Home again - Race Update

Back in the Land of 10,000 Lakes after a week in the Tarheel State.  It was a wonderful time with our daughters, son-in-law and son enjoying the fall colors flagging brightly in the RDU area and the beauty of the Outer Banks.

The girls and I did a run together on Friday morning up and down part of  Virginia Dare Trail.  Just as we experienced last year, Friday was the windiest day on the Outer Banks. The sun was shining and if it weren't for that wind, it would have been a warm day.  We ran about 45 minutes, the girls having no issues at all.  I had no issues - with the wind at my back, but in my face, it's just a challenge to breathe!  I like breathing - A LOT!  All my tricks weren't very successful and I was truly grateful that we were only doing a short run.

Saturday morning dawned bright and brisk (that's a nice way of saying COLD), but no wind.  We all headed up to run the OBX 8k.  For Erika, this was to be her first official race and she was as nervous as a cat.  Kristi & Andrew were going to run together and they were pretty mellow about the whole process.  Carl and I were going to walk/run this race, saving ourselves for the half-marathon on Sunday.  For some reason, my tummy thought this was a big deal, so my morning prep consisted of several visits to the necessary room.  I did everything I could to work out the bubbles... jumping up and down, pacing... and by the time we hit the track, it was all good but I'm sure everyone was a little amused by my pre-race preps.

The race started and we quickly saw the back of all three kids not to see their faces again until the half way mark when they were coming back.  It was an interesting race, starting at the high school track, running through some neighborhoods and then some trail running.  Carl and I did pretty well on the track and neighorhood running but that trail stuff - definitely not something we were prepared for.  Loose, sandy trails and hills... I probably could have handled the hills, but that loose, sandy stuff.  Not a fan.  We had fun with this race though... I would run ahead of Carl and take his picture at every mile marker.  I also enjoyed visiting with others - a daughter runninng to support her mother's first race, a mother running to support her 8 year old daughter's race.  There were folks from Team in Training there and another gal whose shirt read "Running My Mass Off".  Carl thought she was a priest but he was wrong.  She told me she started running to loose weight.  I never got her name, but I can tell you she was serious - she was also doing the Pamlico Challenge!  8k Saturday, half-marathon on Sunday!  I wish her great success in her efforts!

We finished the 8k (5 miles) in 1:12.  Erika finished in it 50 minutes and the married kids were just behind her.  It was fun time for all of us and I think it helped get the nervous bugs out - maybe.

We spent the rest of the day doing touristy things - the NC Aquarium, the Tanger Outlet and then an early pasta dinner back at the house. Son Timothy and Andrew's mother, Judy were also with us for the weekend.  Judy was kind enough to make the pasta dinner and it was early to bed for me.  I knew I'd struggle sleeping a full 8 hours and I was right, awake at 4 a.m.  Awake and NO tummy issues!  This had to be a sign of good things to come!

After getting dressed - changing back and forth between my shorts and capris, I settled on the capris.  I didn't think anyone would appreciate being blinded by my lily white legs. My shirt wasn't in question - it was going to be the shirt that would let me and everyone know why I was running (at least everyone behind me). 



I would spend a lot of time pushing myself to keep running, knowing that those names were on my back, wanting them to get the recognition that they and their families deserve. 

The race route was familiar to me, having done this as my first half marathon last year.  I was able to enjoy the scenery so much more... the beautiful dunes, the water of the sound on the right and the ocean on the left... the crowd support was amazing and I was fortunate to find a runner, Karen, who would pace with me from mile two or so all the way to the end.  I probably could have done the race without her, but I have to say, it's so much nicer running with someone, encouraging each other to give it a bit more, to keep going.  Thanks Karen!! 

