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Racing to Save Lives Picture: Coach Lindsay and I in Epcot for the last mile of the marathon! Welcome to my Team In Training home page January 2009 Final Update Hello all, I can’t believe I did it. If you had told me a year ago that I would be running a marathon I would have laughed in your face but on January 11th I did just that and completed the Walt Disney World Marathon! I also have to say that it might have been the hardest thing I have ever done but it was well worth the pain and discomfort to raise money and awareness for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For those who don’t know, I had the unfortunate experience of coming down with a stomach virus the morning of the race but I persevered and completed the race knowing I was running for my heroes and those who have sponsored me. With a little help and encouragement from some of the coaches on the course, I managed to gut it out and finish. Six hours of suffering and horrible stomach pain and nausea are nothing compared to chemotherapy and the treatments cancer sufferers must endure so there was no way I was quitting because I have seen so many of them come through their struggles. They are the true heroes and a constant inspiration to me every time I thought I couldn’t go on. Although initially disappointed in my time I realized that there was a different plan for me that day. What I thought was going to be a physical journey of 26.2 miles turned out to be a spiritual one. One I will always remember and one that has made me grow and made me even stronger. This experience has also made me want to do another, if not more, marathons and when possible I will join Team in training again. The support system and the people I have met are unbelievable! THANK YOU ALL Thanks to all the folks who have supported me financially and with your inspirational words. I owe a lot of this to you. For those who still wish to make a donation you still can. Just select from the options at the right of this webpage Below, you can also find directions if you wish to send a check. I did it! Chris PREVIOUS POSTS Train Like a Madman For those of you that know me, I have been very active in sports all my life and have dedicated myself over the last 16 years or more to being one of the best martial artists I can be and I have been very fortunate to have studied under some of the best instructors in the world. As part of my cross training I decided to take up running and a much bigger cause. I am now training to participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training and I am asking for your support. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Although I am taking this on as a test of my strength, stamina and endurance, I am completing this event 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! My first experience with leukemia was in the summer before tenth grade when a classmate of mine, Elaine Marie Bacsik, passed away after battling this most common form of blood cancer for several years. It was at that time I realized how fragile life is and I knew that I always wanted to do something to help those with cancer and to help in some way to find a cure. Since then I have come across many people with many forms of cancer, including Hodgkin's and leukemia. Currently the husband of my daughter's Brownie troop co-leader, Phil Boettge is once again facing a battle. Phil went through chemotherapy two summers ago for leukemia and now it appears that the leukemia may be back. It is stories like these that inspire me to challenge myself with this marathon and to hopefully inspire you to donate to the cause. I am now also running for Joyce Reed Casner, beloved aunt of a work colleague of mine. Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. If you would prefer to send a check, make it out to LLS and send it to: 20 Covington Terrace Lumberton, NJ 08048 If you have a loved one you would like me to add to my webpage and wear a bracelet for please write about it in the contributor contents and I will update the webpage accordingly. I would also like to thank all of those people who have supported us in so many different ways so that my wife and I can train for this event. Especially Katie our steady babysitter, who has had to come over as early as 6:30AM so we could make a run with the team. I would also like to thank Brittany, Phil Boettge's step daughter, who has also helped babysit as well as the many beighbors who have helped out and even shuffled our kids to soccer games. It's a lot of work but well worth it. Also, please check out my training log on mapmyrun.com to check on my progress, distances and times. For a close up of the course see this site: Couse Map If you would just like to see general information on the event please visit the Disney Marathon Weekend Site. November 2008 Updates Hello all, Welcome to this month’s update on how my training for the Walt Disney World marathon to raise funds and awareness as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) is progressing. CONTENTS Thank you! Remember The Reason How even the smallest donation can help Run Updates Other News Current Fundraisers and Challenges THANK YOU ALL As usual, I would first like to thank all of you who have made donations so far. