Monday Motivation: T-Minus 2 Weeks

Two weeks from today I will be running my third Boston Marathon! And according to this amazing cheer map created by my teammate Michelle, I should be right around Wellesley College (or the half-way mark).

Amazing how a little click of the calendar from March into April makes it all seem more real. Throwing it back to April 2016 for some Monday Motivation - here are the elite women lined up at the start line. If you look closely, you'll spot a familiar face.

While the picture may be an April Fools', our mission is not. Can't wait to line up with my DFMC teammates two weeks today as we aim to surpass $100M raised for cancer research and take our 26.2 mile victory run!

                                                         

Monday Motivation: 8 Weeks To Go!

As I am typing this, snow continues to swirl outside our windows adding onto the 3 or so inches we received overnight (with another 3 or so expected before end of day), and I am contemplating which layers to wear when I head out for a blustery 4 miles shortly. Thankful for today's holiday which allows me to run midday after the plows have come through making conditions a little more ideal.

Training wise we are half way there, and late last week we received an update from the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) with some standard updates for all marathon participants. Tucked near the bottom was a link to the Official 2019 Boston Marathon Course Preview. While I have ran Boston twice thus far, put in countless training runs on the heart of the course, and have watched similar footage of the course in the past, seeing this preview coupled with commentary from some of the most elite athletes to take on all 8 towns and 26.2 miles of Boston's course gives me butterflies all over again (the good kind)!

8 weeks from today I will join some tremendous fundraisers and athletes in tackling this course - and for the 500+ members of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, it will be a celebration of all the hard work each of us (you included) have put in towards getting us closer to a world without cancer! But there is still a lot of work to be done before we make our victory run. I am back on track to put in 16, 18, and 20 milers in these next few weeks after staying conservative mileage wise throughout January/early February while allowing for a strained hip to heal properly. And on th fundraising front, once some gifts in progress post to my page, we will be $9,284.20 towards my goal of raising $13,100 for vital cancer research, or roughly 71% of the way there!  

So yup, there you have it - there is still a lot of ground to cover but we're making great progress and I am confident we will surpass my goal before I line up in Hopkinton in 56 days (but who is counting)! And with that, I'm off to go skiing running! 

T-Minus 18 Weeks: Let the Training Begin!

So I have been a little quiet on here lately - rare for me, I know. In late September someone very near/dear to me learned they had a potentially cancerous tumor - a few weeks later with a referral to the very best at Dana-Farber's diagnostic clinic and Brigham and Women's surgical team, we learned this would require major surgery which took place just after Thanksgiving. While I'm not able to share much more than that at this point in time, I can say that the honor and privilege to run Boston for Dana-Farber, and the critical research this team funds, has never been made more real to me than in these past two months.

Intermingled with this news was our first team meeting on November 7th and our first group run this past Saturday, December 8th. Both allowed the chance to reconnect with so many from our DFMC family as well as to welcome our "newbies" to the team. Our "official" training plan started today and over the next 18 weeks we will run upwards of 250 miles - or 840,000 steps and 85+ hours on our feet - with one hell of a 26.2 mile victory lap on April 15, 2019. I hope to be celebrating having raised at least $13,100 to fund vital cancer research - though if I am being honest, after raising $18,668 in 2016 and being just shy of the 20k Pacesetter mark (Pacesetters are top fundraisers on our team who meet various milestones such as 13.1k, 20k, and 26.2k), the competitor in me is not so secretly aiming to raise 20k to kick cancer's butt!

Quick shout outs to my #BirthdayChallenge and #GivingTuesday bonus winners - Peter Naughton and Ellen Hourihan! Each received a Starbucks gift card for donating during those challenges, and I appreciate your support!

Running wise, I had my first 6 mile run on Saturday since before I got pregnant in 2016, and I felt great! No surprise that getting to be back out on the course with my favorite teammates and volunteers was a game changer. Day 1 of my plan called for 3-4 miles and I stuck to the lower end with a solid 3 and plan to do 4 tomorrow (when Day 2 again calls for 3-4). Stretching, core work, and even greater focus on diet will all come into play now as well.

Thanks as always for your love and support...here we go!

Getting in today's miles while wearing my new Tracer 360 LED safety vest
on Day 1 of training for the 2019 Boston Marathon.

Monday Motivation: One Week and All The Feelings

You would think that because I ran the marathon last year I would be heading into this weekend with nerves of steel, right?  Wrong. With one week to go I woke up this morning with butterflies in my tummy and ALL the feelings. There is just something about it being one week away that makes it all very, very real.

So I headed into Boston for work. And the marathon themed New Balance posters are up in Kenmore Square. The newly unveiled "Boston Strong" painting is gracing the Charlesbridge overpass spanning Commonwealth. And the scaffolding has gone up for the finish line on Boylston. Even the yogurt commercial on the radio this morning was geared towards people running the marathon! 

Surprisingly, seeing all of these things did nothing to calm my nerves. Shocking, right? 

Then my coworkers surprised me by matching the amount raised from today's Red Sox home opener "Jeans for Generosity" day to benefit my DFMC fundraising, and my heart and mind are exploding from love and gratitude (plus all the other aforementioned feelings). I can't even compose a logical thought right now because I am so overcome by everyone's generosity throughout this journey.

