Thankful Today

Me and my guy





Michael was diagnosed with leukemia 18 years ago today. It is also my mother-in-law's birthday. I choose to celebrate and remind myself to be grateful for every moment with my husband, my best friend, my life.

Haven't Update in a While

I had high hopes of posting a report after the Philly Distance Run on September 20, but I was surprised by a visit from our Illinois/most recently lived in Hawaii/now live in NJ cousins at the finish line, which was AMAZING! Then we went to see Dave Matthews Band that night, so it was a zany day. I decided to run the whole first 4 miles without stopping. Bad move. My knee started hurting. But I finished in 2 hours, 14 minutes. Not bad! That's only 8 minutes slower than my PR for a half.

Since then, I've turned 30, been to Disney on a GREAT vacation and back, and the Phillies have won their second pennant in a row! I'm signed up for a 5-mile run in Long Branch with my sister-in-law on November 7, which should be really fun. And Disney just announced a half marathon at night followed by a private celebration in Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival on October 1 - 2, 2010. Um, I think I was born to do this race.

Michael and I are toying with the idea of doing another TNT event....together! We're running in the morning about twice a week. It's so nice to have him by my side. We're looking at a few events in the early summer, so stay tuned!

The photo above is one of my birthday presents from Michael. 30 photos of us through the years. We also celebrated our second wedding anniversary on October 6. I'm a lucky gal.

One Year Later

Wow, it's almost been a full month since I posted. Life hasn't been that interesting. I've just been lazy.

I'm only weeks away from the Philly Distance Run. I've been doing well with training. My longest distance has been 10 miles, which went well, and which I will repeat on Saturday morning. I got me some new kicks, Saucony Triumph, and I'm still not loving running in this humidity. I can't wait for the fall and the cool mornings. Remember I said this when it's 20 degrees at 6am.

It's been quite a year. I fully settled into a new job. I attended three weddings and saw two more couples get engaged. I have two many friends with babies to count. Oh yeah, I ran a marathon. I recovered from an injury. I mentored some amazing women with their TNT races. I lost my lovely cat, Peter. Michael was in the hospital. But we got through it all...the good, the bad, the blisters. Thanks for reading this blog for the past year.

Another milestone!

I ran 7 miles this Saturday, which is the new longest distance I've done since the marathon. I felt great. I think I was never really paying attention to my body, and now I really do when I run. I suspect that I always felt achy, probably moreso than I do now, but now I'm more careful. I still want to run well into my life, so why kill myself now.

I ran on Kelly Drive early in the morning on Saturday. My headphones went kaput halfway through, but that was actually kind of nice. I focused on the pretty scenery and not much else and was able to completely zone out.

I needed that zen-ness for the rest of my day--Tara's Bachelorette Party! We visited a spa. The pedicure I got included a massage of my calves, which was sooooo needed. Then we went out dancing and stayed up way too late eating awful things, but it was a blast.

This week's long run will be 8 miles, and I'll get to do it at home in NY before we head up to a big family party at Michael's aunt and uncle's in upstate NY. I like the route I run by my parents' house, and it'll be a new milestone.

Also in the plans...new shoes. YAY! Happy Monday :)

Quite a week...

Wow, it's been a week, I tell ya. Poor Michael had a horrible flu and landed in the hospital.

Let me start from the beginning. First he went to HUP for late effects testing two weeks ago. He got a pretty clean bill of health. They just prescribed a beta-blocker at a low dosage to help protect his heart. However, probably when he was at the hospital, he picked up a nasty flu. We wound up in the ER when his fever got out of control, and they discovered that his white blood cells and platelets were very low.

So as this blog almost reaches its one year anniversary, we thought for a second that we'd have to start a new battle against leukemia on a much more personal level. It was less probable that his cancer had returned, especially since he had good tests the week before. However, living on the cancer floor with Michael in isolation for three days was enough to full unnerve both of us.

He's been home for almost a week, and he's back at work and feeling well. In the meantime, I'm continuing my running, which has totally helped my spirits and energy this week. I did my longest distance since the marathon, 6 miles, last Saturday. This weekend, I'll try to tackle 7. I'm feeling well.

If I learned or was reminded of anything this week, it's that we have some amazing family and friends, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Michael.

Welcome America!

What a fun weekend! We had our friends, Alison and Derrick, over on Friday night, waltzed around the city on the 4th, and did a lot of relaxing. Oh and our wine-blending party (good times, guys!) was a success, but it resulted in the need for the lots of relaxing. My first week of training went well. My midweek runs are about 9:15-9:30/mile, which I'm happy with. Michael and I did the loop at Cooper River yesterday. We went slow, but I felt great. Then we played at the driving range for a while. Note to self: wear sunscreen when on the top deck of the driving range!

My spinning instructor was finally back this morning. I don't know if it was the 7-8 miles of walking we did on Saturday or running yesterday, but my legs are exhausted! It's fun to be back in training. It's also interesting to train alone. I've never done that. I can always find people to run with, but I'm actually doing a program by myself. It's kind of cool.

