DetermiNation

The whole purpose of running this crazy marathon is to raise money for the American Cancer Society. My personal goal is to fundraise at least $1,500. What's great is that the money will help support individuals seeking cancer treatment in my community. Donations will not only provide comfort for people undergoing treatment and help fund the Hope Lodge, but they will also support research. The Hope Lodge gives patients and caregivers, who travel from long distances, a place to stay and relax during treatment.

It really would be great to have a world with more birthdays and less cancer. So please Donate to the American Cancer Society on behalf of me.

On race day I will be honored to wear the names of loved ones you are celebrating or honoring. So when you donate, please include, send, or post the names you would like me to wear. "In celebration of" will be written on yellow ribbon and "In honor or memory of" will be written on silver.

I would like to give some shout outs to the AMAZING people who have donated already:

• Hal and Nancy Ball (ironic how one of my honorees was the first to donate!)
• Lauren Binder
• Cesse Ip
• The Albracht family

  Thanks to you all for supporting the American Cancer Society!

On the training note for today, I'm taking it pretty easy. Yesterday was rough and we were highly encouraged to take it easy. My cousin Lauren, the PT expert, advised that I probably have a strained muscle in my calf. Looks like I'll be taking some ibuprofen, icing, and doing some yoga this evening. On schedule tomorrow: 6 miles.

13.1

Today I ran a half marathon, and it was not a pretty sight. The 13.1 miles culminated the end of the 5th week of training (almost one third of the way through) and was meant to be a fun race-like experience...

Thursday night I started to get really nervous about this experience. I really enjoy the company and team camaraderie of my running group (more info. to come about this topic). It was daunting to think I would have to tackle 13.1 miles on my own, only 5 weeks in to training. Good thing we start early on Saturdays, so I'm not usually alert enough to get nervous and what not. Well today was different, at 6:30 a.m. the temperature was 83 degrees and I'm pretty sure the humidity was in the 90%. Needless to say it was a very sticky morning and I knew this was going to be a challenging run. I guess the only saving grace was the cloud cover and looming rain clouds.

The clock started and we headed down the KT trail. We would run about 6.5 miles out, turn around and then head back. Everyone started out with a bang- this was a race after all, but I decided to just cruise along at a speed I'm comfortable with. My running mate, and fellow Mizzou Grad, stuck together the whole time. About 4.5 miles in I ripped in to my Gu Chomps and continued to hydrate. In general I was feeling pretty good, except for a nagging feeling in my right calf. As we neared the turn around, we started to catch up with some of our faster group members. Thanks to Kelton we had cold water and Cytomax at the turn around. We made it halfway- yes!

The start back 'home' went well, there was a nice breeze and I got to experience nature to the fullest: frogs, a snake, stinky smells, corn fields, and the Missouri River. Kim and I also met a few new friends along the way. However the further we traveled the more alone I felt. I felt like we were the only people left on the trail, even though I know this wasn't true. My calf was starting to bother me a little more at this point but I had to get back somehow, so onward I pressed. The Gu-s and fluids kept me going and then about mile 12 I could see straight quite a distance and the finish was not in sight. I really just wanted to stop and call it a day, but again how else would I get back to my car and air conditioning?

We finally finished up at 2 hours, 17 minutes and some collection of seconds. Definitely not my fastest time, but the fact I finished in this nasty weather was reward enough. Once I became more aware of me and my surroundings, I realized I had sweat pooling on my eyelids, sunscreen dripping off my arms, swollen knees and gravel dust caked and clumping off my legs. After stretching I sat on a railroad track to relax and wait for my team members to finish. When I stood up to leave, let's just say I left my mark on the railroad ties. Gotta love sweating.

As I drove away, I lacked the energy and excitement I usually have after runs. Describing the experience to family and friends, they were like- why do you do this? Today I wasn't sure. That was until I received a lovely voicemail from my friend Lindsay. Remember, Lindsay's mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago. Lindsay's mom is responding pretty well to the chemotherapy, so they are going to continue the treatment for another 4 weeks. Lindsay also said that she will be moving home for a few months and that she will be around for the big race in October! That message reminded why I wake up and run in the muggy mornings of summers in St. Louis. Thank you Lindsay :)

The Beginning is a Great Place to Start

I thought it would be great to begin my blogging endeavor by describing the series of events and decision making process that ultimately landed me as part of the American Cancer Society DetermiNation Team.

The weekend of October 10th, 2010 I traveled to Chicago, Illinois to cheer on my good friends Casey, Kristen, Lindsey, and Amy as they tackled the Chicago Marathon. I've never been a spectator for an endurance event quite like this.



Amy, Casey, Lindsey and Kristen as they gear up for the start.



What an AWESOME experience. The streets were lined with people and you could feel the excitement from the runners and the crowd.

Casey and Kristen enjoying life around mile 9.

I've run a half marathon and a marathon relay, but nothing paralleled this experience. After witnessing the hard work and dedication put forth by all those runners, I was inspired to tackle my first marathon...Then I got back home and realized I'm pretty content just being a dog walker :)

Flash forward to February 2011: I tackled a 5K, without really practicing, in honor of Jaime's birthday (and Mardi Gras). I had a pretty good time, so I decided why not try another half marathon and if all goes well, maybe a marathon. Training for the half marathon began in March and I realized that I really enjoyed running. It gives me a purpose for exercise and puts an extra pep in my step the whole day through. In June I ventured back to Chicago for the 13.1, but unfortunately as I neared the 12th mile, the race was called due to heat.

Feeling slightly underwhelmed from the racing experience and knowing marathon training for the St. Louis Rock 'N Roll Marathon would need to begin in the next few weeks, I was waiting for a sign to help me decide what to do. One Friday evening I got a call from my college roomie Lindsay. I was super excited to hear she was in town but soon found out it was because her mom had been recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was stunned. I didn't know what to say or what to do.

A few days after that news, I learned that my grandfather's PSA level had creeped up high enough that they felt they needed to do a biopsy and perhaps start treatment for his prostate cancer. Prior to this week I had been very fortunate and not had cancer so closely associated with family or friends, but oh how quickly that changed. Again, I felt pretty helpless and wanted to help but wasn't sure how. Less than a week after getting all the cancer news, I received a Living Social Deal that would provide me with resources for marathon training and in return I would raise money for the American Cancer Society. In the words of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour- "Here's your sign". Thanks Living Social.