So I am taking deep breaths, working to compose my thoughts, and focusing on why and for who I will be running a week from today. And of course I am also daydreaming about the delicious BBQ I will eat tonight in support of DFMC. I'll be back with some more posts to get us geared up for the big day but in the meantime, here two of my favorite marathon motivations to get you through the rest of your Monday and kick start the week. 

My prayer for the next week

It's NOT a sprint. It's a Marathon.
Overlooking Boylston Street and Mile 26. 

Yankees Fan  + Red Sox themed  "Jeans for Generosity" day at work =
DFMC baseball cap and shirt!!!

Monday Motivation: 2 Weeks and Counting!

Last year we trained through one of the worst winters on record, so it would not have surprised me in the least if it had snowed in early April or even on Marathon Monday itself. But this year has been a completely different story (in many ways) and in contrast to last year, we barely got any snow. Apparently Mother Nature has decided to make up for that and it has been snowing since the weekend.

Thus is the first thing you learn when training for and running a marathon: anything can and will happen. The second thing? You have very little control over it. So, when I came out to my car this morning and it was encased within 3 inches of ice with another 3 inches of snow on top of it, well, all I could do was laugh (okay fine - I may have let a few expletives slip out before I started laughing). It is what it is and, as they say, if you don't like the weather in New England, wait a minute.  And with two weeks to go, even some unexpected snow can't dampen the marathon excitement that is continuing to build each day. I had to stop myself from dancing around with glee when I went to snap this photo to show ya'll the view of snowy Boylston street and saw that New Balance had unveiled a new "Nobody Runs Like Boston" sign at the 26 mile mark.

This past Saturday I wrapped up my major training with a rainy 11 miler in NYC. While I had planned to do an 18 miler, I had to cut my run short for good reason - my parents were making record time on their drive to NYC, and the entire point of my visit was to surprise my Dad with tickets to the Rangers game for his 60th birthday. My planned route had me starting down in Union Square and running across 14th Street, then cutting down to 10th before cutting over to pick up the East River greenway. From there I planned on wrapping around the bottom of Manhattan, past the Battery, and straight on up the Hudson greenway to the very top of Manhattan which is my old neighborhood. Riding the A train downtown bright and early, I thought back to years ago when I was new to the city and trying to find my way to the multitude of studios and theatres. I would find comfort in spotting fellow performers with a day's worth of music, dance gear, and headshots shoved into a bag with one script or another in hand, and then I would follow them as they expertly weaved their way through the stations and streets towards yet another audition line. Upon arriving you would share a quick nod of solidarity that you were both there for the same reason, with the same hopes. "These are my people" I used to think. It was a bittersweet memory as I reflected on how different my life is now - and not at all different in a bad way, just so different than what my 22 year old self used to daydream about on that very same train.

As the train finally lurched to a halt at 14th street, I shook away the nostalgia and focused on the run at hand. As the doors opened and the crowd surged onto the platform, I noticed a group of 5 runners come out of the neighboring car. With their loaded fuel belts, GPS watches, and rain layers akin to my own, I couldn't hold back my smile as I thought "THESE are my people now!" I practically skipped up the steps as we exited the station and as we spilled out onto the sidewalk we were greeted by a torrential downpour. There was just enough time for quick nod of solidarity at the dismal conditions before we each went our separate way. "Maybe things haven't changed all that much after all" I thought as I set out on my run.

Despite the rain, there were many runners out and about on the greenway. I tried not to worry about pace and just let myself get out of my head and enjoy the run. I snapped a few photos along the way (mainly for Dave who was keeping Grandpa company at breakfast and sharing my GPS link so they could track me), and then just as I rounded the Battery the rain slowly tapered off and it warmed up a bit. I continued northbound and started to get excited about my favorite stretches of the Hudson greenway past the 72nd street boat basin, etc. but that is when I learned my parents were likely going to arrive much sooner than planned and once you get onto that stretch of the greenway, it's a little bit more difficult to dash back over towards the trains/cabs. I was feeling great but definitely didn't want to risk being late so I decided to adjust my route and run back towards Columbus Circle where I knew I could use restrooms, grab a recovery drink, and hop back on the train uptown.  It must have been fate because my watch clicked to 11 miles even just as I came to the entrance to the shops. Despite cutting it short, I felt good about the run and had no pain or other issues - so mentally and physically, I count it as a win!

It is really hard to believe we are at the two week mark, made even harder by looking at the snow which continues to swirl outside my office window. The focus now will continue to be on staying healthy, hydrated, rested, and focused on why and for who I am running. More to come this week as we head into the final weeks!

Monday Motivation: 3 Weeks and $544.34 To Go!