And my thanks to Derrick for showing me his crizazy textbook about everything running (http://books.google.com/books?id=wAa9qq9kbncC&dq=lore+of+running&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=7zlSSubqNYPLlAfC-6GUDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4). What a good reference guide, and I'm impressed with Derrick for getting it. If you ever needed to know absolutely EVERYthing about running, here it is.

Apparently my black Hurricane 11's are at the new shoe shop in Northern Liberties for under $90. I might have to get them...again...

Training Begins!

Today's the day! I officially start my training today. I didn't run today, because it's a "rest" day, but I went to my usual spinning class. I really like spinning, so I decided to keep that in my routine on Mondays and Fridays until it feels too hard. I'm also not doing every, single run on the training schedule. They recommend running 4 times a week, and I'm going to do 3. Deal with it :) That's how I've always trained. Also, my sports doc said to not run two days in a row, which would be impossible not to do with the program.

Anyway, I feel good, and I'm excited. I did 5 miles on Saturday with no complications. It felt great. I'm taking care of me and just enjoying each run as it is. I'm not thinking about time at all. I am thinking about the celebratory Dave Matthews concert after the half marathon!!

We threw Tara her bridal shower on Saturday. It was so wonderful. All of these big celebrations get me thinking about where I'm going and what I'm doing, which is always scary but fun. I can't not think about those nights in college when me and my girls would sit around and wonder why we couldn't find a nice guy to take us on a date to the Union Building or maybe The Olive Garden. It's funny how life turns out. If I learned anything, it's that you can't plan a darn thing.

Life without Peter is still hard, but the pain isn't as sharp anymore. Boots is so comforting, and we love spending all of our time at home with him. Ok, just got a sad pang. Maybe it's still a little sharp.

Short week this week! Happy day that we decided to be tough Americans!!

Goodbye, Peter

We lost our dear cat, Peter, on June 17, 2009. He just dropped dead. He had a heart murmur, but nothing had been wrong. I wasn't home, because I was out to dinner with old friends whom I hadn't seen in a while. One announced her pregnancy. I was on a high. Then Michael called. I rushed home, we rushed to the Penn Vet ER, but he was gone. I miss him so terribly. He was only 5-years-old. The house is so empty without him.

Our other cat, Boots, is missing him also. He is completely attached to us, which is very comforting, but we can tell he's hurting just like we are. Poor Michael has been so strong for all of us. I wish I had been home with him. He is the best person I have ever met, which I always knew, but he is showing it so much through our grief.

In the meantime, I try to find the happiness and be grateful for what I have, which is a loving family, a beautiful pet, and fantastic friends. And I'm still running! I did 5 miles, my longest run since the marathon, on Saturday, and I felt great. Life goes on.

September 20

I signed up for the Philadelphia Distance Run! I am excited to train for another event. Wait, who said that? Yes, I'm ready. I hope my knees and everything else is as well, but I think I'm good. Training starts on June 29. I have a schedule, and I'll try to do the best I can. For now I'm just enjoying my runs, staying stretched out, and enjoying life.

I went on my longest run since the marathon, 4 full miles, on Saturday morning in Port Chester. I felt really good afterwards. I think I'll know a lot of people doing the race, so that will make it even more fun. Plus, we have tickets for Dave Matthews that night. Talk about a post-race celebration!

On to the next run...

Why I Am

Sometimes change is good. I ran a different route this morning for my 3 miles, which has become a nice standard twice during the week. I also listened to the new Dave Matthews CD while I ran, which is a change from my usual Preston & Steve radio show routine. What a difference it made! I was sluggish on Tuesday morning when I did the same distance. This run was really enjoyable and reminded me why I love running. I didn't think about time, I drank in my surroundings, and I must admit, I bopped a little, to my new favorite song, "Why I Am."

I'm also reading this great book called Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. It is about a collegiate track runner, so it has nothing to do with my type of running at all. However, it's a cool read and makes me feel really laid back about my own workout routines. Then this morning, I read this lovely piece of prose about running at night, which I might have to try soon:

"A passerby might have thought him in a trance, but he missed nothing in his darkling backdrop: the smells of winterblooming flowers, clean coolness of blackjack oak, damp pepper of Spanish moss. The sounds were of early-evening TV silliness, dinner, children's squabble. He was a shaded meteor plumbing a twinkling universe. The night made even more acute the runner's senses, lent more poignancy to his aloneness, made his fast pace seem even faster, generated an urgency, a subdued excitement in the act of solitary motion."

I know exactly how that feels.

I've decided to start training for the Philadelphia Distance Run on September 20. It's a half-marathon and one I've done twice before. It was my first TNT event, and I love the course. Plus I have tickets for Dave Matthews that night, and 8 days later we leave for Florida. Nine days later, I turn 30, but we'll ignore that.

The training starts in 2 weeks. I'm excited! Plus, I might have my bro-in-law with me on the run. He expressed interest, so naturally I'm pestering his twin, my hubby, to join us.