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. As the air gets colder the warmth of your hearts and knowing that I am running for a good cause in helping others keeps me motivated and warm. I am almost half way to my fundraising goal and the crunch is really on as my deadline of December 15th to raise the remainder of my goal fast approaches. With the holidays approaching and with the economy in the dumps it may take a lot to even think about donating but your dollars can do more good by helping others. So if you have been thinking about making a pledge, now is the time and what better way to celebrate the holidays than to know you are helping others with these cancers. Even if you are not able to donate, just passing along this information along helps, as there are many out there who have been affected in some form or another by these life-threatening cancers. "Each man should give what he has decided to give in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" 2 Cor 9:7 Also a special thanks to all my Motorola colleagues who have donated thus far and remember that Motorola will match gifts of $50 or more so if you have trouble with that amount I can team you up with another Motorolan or if need information on how to get your gift matched, please contact me. You can read more about Team in Training and The LLS, track my fundraising status, training logs and view more about the event and course on my on my website and of course you are always encouraged to make a donation: http://pages.teamintraining.org/snj/wdw09/cmcclenahan REMEMBER THE REASON: TNT Coach’s Son Diagnosed. So many of the people that come to TNT and LLS in general have a personal connection to a blood cancer. Whether they are a survivor, relative of a loved one that has passed on from a disease, or the friend of a current patient, the mission drives them all. There is another just as amazing group that take up the TNT challenge because of a desire to do good for others. These are people just hoping to make a difference and give back. However, at times these people will then have a blood cancer touch their personal life. This unfortunate reality came to be recently for TNT triathlon coach Bill Hauser. Last week Bill and his wife received the news that no parent wants to hear, that their two-year-old son Matthew has cancer. Matthew was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Burkitt lymphoma (or "Burkitt's tumor", or "Malignant lymphoma, Burkitt's type") is a cancer of the lymphatic system (in particular, B lymphocytes). Burkitt’s lymphoma (or Burkitt Lymphoma) is an uncommon type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). Burkitt’s lymphoma commonly affects children. It is a highly aggressive type of B-cell lymphoma that often starts and involves body parts other than lymph nodes. In spite of its fast-growing nature, Burkitt’s lymphoma is often curable with modern intensive therapies. Matthew has already begun his treatment with his parents by his side. Right now we ask you to remember Matthew, Bill, and their family in your thoughts and prayers. Remember, the money you are helping to raise is directly helping Matthew in his fight right now. On a more positive note, I would also like to give a shout out to Ed Nachman, Mentor, Coach and Survivor. He just turned 30 last week and without the support of organizations like the LLS his fight would have been all that much harder. Ed’s a great guy and an inspiration to all of us on the Team. GO ED! How even the smallest donation can help $1,000 Assists in the organization of 47 support groups and education programs for patients, and contributes to Society sponsored blood cancer research. $750 Provides a leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma patient with financial aid to support medical treatment and to travel to medical appointments for one year. $500 Allows (10) patients to logon to a webcast and hear the latest information in treatment for their disease. $250 Provides a Family Support Group for one year. $150 Will train (6) survivors to make First Connections with a newly diagnosed patient. $100 Helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures. $75 Average cost of tissue typing to become a bone marrow donor. $50 The cost of a co-payment for a CT scan. $40 Will educate (4) school employees on how to ease the transition back to school for a child with cancer. $35 Will purchase (12) Charlie Brown DVD’s to explain cancer to pediatric patients. $25 Covers a single prescription co-payment. $5 The cost of sending a newly diagnosed patient a packet which includes information about their specific disease and support. ANY AMOUNT HELPS! EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR HELPS MOVE US ONE STEP CLOSER TO PUTTING CANCER OUT OF BUSINESS!! NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL - IT ALL ADDS UP!! Training Updates (A.K.A. “Train Like a Madman”) I’ve been logging a lot of miles this month with my furthest runs being 16, 14 and 12 miles. Wow, practically 3 half marathons in the span of 4 weeks and I have an 18 mile and a 20 mile run coming up soon too. But I did get a chance to get away to the Pocono’s for a few days in early November where I managed to get some cross training in and did 5 mile and 8 mile hill work out runs. This month has also brought on many other running challenges such as running 16 miles in the pouring rain solo down at the Jersey shore and running 12 miles in the bitter cold with wind chills in the teens. The way I see it, it