3 weeks from today I will line up with my teammates and 29,500 of our newest friends to run the 120th Boston Marathon. This past weekend our DFMC team was among the hundreds of runners who took to the marathon course to run what is typically the longest run before we begin tapering (fancy running term for cutting back/resting) in the final weeks before the race. The energy out on the course was electric and the support from the volunteers for both our team and the many other charity teams, local spectators/fans, and the Newton PD and FD were truly outstanding. I finally clocked 18 miles for the first time this season which was as much a mental victory as a physical one, though I was running on empty for the last few miles thanks to miscalculating my refueling (a mistake I made last year at this same mileage and which is easily fixed, but alas this is why we have training runs so we can get those mistakes out of the way now versus on Marathon Monday). Luckily for me I get one more crack at 18-20 this weekend, with permission of our training advisor, given I lost just about a month of critical training time while dealing with what can only be referred to as "the plague." I am glad I will have the chance to tackle this distance one more time before giving my mind/legs the necessary time to recharge so I can rock 26.2 miles on April 18th!

On the fundraising front (drum roll please) I have surpassed my original goal of raising $13,100!!!  Reaching this goal also means I have attained the 13.1K Pacesetter level, the second of four fundraising milestones set by the DFMC (8K, 13.1k, 20K, and 26.2K). In addition to my Pacesetter patch (earned for reaching the 8K milestone) which I will proudly wear on Marathon Monday, I have now earned my second set of 13.1K Pacesetter gloves (which will help to remind me of the many generous hands and hearts which have helped me to reach my goals thus far) and I will join my fellow Pacesetters in having our names listed on our official DFMC fundraising map.

But of course it wouldn't be called the marathon "challenge," if I didn't up the ante right??? Right. So I have increased my fundraising goal to $14,866. Why that number you ask? Because once I hit that goal, in just shy of two years time you will have helped me to raise $35,000 for Dana-Farber!!! And $35,000 is a lot easier to remember than $34,444.66 (the current total).

With 4 days remaining in my final March Marathon Madness drawing for two Red Sox EMC Club tickets plus parking (a $700 value), and only $555.34 to go to reach this new goal...well, wouldn't it be awesome if I could head out on my 18-20 mile solo run this Saturday knowing we had reached or surpassed this new goal?!? I could probably run off that energy alone (though don't worry, I learned my lesson this past Saturday and will still pack a few extra energy gels).

Every $10 gift = 1 entry for the best seats in Fenway, plus don't forget about my bonus secondary drawing for a mystery Red Sox item! And how much do I love you and your support, and how much do I want to see someone win these amazing seats? So much so that this Yankee fan made a special pit stop at the Cathedral of Boston this morning just to tell you more about this incredible prize:

Monday Motivation - 7 Week Countdown!

7 weeks from today we run the Boston Marathon. This morning was the third morning in a row that I awoke at 5:00am with high hopes of running 16 miles. However the only running I did today was to the pharmacy, to finally pick up a steroid prescription in hopes of calming down my angry asthmatic lungs (which have been more active this week than the rest of me).

And believe me, I never thought the day would come when I would say I am frustrated because I couldn't go out and run 16 miles. But I am. It is maddening to feel fine with the exception of your lungs rebelling with every breath. To be stuck at home knowing you are causing more work for other people. To feel weak when all you want to do is be strong.

But these cough riddled hours on the couch have given me pause to reflect on just how very precious our health is. And it is a stark reminder that I am running because each and every day, people's lives and health are forever changed in the blink of an eye when they receive a cancer diagnosis. And so who am I to complain when the frustration I am feeling is merely momentary and will (hopefully) subside in coming days? When the "inconvenience" of my ailment is but a fraction of what cancer patients and families endure for not just days or weeks, but months and years. When I know people who are sitting in treatment every day and then heading out to log miles on the weekend because they won't let their diagnosis hold them back. And when there are countless parents, friends, and loved ones who have to be strong all the time for those who simply can't be. Well, that sorts of puts things in perspective doesn't it?

So instead of whining about what I missed out on this weekend, I am going to focus on what will drive me forward the rest of the week.

When people ask me why I am running again this year, one of the top reasons is because I am simply so proud of the impact the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge has had, and continues to have, on the future of cancer care and cures. But what do I really mean when I say that? Well for starters, it means that when you make a gift to DFMC, 100% of each and every dollar goes DIRECTLY towards funding research projects via the Claudia Adams Barr Program at Dana-Farber. Not a single cent goes towards the tremendous amount of lady/man power, support, and resources it takes to get 500+ runners to the starting line on Marathon Monday, or towards the "administrative" costs you will often encounter when supporting similar initiatives. Which means that even a $10 gift can help make a difference (and help make you a winner during my March Madness opportunity drawings)! 

As such, today I want to highlight the work being done by David Weinstock, MD and the Weinstock lab, which is particularly fitting in advance of my next guest post which will give you an insider look at the work being done in this lab!  With support from the Barr Program, Dr. Weinstock and his laboratory members collected and analyzed samples of a rare leukemia called Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN). BPDCN is a rare, aggressive form of leukemia that affects approximately 800 people in the United States each year. Patients with BPDCN face a tough prognosis, and researchers are working hard to learn more about this illness. Dr. Weinstock and his team discovered a mutation that can promote the growth of BPDCN cells. Having identified the mechanisms through which this mutated gene drives leukemia, they are now testing a strategy to target this mechanism. Dr. Weinstock's team also discovered that this gene is mutated in many other cancer types, including melanoma, ovarian cancer, some forms of lymphoma, and other types of leukemia. Dr. Weinstock's research could therefore have major implications not only for BPDCN, but could also lead to the development of new therapies for many other forms of cancer. Dr. Weinstock and his collaborators published some of these findings in December 2014 in the journal Nature Medicine. Oh and if that isn't amazing enough, Dr. Weinstock is also running his third Boston marathon this year a part of the DFMC team!