It was a good morning :)

Reunion

Last night we had a reunion of the Spring TNT team who did the NJ Marathon. It was SO much fun! There were 10 of us and lots of raucous laughter, funny stories, and touching moments. I had felt like such a bad mentor, because I had not been able to go on the training runs. Nothing helps you bond with people like running for miles and miles together in the freezing cold. However, despite my absence, the whole team made me feel so included last night. Heather, a survivor who originally did not think she could take on the half marathon, proudly announced that she'd be doing the Philly Full Marathon in November. She then gave me a photo of the team right before the race, which I treasure. Everyone talked about their "battle scars" as well as their magical finish line moments. It was inspirational and an absolute joy.

I met my friend, former boss, and neighbor, Ruffian, for a morning run at 6am today. She just did her first big race, The Broad Street Run, and she's a great athlete. I was proud of keeping up with her. We did 3 miles in the cool rain, which was actually nice, and we finally got to catch up. I hadn't seen her in so long. My knees felt a tiny bit sore, but nothing big. As my doctor said this week, this is just something I run through now.

I think I want to do the Philadelphia Distance Run this September. I love the time of year of this race and the course. Plus, my mentee, Abby, is a mentor this season and will be doing the race along with some other coworkers and friends. Here we go again!...

Bad Blogger

Can you still technically consider yourself a "blogger" if you never post? I hope so.

It's been a busy month, so please excuse the lack of communication, all of my fervent readers. (all 2, 1, none of you?) Since my last post, Michael and I participated in the NJ Marathon. It was so so so unbelievable. We ran a Gatorade stop in the freezing rain, but it was such fun. I saw all of my mentees, and I was so inspired by the runners and the volunteers. My mentees were AMAZING! GO TEAM!! I felt like I had run a marathon myself afterwards, however. Six hours in the rain is rough! We celebrated with a lunch at Cracker Barrel, so all became right with the world again.

I have been running again, which makes me so happy. It's nice now, however, because I'm running, running isn't running my life. Read some older posts to see how the latter had been happening for a long time. I'm much happier now and in a better place with why I run.

I still have occasional knee pain, but the orthodics have definitely helped, and they're completely broken in now. This morning I did 3 miles, and I felt great. On Saturday, Michael and I ran 3.66 miles, the exact distance of Cooper River Park, together, something we haven't done in months. It was so nice to be out there again with my main man. He did so well having not run in a long time. Plus it was pretty hot.

Then on Sunday morning, at the recommendation of one of my running gurus and good friend, Derrick (http://www.reidwise.net/journal/), I tried an interval run. I used my trusty Garmin (1 year old and still my favorite toy!), and sprinted for 1/4 mile (7:30 - 7:45 pace on average) and then rested for a minute. I did this 6 times. It was NOT easy, but it was fun, because it simulated the feeling I get in spinning class, which had been on hiatus last week because the gym was closed (one drawback to a University gym). I felt great afterwards, so I'll have to incorporate this workout into my regular routine.

I'm excited about the summer and all of the fun plans we have--the wedding of my best friend, trips, camping, Long Beach Island, culminating in my turning the big 3-0 in September...in Walt Disney World! I don't have a real plan or goal right now, and that's totally fine. I might see if I can train for the Philly Distance Run in September, but I might save my strength for the Philly Half in November instead.

For now, I'm just loving being a runner again and being outside. And I'm also enjoying a great book that my mom bought for me--Once a Runner: http://www.amazon.com/Once-Runner-Novel-John-Parker/dp/1416597883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243438059&sr=8-1 I am nowhere near the caliber of the characters, but reading about running makes me happy.

Banner Day

I ran 3 miles this morning with no pain in either knee during or after my run! That is the first time that has happened in 6 months!!!! Orthotics are a god-send.

Can't wait to cheer on my mentees in The New Jersey Marathon tomorrow! I'm so proud of all of them. Michael and I will be manning the TNT water stop. I hope it doesn't rain too much.

Feeling amazed...

A couple of things have kept me amazed today.

1. My mentees are about to do their event, the New Jersey Marathon or Half Marathon this Sunday. Most of them are at or past their fundraising goals. One raised TWICE her minimum!

2. My TNT friend, who I've never met but has become my penpal and hero, did his event in Nashville this past weekend. He put Michael's name on the back of his race shirt to honor him: http://racn4acure.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-purple-shirt-of-honor.html

I can't stop tearing up. I'm in awe of all the good there is in this world.

I get my orthotics on Thursday, and I ran my longest distance since the marathon, 3 miles, on Saturday. Life is so good.

Orthodics to the rescue?

It's hard to feel motivated to write anything as I feel like mission:accomplished and why would anything I have to say from here on out interest anyone...hence the drop off in posts.

If anyone is interested, I am waiting for my orthodics to come in, and I can now run 2 miles with very little pain during and afterwards. I am afraid to push it much further just now, because I was fitted for orthodics just 2 weeks ago, and I'm waiting for them to come in.

Lately when I run, it's my left knee (not the original pre-marathon injured one) that hurts. My podiatrist was not surprised by this, because my arch is quite fallen in my left foot, and it overpronates a lot. Basically, I stood in front of him with my back to him, and he said, "I shouldn't be able to see some of the toes on your left foot, but I can see about 3 of them." So my foot sticks out funny, which would explain the knee pain. Probably, after overcompensating for months of training, my right knee just had it, and that's what happened in December. So I'm looking forward to orthodics and will keep on running.