can only make me stronger and better equipped to handle the rigors of a full marathon. There is a link to my training log on mapmyrun.com through my website if you’re really that curious about my regimen. Other News Tiff As you may or may not know, I had been training for this event with my wife Tiffany. However, during the course of training she was diagnosed with multiple stress fractures in her left tibia, some of which were 3 to 4 inches long and at least one was spreading towards the ankle. The amazing part is that in between the MRI and actually seeing the doctor, she still completed a 14 mile training run! The doctor couldn’t believe it and hopefully it wasn’t damaged any further than it was. She is certainly one tough cookie but I will miss the opportunity to run my first marathon with my beloved wife. However, if she heals in a timely manner she can roll over the funds she has raised so far and will try to rejoin team In Training for the South Jersey Marathon May 3rd. I guess I now know what my plans are after I complete this feat in January so I will continue to train and hopefully the both of us can run together as originally planned. The fundraisers went better than expected and I appreciated everyone who supported me. Between the guest bartending and the Texas Hold ‘Em tournament I raised nearly $1000! I would like to extend a special thanks to the High Street Grill and to Jay Taylor who really got the word out and put all his support behind the poker event. The next fundraiser is announced below. Current Challenges Gimme 5 As I mentioned, I know not everyone can afford a large donation but the little ones can add up so I offer up the following: 1. Gimme $5 bucks - just donate online: five dollars for a great cause - and hey if you want to donate more, FANTASTIC!!!!!!! 2. Gimme 5 friends - send this to five friends and help spread the word! 3. 5 years is how long one of our honored team heroes, David, has been in remission. We have made a tremendous amount of progress but we still have a long way to go. 4. Every 5 minutes someone new is diagnosed with a blood cancer - money for research is desperately needed - so please donate now. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Southern New Jersey/Shore Region Chapter is seeking corporate partners to help the Society advance its mission: to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. There are different sponsorship levels that include a variety of benefits commensurate with the chosen level of support. If you would like more information on how you can become a sponsor and have your business advertised though LLS, please contact me and I will be happy to send along more information. Back to Contents Thanks, Chris http://pages.teamintraining.org/snj/wdw09/cmcclenahan P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this information to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again. October 2008 Dispatch Why am I doing this and why do I need to raise so much? Enough of the begging for money, and I really do hate that part but I believe in what I am doing which brings me to my next topic. Someone asked me “Why are you doing this, especially this cause and this foundation when there are so many out there and Team in Training requires you to raise so much money?” I’ll be honest; this had me stumped at first. I mean, I know why I am running a marathon, it was something I always wanted to do to test my strength and endurance and since my wife signed on with TNT, I thought it would be a great chance to run and train with her. Tiffany had run with TNT years ago for the San Francisco Marathon and told me what a great experience it was and before we got married I was training to do the Philly marathon with her, on our own, until I broke my toe playing soccer so there was a void to be filled. But these were my personal reasons and they didn’t really answer the rest of the question, especially since I have never had anyone really close to me diagnosed with any of the forms of cancer for which I am running, although other forms of cancer have claimed the lives of several friends and relatives over the years. So why TNT? I am sure I don’t have to convince anyone, even the one who posed the question, that this is a worthy cause but there are so many. Although I initially choose the program because of my wife’s previous involvement I, being the engineer-minded person I am, decided to look into it further and even figure out why I did need to raise so much. First of all, TNT provides me with a ton of support. As opposed to a walk-a-thon or bike race where I am on my own to train and generate some donations, I am actually provided with a running coach, training schedule, information on running and nutrition, a mentor and resources and ideas for fundraising. TNT is even linked into several organizations for fundraising such as Yankee Candle, Mother Earth, and most of the other sellable goods fundraisers you see around. My problem was that with my daughters girls scouts, soccer programs and other activities, most of these things are already being sold by our family, so why push the same things? (more on my fundraisers below) So given my lack of experience in both fundraising and running distances, especially this type of distance, I wanted to go with an organization that provided the support I knew I would need. But again, why so much? I decided to look at some facts.
