Well, the last month of training has not been what I hoped it would be. I haven't been running the miles I was scheduled to... I've been running about half that, actually. And my last few longs runs weren't long. I've been battling injury and the demands of travel, family and work. I've been struggling with grief and exhaustion and discouragement. But, ready or not, I am running a marathon one week from today.
I had a good run today: 8 miles in the rain. It was a good reminder that it's October now, and I'm facing a few long months of these gloomy, soggy runs. It was a wake-up call that the marathon itself might not be the sunny adventure I had envisioned. It was also a reminder that I'm in better shape than I think. 8 miles is, frankly, easy, even at the relatively ambitious pace I set today, and even after a few weeks of slacking off or being hurt. I can run 8 miles no problem. So even though I haven't logged the distanced I wanted, I am trying to convince myself that I am ready enough, that I can do this, and that it will all be okay.
I also want to take a moment to ask for help again. In this last week I expect I will be nervous and suffering from some self-doubt. I need encouragement and support. Also, if you can, please consider clicking on the link in the right sidebar of this blog and sponsoring my run for the American Cancer Society. It would mean a lot to me. Thank you so much, everyone, for all the help and support you've already given me. I'm grateful.
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Thank you!
Cancer sucks, but you guys are awesome.
I am halfway to my fundraising goal for the American Cancer Society as a charity marathon runner. I am incredibly grateful for all the donations and all the support and encouragement I've been getting. I will continue to work hard and I will continue to need your support. I have every confidence that with you all behind me I can finish every inch of 26.2miles and raise every cent of my charity goal.
Thank you so much.
I am halfway to my fundraising goal for the American Cancer Society as a charity marathon runner. I am incredibly grateful for all the donations and all the support and encouragement I've been getting. I will continue to work hard and I will continue to need your support. I have every confidence that with you all behind me I can finish every inch of 26.2miles and raise every cent of my charity goal.
Thank you so much.
The Big C
Cancer fucking sucks.
I haven't written much about it here to preserve some shred of internet privacy (ha ha!), but I have a family member currently battling cancer and several others have endured or succumbed to the disease. It's a nightmare, the treatment, the hope and disappointment, the pain and grief, the fear... but the worst, I think, is the feeling of helplessness. I am not good at standing idly by. I'm a problem solver, a solutions person, and it is a terrible thing to be simply unable to make a difference. I can't keep tumors from growing. I can't keep organs functioning. I can't make the disease go away. And because of distance, in this case, I can't even make casseroles.
I really need to make casseroles. (remind me some other time to write about how I express love by feeding people and how good it is that my husband has such an impressive metabolism.)
Anyway, so, because I can't cure cancer by myself, and because I can't even make casseroles, I am doing what I always do to keep on an even keel: I'm running.
I'm running a marathon. 26.2 miles. And I hope that those miles can be something more than the achievement of a personal goal. I hope they can be some small contribution toward making cancer less of a nightmare. The American Cancer Society does amazing things for people living with cancer, for cancer research and for cancer survivors. I am so grateful that ACS exists, and that they do the work they do. I hope you'll all help me make a difference, help me find a way to do something, because cancer just fucking sucks.
Here's what you can do:
Go here to donate-
http://www.active.com/donate/acs2011/aliceforacure
Go here to post support and encouragement for my training runs-
http://www.dailymile.com/people/Alice17
Go here to learn about prevention, risk factors and screening for common cancers-
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/index
Thank you.
I haven't written much about it here to preserve some shred of internet privacy (ha ha!), but I have a family member currently battling cancer and several others have endured or succumbed to the disease. It's a nightmare, the treatment, the hope and disappointment, the pain and grief, the fear... but the worst, I think, is the feeling of helplessness. I am not good at standing idly by. I'm a problem solver, a solutions person, and it is a terrible thing to be simply unable to make a difference. I can't keep tumors from growing. I can't keep organs functioning. I can't make the disease go away. And because of distance, in this case, I can't even make casseroles.
I really need to make casseroles. (remind me some other time to write about how I express love by feeding people and how good it is that my husband has such an impressive metabolism.)
Anyway, so, because I can't cure cancer by myself, and because I can't even make casseroles, I am doing what I always do to keep on an even keel: I'm running.
I'm running a marathon. 26.2 miles. And I hope that those miles can be something more than the achievement of a personal goal. I hope they can be some small contribution toward making cancer less of a nightmare. The American Cancer Society does amazing things for people living with cancer, for cancer research and for cancer survivors. I am so grateful that ACS exists, and that they do the work they do. I hope you'll all help me make a difference, help me find a way to do something, because cancer just fucking sucks.
Here's what you can do:
Go here to donate-
http://www.active.com/donate/acs2011/aliceforacure
Go here to post support and encouragement for my training runs-
http://www.dailymile.com/people/Alice17
Go here to learn about prevention, risk factors and screening for common cancers-
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/index
Thank you.
Training Widget
Race Schedule Widget