I was a demon last week. I ran 2 miles and did weights at the gym on Sunday, spinning on Monday, yoga on Tuesday, ran 2 miles and did weights on Wednesday, yoga on Thursday, spinning (interval class, which=death class) on Friday, and ran 2 miles on Saturday in the pouring rain (8:57 mile with no stops!). Think I worked out enough to compensate for the chocolate and ham I ate this weekend? I'd say!

It was a GREAT weekend filled with family and fun. I am so lucky to have the family that I do. My parents are with my brother and his bf in LA right now, so I spent Easter with my in-laws. It was fantastic. I always hoped that I would have a good relationship with my husband's family, but I never dreamed I'd become as close to them as I have. I feel like I'm "home" when I'm with them, and I know I'm the luckiest person ever for that.

Happy Easter!

And we're back

I have been too superstitious to post this, but now I think it's time. I ran a mile on Wednesday, and I ran TWO miles on Saturday, and my knees don't hurt!! Could I be out of the woods with this injury?? AND I finally have my podiatrist appointment this week, which I've been waiting to finally have for two months. Hooray!

In more important news, many of my mentees have reached and surpassed their fundraising goals for the NJ Marathon, and it's 5 weeks away! Way to go, ladies :)

Reinvigorated

Surprisingly (yeah right), I was talking about the marathon at lunch today to a new staff member. She is so nice and was interested, so of course I told the whole story. I'm the worst.

However, it really reinvigorated me and reminded me what an AMAZING thing that entire journey was. I don't feel like it ended, because I'm still mentoring, and I'm talking about Team in Training all of the time with my mentees. But just now I was reminded how incredible that whole experience was. I went back and reread the gorgeous notes that my friends and family left on my webpage when they made donations, and I was reminded of how much we all accomplished, and it brought me to tears.

I feel another event coming on....tri this time? If I wasn't so deathly afraid of dying on a bike, I'd sign up in a second. Hmmmm....

Thanks to all of you who read this and who made this experience something I will treasure forever.

On the road again...

I went out for a run this morning. I've stopped doing yoga as frequently, and I started to feel less achey. I thought it might be time for a small run. I have my new insoles now, so I wanted to try them out.

I was a little nervous, but I didn't have high expectations. It had been 5 weeks since I had run, and I had had pain off and on during that time, so I wasn't expecting a miracle. It felt so good to put all of my gear back on and get out there. It was brisk but nice outside. I loved feeling the cold air in my lungs. I ran a mile with no pain at all! That was amazing to me. I turned back towards home, and the familiar twinges started again. I stopped, stretched, walked a little, but I got home having completed about 2 miles. The first mile was at my usual 9-min/mile pace, which surprised me. I felt like I was going slowly and taking it easy. I guess spinning has kept my fitness up.

Both knees are sore now, but I'm not concerned. I'll keep doing my stretches, and I'll try for another run next Wednesday. I felt so good when I got home. I missed my friend, Running, but I'm glad I don't depend on running anymore.

Michael's birthday was so much fun. I hope he had as good a time as I did. We didn't do anything too special, but for us, even the silliest things are awesome. I was just so happy to be spending time with my favorite person in the world. Ahhhh... :)

To My Husband

Dear Michael,

Happy birthday!! I'm so glad that I'm no longer older than you.

I think one of our first unofficial meetings was on your 21st birthday. I believe you came to visit La Salle to celebrate, and I am pretty sure I popped over to Tara's and said hello. As usual, I was too shy to say hi to the cute, shy boy in Tara's livingroom. I'm so glad that at a future birthday party I did get up the guts to talk to you.

I hope you have a wonderful day. I know every day of my life, no matter what happens, is better because you're in it. You're my best friend, my partner, and my love, and I will spend my life trying to make you half as happy as you make me.

Only a few hours until presents and birthday feast!

Love,
Therese

Resting is SO not easy

We had so much fun this weekend in LBI. I definitely overindulged, but I felt very happy (as is evidenced at right). However, as my husband reminds me now that I'm back to being hard on myself, I am not training anymore, and I have to realize that.

Since the marathon, I had it in my head that if I didn't work out just as hard as I did before, I'd gain a ton of weight and be miserable. Now I'm just miserable, because I've been trying to do too much. I was really discouraged when spinning hurt my knee last Friday, because I really like spinning. Then this morning, the elliptical hurt my knee also. However, I'm being pretty stupid about this recovery. My schedule for the past few weeks has been as follows:

Monday: Spinning at 6:30am

Tuesday: 45 min yoga at home at 6:00am

Wednesday: Bike for 30-45 minutes at the gym at 6:30am

Thursday: 45 min yoga at home at 6:00am

Friday: Spinning at 6:30am

Saturday: 45 min yoga at home whenever I get up

I think that amounts to more activity than BEFORE my injury and during training. No wonder the knee started hurting again.

So now I'm going to try to work out 3 times a week. I might try a non-cardio class at the gym. I'm cutting back on the yoga. Maybe I'll try to keep doing the spinning classes on Mon and Fri, but we'll see.

