TNT LLS Recap

The sun was just beginning to cast it's first light over the horizon as the gun sounded, sending 7000 runners on 13.1 mile journey around the north of Virginia Beach. The 35-degree morning was the culmination of a much longer journey that we have taken over the last several months. Back in October, I first approached you requesting your assistance with raising $1900 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In exchange, I was going to run the Shamrock half-marathon. Since that time, I was amazed at the outpouring of generosity and support that was given. Contributions came from friends and family, people that only knew me as an avatar on a message forum, and six little girls that took it upon themselves to go door-to-door with a decorated red wagon to collect $150 for a cause to help rid us of a disease that kills thousands. As I took the starting line yesterday, my purple jersey representing Team-in-Training was adorned with the names of those that while no longer with us, are are clearly present in our memories. I was humbled by the knowledge our team far exceeded our goal and raised $2568! Overall for the Shamrock, 125 TNT runners/walkers raised over $170,000, the second largest amount for a VA Beach event!

My nieces and biggest supporters - Savannah and Megan

Honestly, I thought that I had the easy part of the deal as all I had to do was my normal training and then show up for the race. I didn't expect to have any setbacks. For those that have been following my training journal, you already know that back in November I suffered both a lower back and ankle injury that landed me in physical therapy 3-days a week for the month of December into January. Even though I was getting some cardio workouts in, I was getting nervous that I was loosing a lot of ground. I owe it to words of encouragement from my training partners Bev, Alissa, Jess, Angela, Michelle, and Liz for helping me maintain a positive attitude and to Coach Bob, Steve, Michelle, Danielle, and the rest of the TNT coaches and mentors for reminding me of the reason for the goal. Shannon kept me moving forward with her pep talks and never say die attitude. By February, I was rejoining the team for the long runs through First Landing Park during 18-degree mornings and feeling great.

Meeting my family post-race

Then 3-weeks before the race, I started having IT Band issues where the muscle/tendon that runs the outside of your leg begins rubbing the bone in your knee, becoming inflamed. At first it stats as a dull ache around 3-miles and then grows steadily worse. I took a week off to rest and releive the aggravation. 2-weeks before the race I set out on a Saturday morning run and it felt great until the 10-mile mark at which point a sharp pain shot through the knee and virtually brought me to the ground. That Tuesday I saw a sports specialist who took x-rays and referred me for an MRI to rule out a torn miniscus or ACL. The test came back negative and it was confirmed as ITBS. It generally takes 5-weeks of rest and stretching to get over it; however, the race was just 5-days away. I scheduled 3-days with the physical therapist where for 2-hours a day, we did some extreme stretching and massage therapy. It loosened some knots above the knee but the night before the race, it was still tender to walk on.

As the race began, I left the line with my teammate Alissa and her friend Indra. Within the first half-mile, a sharp pain ran up my shin and through the right side of my knee. When I grimaced, Alissa said it may be better if I stop; however if I didn't stop now, she wasn't going to let me until the end of the race. The doctor had told me that it would be painful but no permanent damage would be done. The thought of all of you behind me and of those that suffer pain everyday due to LLS from which they simply can't walk away made my mind up that I was going to continue forward. The pain never subsided, occassionally surging worse before normalizing; however, for 12.1 miles Alissa kept giving me encouragement and pushed me further along the path. At the halfway mark I was shocked to find that we were running sub 10-minute miles. I owe her a lot of thanks for being a great teammate and friend. 1-mile from the finish, the pain sharpened to where I couldn't land on my right foot. I told Alissa to go ahead without me while I walked for 20-seconds waiting for the pain to subside before starting back to a jog. Just as I was thinking that it may beat me, I ran into my niece Savannah and my mom at the half-mile mark. A big hug from each was all it took for me to push through to the finish line. I looked at my watch and was ecstatic to see that even with the injury, I managed a 2 hour 17 minute half marathon. Just 7-months ago, it took me 2 hours 53 minutes to finish the Rock-N-Roll. I can only think that had I been healthy, I would have been much closer to the 2-hour mark, a goal for the next race.

My sister Bec and me

Thing is that it really wasn't about the time or about me. It was about finishing - finishing the training, the fundraising, the race, and one day, hopefully soon, finishing the search for a cure for all of the blood cancers. It will be a beautiful day when a pill or a vaccination can cure lymphoma and leukemia. We the day comes that we can refer to these diseases with little more relevance than a common cold, you will be the ones thanked for finding the cure. Your efforts have already made incredible achievements in this battle with many more men, women, and children being able to live their lives out pain free of the disease. In the coming years, I hope that TNT has to search for a new cause to support because this one no longer exists.

If you recall at the start, I promised to give away either a portrait session or a fine art print to one of the contributers selected in a drawing. Drumroll please....... the lucky winner is MARSHA RUTHERFORD. If you would like a print, please choose an image from http://owney.smugmug.com/Fine%20Art . Depending on the actual dimensions of the print, you will received either a 8x20, 16x20, or 12x18. Just email with your selection. Congratulations!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone that has made this adventure as fun, exciting, and heartwarming as it was challenging. The TNT team is a wondeful organization and I encourage everyone to look into joining them for an event. Whether you are a runner, biker, swimmer, or walker; looking to set a new record or simply trying to find a healthy way to get in shape, you can benefit from the best coaches, mentors, and support staff while raising money to do some good in this world. The motivational dinner the night before the race is alone enough to make it worthwhile. I appreciate all the support over the last several months and I wish you the best for the rest of 2009.

