Oh hey winter, thanks for joining us in our marathon training. Thought you had decided to skip this year but looks like you are quickly making up for lost time. Fantastic.
I will be honest, there were many times during yesterday's slushy snowy 14 miles that I wanted to turn around and go home. The Yaktrax I had strapped on my shoes to help with the ice and snow coating my local neighborhood streets proved unnecessary once I got onto the better conditions of the main roadways, and instead the extra tread caused slightly uneven footing which really jolted my ankle and knee joints. Constantly dodging puddles, cars, and snowbanks added an unexpectedly energy depleting obstacle course element to an already draining run. And tackling my longest run yet without the support and company of my amazing teammates was just as mentally challenging as it was physical, if not more so.
Each time my sneaker sank deep into a hidden puddle and that voice in my head urged me to call my husband to pick me up, I dug deeper and found a way to keep pushing forward. The motivation varied throughout the run - from my patient partner who has been so brave in the face of the unthinkable, to the many people I am running in honor and memory of, to my truly amazing donors and supporters. But the biggest motivation was recalling the words of Dr. Glenn Dranoff who is a recipient of Barr Program funding and spoke to us at our second DFMC team meeting last week (full recap coming soon). Getting to hear an investigator speak to us about his research, which would not be possible without the funds we are raising, was beyond motivating and inspiring.
Dr.Glenn Dranoff, MD discussing his immune system research funded by the Barr Program
Remember that 100% of the funds raised by the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge benefits the Barr Program and funds research like this, so you can literally see where you generous gifts are going and the tremendous impact they have for cancer research and care.
And so this is what keeps me going. Even through 14 slushy solo miles. And even when I know that there may be 3+ feet of snow outside tomorrow. Because giving up just isn't an option.
Oh and in case I needed any additional motivation (especially in the coming days after we come out of "snow-pocalypse"), look what arrived on my doorstep today...
Oh and in case I needed any additional motivation (especially in the coming days after we come out of "snow-pocalypse"), look what arrived on my doorstep today...
My official Boston Marathon training shirt and jacket! Tradition and superstition holds that runners should not wear their jackets until after the race, but I think it will make the perfect backdrop for my medal on April 20th!
To my friends, family, teammates, and fellow runners in the path of this blizzard- stay safe! Especially my teammate Mike Skiotis who asked when he would get a shout out in my blog. Stay warm Mike and thanks for sharing your incredible fundraising insight with our team last week!