I'm further discouraged, because I know I need orthodics, but I can't see a podiatrist until APRIL! I was really looking forward to training with my mentees. Maybe I'll just start going to their runs to greet them and cheer them on.

I know it's ridiculous, but I just have this fear that I'm going to become completely unhealthy. The Therese of 3 years ago wasn't totally unhealthy, but she was about 30lbs heavier. The Therese of 9 years ago smoked and was 50lbs heavier. So I guess I've come a long way. I'm just too much of a control freak for my own good.

I'll try to focus on the positive and give myself a rest (and some more much-needed sleep)! Now I just need a new habit :)

LBI here I come!

Ah it's Friday...Friday the 13th, but who cares? I'm going to one of my favorite places in the world, Long Beach Island, in a few short hours (that's me there for our anniversary in October). Aaaahhhh.... We are spending a long weekend in a house that we rented with 6 of our friends. This is the group that we go camping with every year, so we're having a winter "camping" trip. I'm so excited.

I need this after this week. I was a juror on a murder trial from last Thursday until this Wednesday. And I've been working out like mad to get ready for the gluttony of this weekend. I did spinning on Monday and today, the bike at the gym on Wednesday, and yoga on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Phew!

This morning in spinning we did a little too much climbing for my knee. So I'm still laying off running, which is fine with me. I'm really enjoying these other ways of working out. I still have this sense of accomplishment now with running, kind of like, "Yeah, been there, done that," so I don't miss it too, too much. It's such an easy way to work out, so I miss that. Waking up at 5:15am for a 6:30 spinning class is much harder than rolling out of bed for a 4 mile run in my neighborhood. But I like the class dynamic.

This morning, my spinning friend and now TEAMmate (she's doing the tri with TNT) were talking about fundraising ideas and events. It's so nice to be on the other side of things and be able to offer help.

I went to the shoe clinic on Sunday and met a lot of the team. Then I was sad that I couldn't run, but I will soon. Everyone's so positive and motivated. I think it's going to be a fantastic season.

We had a TNT reunion last Saturday night at Chris and Tiff's house. It was so amazing. We shared pictures, stories, and lots of laughs. I'm so attached to my team, and I love when we all get together. They're some of the best people I've ever met.

Only a few hours until a very fun weekend. I am so grateful to God for all of my wonderful friends and all of the blessings in my life, especially that wonderful man who promised to be my partner for the rest of our lives.

We are the Champions!

Here's a picture of me and Derrick, who just completed his first half-marathon in Miami for Team Challenge, and our medals! I envy the fact that Derrick's medal spins and has a jewel in it, but I still love my Mickey one. We had a fun evening of celebrating our achievements with our other 2 team members, Alison and Michael. Thanks again, guys, for all of your support!

I'm so excited that a new friend from my spinning class (did I mention I'm obsessed with spinning??) is joining the team!! She mentioned how she couldn't get into the Philly Triathlon, and I mentioned TNT. Now she's joining! Very cool stuff.

I'm still not running, and I start PT tomorrow. However, I'm not missing it that much. I am happy with my accomplishment, and I'm also having fun exploring other ways to work out, like spinning and yoga. I'm looking forward to meeting our whole team. Also, our Disney/Arizona TNT reunion is on Saturday. I cannot wait to for that!!

I wonder if anyone is still reading this, but I will continue to post about TNT. I can't get enough!

Welcome TEAM!

We had an information session last night at the Cherry Hill Library. I cried, of course, when I was asked to speak to the group. Does this high ever go away? I hope not!

I met a lot of great people last night. Two of the runners are survivors. They're doing full marathons. Wow. I continue to be in awe of these people.

I hope I helped people feel better about the fundraising aspect of the events. It seems like the economic situation is getting people down. However, look at our totals--almost $1,000 above goal, and that was a hefty goal! I hope I helped persuade the participants that it can be done.

Tiffany was at the meeting! She started training with us with her husband, Chris. Then she had every bad thing imaginable happen. She had stress fractures in her leg, and she's been on crutches for months. She just got off of them and will be training for the NJ Half! Chris and Tiffany are pretty much the most dynamic duo I've ever met. They have four kids under the age of 10, I believe. They do everything with a smile and a sharp sense of humor. I adore them. They're hosting a ton of us for a reunion party next week. I cannot wait to see my TEAM again!

I am still letting my knees rest. I start physical therapy next week. In the meantime, I signed up for group exercise classes at my gym and started taking spinning classes. I did one at 6:30am this morning. Wow! I LOVE spinning!

I met a woman in class this morning who was saying she was bummed she couldn't get into the Philly Triathlon this June. It's full already. I told her about TNT (the only way in), and she said she was interested, because her father has lymphoma, but the Philly TNT office never called her back! She lives in Southern NJ, so I hope I convinced her to join our team. I think I did. I love Penn. So many great people work here.

What a great start to a Friday. And to think, at this time 3 weeks ago, I was the most nervous I've ever been. Nope, the high isn't gone yet!

As If I Couldn't Feel More Proud!

