So much of this is mental

Wanted to share my motivational poster with you. I've got it on the inside of my bathroom linen closet. I made it back in December. I originally had it by my treadmill, but moved it when I officially broke up with him. (Altho we've still been known to occasionally hang out.) Anyway, it may be silly, but it works for me. It's just lots of inspirational phrases, a picture of Daddy, and a course map. On Saturdays after the long runs, I look at the marathon route to see how far I went.

Today was a scheduled off day, but I got up at lovely 4am and did the lower body stability ball DVD. Aren't you impressed? It felt good and I'm glad I did it.

Happy Earth Day

I hit the street this morning at 4:00 am and it was 70 degrees! Wowie! (Tom, I felt a little guilty about typing that until I checked your New Hampshire weather and found out you should hit the 70s today too. So I don't feel so bad.....) It was really super nice out there. Shorts, t-shirt and sweat. Haven't had that combination during a 4 am run in a long time. It was *great*!

Speaking of great....so was my little 2 miler! It felt good. A few short walk breaks, no pain or tightness of any sort. Just a good run. Some stretches and rolling when I got back inside. I feel really good today and I have since Saturday. Maybe I've turned a big corner here. I think so. Yea!

Happy Earth Day! When I went out later to get the paper, there were two of these in our yard. Guess they were celebrating Earth Day.



Got an email from Julie last night: This weekend, we will be heading out for a "breezy, easy" 18 miler. Our rockin' coach George will update us on the route once he gets back...Just checking in with you to make plans now. Stretch all week, do whatever strength training exercises you need to do, get your runs in this week (but without overdoing to cause injury), stay hydrated (don't wait 'til Friday), get sleep, and eat pasta Friday night. This Saturday is a great time to try out the gear/clothes you want to wear for June 1 (minus the TNT jersey). Find out now what rubs you the wrong way while you still have time to heal. Get used to using Body Glide if you think you may need it. I will get some bottled Accelerade for those of us brave enough to try before race day.

As we think about the long distance ahead, reflect back on what brought you here individually. Why LLS/Team in Training? Why now? What impact has Leukemia or Lymphoma had on your life? Take that energy/drive/impact and channel it this Saturday. You are all champions for getting this far...just a few short steps to go...."Whatever you think you can or think you can't, you're right" ~ Henry Ford. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line in a few short weeks...You are almost there!!


There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my daddy. I miss him beyond all words. But especially when I'm out there on the long runs, those are times that I really think about him. I know that he's there with me cheering me on and helping me go that extra little bit. He is the whole reason I am doing this. I think a lot about exactly what he would say to me. Will my running this marathon bring my dad back? Unfortunately not. Will the money that we are raising find a cure? Well, it's money for research that is just one step closer to finding one. And maybe there is just that feeling of having to do SOMETHING. Something to make a difference. A good friend told me a few weeks ago (after I learned of yet another person who lost their fight to leukemia): "ONE DAY there will be a cure....and you will be part of the result. Maybe you won't know it....but you WILL have been a part of it." And I guess that's what it's all about.

I'm getting very excited about June 1. There are only 6 more weeks. Only 5 more long runs. FIVE MORE LONG RUNS! Wow. Hard to belive. I believe they shake down like this: 18, 14, 20, 12, 8. And then....THE ROCK 'N ROLL MARATHON!! 26.2 miles!!

OK, I've said enough. Everybody have a good one!

In case you were wondering

Have been missing my dad a lot these days....I continue to keep him in the front of my mind as I train for this crazy marathon and ask myself "Why on earth am I doing this?!?!"

100 MILES!!

Today I officially hit 100 miles that I have run since the beginning of our training in January. I'm sure I've gone over that since I don't track some of the 'runs' that were mostly 'walks'. But I am celebrating today as my 100-mile mark. Ta-da!!!

I put in 2 miles on the treadmill this morning. I actually thought once that I wished I were outside -- who would think I would ever feel that way about my treadmill. But it's so boring. And there is that constant blinking display telling you how far (or how NOT far) you've come. But I got through it with a little help from a Law & Order rerun.

My knee was hurting while I was running. What's up with that?

I am accepting the fact that it has taken me longer to recover from the half than I thought it would. It took quite a little toll on the ol' 42 year old bod. In turn, I've had to slow it down these last 10 days which makes it a bit harder to pick up again. I am catching myself thinking that I really want to RUN a large portion of the marathon. Which would be nice. But my goal is to FINISH the marathon. So when I am sidelined, or slower, or aching, I have to just continue doing what I can do, at the pace my body dictates, and keep my mind focused on the original goal.