We ran pretty consistenly at a 10:48 minute mile for the first 6 or so miles, walking the water stops.  The water wasn't very good tasting, so I was cautious in consumption.  I also avoided the GU at the water stops, so no issues there at all. I didn't have the Honey Stingers with me though and I think I could have used that extra little energy.  I had brought the cherry stingers with me, but the belt provided in the swag bag had irritated me during the 8k, so I declined to use it during the half.  The capris - while a good choice - didn't have pockets, so the stingers stayed home.  I don't know if it would have made a difference, but I do know I was running out of gas towards the end.

The bridge didn't intimidate me this year as last year - although it did require a few puffs of the albuterol.  The wind which seemed to non-existent on the flatland was a bit more prevalent on the bridge.  Thankful again for Karen for the mutual encouragements as we tackled the beast. 

At mile marker 11, to my great delight - there were the girls, Kristi & Erika!  Seeing their faces was a great pick-me-up.  At 12, there was my boy, Timothy who had finished his race with a PR of 1:51!  Tim would continue to run out to find Carl and pace him in to the finish.

I had a secret goal of finishing in 2:30 but that last half to three-quarter mile was hard.  Pretty sure I was on fumes and needed slow down breaks to get my breath and get something for my kick at the end. I was tickled pink to find out my actual finish time was 2:35:05 - only 5 minutes off my secret goal and 25 minutes faster than my run last year!!

Throughout my training, I worked out all the issues that have plagued all my earlier efforts.  I felt great after the run, albeit a bit dehydrated.  The water along the route was rather nasty tasting, so it was more of a swish and spit rather than an effort to hydrate. The shin splint that had been popping up off and on in my training runs never made an appearance nor did the IT band issues.  I have to say it was a great run in every possible way!

After my finish, I waited for Carl at the finish.  Short of the birth of my children, I don't think I've ever felt as much joy and pride as when I saw him cross that finish line.  Actually, I didn't see him, I heard them announce his name and believe me - everyone around me knew that he was the one I for whom I had been waiting.  It wasn't a rebel yell, but it was something. 

With all our bling

I was once again moved by all the people who were running for causes at the OBX.  There were folks for Team in Training for the Leukemia Society, for their moms or their dads, for heart disease, for diabetes and neuroblastoma, another type of cancer.  Please take few moments to read about Ashley Burnette at Our Adventures with Ashley.

We all run for different reasons.  Some people run for the joy/the love of running (you know I'm not in that crowd at all); some people run for their health or for stress relief; some of us run for charities like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or raise money for children like Ashley. 

Is there a cause or a charity that you feel strongly about?  You don't have to be a celebrity or an athlete to be a runner, just the desire to make a difference and a pair of shoes.  You don't even have to run - you can walk in a 5K like the Dash for Dad or the Autism 5K.  There's pretty much a race for almost every charitable cause under the sun.  Find one and get training!  If a couch potato like me can do it, believe me, you can too!

Thanks for following me through this adventure.  Thank you for supporting my fundraising for Light the Night.

If you're wondering, yes, I'll keep running and I'll update the blog. 

Merry Christmas!

Rae

A Slacking Blogger

I'm so sorry!  I've been such a slacker at updating the blog, letting you know what's going on with my running. Believe me, it's because all my free time is busy with either running or getting ready for the race.

I've been getting in some good runs, 8, 9 and 11 mile runs.  Times are averaging anywhere between 11 & 12:30 a mile, which makes me happy. I've had some issues with the asthma, the lungs don't want to work quite as well as I'd like them to, but I won't complain. The runs have been challenging, each in their own way. The 8 mile run was an out and back done on a long, hilly road on a cloudy, grey, windy day. The 9 and the 11 were done with Running Buddy and were pretty good runs, all in all. 

I'm happier than I can even express that that all my stomach issues seem to be a thing of the past. Going from GU to Stingers was such a good move!  I introduced Running Buddy to them and we're both hooked.  The cherry flavored gels are reminiscent of the Luden's Cherry Cough Drops from our childhood memories.  Yummy Goodness! Seriously - I could eat these things like candy!  We also tried the pomegranate flavor and those are almost as tasty! Maybe I prefer the cherry flavored just because of the good memories they stir, but I'll be packing both for the race.