From The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's e-newsletter:

" Big Weekend for Team In Training
Team In Training (TNT) came up big this month in two of the program's hottest events - the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Weekend and P.F. Chang's® Rock 'n' Roll ArizonaTM Marathon & ½ Marathon.Disney, in Orlando, FL, was held Jan. 10-11 and attracted more than 1,800 TNT runners and walkers. Participants raised an extraordinary $7 million for LLS's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.What's more, the 2008 fundraising total is $1.4 million more than last year! John Kellenyi of New Jersey was the top fundraiser at more than $67,000 - once again making him TNT's No. 1 fundraiser. Across the country, in Phoenix, AZ, 1,066 TNT participants raised more than $3.2 million at P.F. Chang's. All 68 LLS chapters sent runners or walkers to the Jan. 18 race."P.F. Chang's and Disney continue to be among the most popular destinations for Team In Training," explained Donna Grogan, vice president, LLS Sports Training Programs. "And it's no surprise. Both events feature beautiful surroundings, great courses and excellent accommodations."

I was one of 1,800 people helping to make a difference on January 11, 2009. I have yet to come down from that high.

I was just assigned my first mentee, Abby. She's awesome. Not only is she participating to honor the memory of a dear friend, she's an architect like Michael and cut her hair for Locks of Love like me! I like her already.

Boy, am I glad I don't have to run in this weather...sigh of relief...

The Most Amazing Week of My Life

As I sit here with my medal still around my neck, I am still astounded by the extreme feeling of happiness and accomplishment that I have after this week. Our honeymoon was amazing, but this was the greatest vacation/trip of my life. I'm sure my husband would agree. Here's the full report (feel free to skim).

Day 0: Wednesday night I have my final "I can't do this" moment and cry. Michael tells me that he's already so proud of me, he believes in me, and he makes us take a picture of ourselves to look at when it's all over. I'm all red-eyed and sad-looking.

Day 1: We leave around 9am on Thursday morning and get to the airport with tons of time to spare. I'm feeling really nervous, because now my heels hurt. The crazy in me has me convinced that I'm developing plantar fascitis and am completely falling apart. However, during the plane ride I decide to just love every second. There's no turning back now. Michael gets bored with "Tales of Beadle the Bard," so we're both happy to arrive in Orlando, the most beautiful airport ever. There's a welcome sign at baggage claim and about a billion runners. We wait in line for the "Magical Express" to take us to our hotel, Coronado Springs. I meet some lovely women, one spectator, one first-time half-marathoner. Michael fumes at the weird lady doing stretches while waiting in the baggage claim area.

We head to the hotel and get there around 6. We put our bags in storage and decide to go to the race Expo tonight, since from now on, it'll be a zoo there. I sign a wall for the race--"For Michael, my love." We are starving, so we eat some Clif bar samples. Michael goes back for seconds. I buy 50 sample packs of Biofreeze, which everyone said was great for using during the race. It's a cryotherapy gel. Before we leave, I take a picture by a photo of Donovan McNabb in the hopes that we'll both have a good Sunday.

Back at the hotel, we get dinner and check into our room. It's a gorgeous resort. The Zaccs and I stayed there in 2000, and it's prettier than I remember. I organize all of my TNT and race information, and we pass out early.

Day 2: We wake up early for breakfast and see some of my teammates. They've all already seen at least one park and are heading off to more. We go to Epcot that morning, my favorite place. We walk around and see lots of interesting things, including a guy doing skywriting that says, "Praise Jesus" and "U+God=smiley face." It's weird. I thought Disney was a no-fly zone.

The TNT Pasta Party is in Epcot, so we meet everyone at 2pm for that amazing event. Hundreds of people are there. They showed a slideshow of survivors and people who lost their battle from every chapter. I felt part of something so great. Michael stands twice when they ask for all of the participants' supporters to stand and for all survivors to stand. I choke back tears and feel the proudest I've ever felt to be married to this man.

After that inspirational and emotional afternoon, we decide to check out the pool at the resort. It's a little cold for the big pool, but the hot tub is just right. After dinner, I had a team meeting where we got final instructions and decorated our singlets. I put Michael, my TNT buddy Art, and at the last minute, Sheila, our family friend who was battling ovarian cancer and had just taken a bad turn, on my singlet. We hear a mission moment from a half-marathoner who was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma and is walking the half tomorrow and doing really well. She makes me cry. Now I'm really nervous but more excited. Michael and I then purchased some "marathon wine" called "Miles of Smiles" created for the race. We sit around and watch TV, and around 11pm I notice that there is a sign on our door. It's from TNT and says, "Some angels don't have wings, they wear purple singlets," and "Behind this door sleeps a hero." What a way to end a great day.

Day 3: The half-marathon was at 6am this morning. I decided to conserve my energy and sleep in, but we saw all of our teammates as they came back around breakfast time. I was SO impressed by them and so elated to hear it all went well. It got me so excited for my "finish" moment. Mom, Dad, and Uncle Lou arrived at the hotel around noon. We got lunch together and headed to Downtown Disney. I was inspired to get a temporary tattoo of Dash from The Incredibles on my arm for good luck.

