorees and memorial pictures were being displayed on a large screen.

We had a couple of speakers that were really good speakers. One was John “the Penguin” Bingham who writes for Runner's World and he was HILARIOUS. It was like going to a stand up comedy show that was all about running- - -great stress reliever!

The other speaker was a woman whose niece was diagnosed with leukemia when she was only 3 years old. Her story brought many tears at our table. Thankfully, because of the money that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is raising, the type of cancer that this little girl has has gone from a 55% cure rate to a 95% cure rate! Her niece is now 6 years old and in remission! It was really hard watching a family at our table shed many tears as I am sure they have probably lost a loved one also to this terrible cancer.

There are 650 Team in Training participants here in Chicago and combined we have raised 1.6 million dollars for LLS. It was so fun to sit with all of the other members and share what the M.C. called "our last meal" before the race.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Expo

Dad's Memorial Screen (these did not turn out well)

Marilyn's Memorial Screen

Shelby's Page

These next 2 pictures are of the amazingly LOUD reception the wholeTNT team received as we entered the dining hall for the pasta dinner. They went above and beyond to make us feel important!

Expo Picture

Pasta Dinner

Now it is time to TRY to sleep- - -hopefully it will come. But as I head off to bed, I wanted to leave you all with the email that I received from my dear sweet Camryn when I got back to the room tonight.

Hi mom, How are you?? I know you aren't going to stay up late but I hope you get this e-mail before the race. I just want to let you know that I love you a lot and I hope you won't get hurt. Mommy I wish I could be with you right now. I will be trying to check my e-mail a lot on Sunday. GOOD LUCK MOMMY!!! Here are some verses. I hope you like them.

Here they are:But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die" Judges 3:23


The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. Psalms 118:6


Mommy I love you with all my heart.


Camryn


P.S. I hope you cross the finish line. I love you a lot.

I love this huge banner from the expo. Tomorrow truly will be the victory lap!!

Pre Race Encouragement

There have been a few emails going around from the Team in Training group that will be running in Chicago on Sunday and I thought I would share:

Post Marathon Pain

We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.- Will Rogers

Bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible.
- William Shakespeare

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.
- T.S. Eliot

Big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated, almost to the point of dread, are where great deeds can be accomplished.
- Jack Lovelock

The pain won’t last but the memories will. - John Maclean, Ironman hall of famer

Then where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. - "Chariots of Fire"

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. - Lewis Carroll, from "Alice in Wonderland"

Counting Down the Days

I just went to my friend Dalene's blog so I could see her ticker for the countdown of the marathon. 8 days 13 hours. . . .oh my goodness!! That is so soon and I am scared to death! I received my Team in Training jersey in the mail yesterday. That really made it feel real. I really am going to be running this thing- - -I can hardly believe it.

I love that we get to have the names of the people we are running for on our jersey's. If you look closely on the back side of our jerseys you can see "Dad" Walter Pilant and Marilyn Williams under the "In Memory" and Shelby Batley under the "In Honor". What a neat way to remember and honor those who have fought this terrible disease. I need to continue to focus my thoughts on this instead of my fear of not finishing.

Back of Jersey

Encouraging Email From a TNT Teammate

This was an email I received today froma fellow Team in Training runner. It was encouraging to me so I wanted to post it here:

I trust all is well. I did a long run Saturday (22 miles) with my local TNT Chapter. At mile 20 I was a bit out of sorts. Self doubt, confusion and second guessing were leading the way in thoughts that were circulating in my mind. To be honest I was not happy. I was expressing my frustrations to a few teammates when one of them asked "do you know what your problem is?". My first response was "where do you want me to begin?". She said "you are thinking too much about it". Plain and simple. As we get into more miles it's hard not to have negative thoughts. Am I training enough? Am I training too much. The race is five weeks away. On and on and on. The bottom line is to "not to eat the elephant in one sitting". A mile here a mile there. Nice and easy, cool as ice. You continue to make it happen. I made a huge mistake and forgot for a moment what this is really all about. It's about the patients and survivors. It has ALWAYS been about them.

Fundraising Totals Through 08/29/08
TOTAL: $75,586.37
AMANDA: $4,835.56
DENNIS: $4,100.60
JONATHAN: $4,050.00
MARIE/JOHN: $3,700.00

A few weeks ago I spoke about where some of the money you raised went. Take a look and pass on while you finish up your fundraising.
$25 pays for 5 days of parking at a local hospital for a family member to take a myeloma patient to an outpatient clinic visit.
$50 pays for resources and materials (Trish Greene Back to School Program) for two children with leukemia to help ease their transition back to school after treatment.
$250 pays for 10 $25 phone cards for blood cancer survivor peer volunteers to make phone calls of support to newly diagnosed patients through the First Connection Program.
100 individuals donating $400 each will support one year of research for a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fellow.
$500 will provide reimbursement for cancer medications, not covered by insurance, to one patient with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma.
$1,000 will provide reimbursement for radiation co-pays, not covered by insurance, for two lymphoma patients.
"Fight the good fight" "Never ever, never ever ever, give up". Thanks for letting me in today. Peace and Love!!
Dennis

My New Running Look

**copied from my personal blog**
My running blog, Reason For Running, has been removed by blogger because for some reason it was flagged as a Spam Blog (whatever that means). I took the necessary steps they told me to do to get it back up and it STILL is not up. That was Ma week ago. I do not know how to contact them to find out what's up so that is why I am blogging about running on this blog. I plan to start a new one soon because I am tired of waiting for them.So, what can I say about running?Currently I am hating it and want to quit so very badly. We just finished our long run. . .15 miles and I HURT. My sweet Camryn is rubbing my feet as I type- - - -I love her. I can't believe that I am at the point where I am saying that I am hating to run because under normal circumstances I love to run very much. But this LONG distance stuff is pure torture. I am having serious knee issues and this is what I look like now when I go out for a run:

What a NERD I am, but that is how badly my knees hurt. I am hoping these braces will help. Jeff couldn't stop laughing at me tonight when I put them on. I didn't care because he looked like a nerd himself with his little shin splint brace on his leg, which I tried to get a picture but my battery died. I WILL GET ONE THOUGH!
I am at the point now where we have committed with Team in Training to run this thing and I am too stubborn to quit. I really feel strongly about the cause and the commitment we have made so I just can't do it. I may come crawling across the finish line, but I WILL NOT QUIT!

Chicago, Here We Come!

Our journey begins. . . .we decided to run a marathon. We wanted to run Chicago because a couple of our friends are running there. It was closed. Then we noticed it was still open to run for certain charities. PERFECT!! Then we noticed we could join Team in Training and run to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. EVEN BETTER!! We now can raise money for a good cause- - and in memory of my dad and Marilyn. I had heard about Team in Training a few years back after dad had passed away from lymphoma and knew in my mind that I wanted to do this someday. I tucked it away in my mind because I still had a tiny baby at the time. I have recently been reinspired to run again after listening to a good friend of mine talk of her experience. She ran her first marathon last year and it has inspired me to run my first one this year. Next. . . .I talked my dear sweet husband into running with me!! He hates running, but he loves me, so he is doing it. I love him dearly for his willingness to travel this road with me. Thanks honey! We are keeping a journal of our 16 week journey leading up to the Chicago marathon.