Monday Inspirations - The 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials and Derek Redmond Chasing The Blahs

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Up until this past weekend, I was feeling a little unmotivated and uninspired.  2011 was such a huge running year for me (1st Ragnar Relay Race, 5k and 10k PRs, 1st half marathon race).  I swear, I think I got runner's high every time I ran when I trained for those races, and it spilled over to every aspect of my life - I felt like a better mom, better wife, a better friend and I finally hit my goal weight!  If I could bottle up that runner's high, I would.  I'm sure you all know what I mean.

Then my enthusiasm came crashing after my first half in November, which, I've heard and read, was normal and expected as my running season came to an end.  I was missing following a training plan and the excitement of looking forward to a race.  The crazy holiday prep slowly replaced my runs, and thus found myself in a huge rut, absent from running and guilty from the holiday indulgences.

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I'm signed up to run my first Rock N Roll race in DC, the half in March, but my last training runs have been so....blah.  Could it be because I've already done the distance?  Or is it the cold weather? It's like the PMS that won't go away.  Blah.

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Blaming it on my blahs, I almost forgot about the Olympic Marathon Trials.  Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, who came THIS close to spoiling it for me in the morning, I claimed the upstairs TV for the 3pm recorded broadcast on NBC.  No football game or Wii game or recorded Cat in the Hat TV show.  It's mom's turn in front of the TV.  If I was as smart as Run With Jess, I would've done some cross training while watching the trials, but I was so...blah (You go, Jess! ;) )

For someone like me who never watches TV, who knew that TV would pick me up and inspire me?

Inspiration #1:  The Men and Women at The 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials.  Yes, all of them.  Watching all the men and women Olympic hopefuls at the starting line made my heart swell.  Gosh, even for someone who qualified but knowingly had no chance against the elites toe'd up at the start, their dreams ahead of them....  I felt so proud of them all!

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Deep down, I had my hopes on Kara and Deena, who both just had babies and are getting back to racing again.  I wanted them to prove that they can make a huge comeback, that they are more badass than ever as mother runners.  I was in awe of Desiree Davila who made 26.2 miles look like a fun run.  She was so calm and cool the entire time.  LOVE her running form.  Kara, to me, has this way of looking both vulnerable and strong at the same time.  I identify with her a lot - emotions so close to the surface.  She is so real to me.  LOVE her.  Shalane's mantra, "cold execution," matched her face the entire race.  Once in a while, though, a grimace would pass over her face.  It was only after she crossed the finish line, taking first place, did I notice the chafing under Shalane's arms.  Ouch!  Oh and who doesn't grimace after running for that long?

Other memorable moments for me:  seeing the other women qualifiers cheering for the lead men as the men lapped them; Meb's victory lap;  the top 3 women crying, huddled under our flag, telling each other, "I'm so proud of you!"  It was painful to watch the fourth place runners - Dathan Ritzenhein and Amy Hastings - to be SO close.  

Inspiration #2:  My second inspiration came Sunday morning:  Derek Redmond back in the 1992 Olympic Games (not crazy about the song, but the words totally made up for it).

I just learned that Derek's dad is going to carry the Olympic torch at the 2012 London Olympic Games!  How cool is that?

Start of a new week.  I hope to face this new week with renewed energy and hope.  I'm thinking I might just need to change things up a bit, like run with friends more, or find new routes to run, to keep things fresh.  I was so inspired by these athletes to keep doing what I am doing.  To not give up.  To work my way back up again, and that it's ok to falter, just don't give up.  I was reminded of why I run - that positive and uplifting community of runners, that scary, exhilarating moment at the start line, and the triumphant feeling at the finish, no matter how fast or slow, injured or not.  

"If you can't fly, then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."  - Martin Luther King, Jr.

I hope they inspired you as much as they inspired me.  What inspired you lately?  Enjoy your MLK, Jr. holiday.

Joining Team LUNGevity

When my mom called me that one spring afternoon in 2007 to tell me they discovered a mass in her lung and it might be cancer, I didn't want to believe what she had just said.  You might say I was in denial.  No, not my mom, it can't be my mom!  She never smoked a cigarette in her life!  Yet I couldn't push away the memory of my Aunt (my mom's sister) who fought a courageous battle with lung cancer 7 years ago and passed away within 8 months.  I didn't want to believe that my mom would have a similar fate.  No, not my mom.  I was ready to put up a good fight.