After some shopping, we headed to Saratoga Springs, our timeshare homebase and where the family was staying until Monday. We open up some of Uncle Lou's favorite Lambrusco, and we start telling old stories about Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Peg, and old times. I feel my loved ones with us as we laugh and laugh and laugh! Then my mom notices that she has a voicemail. I'm a little quicker with cell phones, so I grab it, put it on speakerphone, and play the message. I don't know what possessed me to do that. It's my Dad's coworker with the sad news that Sheila died at 4am that morning. We're all very upset, but Dad's happy that he saw her on Thursday, Mom talked to her the other day, and I'm even more motivated to carry her name with me for 26.2 miles the next morning! Mom said that Sheila never complained while she was sick. She would just say, "I'm offering it up." I decide to do the same tomorrow.

When we get home, I do my stretches, lay my clothes out, and try to go to sleep at 8pm. Wake up call is 2am. Michael says he wants to go back to Downtown Disney, because he wants to make a t-shirt for tomorrow. I fall asleep miraculously at 8, but then there's a knock on the door at 8:15. Jen and Lori sent me a bottle of wine! So sweet!! What amazing friends. Then I get a few texts, so I'm sleeping an hour or so and then waking up. I'm nervous, really, really nervous. I start to pray out loud. I thank God for Michael. I thank Him for the moments we have together. I thank Him for the moments tomorrow that will be hard and will be amazing. I thank Him for Sheila. I pray to Sheila and wish her peace and happiness. I cry quietly and fall asleep.

Michael comes in around 11pm with his shirt. It says, "My wife ran the Disney marathon and all I got was this t-shirt. Way to go Therese!" It was supposed to say "stupid t-shirt," but he was censored by Disney. Hahaha!

RACE DAY: At 2am, I get the wake up call. I barely slept, but I'm ready. I pack on my gear, put on my TNT tattoo to match my Dash one. I read the note Michael left me saying how proud he is of me. I write him one in return. I kiss Michael goodbye, and off I go to meet the team. Everyone's in great spirits. We get to Epcot at 4ish am. We stand around for about an hour and then head to the starting line. We're walking in almost complete darkness on the back alleys of Epcot. As one teammate said, "This is where Epcot goes to die."

The start is amazing. The national anthem is sung. Fireworks go off. We're READY! I'm scared, but with my team by my side, I just want to start. We cross the start line around 6:10am. We're going slowly to stick together and conserve our strength. At every mile, we meet up again. It's crowded and REALLY dark. However, by mile 3, I'm still feeling good with no knee pain.

The sun starts to come up. We've run through Epcot, seen our first of many characters, and now we're on the highway for miles 5 - 9. Gary, our coach, and I stick together for most of this stretch. I'm still feeling good, and we try to up the pace a bit to get through the crowds. It's hard to weave around people for 10 miles. We play Gary's game of picking someone far ahead of us and trying to pass them before the next mile marker. We win every time. We're taking a break at every mile, and I still feel good.

Then we enter the Magic Kingdom. I knew this was a spectator spot, but I thought I wouldn't see my family until mile 13 as we had planned. When I see my mom's face in the crowd at mile 10, I burst into tears. Dad yells, "You look great!" Michael snaps one of my favorite photos ever. Off I go!

Around mile 13, I see them again! I'm starting to get tired, and it's officially hot now. But I complete a half-marathon in about 2.5 hours, which is just a little slower than my PR for a half. However, my knees hurt now. I see Chris. He's nauseous and not looking good. I start to feel tired. Then I get a sharp pain in my right foot. I have to stop. What could this be? I stretch for a minute and keep going. Now I'm just going to try to keep going to each mile marker and then take a break. I'm alone now. Gary's with Chris and circling back for others.

Mile 15 - 18 were boooooring. We were actually at a recycling center and on a narrow, boring road for most of this. I'm hurting. I'm good once I start, but then there's a water stop, and I'm getting dehydrated, and then it feels like my bones are breaking when I start to run again. This is not fun anymore. My run mix of music is boring me. I want to be done. Gary told me to count up the miles until mile 17 and then start counting down. We get to Animal Kingdom. I hate Animal Kingdom. It smells, it's hot and not that interesting to me. I stop at a real bathroom, which helps my spirit. My Garmin loses reception, and for a second I think it will stop tracking me. I'm wrong, thank goodness!

Mile 19 - 20 is highway...hot highway. I see a girl throw up. I see a man lying on the ground waiting for an ambulance. I can't do this. I think of all of my "ammo," as Gary calls it--Michael, Sheila, my family, my friends, the finish line. Nothing's working. Then Gary appears. I burst into tears. I sob, "I hurt so badly. I just want to be done. I am so thirsty." He calms me down. I pour water on my head, which helps a lot, I take another gel and drink more than I have been at stops. I can't stop crying. A nice man passes me, sees my face and yells, "You can do this, come on!" I laugh and start to run again.