I have had some issues with a shin splint in the right ankle.  It's just a sharp pain in that area just above the ankle bone where my foot and shin come together.  That coupled with the numb feeling in the bottom outer area of my left foot has caused me to become rather concerned about the shoes I've been wearing.  Just before the Woodbury Country Mile, I bought a pair of Ascics Kayano shoes. Like my Sauconys, they are a stability shoe, but I think they are "softer". With all the asphalt/concrete running I do for training, I'm not sure they are the right shoe for me, so I've gone back to the Saucony ProGrid Guide 4.  I'll get a few runs before the race in the new shoes, but I'm sure they'll be just fine.

Clothing is next on the concerns list.  While the weather is getting colder here in Minnesota, I'm finding that it's the perfect weather for me.  I am much happier running when it's cooler than when it's warmer if I'm wearing the right clothing for the temperature.  However, the race is in North Carolina, which means I will probably need to wear my warm weather running clothes.  Last year, I ran the race in shorts and a short sleeved shirt.  I plan on something similar for this year, but I may change the shorts to a pair of capris.  I'll pack for all weather and decide the night before. One thing that won't be up for debate is my shirt.

I've ordered a Wear Your Number shirt.  It will be printed with the race bib design on the front, along with my name.  On the back will be the logo of my $1,000 sponsor, my employer, Thomson Reuters.  Under that will be the words "Light the Night 2011" and a special printing. 

The special printing will read as follows:

Running in memory of Will, Toodie, Gordy and Ann
Running in honor of Heidi, Noah, Cole, Charlotte, Mike, Jenna, Samantha, Margie, Jon & Christopher.

Even now, as I tell all of you about this, I am remembering more people who deserve a spot on my back.  Michelle, Greg, Pete, John, Viktor ... just to name a few.  While it makes my heart heavy to know that so many people are continuing to be affected by cancers, of all kinds, knowing that every day we are making strides towards a cure will make every single mile of those 18.1 miles worth it.

Yup - 18.1.  I've decided that I want to run the Pamlico Jack Challenge.  The Challenge is to run the 8k (5 miles) on Saturday morning and the half-marathon on Sunday.  I'm pretty determined that this will be my last long run, so I want to go out with a bang.  Most everyone I know, particularly the runners, are insisting that this will not be my last half, but I'm fairly convinced in my own mind that it will be.  I've already run 3 more than I ever thought I would and after the OBX, I will have run 4 half-marathons in a year's time.  That might not seem like a lot to those who run races every weekend, but it's 4 more than I ever thought I'd be able to do.

Right now, I'm feeling very selfish, not as altruistic as I was when I first started this adventure.  I will continue to run, but I'm going to stay under the 10 mile mark.  I want to run for the heck of it and for my health.  I want to be able to skip a day without feeling guilty because I've screwed up my training schedule. Even as I write this, I realize that I'm slipping back into that "about me" mode that I was determined to stay away from. 

I can't forget the reasons why I started this adventure -  Cole, Charlotte, Noah, Heidi,  MikeToodie and Will, and their families, people I've met through the years whose lives have been affected by blood cancers and I can't forget the reasons why I stay committed - Jon, Christopher, lymphoma survivors, and Paul & Jane, who lost their teenage daughter Ann, in February, all my 2011 LTN team mates;  Greg, the brother-in-law who is a prostate cancer survivor; Michelle, the breast cancer survivor, Viktor who lost his earthly battle but finished the race and won the crown of life.

I will run as if my life depends on it.

I will run because someone's does.

I will run.

Can I get a drumroll, please?

I almost captioned this "Can I get a witness" because I just feel like shouting Hallelujah!!  I have such amazingly wonderful things to share, but first....