Still think $10 doesn't make a difference? Think again. 

Monday Motivation - 11 Weeks To Go!

Fact: Saying in January that you are running a marathon in April is a lot less scarier than saying it in February.

The 2016 Boston Marathon is 11 weeks from today and things are really starting to heat up - no, literally. It is currently 62 degrees in Boston, birds were chirping as I left for work this morning, and most of the snow in our yard has melted away. This is a far cry from last year's frigid temps and the mountains of snow that towered over me for months. And I am not complaining! However, if that groundhog sees his shadow tomorrow I respectfully request the right to ask for clarification as to whether that would be six more weeks of this winter's weather or last year's.  

If the weather isn't motivation enough today's impact statement reminds us why will run our hearts out on April 18th (and in the 77 days leading up to it). While every type of cancer diagnosis is life changing, none are perhaps as scary as a pediatric cancer diagnosis. So today I wanted to highlight the work of Barr investigator Dr. Rani George, whose research into neuroblastoma in children is leading to new and innovative treatments to fight this aggressive cancer.

Neuroblastoma has historically been a very difficult cancer to treat in children, and, although

chemotherapy and stem cell transplants have improved survival, relapse is common and nearly

almost always fatal. Dr. George and her team used Barr Program funding to discover that about 10% of pediatric neuroblastoma tumors contain a mutation in the gene ALK. Several successful drugs

already exist to treat other types of cancer that demonstrate these same ALK mutations, so Dr.

George and her team were able to initiate clinical trials that could result in new treatments and have the potential to improve survival for children with neuroblastoma. This research also paved way to continued research by Dr. George and her team to investigate the mechanisms of ALK activation and regulation, as well as strategies that can be employed therapeutically. You can learn more about Dr. George and the tremendous research being done by her labratory HERE.

Today you are learning about the clinical side of neuroblastoma and how your generous support helps to have an impact on this and other cancers. Tomorrow I will share a very special post that shows the other side of a Neuroblastoma diagnosis and you will not want to miss it. Until then, I leave you with one of my favorite pieces of motivation which I believe both runners and researchers can appreciate.

 

Monday Motivation: 12 Weeks To Go!

Happy Monday ya'll! 12 weeks from today we take to the streets for the 120th Boston Marathon and time is really flying by. If I have been a bit silent lately it is because I was kept busy by back-to-back trips to visit family and my favorite toddler running "coaches" - think lots of unintentional stair repeats and speed work (it's amazing how quick one can move when a tipping glass of milk is involved). Lots to catch up on this week including exciting fundraising opportunities and the introduction of my first guest post which is not to be missed, so be sure to check back as the season flies into full gear. But for now, here is your Monday Motivation!

After a 13.1 mile run with the team this past Saturday, I headed over to Dana-Farber for our Patient Partner welcome party. It is hard to believe it has been just about a year since I met Darla and her family, and each and every time I see Darla it is a reminder of why this team and our mission is so important. Because while much of the party was spent seeing just how many gummy bears Darla could put on her ice cream sundae (they are her fav) and hearing all about her Make-a-Wish trip to Disney over the holidays (where, according to Darla, Belle informed her she was my favorite princess- naturally), after the party we headed towards the garage which took us past the Jimmy Fund Clinic. And no matter the amount of kid friendly lights, toys, and decorations that make the clinic as fun and welcoming as possible for its patients - at the end of the day it is still a clinic. In the middle of a hospital. For kids. With cancer.

So as we strolled towards the garage I watched as Darla bounded ahead of me and then casually turned and said "this is my clinic where I go for treatments." With the same nonchalance as when she showed me where she practices for cheerleading, or where her dance recital was last year. The location is so familiar to her and forever embedded in her childhood. All at once I was struck again by the magnitude of how this disease forever changes those it touches, but also by the safe haven and hope that Dana-Farber provides for those bravely fighting it.

As we continued towards the garage, we came upon one of my favorite parts of the Dana-Farber campus - Marathon Way. In addition to highlighting each year's DFMC singlet, the team's history and milestones, and the previous year's check to the Barr Foundation (man did I love seeing that cardboard check again!), visitors have the chance to "travel" the marathon course from start to finish. And so, here is my motivation for this Monday and the next 12 that follow. And probably many more Mondays after that. I may have a long way to go until I get to that finish line, but knowing this girl is running beside me will keep me going until I get there!

                  

It's a long way from the start to the finish, but Darla is ready to help me take on the challenge!

Pointing to a pic of Darla and her family at Fenway Park which

is featured on a timeline honoring the longstanding commitment

of the Red Sox to the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber. 

Darla was in treatment when that picture was taken, and

to stand next to this smiling whirlwind of energy with a head full of hair

while looking at this picture of her tiny, balding, and in her Dad's arms was

a bold reminder of the miles she has come since her diagnosis 

Click HERE to View Erin's Super Bowl Squares for Cancer Research - $30 gives you the chance to win $100, $300, or $1000 while providing a $2500 donation toward cancer research!!!

