Rock N Roll Marathon Complete!!

Thank you to everyone who donated on my behalf to LLS, and gave encouraging words along the way--I did it! While it did not go as I had envisioned it, I would not have changed a single thing!
I ran a marathon with people whom I am proud to be able to now call friends--all those at Team In Training, and all my TNT teammates--You Rock! ... and damn can they down the beer :-)

What my 17 teammates and I accomplished:
-Raised over $67,000!
-Ran almost 450 miles total during that little marathon!
-All the TNT participants for this single marathon raised over $8.2 million for LLS!!

There were 22,ooo people in the marathon, and 2,245 of those were TNT runners, although by the amount of purple one saw cheering one would have thought it was many more. Those people on the side shouting encouragement made all the difference, it felt like a celebration of human spirit. Many of them had been directly affected by blood cancers--it touched me every time they thanked me for what I was doing ... I was running a race ... I didn't really feel like I was doing anything special until I heard these folks cheering, and thanking us for running, and I realized how much LLS has done, is doing, and will continue to do to battle these cancers. It was an honor to run with TNT, and participate in this event wearing their colors!

Here is my team at 06:00 ... 30 min to start time!











The Starting line--way up there ... equal numbers behind us!










Holly, Elisa, the two Katies, Max, and Derek with his game face on!













Coach T.J. getting ready to Rock the marathon!











Some of our most fervent supporters!






Our plan to stick together as a couple of small groups fell apart for my group somewhere around mile 10--a bathroom break separated us! So the lines for the wonderful porta-pots are on the long side ... wonder what those elite winners do for bathroom breaks if they need one? I know, and it ain't pretty!
Katie and I ended up being a tandem until mile 24, then I started breaking down ... ok, it started a little earlier. I was still feeling good at this point though (at least it looks like I was!)--mile 17!

I don't know if I overcompensated with electrolytes due to the humidity, or just didn't get enough (although I am pretty sure it was too much), but I started ex periencing cramps when I tried to stretch around mile 20 ... so no stretching ... well, I had dealt with the knee pain before so I could do it again--especially being 6 miles from completing my first marathon!

What I couldn't deal with was the cramps in my shoulder/neck muscles. I was cognizant of keeping my shoulders relaxed (or so I thought), but evidently not enough.

At mile 24 I tapped out ... I had to tell Katie to go on solo, as I thought I may have to walk the last two miles ... not how I envisioned finishing my first marathon! I ended up sitting down and going through all my old tension-headaches exercises, when the SD TNT coach showed up inquiring into my condition. We chatted, and then we walked as I finished working on my neck ... after about a 1/2 mile we bid our goodbyes and I started my run again! (The support from TNT on the course was unbelievable--they were fantastic every step of the way).

The last portion of the run is in the Marine base; 7/10 mile, with the last 2/10 mile being the finish line with the bleachers on either side. For those last 1.7 or so miles I was only thinking about keeping my legs moving ... "run, no walking, almost there, keep putting one foot in front of the other .. etc ..." When I hit that Marine base, and there was less than a mile to go something uninvited switched on ... it was all I could do to keep from letting the tears roll down my face ... I was spent.

Then I turned into that beautiful final 2/10 mile straight shot to the finish line. Uninitiated my body started to sprint (at least it sure as hell felt like a sprint!) towards the finish line, but the crowd was not providing the feedback I needed to make it to the finish line--and I was not going to have two Marines carry my carcass across the finish line! I started throwing my arms up in the air yelling "let me hear you, make some noise," and it worked ... the crowd responded, and I was able to take their energy and use it to cross that finish line!

Once across the finish line I was done, thankfully Courtney, and Katie were there with water & a cold washcloth for me ... I couldn't eat without feeling nauseous, and I could barely walk (can't even explain how much my feet hurt). I knew right then and there--I was going to do this again!
In Photo: Katie, Courtney, MJ, Elisa--Victorious!