 I'm still here and I'm still running!  Since my last post before the Light the Night event, I've still managed some pretty decent times during my training runs ------ OH WAIT------ you want to hear about the Light the Night event? You want to know how everything turned out?

Well, can I just say it rocked?  That the last update from the local chapter indicated over $550,000 has been received and more money is coming in?  Can I just say that the Thomson Reuters Light the Night team and its subteam, TRiumph exceeded our goals by $3,000?  Again, I feel like shouting "hallelujah, can I get a witness??"  Through so many individual efforts, a bowling/silent auction fundraiser, the company match and the corporate sponsorship, we were able to provide $16,550 towards the fight against blood cancers.  Now, can I hear you say it too? 

I am so proud of the team.  They are such caring and invested individuals.  Some of them are survivors, some of them are fresh from the loss of a loved one.  All of them are truly amazing individuals and I am better for spending time with each of them.

Here's a picture of the team with Rod Carew

Note that this isn't all the team, just the ones that made it for the picture with Rod. 

I have one thing left to do for this team and for all of you who have taken the time to read this journal and have possibly sponsored one of my training runs.  I have to run a half-marathon and I have to keep my word.  Remember that I said that if anyone gave me $1,000 I would put their name on my running shirt.  Well, Thomson Reuters is matching my $1,000 so I'm going to proudly wear the company name and logo on my shirt.  However, you see those amazing people in that picture above - well, they have stories too.

The man in yellow, well, that's Jon.  He's a survivor. The redhead?  That's Deb, she was walking in memory of her husband's cousin, Gordy.  Somewhere in there is little Margie, another survivor.  That white hat, that's Jon, again, a survivor.  Paul and Jane, they walked in memory of their daughter Ann.  Carla, her son Will.  Amanda in honor of Samantha.  Stories that I am priviledged to have heard and each of them has given me permission to add more to my shirt.  When I run my half-marathon on November 13, it will be my honor to have the names of the loved ones on my back as well. 

Now, about my training, it's been going well.  I'm continuing to maintain a pace between 10-12 minutes per mile.  I'm truly confident I've mastered the gut issues with the honey and honey based energy gels.  There's some tweakiness in the right ankle, but it doesn't seem to be getting any worse.  I don't feel as nervous about this race as I did last year at this time which makes my training kind of fun. Don't get the wrong idea, I said kind of fun.  I'm still not in love with running, but it is starting to grow on me.

I'll try be more diligent in the coming days.  I have some long runs ahead and I'm sure you'll want to know all about them.  Ha! 

Until next time...

It's time to Light the Night!

It's here!  The night I've been running towards for the past several months.  Tonight at Target Field as the sky grows dark, the lights will go on in hundreds of balloons; white balloons carried by victorious warriors, gold balloons carried by loved ones of those who lost the battle and red ones for those folks like me who just want to show our support.  I will probably start to cry just like every other year.  I'm kind of soft that way. 

I'll be looking for the faces of the children, Cole, Noah, Christine along with the adults I've met along the way. There's always just a wee bit of fear that someone will not be there and I have to steel my heart against it.

Have to keep this short, we're going to hit the light rail to get to Target Field and start blowing up all those balloons.

Oh - yesterday was the Dash for Dad, the prostate cancer run. Team Save the Walnut raised $525.00.  Not too shabby for its first year.  I'm happy to say that I ran my best 5k yet.  31 minutes!  That's a 10 minute mile, folks, a whole lot faster than when I first started this craziness.  Carl ran a slightly faster than 15 minute mile and finished at 45:00 minutes. Very proud of him!!

And so I run...

First, thank you to everyone for being a part of this adventure with me.  I appreciate all of you so very much, whether you're just a passer-by, someone who's sponsored a run and wants to make sure I get that run done or just a follower.  Thank you so very much.

Today - I'm not going to tell you anything about my runs, I'd rather give up this space to Jon and Pat.  The following is the presentation that they made at the recent Eagan Relay for Life.