Monday Motivation - An Open Letter to My Laziness

Dear Laziness,

So we meet again. We broke up quite a while ago and I have been just fine without you. Blissfully happy, in fact. However, lately I have noticed you trying to win me back. Your callous giggle as you push snooze on an early alarm meant to get me out the door for a run. Your brazenness as you pile another cookie on my plate. And your haughtiness while ignoring baskets of laundry ready to be put away. It seems you are everywhere I look these days and I do not like it.

When I first broke things off I knew you wouldn't take it well. You lingered around the corner always ready and trying to lure me back. But I stayed strong. And eventually, your voice became but a whisper and distant memory as I conquered my to do lists, set and surpassed goals, and enjoyed a productive life without you.

But you are persistent and, well, now here we are again.

So I am here to tell you, it stops now. We had our little holiday fling but now you have to go. No matter the rush I may feel when you first arrive, I am always left frustrated and unfulfilled while regretting all that could have been if I had only just ignored you and your pesky ways.

This is goodbye (until 16 weeks from today right around 5:00pm when I may welcome another fling- but you are NOT moving back in and I want my key back).

Not Yours,
Erin

Monday Motivation - Official Training Starts Now!

Today marks the official start of our 18 week training plan to prepare for the 120th Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016! I will begin posting training recaps this week and here are a few fun numbers to put the next 18 weeks into perspective:

13,100 | My DFMC fundraising goal in honor of the half marathon distance (13.1 miles)

10,846 | Number of dollars still needed to reach my goal

522 | Number of training miles I will run between now and April 18, 2016 

26.2 | Number of miles I will run in the Boston Marathon

20 | Longest number of miles I will run in a single run prior to the marathon

18 | Weeks until the Boston Marathon

8 | Number of towns we will run through during the marathon 

6 | Age of my amazing DFMC patient partner Darla 

2 | Pairs of running shoes I will go through during training 

1 | Goal: To end cancer 

0 | The number of people who should be affected by cancer

Monday Motivation - Gobble Gobble Edition

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! I am looking foward to a short work week and running the Wellesley Turkey Trot on Thursday morning. The next few days will be a flurry of travel, cooking, and craziness, so before the holiday hub bub gets underway I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on the things I am most thankful for this year and which provide motivation day in and day out.

Each and every person reading this. YOU are amazing and I thank you for your love and encouragement. You send notes when I need them most. You like my silly posts and photos. You tell me to keep going even when I want to quit. You open your hearts, your faith, your ears, your wallets,and so much more to support me in this journey- I am so thankful to all of you.

My health and mobility.  

I am so thankful for these overlooked blessings. All too often we do not reflect on our health or mobility until something threatens either. I am grateful for all that my body allows me to do on a daily basis! 

My incredible husband David. I am so thankful for you. I love you more with each passing day and could not be more proud of you and all you have accomplished this past year. You want to talk about motivation? This guy relocated across the country, worked his bum off through pre-reqs and an accelerated BSN program which he graduated from with honors, AND was offered his first RN job two days after graduating (yeah, setting huge goals is sort of a thing in our household). This Thursday marks Dave's six month anniversary of working as a nurse and I could not be more inspired by the compassion he brings to his profession, by the dedication he has shown to continually learning and growing in his new career, and by the tremendous impact he is having on his patients and their families. 

I could have never gotten through this past year without Dave's love and support, and one of my absolute favorite photos of all time is when Dave surprised me as I rounded the last turn to head towards the finish line of the marathon. Dave and all of our family had waited for me at Mile 21, and given race day crowds and weather I told him not to bother trying to get to the final stretch as it would likely be impossible for him to get there in time and find a spot, etc. As I came up "Mt. Hereford" (thus dubbed because there is an ever so slight incline which feels like Everest on 26 mile legs) and approached Boylston, I looked straight ahead and saw a guy jumping up and down behind the spectators lining the barricades. It took me a moment to realize it was Dave and right when I did, someone snapped the below. Dave then proceeded to run alongside me on the sidewalk for the next block before additional barricades prevented him from going further. That medal I received moments later is just as much his as it is mine - thank you baby,  couldn't do this without you!

My family.
I am so thankful for you and am blessed beyond measure to have each of you in my life. I could fill an entire blog with posts about the lessons you have taught me, memories we have shared, and how much I love each of you. You are my rock.

                    

                       

1. Seeing my family at Mile 21

2. Getting my medal with my cousins

3. Proud Papa Naughton and his marathoner 

When you have known each other for 15+ years, and when you travel in from multiple states to surprise your friend the night before she runs her first marathon,you are more than friends -  

you are family (and yes, that is my Dad with the best photobomb ever)

My brave, silly, funny, sassy, HEALTHY patient partner Darla.

I am so thankful that you are a cancer survivor and thriver, and that I was matched with you.You have had to see and go through more in your six years of life than I have had to in thirty-three. To watch you run, jump, skip, dance, and sing is to watch blessings before my eyes. You were given back the gift of life, and you put that gift to great use each and every day. I am so thankful for you and your beautiful family, and I am so honored to run for you! 