Elisa falling into Courtney's arms after crossing the finish. This sums up the marathon far better than any words I could come up with ...







A final thank you to all who have given to LLS, whether it has been through financial donation, dedicating time to TNT and helping folks like me achieve this goal, or my fellow runners who put in many hours and dedication to both training and fund raising. Let us keep going until these cancers are eradicated!

For my son: Semper Fi, I love you champ!

For Hunter: You and all persons fighting these cancers are the ultimate heroes to whom the rest of us will always look to for inspiration--your families' courage is humbling.

Peace, and love to all.

My thanks are endless to you,

MJ

GO TEAM!!

Erin & Night Train aka Brent Relaxing Before the Start ...

Malinda & Amy @ 06:00

Katie, Katie & Whitney

Lindsay & Greg, part of our great TNT support!

It's Here!!

I take off for SD tomorrow, and the run is only 3 days away! I am as ready as I am going to be, as are my fellow TNT runners.

Up bright and early tomorrow ... have no idea if I am fully packed or not. On one hand it seems like I have to much stuff, and on the other it seems like I am definitely missing something--I have shoes, socks, shorts and running shirt so I have the vitals (and of course those wonderful little round band-aids for the nipples--I knew you were worried!).

Best of all--Lenore posted today that Hunter's last test came back with no sign of leukemia, so he is set for his bone marrow transplant next Friday!! That little man is fighting with all he has, and is kickin' the frak out of the cancer beast! Go Hunter Go!!

Peace,
MJ

Last Long Run ...

We did our big 20 mile training run this last Saturday, and despite the knee pain I experienced it was a great success! I think the knees are on the right track and should be more than fine for the 31st. I know I keep saying that, but the doc I am seeing now and over the next two weeks really seems to be making the difference.

I would have been walking for the last few miles if not for my great teammates--they pulled me along to finish strong (last 1.5 miles at a little over an 8 mile/minute pace). The increased pace actually made my knees feel better (perhaps the increased range of motion??), so that was encouraging.

Starting to really get excited about San Diego, a little hard to believe it is less than two weeks away.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to LLS. If you have been following this, and along with it Hunters blog you know what these diseases are capable of. My deepest, sincerest thank you for helping to make a difference, and bring about a possible end to these blood cancers.

MJ

Non-Running

I meant to post this earlier this week ...

I saw Hunter, Zen and Lenore on Monday ... I had to take Hunter's x-ray, and I was breaking down in the middle of the exam (I left the room to find a semblance of composure). I think the fact that Zen was obviously struggling, and that Hunter was so uncomfortable really got to me ... When Zen asked if I could do the exam with Hunter laying down it honestly felt like I may as well have sucker-punched Zen when I told him we needed to do the x-ray with Hunter sitting up--even though it was much more uncomfortable for Hunter ...

Never have I wanted to do what is normally a very simple exam less than I wanted to do that particular one. Never before have I been so affected by a patient, and it is carrying over to other patients as well ... During a portable x-ray on 10S, a little boy was asking the nurse, his mother, and me why we were doing this to him (referring to making him uncomfortable again for a chest x-ray), and I wanted to break down again ... my heart breaks for Hunter, and all these kids going through this battle that I cannot begin to comprehend.

If you are reading this--please follow the link on this page to Hunters blog and leave him and his family some love.

Peace & love,
MJ

12 Mile Group Run

Did 12 miles with the group today. Courtney, my running partner today kept a pretty good pace going (ave 9.3 min miles--would have been lower but I slowed her down on purpose for the last 4 miles!). Next Saturday we take it to 20 miles!!

Muscles all felt great, but my right knee continues to give me troubles. I think I am going to have to go see a sports massage specialist for the IT band, I obviously am not going to be able to correct the problem on my own. On the bright side, the left knee felt much better than previously.

Just got out of my first ice bath ... it feels really great now that I can feel my feet again, but damn that was just uncomfortable. Just because I know the question comes up, and hey we're all friends here ... a heated towel placed over those sensitive areas does an amazing job of providing protection!