From here on out, it's pretty awful. Everything hurts. I have to stop every 6 minutes or so to walk and stretch my IT bands. My foot is sore. I feel a blister pop. We get to the Wide World of Sports Complex where the Expo was. I know from the map that we run a mile and then turn around and then head to Hollywood Studios. I need a theme park. The course has been so boring. This out and back mile is killing me. Then I see the wall I had signed at the Expo Thursday night. I am reinvigorated. I see Manon, Jeff, and Wendy. I feel better. Gary stays with me. I don't know how he kept me going, but he did. I'm still distraught that I have 5 more miles. My brain can't even imagine going another 2.

We get to Hollywood Studios. There is some shade, and they gave out chocolate mini bars. I get a Mr. Goodbar, my favorite, and walk for a little while. I pass the set that looks like a NYC street and I remember taking a picture there in 2006. I hate this spot now. I want to be done!!

Miles 23 - 25 are along the river. At this point, I'm trying to run for as long as I can and then walk. I'm probably doing 5 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking. I don't care. I see Jeff. He makes me laugh, and I'm ready for the end. I get a text from my teammate Gail who finished well over an hour before me. She reminds me to think of Michael and Sheila. I have 1.5 miles to go.

We get back into Epcot near my favorite spot, Italy. I remember Michael and I being there two days earlier. I take water cups two at a time. I run, I walk, I cry. I cry just thinking about the ending. People are screaming my name. Earlier on the course, I got a lot of "Go TheresA!" Now I'm going slow enough that people can read my singlet and say, "Therese" (well, sometimes "Ter-rez").

Gary finds me again. He starts saying, "You're almost in the Lifetime club!" I'm crying every 30 seconds now--partly because of pain, partly because I'm almost done! I see the finish line. I'm scanning the crowd for Michael. I cry and cry and lift my arms in the air. 5 hours and 42 minutes and I finish the marathon!!!! I get my foil wrap, my medal, and call Michael.

I see him before he picks up. He's walking away. I scream, "I see you!! I love you!! Come back to where you were!! I DID IT!!!!" I'm crying writing this. We all hug, we cheer, I can't describe it anymore. It's one of the best moments of my life.

The Jesus skywriter starts writing again as we board busses to go back to the resorts.

The Aftermath:

I had one black toenail and I still have a MASSIVE bruise on the inside of my right foot. It doesn't hurt at all. I think I just popped a blood vessel, but the whole side of my foot is deep purple now. I took an icebath and enjoyed the rest of the day. McNabb and I had a great Sunday.
Day 5 - 7: I was the sorest I've ever been on Monday, but we went to Hollywood Studios and checked into Saratoga Springs. We had a FANTASTIC rest of our time there. Check out some pictures here: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=260597611/a=3130054_3130054/t_=3130054
Thanks to all of you who read this, donated, or just have been my friend throughout this journey. I don't think I'll ever do another marathon, because nothing could have rivaled this experience. Thanks to my TEAM and coaches, especially Gary. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks to my family who cheered me on in person or in spirit the whole way. Thanks to my best friend, Michael, who I can't live without. Thanks to God, who made this world so wonderful and blessed us all so much.

GO TEAM!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!!!

Much, much more to follow, but I just got home, so until tomorrow... I finished in 5 hours and 42 minutes...the hardest and most rewarding experience of my life. I'm still wearing my medal.

THANKS TO YOU ALL!!!!

Here We Go!

In 24 short hours, we'll be about to touch down in Orlando. I cannot believe it's finally here!

I am letting go of all pain, worries, fears, and enjoying every second from now until we come home. I cannot wait to pack tonight, snuggle with my kitties before leaving them for a week, and wake up with my husband and leave for the airport. I am officially emotionally coasting. I spent weeks and weeks worrying, fretting, doubting. Now all that's left is the joy. WE DID IT!!!!

I look forward to the physical manifestation of this feeling when I cross that finish line. My bib # is 20615. Feel free to log on to the Disney marathon page and watch my progress, if you're up at 6am on Sunday. Something tells me I'll be on the course for a while, so you do have time.

From my family to yours, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this moment happen!

Seven days...

A week from this moment, I will have already crossed the finish line of the Disney Marathon!!!! I took a complete break from running for 2 full weeks, and I went out again yesterday. At about a half a mile in, my knee started to hurt again. However, it eventually kind of mellowed out, and I did 3 miles, but I could have done more. Michael came with me, and the rest of the team did 9 miles. Then we all got together for our big Team Breakfast, which is where we celebrate getting to the end of training and get all of our final instructions before we leave. It was awesome. I felt so much more confident, and it helped me focus on the real reason I'm doing this. Plus, I'm so excited to go to Disney.

At one point, a staff member asked all survivors who are participants or heroes to stand. Michael wasn't sure if he was included in the group, but he's my hero, so the staff member goes, "Michael, get up!" I felt so proud and so grateful to have this healthy, wonderful man by my side.

Later in the day, both knees hurt, so I was a little discouraged, but today I feel fine. I'm not going to run until January 11. Plus, I'm getting a Cortisone shot tomorrow.

I want to thank all of you who have read this blog, donated to my race, and been my support throughout this journey. In the end, I am glad I got injured. It made me focus on what's really important in life and why I'm doing this. I thank God every day for the blessings in my life. I thank you for helping me along this path for 5 months. I'll be thinking about you as I cross the finish line. You'll be with me every step of the way!