Relay for Life – August 5, 2011

Pat:  I’m Pat Eveslage and this is my husband Jon.  We live in Burnsville. I work at Lloyd’s Barbecue in Mendota Heights and Jon works at Thomson Reuters here in Eagan. Our son Paul is 23 and our daughter Elena is 19. With all the amazing survivors, caregivers, friends and volunteers here tonight, we are honored to be here to share our story with you.

Jon:  Our story begins late in 2007. During my annual physical, I told my doctor about some unusual symptoms I was having. A lymph node in my neck was swollen and I was always warm and having night sweats. In January, 2008, I had a lymph node biopsy and a bone-marrow biopsy and found that I had stage 4, follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a slow-growing blood cancer.  I was 48 years old.

We spent the rest of 2008 trying to get the cancer into remission. Four different types of chemo were tried – 16 rounds all together – until there were positive results late in the year.

Pat: What a long year it was! Jon was able to go by himself to the treatments and didn’t have many side effects or miss much work for most of the year. The last treatment, given at Christmas, was pretty hard on him. That’s when my sister-in-law, the pharmacist, said it was probably working.

Jon: While I was going through the chemo treatments, my doctor suggested that I look into having a stem cell transplant.  It was the only hope to completely cure the cancer once it was in remission. I worked with the University of Minnesota Blood and Marrow transplant program. Because the cancer was already stage 4, my doctor didn’t think an autologous transplant, where you use your own stem cells, would be effective. I would have to find a donor. I didn’t find a donor match with any of my three brothers or anyone in the adult donor pool. The only option left was a dual-cord transplant, where they use the umbilical cord stem cells from two newborn babies. Fortunately, we found two babies that matched. (And we later learned that one was from Europe!)

In March 2009, I had one last round of chemo and radiation to destroy my bone marrow and immune system to allow the donor stem cells to grow. The transplant is painless and just like a blood transfusion. The stem cells find their way into your bone marrow and begin making new blood. After 100 days, one of the two types of stem cells becomes dominant and creates your new blood. It’s really quite an amazing process, and we are lucky to live so close to the U of M, one of the only hospitals in the country that does dual-cord stem cell transplants.

Pat:  Jon spent 10 days in isolation before the transplant and 17 more in the hospital after the transplant. Once home, he had to return to the BMT clinic at the U every day for the first week. He couldn’t drive at first, but fortunately our son was home to drive him for some of the trips. It wasn’t until August – almost 5 months later – that Jon’s immune system had recovered enough for him to return to work.

 

Care giving for a stem cell transplant patient involves a lot of things.  Jon’s immune system was knocked out, so mold, dust, etc. can cause infections.  He was pretty weak at first, and later when he went out he had to wear a mask. He wasn’t allowed to mow the lawn or work in the yard. It was a long summer for both of us.

Jon: By the end of July I was feeling better. Just before I went back to work, we decided to take a family vacation to Copper Mountain in Colorado. We enjoyed the scenery and some short hikes. The kids went horseback riding and we relaxed. Near the end of the trip, Pat wasn’t feeling well and we made a trip to the local hospital. We found that she had mountain sickness, not uncommon for flat-landers like us from Minnesota. She was given oxygen at the hospital and by the time we were back to Denver, she was feeling better. Little did I know that it was soon going to be my turn to be the caregiver.