My amazing DFMC family. 

From our fearless leaders, to my ever inspirational teammates, to every single volunteer who gives their time and energy to help this team - I am so thankful for each of you. This is much more than a team, it is a family. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms (some of you quite literally after our long runs!).  

   

My coaches.

I am so thankful for Belle and Josie, and they bring so much joy to our lives (as well as being in charge of my training, obviously...)

My BAA bling.

I know, I know. Thanksgiving is NOT a time to reflect on material things. But I just can't help it, I am so thankful for these beautiful shiny necklaces. Mere pieces of metal and fabric, yet the milestones and experiences they represent are precious to me, and I am thankful for all the memories that they symbolize.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

Monday Motivation - When I Run...

When I run, all at once the world fades away and reappears in vivid detail

Stresses and petty nothings dissipate, and in their place - beauty unfurled. 

In simple fleeting moments so often gone unseen, unappreciated, unknown

Nods, smiles, handshakes, cries, laughter, whizzes, whirls, and chirps

In water gently lapping and tapping, then flowing fast away

I am absorbed and consumed in the rhythmic trance of each footfall

And the path takes me farther than the mileage ever says

Yet even in zen a soul can weep. 

For the magnitude of this world can oft be far too much

Though I push on in hopes these simple beauties will comfort me a moment longer

Wrapping me in their embrace and blocking out the rain

Until life breaks in loud and coarse, and we agree to meet again tomorrow.

Monday Motivation - Birthday Edition

Happy Monday! Kicking off my first week as a 33 year old with a heart full of love and gratitude to each person who helped make my birthday this past Friday so wonderful. Thank you for your posts, emails, notes, and phone calls - it really made the day so special. 

HUGE thanks 21 very special donors who helped me raise $1418 for vital cancer research during my #33for33 birthday campaign! When I first launched the campaign I had hoped to raise at least $165 on my birthday (33 gifts x $5, the cost of an average birthday card), and I had secretly hoped we could reach $333 raised in honor of turning 33. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined you would help me raise more than four times that amount! Plenty of you also took the time to share my posts, perform a random act of kindness, help someone in need, or even signed up to volunteer for a cause near and dear to you in my honor. Spreading love and giving back was my birthday wish, and boy did ya'll help that wish to come true! Thank you, thank you, thank you.  

As I enjoyed my birthday festivities throughout this past weekend, it was not lost on me how simply reaching another year in our life is a present in and of itself. That is something I was vividly reminded of while I watched my incredible DFMC patient partner Darla whizzing around the room at her sixth birthday party this past summer (it was a roller skating party and yes, she did inform me that I would finish the marathon much quicker if I wore roller skates this year). While the gift table was overflowing with bags bearing Darla's favorite Disney princesses and Frozen characters, as I watched her loving parents Sherelle and Daryl look on - as well as countless family members - we all knew the real gift was seeing this happy, healthy little girl laughing without a care in the world beside which flavor cupcake to choose.

And yet, cancer has forever changed this family. To look at Darla you wouldn't know that she had spent hours at Dana-Farber undergoing treatment. You wouldn't know that every two months since being declared "cancer free" (not cured) last year, she has still had to have her blood tested every two months to ensure that her Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) has not returned - meaning that every two months her parents have had to wait with baited breath at the mercy of a simple test that has the power to turn their world upside down (thankfully after her last tests came back clear, the interval has been extended to every four months for the next seven, yes SEVEN, years of her life and then yearly after that). You wouldn't know that Darla's innocence was forever altered by this disease, as evidenced by the conversation we had while walking together for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society recently: 

Erin (while explaining why it is good Darla doesn't reach out to pet dogs she doesn't know): Well you know how if I came up behind you  and yelled "boo" you might jump and throw your arms out because you were scared? That's how dogs feel sometimes when people come up and pet them unexpectedly, only since their arms are down on the ground they may turn around with their face and that is why people sometimes get bitten by dogs. They aren't always trying to be mean, sometimes they are just scared.

Darla (pausing to consider what I just said): Oh, I see. So you mean they are just scared of me the way I am scared of cancer?

Darla's response literally stopped me in my tracks. Should this little girl be scared of dogs? Sure. Spiders? Sure. The dark? Most kids are. But cancer?!? No, she should not have to be scared of that. And yet, cancer is as much a part of her vocabulary and childhood as ice cream and barbies.  

So why is this team and our mission so important to me? This is why. Because 100% of every single dollar raised goes directly funding the Barr program's cutting edge research which is getting us closer to the day where cancer is nothing to fear. And in honor of Darla, for today's Monday Motivation I would like to feature the work of Dr. David Weinstock who has twice received Barr program funding and was himself a DFMC runner/fundraiser in 2013 and 2014. 

Barr Program Spotlight

Barr Investigator: Dr. David Weinstock, MD

Barr Project: Improving Treatment Potency - Identifying genes in leukemias and lymphomas that cause resistance to treatment.

