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 ...