Pat: I still didn’t feel very well after we returned to Minnesota.  I was run down and tired all the time.  My friend, Marilyn, advised me to see my PA, so just before Labor Day I saw her and she immediately asked if I had had a colonoscopy.  All I could say was, “No, when I turned 50, Jon got sick and I couldn’t think about myself, let alone schedule a procedure like that.”  So, she said, “You’re having one now!”  And, two days later I did.  Well, the news was not good.  I’ll never forget the doc’s face as he said there was a mass and he thought it was probably colon cancer.  All this the day before my birthday!  So, you do what you have to do.  They assigned me to a surgeon who was wonderful.  The surgery was successful but, unfortunately, they found cancer in five of the 27 lymph nodes that they had removed.  This meant that chemo was necessary to make sure it was gone.  So, at the end of October (after a wonderful weekend with four close friends on the North Shore) I began six months of treatments.  My chemos were more debilitating than Jon’s had been.  But, I looked on it as prevention, I was certain the cancer was gone.  I also knew I would not be able to make it through those months without the help of my friends and family.  Every two weeks I made the drive to St. Louis Park with a friend in tow.  It helped me to not dread the day and to know that I had 3 hours with that special friend.  One time I even was next door to a dear friend, who has since passed, and we spent the time together.  What a blessing!  In fourteen trips, I went with 11 different people.   I will never forget those afternoons or the wonderful nurses who cared for me.  My mother cared for me after the surgery and on the weekends after chemo.  I was able to make it to my job until the last few treatments, when I needed almost a week to recover.  My Bible Study friends, my Bunco neighbors, old friends from high school, work colleagues, and family were instrumental in helping our family through those months of both our journeys with cancer.  Meals were brought, prayers were said, fleece chemo blankets were made for us and we received wonderful e-mails.  Even our daughter was cared for by her youth group at church.  All these things happened because we were not afraid to share what was happening.

Jon: We live in a time where it is OK to tell people you have cancer, and that is a blessing. Everyone must handle their situation in the way they’re most comfortable, and we learned from those before us that you cannot walk it alone.  No one can help you if you don’t tell them what you need.  No one can pray for you if they don’t know you need the prayers.  Many amazing things happened to us.  We know God was involved and continues to be here.  It’s now over two years since my transplant and the cancer is still in remission. This past winter I was once again refereeing high school basketball games.  Pat has had good CT scans and labs for a year, and her latest colonoscopy (done by her wonderful surgeon) showed no cancer.  She doesn’t even have to have another one for three years.  Thank you.

Notes: Autologous (own) vs. Allogenic (others) stem cells

4 chemos:   1. R-CVP 2. R-CHOP 3. R-ICE 4. R-DHAP

And so I run...

Feeling Stronger every day....

I've had to do my last few runs alone with Maddie.  Running buddy is dealing with some severe plantars and is off until it's under control.

Of the past few runs, all between 4 & 6 miles, only one was a fail.  I was going for six miles and it wasn't going to happen.  I can't tell you why it didn't work, it just didn't.  Was it too warm? Did I not prepare properly?  I don't know. Some days are like that I guess. 

The weather is cooler now and I'm loving it.  The timing is perfect too, as I'm having to add on miles now to prepare for my next half-marathon. My asthma and allergies seem to be under control moreso now than in warmer weather.  I'm able to run longer and farther without stopping for walk breaks.

I've worked out the stomach issues - I think.  I hope.  I really really hope.  I still have some episodes of sprinting to and through the front door to the bathroom, but they are becoming fewer and father between. Diet is a huge factor and allowing myself enough preparation time prior to the start of a run is key.

I've added ice baths back into my recovery routine.  It's excrutiating, but I think my legs feel so much better.  I'm loving my compression leg sleeves too.  They are the best! 

Next weekend will be busy.  Saturday is the 5k Dash for Dads.  Carl and I are running as part of Team Save the Walnut in honor of our brother-in-law, Greg, a prostate cancer survivor. Sunday is the big day/night - the goal I've been running towards for three months now.  Light the Night at Target Field.  The Leukemia and Lymphoma's walk to honor survivors, victims and their families. 

As encouraged as I feel about my running and as grateful as I am for all the support I've received thus far, I'm stressing out about the team's goal.  My $1,000 goal is very close and with the company match, I'll make the $2,000.  The team's goal is farther off.  Fortunately, we have a team fundraiser for October that should help us accomplish our goal.