Although our current therapies cure about half of all patients with leukemia and lymphoma, the other half fail treatment because their diseases become resistant to treatment. This often happens as a result of genetic alterations in their leukemia and lymphoma cells. Barr funding in 2008-‘09 and 2013-‘14 has allowed David Weinstock, MD, to use powerful new technologies to identify the genes that can cause this kind of resistance. Drugs that inactivate these genes could prevent resistance and lead to cures in many more patients. 

Thank you to Dr. Weinstock and his team for the tremendous work you are doing to get us one step closer to a world without cancer! And thank you to each of you for considering a gift in support of this important research to ensure kids like Darla have many more birthdays to celebrate!

At my DFMC Patient Partner Darla's 6th Birthday Party this summer

I am far from the best runner, but I get out there and go for it because I know that we are helping to save and change lives - that is why I started and that is why I keep going! 

Click HERE to support Erin as she completes the 2016Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

Monday Motivation

Keeping it short and simple today folks. 

T-Minus 25 weeks -Happy Monday! 

Click HERE to make a gift in support of Erin

Monday Motivation - 26 Weeks Until 26.2!

26 weeks from today I will join hundreds of Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runners and 29,999 of our newest friends as we run the 120th Boston Marathon. Yes my friends, the countdown has begun and I am back in pre-training mode prior to our official training starting in early December.

This past weekend I had the chance to run with my teammate Christian who lives nearby and is a DFMC newbie. As we made our way through a chilly seven miler we chatted about our motivations for joining and running with this team, and it was a reminder of just how vital our mission is.

Our run also reminded me of the sheer power of mind over matter. Had I gone out for a solo seven miler it is likely I would have spent part of it arguing with that voice saying I didn't really need to run the full seven. Five would be okay for today. Or four...and so on. Instead, I had the chance to get to know a new and energetic teammate as well as trade stories about (insert all the random things you wind up discussing on a long run). Before I knew it, we were coming up on the last big hill and in the home stretch - plus I had recommendations for a local roofer, childcare options (for the future, everyone calm down), and potential MBA programs. That is the definition of becoming #StrongerEveryRun. Knowing that each time you push yourself to get out there you will expand your horizons and grow stronger, both physically and mentally.

So let's get this party started shall we? Boston 2016, I am coming for you (and my running gloves because this was what greeted me bright and early this morning). T-Minus 182 days.

Click HERE to make a gift in support of Erin

Monday Motivation: Stronger Every Run and Square Two

Yesterday I ran the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Without having trained for it. And I expected to hate every second.

Yet, for some reason, as I hobble around the house today, I am smiling and more encouraged than I have been in months. Why? Because heading into yesterday's race, all I could do was focus on how far I had drifted from my previously disciplined running routine. For weeks I had been berating myself for needing to "start all over." But races have an uncanny way of bringing you right back to where you need to be while pushing you towards the path to where you need to go next.

Heading to the start line yesterday I took a deep breath and said a prayer of thanks. For my health, my limbs, my family, friends, teammates, and an absolutely beautiful day to be alive and outdoors breathing in the fresh crisp fall air. As my group slowly surged closer to the start I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Looking around at runners of all ages, shapes, and ability while fans cheered endlessly on either side of the roadway, I stopped worrying about the should haves, could haves, and would haves and I made a choice to embrace whatever awaited me on the course. What followed was two hours and thirty-ish minutes of much needed perspective and reflection (apparently my bib did not register with the checkpoints so my official time is still TBD). 

Last year's B.A.A. half had been my first ever half marathon. And I spent most of that race questioning how on earth I would complete double that distance, as at that time I had just learned I was on the DFMC team. It too had been a beautiful October day, but I spent most of that race letting negativity wreak havoc on my psyche. I told myself I was a fool. That there was no way I could ever do it. That I wasn't a real runner and should stop pretending to be. After the race (and a good old fashioned cry), I contemplated giving up my spot to someone who I thought might deserve it more than I did. And then I told those voices to shut up and I got to work.  

As this year's race got underway and we weaved through Franklin Park, I inevitably found myself reflecting on last year's run. "Thank goodness I didn't give up," I thought to myself as we made our way through the first part of the course. And little by little as the miles clicked by, I thought through everything I had accomplished since the year before and how much I had grown as both a person and a runner. Where the year prior I had arrived to the race by myself and unsure, this year I walked confidently in the direction of teammates now friends to await the start. Where the year prior I shivered through the morning and cursed myself for not having enough layers only to have to unpin/repin my bib at mile 1 because I had too many layers once things warmed up, this year I benefitted from a wealth of layering knowledge fine tuned through this past winter. Where last year I had leg cramps and thoughts of quitting by 6.5 miles in, this year I hydrated properly before/during and suddenly found myself at mile 10 with only 3.1 to go (and yes, those were the 3.1 miles that got me, but feeling relatively strong for the first 10 was unexpected!). Yesterday's run reminded me that it wasn't about what I had lost in terms of speed or training since the summer, but rather how much I have gained through this journey thus far and all the wonderful things which still lay ahead. 

That is the essence of becoming "Stronger Every Run."