Once her diagnosis was confirmed - Stage 4 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) - I was online 24/7 scouring the web for information on what it is we are fighting, what is THE BEST treatment out there for her, who can help.

I was overwhelmed by information, but mostly I wanted (craved) to hear success stories from people who fought lung cancer and survived.  I didn't want to hear all the bad stuff.  I wanted to know what works, what doesn't, what kinds of food can my mom eat/tolerate, and where we can get the best treatment for her.

Among the many supportive and informative online forums I found was the LUNGevity Online Support Community.  I must have read every single post on there.  All of a sudden, I didn't feel alone.  The forum became one of my go-to places for everything - for information, validation, and comfort.  I never did participate in any of the discussions, but I forwarded every post I found interesting and helpful to my dad and my mom. 

The doctors gave my mom 6 months, but she proved them wrong and lived 20 months.  She received the best treatment available to her.  She fought hard, endured the pain, but never once complained or asked why.  When she passed away, I never felt the same. Life changed.  She was my best friend.  I still miss her. So much.....

My mom and me back in 2006

The year I became a runner and ran the Race for Breath 5K for lung cancer in November 2009, I ran my heart out for my mom.  I also kept thinking about the families who are dealing with this horrible disease, and I finished that race knowing that I want to help.  I want to help others with lung cancer get a better survival rate.  I want to help to honor my mom.

I started looking for charity organizations that I can help raise money for.  There are charities for general cancer research and charities for lung cancer research specifically.  If I could, I would help all cancer charities, but I chose just one organization to pour all my heart into.  I kept going back to the astounding statistics of lung cancer:  it is the #1 cancer killer in the U.S., yet it is the LEAST-FUNDED cancer research program in the U.S.; there is no early detection for lung cancer unlike colon, breast, and prostate cancer - cancers with early detection;  only 15% of lung cancer patients survive 5 years post-diagnosis; it kills more people than breast, colon, brain, & prostate cancers COMBINED (statistics from LUNGevity Foundation and Lung Cancer Alliance).

I chose to join and run for Team LUNGevity in memory of my mom. Team LUNGevity is a group of passionate runners and triathletes who run marathons, triathlons, half marathons, and any race distance while raising money for lung cancer research.  I chose Team LUNGevity because I was drawn to LUNGevity Foundation's mission of  increasing the survival rates of lung cancer patients by funding lung cancer research on early detection and treatment.  That mission stood out for me.  If lung cancer could have been detected early for my mom, perhaps she would still be alive today.  I want to make that (early detection of lung cancer) a reality to someone, and I want those who are fighting lung cancer now to have the best treatment possible.  Lung cancer does not discriminate - it doesn't matter if a person used to smoke, smoked, or never smoked; a person's ethnic background does not matter.  It is a cancer that no one deserves.  It is a deadly cancer that needs to be detected early just like the other cancers. 

Please help me fight lung cancer and help me raise money to fund early detection research for lung cancer by supporting me as I train to run 3 races in memory of my mom and others touched by lung cancer, and in honor of those who are fighting lung cancer now:

The Dempsey Challenge 10K race on October 8, 2011
Race for Breath 5K (for lung cancer) on November 5, 2011
Richmond Half Marathon (my first half marathon!) on November 12, 2011

Please see below how you can help.  My training and fundraising efforts will culminate in my first half marathon this November.

• Donate just $13.10- on my DONATION PAGE to honor someone you know touched by lung cancer.  I will wear their names on race day to honor their courage and their fight.
• Sponsor a mile for either 1 or all 3 races I am running by donating $131- per mile on my DONATION PAGE.  Dedicate that mile to someone.
• Or simply donate as little as $1- on my DONATION PAGE.  Every little bit helps.

Thank you so much for reading this far and for supporting me! 

Much love,
Marie

Race Recap: Ukrop's Monument Av 10K Race Part 1

After obsessing about what to wear/what to bring to the Ukrop's Monument Av 10K Race the night before I left for Richmond, I was happy to be on the road by 2PM on Friday, and thankful for a quick trip, sans too much traffic!  I was missing my boys on the trip down, feeling a little strange not hearing any arguing and whining in the back of the car, but I was happy to have the break.  I am grateful for the hubs for letting me do this race.   With two runners in the family, we've been taking turns being on "kid-duty" while the other one races, and this past weekend was my "race weekend." 