In the fundraising arena, my total is sitting at $2,821!! You guys are amazing and I am humbled and so appreciative of your generosity and support. I know Daddy would be too. I am touched by the gifts I have received from people I do not know. I received a gift this weekend from another friend of my dad's cousin. A person whom I've never met. But she is cheering me on and supporting my effort. (Thanks Sally!) I also got a donation from someone with no connection to me or my family. She was searching online for participants in the Germantown Half Marathon, found this blog, and made a donation to my Team in Training. I am almost at a loss for words by her act of kindness. (Alissa, I don't even know if you've come back to read more...but thank you!!) I am just so thankful to all of you for your donations. It's an amazing testimony to my dad. This is all about him. And I hope that you know how humbled and grateful he would be. But most importantly I hope every one of you knows that your gift - large or small - makes a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from leukemia and other blood cancers. Each dollar is just one more step toward a cure. You really are making a difference. I hope you know that. I'm crying now, so I'll quit.

Let's Rock 'N Roll!

Progress I guess if the only things that are hurting this morning are my calves, ankles and achilles.....Still pretty tight. oooooowwwwww. That is really only a small percentage of my body now..... It is looking like my knees are deciding to rejoin the rest of us. George said there would be pain 2-3 days after the race. Today is day 3. Can't wait til tomorrow.




After Sunday's half marathon, I've been reading a bit more about what the Rock 'N Roll Marathon is like. It is going to be *HUGE* and fun! Here are some neat things I found out:

• This year will be the 11th annual race.



• Over 20,000 runners are expected (Germantown Half had 700)



• About half of these participants are running their first marathon (that's me!)



• Over 4,000 of them are members of a Team in Training (hey, that's me too!)



• Fifty percent of the runners are female (well what do you know...)



• There is a live band at every mile and there are themed water stops.



• You can register to run as part of the "Running Elvi" and dress up like Elvis. They are trying to set a world's record this year and already have 50 signed up. (Jodi thinks I should do this...)



• In ten years, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has raised over $125.1 million at the RNR Marathon. This year alone they expect to raise $12 million.

I hope you will go to the Rock 'N Roll Marathon website and watch the video on the right hand side of the home page. It's only about 3 minutes, but you will definitely get a feel of what the race is all about. Make sure and notice of all the purple tank tops ("racing singlets") -- those are Team in Training members. Go Team!

Only 74 more days!! I am already feeling nervous and excited. I can't wait to be a part of it. I cannot imagine the feeling of accomplishment that I will have when I'm finished. I also cannot imagine the pain I will have... ugh. But I continue to remind myself every single day why I am doing all of this. And you know what? I think he would be real proud of me....

Miscellaneous Monday musings about motive

I'm glad to say that I think things are moving in a good direction for me. I'm not having the continuous pain, so that is definitely a good sign. I hope that a few more days off will just do the trick and I will be back to it in a day or so.

I'm also VERY glad to say that my fundraising total is $2,076! THANK YOU!!! That's so awesome and I'm so excited about that. I'm at 51% toward my goal of $4,000. Thanks to you all for contributing to my effort. I thought I'd share a bit more info about my cause.

Did you know...

• Over 135,000 people were diagnosed with leukemia or another blood cancer in 2007.
• Over 52,000 people will die this year from leukemia or lymphoma.
• Every 10 minutes someone dies from a blood cancer. That's 143 people per day. That's 6 people every hour.
• Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20.
• There are 4 different types of leukemia. AML, the type my dad had, currently has a 20.7% five year survival rate.

By the time you finish reading this post, someone will have lost their fight with a blood cancer. Sometime today, there will be people who will be told "You have leukemia." There is research on new drugs and new treatments that is being done every day. In fact, there are a few drugs that have come out since my dad's diagnosis and death that very possibly could have extended - or possibly saved - his life.

I hope if you reading this and you have not yet made a contribution toward my goal, that you will consider it today. Your gift can be large or small. (I got a very clever gift of $26.20 last week. Get it? One dollar a mile = $26.20). I am appreciative of very penny that you send my way. I just want you to know that what you are doing and what you are giving *really* makes a difference. You are helping find a cure for leukemia.

So what's my point? The rest of my life will be dedicated to raising money and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. One day there will be a cure. Will it be in my lifetime? Will my kids see it? Who knows. I miss my dad. I lost him to this disease. And nothing that I go through in this marathon training will even hold a candle to what he went through while he fought it. I read a quote by a Team in Training runner over the weekend that summed up the whole training thing: "Think this is hard? Try chemotherapy."