"Stronger Every Run" was my mantra last season. For whatever reason that little phrase is the one that gets me back on track every time. It isn't about finish times or pace - though it can certainly encompass those things. It means that even after your toughest run or a run where you aren't happy with your performance, training  etc., you can still come out of it stronger. Stronger from what you have learned. Stronger from what you have been inspired to work towards. And stronger from your decision to move forwards not backwards through every experience. And that is the goal

So yesterday's half certainly wasn't my best run in terms of time - nor did I train for or expect it to be - but I came out of it stronger, refocused, and ready to rock this year's marathon training and my goals for DFMC. I have not fallen back to square one but instead am reaching upwards towards the summit of square two, and I hope you will continue to support and encourage me along the way.  

Click HERE to make a gift in support of Erin as she completes the 2016 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

Monday Motivation: T-Minus One Week Baby!!!

So ya know, a week from now right about this time I will be about 10 miles into the 119th running of the Boston Marathon. Just a nice 26.2 mile jog. With 32,500 of my newest friends. No biggie. I am cool as a cucumber. Not a bit nervous. Or anxious. Or excited. Or freaking out.

Oh that's right, April Fools day was weeks ago.

I AM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW.

In one week I will be running the Boston Marathon - what?!? How did this happen? What was I thinking? Did all that training really happen? I can't possibly be ready for this, right?!

No, no I must be dreaming. Any minute now my alarm clock will go off and it will be 5:00am on a chilly February morning with a -3 degree temp and more snow falling, and I will be bundling up to head out for a DFMC team run, and the marathon is still months away. Yup, that alarm is going to go off any second now. Oh man, wait until I tell Dave about the crazy dream I was having about it being a week before the marathon and how my stomach started feeling like there were a million tiny acrobats doing flips, boy will he get a kick out of that. Just as soon as that alarm clock goes off and I wake up. Any second now...

Um, shoot. There isn't an alarm. Guys, I don't think I am dreaming.

Wow, this is really happening.

Okay Erin, get a grip.

Sorry about that! Though now you basically get a sense for the cycle of thoughts that keep running through my head. Boston is in full on marathon mode and just about everywhere I look right now is a reminder of the adventure and celebration that awaits us one week from today. Trying to soak it all in but it already feels like it's all flying by so fast.

This has been a journey like no other and I can only imagine the memories that will still be made in this coming week. I could never have reached this point without the support and love from my incredible family, friends, and teammates - I am so blessed to have all of you cheering me on!

It has been hard for me to put into words what this team and our mission has come to mean to me, but pictures are worth a thousand words right? So here is a little Monday Motivation treat my teammates and I conjured up on an 18 mile training run this season, as the snow swirled around us and winter refused to "Let It Go." A "Frozen" medley seemed an appropriate tribute after the training season we endured and this gives you a sense for the unbelievable spirit, dedication, and passion of this year's Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. And while I may be the one singing, this was a true team effort with my incredible teammates Laura, Crystal, Elise, and Amy getting the bulk of the credit.

T-Minus One Week!!!

One week from today, it all starts in Hopkinton baby!!! 

Monday Motivation: T-Minus 2 Weeks!

When I decided to chronicle my journey as a first time marathoner for all of you, I had three primary goals.

First, to allow my family and friends –many of who live far outside the Boston area – to cheer me on from afar and follow my training and learn more about the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.

Second, in hopes of inspiring or providing more information to anyone who might be considering applying for a future DFMC season – particularly as I gained the final courage to push “send” on my own application after reading about other runners experiences with the DFMC.

Finally, to keep myself accountable – because it is far too easy to let yourself down but by sharing this journey publicly I knew that when things got tough (and they did) I could not and would not let all of you down by quitting. 

So with these goals in mind, in the days after receiving the notification that I had been selected for this year’s DFMC team I started imagining all the wonderful posts I would craft for all of you. Recaps after every group run, witty commentary on the trials and errors of a first time marathoner, pictures, videos –oh the fun we would have!

And then…well, I started training for a marathon.

To say that this journey has consumed me these past few months would be an understatement. And how could it not? There is a reason it is not called the “Dana-Farber Marathon Experience” or the “Dana-Farber Marathon Commitment.” It is called the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, because it is indeed a challenge in every sense of the term. Raising thousands of dollars to support vital research while training through a record setting winter was not for the faint of heart. But without a doubt this has been the most rewarding challenge of my life thus far, and I am not sure that anything I write here will ever fully capture what this team, this mission, and this journey have come to mean to me.

And so while many of the posts and reflections that sounded so good in my head during those long runs never actually made it onto the screen thanks to the post-run fog I would immediately fall into upon returning home, well…rest assured it’s not because there hasn’t been an abundance of things to share with all of you. I have just been a tad bit busy becoming an almost marathoner. In the next two weeks I will do my best to catch us up and embrace the taper (the time where we reduce our training and mileage to rest up for the marathon while attempting to distract ourselves and our nerves). 

But for now, I am in Eugene, OR visiting two very special training “coaches” who are demanding morning snuggles, and who am I to ignore coach’s orders? 

T-Minus 2 Weeks!!! 

 Lifting a 4 and 3 year old counts as cross-training, right? 

 With two weeks to go the nerves are definitely starting to set in...
but the last 26.2 are merely the celebration of all the miles and memories from this journey! 

Click HERE to make a gift in support of Erin