After snaking my way through the Ukrop's Monument Av 10K Race Expo at the Arthur Ashe Center to pick up my race packet, I was greeted by the VCU Massey Cancer Center Wall full of wishes and dedications.

It took me awhile to find a spot for mine.  I was humbled by all the names and tributes.  This is, after all, why I am running this race:  to kick cancer in the ass.

Yup.  Only in my dreams will I ever be a Kenyan.

My sister and I met up and found the Bondi Band booth and totally hammed it up just for fun.  The one I'm wearing above is one of our favorites and this one below:

Funny thing though, I ended up buying neither, opting instead to buy "Run Like A Mother" and "13.1," Bondi Bands, the latter for inspiration.

(OMG OMG OMG!!)

Then we stumbled into the SUNTRUST Richmond Marathon booth, and I knew it was a sign.  I had been thinking and talking about doing my first half marathon this year (as part of my "Before the Hill List") and when I saw the booth, I felt like I couldn't escape it, it was totally meant to be.  So my sister and I signed up!!!!  :O)  (We are still freaking out over this).

I knew from the Runner's World Magazine Facebook page that Amby Burfoot and Bart Yasso would be at the Expo.  I think I was more excited about meeting them and getting my books autographed.  So imagine my complete and utter embarrassment when I asked this guy below where I could find Amby Burfoot.

Amby Burfoot and me after signing my book!

"Actually, I am Amby."  :O)  (ACK!).  How could I not recognize him?  He was so down to earth, and while I was looking at all the books they had at their booth, he kept telling me if I hang around a little longer, I could meet Bart Yasso and get an autographed copy of Bart's My Life On the Run:  The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon.  I was so flustered I didn't know how to save myself except to go on and on about how Amby's book, The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life, has inspired me, affected me, and changed me as a runner.  I meant it too!  In my awkward and flustered state, I realized I forgot my copy of "The Runner's Guide.." in my car, and so my sister offered to get it for me.   

I was totally star-struck by Amby Burfoot and very happy I got to meet him.  While I waited for my sister to return, he shared how these days, he only trains for 10Ks and half marathons, no more full marathons.  He was excited about running the 10K race the next day and felt very energized by Richmond's spirit and running community.  He was planning to hang out after the 10K race to check out all the buzz over the Richmond Rams, VCU's men's basketball team, who made it to the Final Four.  Amby seems to be the kind of guy who lives for the experience of not just the race, but of the town the race is in.  He runs for the pure joy of running and I love that about him.

I wish I wasn't so starry-eyed when I met him.  I forgot to ask him about his Athens Marathon, but he did give me a big boost of encouragement when he recommended the Richmond Half Marathon for first-timers.  He ran the Richmond Full Marathon years ago, and he told me that the timing of the race (mid-November), the relatively flat course, and the energy of the crowd offered a great combination for a first-time half marathoner.  Now if only I was a faster runner, I could have had the pleasure to run in the same wave start line as Amby.  From his own race recap of the Ukrop's Monument Av 10K, looks like he ran the 10K course twice.  Once towards the finish line and the second time going back towards the start line, meeting lots of other runners along the way.  Again, how could I have missed him?!!!

Bart Yasso signing my book!

Not to be overshadowed by Amby Burfoot, I finally got to meet Bart Yasso too!  I've had his book, My Life On the Run:  The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon, on my reading list for awhile, and I was ecstatic to get an autographed copy of it at the Expo!  He wasn't running the 10K race the next day, but he did do a 3-mile run at 7am that Friday morning with a bunch of lucky runners.  If I only knew he was going to do that, I would have made the drive to Richmond Thursday night.  It's not everyday you get a chance to run next to or near Bart Yasso.

Bart Yasso and me! 

I didn't embarrass myself around Bart like I did when I met Amby.  I wish I had at least done something to my hair to look good.  I looked so disheveled!  Anyways, Bart was traveling from expo to expo the last few weeks.  I couldn't hang out with him to chat since there were a few people waiting, but I was so happy to meet him!

After being at the Expo for 2 hours, I was ready to go to my sister's house to carbo-load with spaghetti for dinner.  YUM!  My sister cooks a mean spaghetti!  It was such an exciting day, and I haven't even run the race yet at that point!  More about race day on Race Recap Part 2.