We did it!

I can report that TNT raised $18.5+ million with the Nike Women's Marathon!! At the pasta party on Saturday night, I heard more inspirational stories and people than I can describe. There were survivors participating in the marathon, loved ones of survivors and of those that had already passed on - everyone was running in honor or in memory or both of someone affected by cancer. It was hideous and beautiful simultaneously. I remember watching all of the pictures of honorees, those still here and those passed on and being overwhelmed at one point at our vulnerability. And then a survivor spoke to the group of 6K people about how she beat all the odds. On whole, TNT has raised over $60 million this year through its marathon participants!!

And ... I crossed the finish line at 26.2 miles!! It got hard at mile 20, mile 23 to 26.2 was the most difficult ever!! I made it ... and ONLY with the support of all of the people who offered time, money, words and let's not forget, free babysitting. ; ) I could never, ever have done this on my own, and not just the donations - I could never have completed the training and then the marathon without the endless support I have received. And I am so incredibly thankful to have been a part of that whole experience.

Due to flight delays, I did not get home until 2:30 a.m. By the time I got in bed and then talked to an excited 6 year old who crawled into my bed an hour later to whisper to me all about her adventures while I was away, I'm going on about 2 hours of sleep. So, I'm going to try to do the official letter/e-mail tomorrow to send out and let everyone know of our success and the details of the whole thing! And in case anyone was wondering, yes, we're doing it again next year. ; )

Okay, we made it past the minimum. Not as much as I'd hoped, but more than required. When I do this next year, I'll know a lot more about fund raising and will raise even more.

I am going to do a 3 mile run on Thursday and that's it until the big day. At times, I can't remember when I wasn't training and then at other times, it seems like it's been no time at all. I really want to keep this up after the marathon - not to this degree but keep a regular running regimen. I think, given how much I've fallen in love with it, that I can.

I have to e-mail Anna's picture tomorrow to the Marathon Expo and they'll display it among all the others with a word about why I'm honoring that person. I have no idea how I'm going to put that into words. I'll probably just say something about how I'm running in honor of Anna Jane, five years old, b/c in her struggles, she's taught me how to live. Yes, I believe that's it.

Winding down ...

The marathon is in less than one week. I know the total shows that I have $150 more to go to reach the minimum fundraising total but I am picking up my final donations tomorrow and that will put me over the minimum, how much I don't know. I know that I'm picking up at least $200 but it might be more. I very much look forward to the Pasta Party Saturday night when we'll find out the total raised for the marathon.

I did the last team run on Saturday. I was kind of sad about that, really. I'm almost giddy about the marathon. I can't wait to run in it. There are 15,000 people participating. Wow. That's a lot of people. The beginning is a little nerve-wracking I've heard b/c you're all bunched up together. There is a chip on your shoe that doesn't start counting time until you cross the start line and then stops when you cross the finish. I always wondered how that worked since it wouldn't seem fair to the thousands that take a while just to get to the starting line. Even after that, you're apparently all bunched up for quite a while and then the crowd finally disburses. I'm fairly claustrophobic, I hope that doesn't affect my breathing too much. Oh well, surely it won't.

Anna - I don't really know how one describes how a child is doing that is dieing of cancer. Her mom says that she no longer has good days and bad days but good times and bad times during each day. She has had several 'minor' procedures lately, when little things go wrong, that has caused her next MRI to be repeatedly postponed. However, I hesitate to detail those b/c, for one, they're heartbreaking and for two, they sell her short. B/c she keeps going - granted, she's weak and has to be carried everywhere, but she goes and is still such a funny little child. So, it's not fair to just think about the things that makes my heart ache for her, but it's not fair to minimize her triumph in getting this far. There is a balance there somewhere.

I recently told you about Mitch that passed away. Not long after his death, the Light the Night walk occurred - it's a walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - held at night, obviously, and lit up by small lights down the entire way. There were hundreds of people there that wore shirts in Mitch's honor. His Mom spoke and I want to share what she said:

I cannot think of a better cause or a better place to be tonight than right here!

Leukemia, is the deadliest childhood cancer. Mitchell was diagnosed on August 12th, 2005, he relapsed August 13th 2007 and on Sept. 27th he headed to Heaven. This cancer is a beast, there is nothing pretty about it. But at the end of this long and dark tunnel there is a light, this light is the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. The society provides education and financial support to families effected by this disease, as well as, provides funds for research to find a cure.