Non-training related: Hunter has had a set-back. The last round of chemo that was supposed to take his leukemia count from 3% to 0% so he can get his needed bone marrow transplant failed. Lenore & Zen just found out the leukemia is back up to over 95% ... He started another 7 days of chemo starting this morning. If you are reading this blog, please go visit Hunter's blog and send him your well wishes. He is a fighter and is going to win this frakin' war, but needs all the support he can get.

New Personal Best ... 16 miles!

Yesterday we did 16 miles for the group run, the longest distance I have run to date! I felt good afterwords, but by the afternoon my knees were really aching. Went to the movies with my son and could barely make it down the stairs ... he found that very amusing! Iced the knees and used Tiger Balm later that evening, and everything felt soooo much better.

I feel good today; still a little achy in the right knee, but overall feeling really well. No muscle aches, or other pains. I think as long as I keep working those IT bands the knees will keep getting better, and I know this marathon is easily within my reach now.

Never thought in my life I would run this much, nor did I ever think if someone said we were doing a 10 mile run I would feel relieved at having to run a "short" distance! The coaches from TNT have been fantastic--I really cannot say enough about them, or the folks I am running with.

Next week is a slow down, then the following week is up to a 20 mile run. I don't think I will have a problem making the 20, or the 26.2 in SD! No route to upload for this week, as my gps went dead at 4.8 miles into yesterdays run, doh!

Group Run on April 18th

I hit a personal best today by running over 12 miles! Still not up to what the rest of my fellow Rock n' Rollers are doing, but definitely a step in the right direction!

See my route and run statistics here

What a difference it makes running with another person ... so much easier to just ignore the little nagging distractions when someone is running beside ya talking & helping to keep ya motivated; once I left the group to finish a shorter route it became much more difficult to keep moving forward!

My knees were hurting by the end of the run; a direct result of not keeping up on the stretching and massage of my IT band! I think that if I work on that consistently this week, next weekends long run should be more pain free.

I feel great today, no real muscle fatigue or lingering aches (except for a bruise on the top of my left foot which hurts when I start running no matter how I adjust my laces, but eases once I get going).

Next weekends group run is 18 miles ... that is a considerable jump from 12, but I think I may just go ahead and see if I can make it work. Otherwise my goal is going to be 16 miles.

Non-running update: Hunter has had a set-back as the second round of chemo did not eradicate the last signs of leukemia in his system. He now has to be put through the rounds of an experimental drug in an attempt to do what chemo could not--eliminate the leukemia so that he can get his bone marrow transfusion.

Send your well wishes through Lenore's blog.

1st Group Run Post-Chest Cold

I did a modified (by that I mean short!) group run today. 1st time with the group after having crap in my lungs for the last two weeks .. for the most part I was able to breath ok, which was extremely encouraging! I am thinking again I can pull this off and be ready to tackle the RnR on May 31st!

I have a handy, dandy little gps system that I wear on my wrist (just bought it last week), and it tracks my runs! Still trying to figure out how the whole thing works, so I missed the beginning of today run, but was able to capture most of it. I think it is pretty cool, you can see the route I ran along with the rate (kinda slow today, but I was just happy to finish!) I ran.

It was nice being back out running today ... never thought I would say that!

Been Ill, But Getting Back to It

It has been a while since I dropped any updates on here. Of course it has been a little while since I last ran. Seems mild ailments, and then a cold hanging out in my chest have been trying to slow me down--actually, they have been quite effective!

Today I got out for the first time in over a week, and it definitely felt like the first time--I was dragging. I only put in a little over 4 miles today, not great, but at this point I will take what I can. I still feel that if I can put the last bit of cold behind me the marathon is still well within reach (after some encouragement from coach Andy).

