If you think running hurts, try chemo. I had to remind myself of that a few times while running the 13.1 in San Diego…because really, running does hurt. It helped to be running for a reason. It helped to remind myself of the people I know, and have recently met, who find hope in the money raised for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. When things got hard, and they did, I thought of them, and everyone of you who contributed. Because of all of you, I was named top fundraiser in the nation by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. It’s a huge honor, and one I share proudly with you.
It was an interesting race for me. In fact, the whole running experience has been a bit of an adventure.
Training: It’s rigorous and time consuming. One of the benefits of Team in Training is that you are actually missed by your team if you don’t show up for your Saturday run, unlike the nameless folks at the gym, who don’t know you have a goal of any kind. The runs consumed a good portion of Saturday mornings for about six months. The benefit; new and wonderful friends who were fun to spend time with. Other benefits: being able to run up and down a long flight of stairs without gasping for air, trying to pretend that you aren’t winded. Then, there are those muscles in my calves, wow, so there are actually muscles in the lower leg? I had no idea; I had never seen them before. They were also the ones that complained the most after the long runs.
Race 1 Salt Lake Marathon: 13.1 that’s longest run I’ve ever done in my life. I know that there are plenty of you out there that have done the 26.2, but this was HUGE for me. The start of the race was really exciting. So many runners! It was almost a party atmosphere, great music, free Gatorade! That excitement lasted to about mile six. Then fatigue set in. Luckily, some of you were waiting for me on the race route, cheering me on with signs and encouragement. I appreciate you. I also appreciate the Barber Shop owner in Sugarhouse for the use of his restroom facility. One of the distinct downsides of marathon running are the porta-potties.
At mile eight there was a cheer station set up with people from ABC4 and friends from the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Thanks for the hugs, and the orange Gatorade. You wouldn’t believe how much a different flavor can be appreciated!
Mile ten was where I decided that running is really a mental exercise. I was full of positive self-talk at that point. I can do this, just a few miles more, but by mile twelve, not so positive, and not feeling so good, thinking unhappy thoughts.
That’s when the Team in Training Coach ran out to greet me. It’s a tradition for TNT. Coach Dave ran about 42-miles that day. It was an odd thing. I hadn’t liked running with Coach Dave much to that point. He’s a super nice guy, but he always made me run farther, and faster than I wanted to go. That’s kind of his job as coach after all. Seeing him at the end of that marathon was like seeing my dearest friend. I suddenly just LOVED him. He was coming after me, bringing me home. He encouraged me to run across that finish line. I did. Then our photo-journalist Aaron Kimball, stuck a camera in my face and said how do you feel? I almost threw up. The thought of how that would look on You Tube for the next decade was all that helped me hold it together.
Race 2 San Diego, Rock and Roll Marathon: 13.1. I had done this before. I knew what to expect. I thought. The line-up for this 20-thousand person marathon was at about five in the morning. There was the same excitement and energy, and rock and roll bands too! There was plenty of free sports drink to be had, and thousands more who were running for the same cause as me.
Running at Sea Level is great! It really is. We ran around the city, and around the city and around the city. There were bands playing at every mile marker. Some were really fun. There were running Elvis’s, people with purple and green wigs, and miles and miles lined with cheering spectators. We finally left the city and ran around Balboa Park. It’s lovely. I could have happily stayed there all day running in circles. Then it was into a canyon, on a closed-down freeway. It was about mile seven. The freeway was brilliantly engineered for sports cars, sloped for efficient turns, not for knees and ankles. I met my photojournalist Todd at mile eight for Advil. From there, it was into the suburbs. There were bands playing the whole way. Every mile a new band, and Cheerleaders. I heard there were two hundred from area schools. Every step, more people to cheer you on. Mile eleven, Utah’s Team in training cheer site. Friends wearing purple and green metallic wigs with painted faces. Offering hugs and more sports drink. Two miles to go.
Mile 13.1 the finish line! What a crazy and insanely wonderful thing to do! What a great cause! I am tired, and strangely, VERY hungry. I am also happy to have been a part of it. So happy to have raised the money for research, so happy to know that maybe with the help of our Utah viewers and scientists worldwide, we will find a cure for blood cancer. So, I can’t believe I’m saying this, willing to do it all again.