TNT also pays for my flights to and from the marathon, hotel accommodations, marathon fees and associated pre and post race meal. So to be able to distribute as much as they do back to those who need it and provide the support system for my efforts, I need to raise more money than most would think. Again, a lot of money but given the amount of time I put in for training, money for babysitters, and general torture to my body, I am sacrificing quite a bit to be able to help others. It may not be the most compelling argument, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. (You may also want to check out the Other Interesting News Section for more on what led me down this path) Training Updates (A.K.A. “Train Like a Madman”) My running continues to progress, by the end of the month I will have logged almost 240 miles in 2 months with my longest run to date coming Saturday (11/1) at 14 miles). We’ll peak at 20 miles just before Christmas. There is a link to my training log on mapmyrun.com through my website if you’re really that curious about my regimen. I also owe some thanks to some recent training partners. I now run fairly regularly with my neighbor Tod and his running partner Dan. The only issue is running at 5AM, uuggh, but they have managed to drop my mile times considerably in just a few weeks. But these guys have run several marathons themselves so I appreciate their perspectives. In fact Dan just missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by 23 seconds! (update: due to Dan's upcoming birthday, he will be getting an allowance and DOEDS QUALIFY, WAY TO GO DAN) I have also run with a work colleague, Jim who likes to torture me with fartleks throughout a 4 mile loop near work. I also continue to cross train to keep my body strong and so I don’t loose too much weight. I don’t want to get too far below fighting weight. Of course, I still mix in the martial arts training but I just have to watch live sparring until after the race. Other Interesting News In the sub heading of training I have had a wonderful opportunity to get my story out to a much broader audience. My long time Martial Arts instructor and best friend Jim McCann featured me in his weekly newsletter and the publisher for Muay Thaimes magazine, a national martial arts publication, picked up the story and asked that we write about it and how it tied into my martial arts training. In turn the article would get the widest possible circulation in the magazine. We even made it onto their web page, CHECK IT OUT! Jim and I are now writing an article about our history in the martial arts together and it is amazing how my many years of training with Jim have helped prepare me for this new journey. Here’s an unedited excerpt for the article: I have dedicated myself over the last 16 years or more to being one of the best martial artists I can be and I have been very fortunate to have studied under some of the best instructors in the world especially Jim McCann whom I started with and still train with to this day. He instilled in me a mental and physical toughness I never thought I could achieve. Back in February 2008, I decided that I wanted to get in the ring and test those skills. Maybe it was the mid-life crisis setting in but I had that urge to fight but first I needed to get in better shape and hopefully shed some pounds and drop a weight class. So I hit the gym hard 5-6 days a week 2-3 hours at a time, lifting, using the cross training machines and building my core. Then I would head over to wherever Jim was teaching and train with him, often for 3 hours at a shot. I was getting in phenomenal shape. By the end of august I had dropped about 30 pounds. I was almost ready and as part of my cross training I decided to take up running. This is where my story diverges. At about the time I started running 1-2 times a week and through a strange chain of events my wife Tiffany was led to call the TNT office, who told her that enrollment was currently only open to alumni. Since she had previously run with them for the San Francisco marathon years before I had met her she joined the local Team in Training to run the Walt Disney Marathon in January. She hold told me how great it was and the bonding that went on when you spend that much time running with others and it was for a great cause, raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Since at the time it was only for former members, I kept my focus on staying in shape and rooting Tiffany on. But then, they opened up the team to everyone and I decided to change course temporarily for a much bigger cause. Although I am taking this on as a test of my strength, stamina and endurance, I am completing this event 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! So I joined and started running some more but this is where the martial arts ties back in again. The National TNT Running Coach, Dr. Jack Daniels, had done a lot of research on how to best run and finish a marathon. "intermittent work is the best approach to accomplishing a great deal of work" was the motto. Apparently Studies had shown that by alternating running with walking results in the least possible stress and times are often better over the long haul. Little did I know that 16 years of boxing, sparring and doing rounds on the heavy bags that I had been training for this all my life! I have been so used to exerting myself at extreme levels for minutes at a time and then being able to recover in 1 minute. This was perfect for me as our team runs 9 minutes then walks a minute. I feel fully recovered and I run the next mile as fast as the last one. You see, marathons are unique in that they majority of running (95%) is done at an aerobic level (65 - 85% of maximum cardiovascular effort) as opposed to shorter races and sprints which are usually more anaerobic (85-100% of max cardio). Wow what a change but as I have developed my martial arts skills I have noticed that once I can relax and fight calmly I am not exerting as much energy and am able to conserve myself for the finish. Again, who would have thought that all these years of giving and taking beatings would all tie back into what many people would call a leisurely pastime. By being able to calm my body and spirit and though many years of toughening my body and mind, the martial arts have actually set me up perfectly for this event. The only difference is that now I am fighting for others and not for myself. “Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” T. Alan Armstrong Chris Chrisandtiffany1@comcast.net |
Chris Mcclenahan
Last Edited on: 01/30/2010
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