The thing that struck me most today ... Today is a gorgeous spring day; it is sunny, in the mid to upper 60's, and everyone was out at Willamette Park where I was running through. I had just read Lenore's latest blog entry about meeting with the doctors regarding Hunters upcoming bone marrow transplant this morning. I couldn't help but slow to a walk to watch all the children playing soccer, and attacking the climbing structure with vigor ... I couldn't stop from shedding a tear as I thought about what the Thawley's have gone through, and are about to go through. I have great faith that they will all pull through this, but the journey no doubt will be beyond anything I can imagine. My thoughts are with them.

Click on Hunter's pic to visit his blog and catch up on his fight!

Be Well,
MJ

Weekend Update

So, I managed to sleep through my alarm for Saturdays group run. Very bad--no more late night Fridays for the next few months! In lieu of Saturdays run I devised my own 12 mile run around the waterfront today.

My hip was giving me trouble right from the get-go, and finally shut me down at about 9.5 miles. I think I need a good masseuse to work the 'kinks' out of the deep muscles ... If not for the hip pain, I feel like I could have put down the 12 miles fairly readily.

The goal for this week will be finding a good massage therapist to help me out. The one thing I know is that my muscles are really tight, and it is giving me grief (makes me want to find another yoga class that fits my schedule!).

Today's run was fueled by Tricky, Imogen Heap, Poe, NIN & Metallica ... with a little Gleukos sports drink (local Portland company!) thrown in for good measure!

Be well,
MJ

Here We Go

So, this blog was originally created to display some of my photography (a hobby I love). But that is put on hold for a while (the blog, not my photography!).

Instead this blog will start as a chronicle of my training with Team In Training to run the Rock N' Roll Marathon in San Diego on May31st!

Along with the training, I am also raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To learn more, or donate, please visit my page @ http://pages.teamintraining.org/or/rnr09/mjohnsoucf

This first entry is just playing a little catch up.

I have never run before starting this particular endeavor, and the thought of taking on 26.2 miles seems more than a little daunting (with less than 4 months training--due to time lost lately it is more like 3 months!).

Why do this at age 40? First, I decided I needed to do something major that I had never done before--push myself to a personal milestone. When I saw the Team in Training brochure I knew it was what I was looking for--it was at the same time I started reading Lenore's blog about Hunter's fight against leukemia. So, I am running this race in Hunters honor; when it is hard to find the motivation it is this little boy, and his fight that pushes me forward. Please visit Hunter's blog @ http://healinghunter.blogspot.com

Below is a picture of Lenore, Zen, and Hunter as they packed up and headed back to Doernbechers for Hunters second round of chemotherapy.

A very special, and sincere thank you to Lenore for allowing me to use her photos, and share Hunters story. Much love to the Thawley family.

The running ... I have lost over two weeks of training due to an unexplainable illness, and a bum left knee. But, I am over the illness, physical therapy has worked well, and I just finished my first "race," the Portland Shamrock Run! I completed the 15k race in just under 10 minute miles--considering it was the first time running on my knee in a couple of weeks I feel great about the outcome.

The Shamrock Run ... It was wet, cold, and windy. An altogether perfect March day in Portland! The highlights: Heading up the last hill of Terwilliger and hearing the bagpipe players before I could see the top of the hill--it was a great pick-me-up for that last hill battle! Something about that sound that moves you, seriously it should have been playing along the entire route! The last 1.5 miles I felt like I could have pulled over and laid down in the gutter & been ok with it ... of course seeing the finish line, and having the thought of Hunters battle playing in my mind kept me moving forward; actually, "Hunter" became a mantra of mine during that last push on to the finish. Once I stopped I experienced a sense of numbness from the top of my head all the way down to my feet for a few brief moments--I don't know what that was about other than my body asking me what the hell I thought I was trying to do to it!

I felt stiff a couple of days after, but I feel great now.

The Shamrock's 15k (~9.3 miles) was the longest I have ever run in my life. This Saturday I will top that in our group run of 12 miles ...

I was thinking after the Shamrock ... if I could somehow pull off 10 minute miles in the Rock N' Roll that will be about 4hrs and 40min of non-stop running ...