As always, thanks for checking in today. And thanks for all the support you give me - words, notes, donations. I couldn't do any of this without you.

Miscellaneous Monday musings about motive

Since I put in 6 miles yesterday, today was the wonderful OFF DAY! Divine! I slept in a bit and that was nice.

I think a lot these days about why I'm doing this marathon thing. Because it's totally crazy. It's so beyond my comfort zone and my ability levels. I guess there are lots of reasons I'm doing this. Some are not easy to even express in words. And maybe I don't even understand all of it. I have never done this for the desire to be a runner. I want to do something to honor my dad - to remember him. I want to create more awareness for leukemia and other blood cancers. I want to raise money to go toward research to find a cure. (I hope you'll consider helping me meet my fundraising goal!)

These pictures were taken October 5, 2006 at the Leukemia Society's Light the Night Walk. Daddy had just found out a few days before, that he would be able to be there that night and walk with his team, Holcomb's Heroes. And, that he would also be able to go with us the next week for our weeklong family beach vacation. If you will notice my red squinty eyes, I had just finished having a total crying meltdown a few minutes before this picture was made. (Imagine, me crying....). I remember feeling so completely overwhelmed and so thankful - almost beyond words - that Daddy was there and that he was surrounded by a huge group of people who loved him and were celebrating him that very night. It was a night full of prayers answered. I will never forget that night. I can't tell you how special it was.


As a leukemia survivor, he carried a white balloon that night and the rest of us, as supporters, carried red balloons. I took this picture at the end of the walk. After he had just walked a mile and crossed the finish line (another victory for him!). He had just released his white balloon to the sky. I've probably looked at this picture a million times since that night. I just wonder what he was thinking. I love this picture.

I talked with a friend at work the other day who also lost her dad several months ago to Leukemia. We were talking about the commitment that this training requires and the time that it takes. And she kind of laughed and said "Like our dads had time to be sick..." How true is that. I've thought about that too. The time, the inconvience, the shin pain - all those things just pale in comparison to what my dad went through while he was fighting AML. So perhaps that is another way to put all of that in perspective for me. And while my dad completed this battle, there are still millions who are fighting it right now. Or who have not even begun to fight it. It's all just awful and I hate it.

So maybe all these rambling thoughts help explain why I'm doing this. This whole marathon training thing isn't about me.....it's really about my dad. Because what I'm doing isn't nearly as hard as what he did.

I've signed up

Well, it's official. I have signed up and am now a member of the Team in Training for the Leukemia Society. I'm training to run a marathon - that's 26.2 miles folks. The funny thing about all this is that I don't even run. Well, I've been trying to run since September (building my 'base miles' as my Coach George says).... I'm waiting for it to get easy and fun. That has not happened yet. Even wearing cute little running clothes from Dick's doesn't transform one into a runner.

I'm going to run in the Rock 'N Roll Marathon in San Diego on June 1.

My official Group Training (GT) starts next Saturday. I guess that's my rude awakening. I've been doing all my running so far (except maybe three mornings) inside on my beloved treadmill. I love my treadmill. It's INSIDE. With my TV and my ESPN Sports Center and all the other indoor comforts. Sister here will have some issues next Saturday when I'm outside and it's 30 degrees. And I have to run on ground that doesn't move. And there is no cable or dvd player.

Why am I doing this? Am I crazy? Yes, probably so. Several reasons I guess. But mainly for my dad. Funny how the training for this starts a year almost to the day of the first anniversary of his death. And when I gave George a donation in 2004 when he did TNT, leukemia wasn't even an issue in my life. Fast forward 3 years..... So, I was really thinking about whether to do this or not. And was really leaning toward doing it. Maybe I just needed that last little nudge to say YES. One night, I was looking at the race route and found that the finish line is on a Marine Corps base. Daddy was a Marine. Enough said.

But at the same time, I'm raising money for the Leukemia Society. My goal is $4000. Check out my fundraising page at: www.active.com/donate/tntmds/AWhitfi1 I hope you will consider making a donation to support my efforts. Your gift will help find a cure for blood cancers. Or maybe just make a donation because you think I'm nuts for doing this and need to seek professional help. Whatever your reason is, I'm grateful for your support.

So I thought I'd set up this blog. As a new person to running, I wanted to share my thoughts as I hit each milestone and roadblock.

I am committed to crossing the finish line. Vertically - on my feet - not on a gurney or in the poop out van.

Anyway, it all officially starts now. I'm TRAINING FOR A MARATHON. yikes.