Tomorrow I Run

10/18/08

Tomorrow is the actual marathon. All my training is over. Tomorrow my body just takes over and does what it is supposed to do. Last night I put the names of those I am celebrating and remembering on my jersey. I celebrate - DANA MAZZARELLA, TYLER ALFRIEND and TALAT BUKARI that they are fighting to win everyday and that their win continues each day. I have more that I am remembering though. I will run in honor of their fight and their stuggle and most of all their memory to me and those that love and miss them each day - CATHY GREY, TOM KERLEY, JON WARDRIP, LOLA, AARON & LYNN GIOACCINNI.

While I am running I will be reminded that this isn't hard - fighting cancer - that's hard!

Running also to honor a father of four great boys and celebrate a friend's victory!

8/19/08 - Update

We are now exactly 2 months away from the big marathon. Training is going great and better than ever. I am able to run for over two hours without stopping and surprising myself. I would not still be training (I would have given up long ago) if I was not doing this for a cause and because so many of you have supported me. For that I thank you. You keep me motivated and going strong. I am not going to qualify for the Boston marathon with my speed but I will cross the finish line, before they tell me to clear the course.

Here is how I am doing. I completed a 10 mile race a few weeks ago in just over 2 hours. This qualified me as second in my category - I am an Athena if you are familiar with the running world. I am running a half marathon this Sunday and then on Sept. 28th, I will run my longest distance before the actual marathon - a 20 mile race.

I practice 3 days a week, short runs on Tuesday and Thursday nights and a long run on either Saturday or Sunday. Columbus is a great place to train for a first time marathon b/c there are great places to run and a lot of training runs available to race.

Let me not forget though, why I am doing this and why I chose Team in Training. Please continue to read on about the stories of those close to me. For they are the real reason I am running this marathon!

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Recently, close friends of ours lost their father to a long, hard battle with cancer. He has always been a name on my motivation bracelet, but now he is a name that I will continue to honor as I run each week. I still am running to celebrate my friend (read that story below) but I add even more to my runs each week in honor of a father who will be missed.

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My running story....

I've always been a planner. When I got engaged I started my "five year plan" and have done a lot in the last 3 years that are a part of this plan. I've started taking classes toward my math degree and I haven't had children despite the urging of many. There are some things that are part of this plan that I have kept to myself and not shared outwardly. I never really shared these plans for fear that I might fail them. But, I'm starting to learn that my five year plan needs to change.

Part of this change comes because shortly before Christmas a very close friend of ours was diagnosed with Hodgkin's. This was never part of her plan, nor of anyones with this disease, but its made me realize that you do need to live out all of your plans and celebrate life every step of the way. At 31, she is stronger than I know I will ever be, but she is my inspriation and my motivation as I begin to train.

Over the next 4 and a half months, I will push myself in ways I never thought possible, but I'm not just doing this for myself. I am doing this because my plan right now, involves supporting a cause.

I'm training for the Columbus Marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event as a celebration to and in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

Love,

Emily

You can also track my progress here at my blog