TNT Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Training Update

First I would like to thank everyone that has donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) thus far. Your donations are going to a truly worthy cause. For those that haven't heard, I have joined the Team-in-Training (TNT) to raise money for LLS research and patient family support by collecting donations as I prepare to run the Shamrock Half-Marathon in March.

I am excited at how much you have contributed and the support that you have provided. As many of you know, a few weeks ago I suffered what was thought to be tendinitis in my ankle. A visit to my doctor confirmed as much and I was advised to lay off of it for a week before starting back up on my running. When the pain didn't subside after a couple more days, I decided to pay the Atlantic Physical Therapists (APT) a visit for a second opinion. I'm glad I did! APT has a stellar reputation in Hampton Roads.

This past Saturday morning I met with PT Jenn Cigna for an evaluation and after a series of tests, she advised me that the ankle pain was a symptom of a much worse lower back injury. I'm not really surprised as I have had issues with the lower back for years; however, I thought my regular workouts were mitigating it. Turns out that during my workouts I was compensating for weaknesses in certain muscles by placing more stress on others. This caused my running mechanics to be way out of whack to put it technically. The issue didn't really raise show itself until I increased my training runs to 8-miles. The weaker muscles finally gave out with the constant pounding.

So for the next 3 to 4 weeks, I will be undergoing physical therapy 3-days a week plus daily workouts to strenghten the weaker structures, stretch the tight muscles, and correct my form. When I renew my running program, it will be a short 2-months out from the main event. Oddly enough, this gives me even more incentive to cross the finish line on March 22.

Here's the thing... I can quit and within a few weeks, the pain would naturally subside and I can go about life as usual; however, the whole reason I started on this journey was to support those fighting a horrible form of cancer. It is painful and life draining and they do not have the option of saying "that's it, I quit, I'm just going to take it easy from now on." Instead they wake everyday knowing that they will have to face the pain of the disease and the sickness brought on by the treatment.

I had the chance to meet a few of our honorees and what overwhelmed me most was the strength of their spirit and the positiveness of their outlook on life. Simply put, I can't quit, it's not an option. Whatever it takes to get me to that finish line pales in comparison. So if that day in March comes and I'm still hurting, I will still finish regardless of how long it takes me to get to that line.

All I ask of you is that you support the LLS with a donation. The easiest way is to click the Donate Now button on My TNT Page. Become a member of a team trying to find a cure so that those with LLS may one day cross there own finish line free of the disease and live long, healthy pain free lives.

I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday season. May the new year find you in great health and with the love of your families and friends.

LLS Team-In-Training Update

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team-In-Training fundraising and training kickoff meeting for the Shamrock marathon/half-marathon is this Thursday night. I'm excited to report that we have already raised over $1000, more than half of the $1900 goal that we had set 2-weeks ago. The generosity and caring leaves me speechless! Special thanks to those joining the team recently including: Jill Beninato, David Rogers, Sara and Richard Gerloff, Shannon Tipton, Marsha and Len Rutherford, and Gretchen Reid.

While the contributions have amazed me thus so far, something happened this past weekend that nearly left me in tears. My 10-year old niece called me Saturday afternoon to say that her younger sister, two of the their friends, and her had heard about the TNT from their meemama and decided to take action. The little entrepreneurs delved into their craft kits and began making jewelry. They then created poster board LLS signs and decorated their red wagon before going door-to-door, selling their creations for $2 each. Within an hour, they had raised $30 and completely sold out their stock. Savannah and Meggie later told me that next weekend they are going to rebuild their inventory and are not planning on stopping until they raise $100. Think about just how awesome that is to hear!

Earlier today, I was reading an article on cancer in the latest issue of Men's Health. It listed lymphoma as one of the most common for men. One in 46 will pass from it. Of those that contract it without it being Hodgkins related, there is less than a 26% survival rate. Advances have been made in finding a cure and the dollars raised by TNT have contributed to both the necessary research as well as helping assist the families that are already dealing with the cancers. Unlike many organizations out there, LLS & TNT guarantees that 75% of their donations go directly to the programs for research and assistance programs. Please visit our TNT webpage for more information on our progress or to make a donation. We look forward to you joining the team in finding a cure!

Team In Training - Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

I'm excited to say that I am embarking on one of the more important, maybe the most important, activities that I have committed to in my life. I have joined the Team In Training (TNT) for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). TNT was founded 20-years ago to raise money to help victims of blood cancers with the ultimate goal being to help find a cure. In exchange for training assistance for endurance sports such as marathons, bike races, and triathlons; athletes commit to raising a certain amount of dollars in donations to support LLS programs.

On March 22 I will be running in the Yuengling Shamrock Half-Marathon at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. My pledge between now and then is to raise $1900 for LLS. My goal is to exceed that mark. The decision to take on this challenge was not a light one. It seems that everyday we are bombarded by one organization or another asking for donations. I wanted to put my support behind an organization that has made a real difference and has proven that it will continue to do so in the future.

Please take a moment to visit my Team In Training web page. In addition to links to information on TNT and LLS, it contains a journal of my related activities, gifts that are being offered for donations, and a place for you to provide a donation if you are inclined. I look forward to you becoming a member of the team!