First of all I want to thank my Heavenly Father for His loving grace and mercy for Mitchell during his final days and for blessing us with such beautiful family and friends who are taking great care of us during this time. Thank you to everyone who came to walk and who donated for your eagerness to help make the light at the end of the tunnel a little brighter.

Mitchell always enjoyed Light the Night. The first year(2005) he was too weak to walk and we pulled him in a wagon. Last year he was able to walk the entire way. Tonight he flies above us.

I ran 22 miles today!!! 22!! That's the longest run during training. Thank goodness. It was hard and the wind was HORRID. I felt like one of those cartoon people leaning against the wind but not actually going anywhere. But overall, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought that it would be. I have had a really hard time with the 18 and 20 milers. I didn't even completely finish the 20. My knees have been really bad but I cut back on my runs during the week as far as distance, got some anti-inflammatory ointment from my orthopedic doctor and pop Advil like an addict. They were much better today. the doctor said that if I'm going to keep running after the marathon, I have to get orthopedics. But you can't make those kinds of changes 3 weeks before the marathon so I'll have to do that later.

I have $200 more to go. Follow up letters are going out tomorrow. Hopefully, that will take care of it. I have a commitment of $100 from one couple but I'm not sure they can do it. We'll see.

Anna is doing okay, relatively speaking. Her family is trying to wait until after October 11th when she has her next MRI to make any decisions about continuing treatment. They hope to not have to make any before then. One of Anna's friends that she met through staying at the Children's Hospital passed away last Friday. He was 10 years old. 10 years old. Middle age at the age of 5. Once again I'm astounded at the strength of faith his family has shown throughout. Please pray for them and for Anna and her family. I know that her time is limited, but pray that it can last as long as possible without suffering.

I'm back

My computer is finally up and running. Finally!! I was going to post through my friend, Lisa, but she inexplicably couldn't open the last post I sent her so I just decided to wait until I got my computer back.

I've been training consistently. The long endurance runs are SO hard. SO hard. Last week was a 20 miler. This week (tomorrow) is a 12 and then next week is 22! 22 miles. My tendinitis has started flaring up at about 12/13 miles. Hopefully I can get that under control. After the 22 mile run, we taper way off for the three weeks prior to the marathon. And then it's the big day. I'm actually really excited about it.

I worked a fundraiser today for five and a half hours of sitting/standing in the sun. I'm sporting quite a sunburn but it was fun. We were working at the Triathlon - where people swim 2.4 miles, bicycle 112 miles (no, that's not a typo) and then run a marathon (26.2 miles). Masochists. I can't believe that anyone can do that. But they had several, several hundred contestants.

Anna. Anna is not doing well. She was able to go home after the pneumonia and she is doing one more week of antibiotics. But she's getting sick regularly - severe weakness and a myriad of intestinal problems. Yet, she'll frequently have short periods where she bounces back. She really is amazing. There is a little friend of Anna's that she has met through her own illness named Mitch. Mitch is nearing the end of his battle with cancer. His family is facing the difficult decisions that I can't possibly imagine. Please keep both of these families and these two innocent kiddos in your prayers.

Had a great 4 mile run this evening. The getting darker earlier is interfering with training a bit, but not too bad. Sunday is another 'longer than I've ever gone before' endurance run. 18 miles this week. 20 miles the next, then 12, then 22 ( I think) - after that the endurance runs dwindle significantly until the marathon. I can't believe it's as close as it is.

Anna is showing some improvement on the pneumonia front. She is on less oxygen now and starting to have a little bit of an appetite, although admittedly not much. She's resting better and I don't think struggling quite as much to breathe. I'll keep you posted. Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers.

I have been trying to post lately but have found it ... difficult. I usually, before Anna had these latest difficulties, started with discussing training. I was trying to keep mind preoccupied this morning during my 10 mile run - i noticed that runners are illogically nice to each other. They always, always, always greet each other with a 'hi!" or "good morning" between their gasps ... gotta be some sort of masochistic bond.

But it all feels rather insignificant and useless. It could be that Anna will never leave the hospital now. It seems unlikely. I guess it's never enough - I remember praying for her to please be here to go on a real family vacation with her family this summer. Then I prayed that she would just get to start kindergarten, now I pray for more. It's not enough when you have to pray for a five year old to make it to this or that, not even daring to pray that they make it to six.