If you have time - please jump over to Jenna's blog, The RedHead Report.  Jenna is now past 100 days from her bone marrow transplant.  Her blog postings are much more real and interesting than mine.  She writes about her experiences with her cancer and its treatment, not pulling any punches or looking for pity. She's pretty darn amazing.

I just run.

Sorrowful - Yet always rejoicing. Victor-ious!

This morning's run started off with tears - tears of sadness and yet of joy.  I cannot add to the story of Victor Watters.  My nephew Eric says it so well on his Facebook:

Prayers for strength go up for the Wat[t]ers family. I'd say R.I.P. but I know better than that. Victor isn't resting; he's dancing on the streets that are golden, where he can draw deep, full breaths of air without cancer slowly and painfully taxing his weakened body. There he awaits his loved ones and smiles down on them until they too take the journey home.

You can read about Victor and his family on their CaringBridge site
and in Ruben Rosario's column today

Childhood cancer - ewings sarcoma - not a leukemia or a lymphoma - won the battle, but Victor, through his Savior, claims the victory.  He fought the good fight, he finished the race strongly and I know he has heard the words - "Well done! Welcome home."

Cancer is cancer, it doesn't matter the cause. 

And so I run.

Meet one of the reasons why I run...

Meet Heidi Gusenius, Senior Campaign Manager with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Minnesota.  Heidi is my go-to gal for the Light the Night Walk - and unlike me, she has a VERY personal reason for being involved with LTN.

In her own words...

There is a statistic out there that every 4 minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer... well, I contributed to that statistic on July 6th, 2005 when I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  As a "never-been-sick-a-day-in-my-life" strong, healthy young woman in my mid-20's, I had never even thought of the word CANCER for myself.  After finally going in to see the doctor for all the bizarre symptoms I had been having (including nausea, vomiting, broken capillaries, severe headaches, strep throat, and fatigue) I started to worry when he told me my white blood cell count was so high, their lab machine could not even read the number.  He then told me I needed to go to Fairview Southdale and have a bone marrow biopsy done - IMMEDIATELY!  I had no idea what that procedure entailed (had I known, I probably would not have gone!).  They didn't even wait for the results of the biopsy to send in the oncologist... they already knew. 

After a month-long stay at Fairview Southdale where I received a groshong catheter, a couple PICC lines, leukopheresis, two types of chemotherapy, numerous blood and platelet transfusions, and 4 more bone marrow biopsies, I was declared in remission!  I finally got to go home - just to come back for 4 additional rounds of chemo for the next 6 months. 

I was one of the lucky ones that beat the odds and am thankful every day that I survived that horrible disease.  

Now, I’m even more grateful to be expecting my first baby this fall!  The doctors never knew for sure whether or not carrying my own child would be a possibility, but I feel so blessed and am anxiously awaiting it’s arrival. 

What Heidi didn't share is that she's a runner. She's participated in the San Diego Marathon to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. In the three years I've known her, she's run it twice.  She gets a bye for this year as she and her husband Mick are happily anticipating the arrival of their first child which is due right about the time of our LTN walk! 

Heidi, Carl and me as I received the LLS 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award

Heidi is one of the many reasons.  I can't image a world without a smile like hers.

This weekend I ran the Woodbury Country Mile Half-Marathon with my young friend Cara.  It was her first half-marathon and she rocked it!  Her goal was 3.5 hours, her dream goal was 3 hours and she nailed a 2:47:16!  That's an awesome time for a walk/run first time effort!  It was really sweet to see her husband and daughters waiting for her at the finish with flowers! 

My race was almost as good, 2:47:42! and with no stomach issues! I stuck with the Aspen Ridge Honey Farm stix, my own water and but for tired legs and some soreness in my back, I felt great! I felt great until Monday when all the things I did prior to the race, coupled with the race and sitting at my desk for hours caught up with me.  A visit to the chiropractor, some time with the heat wrap and I'm good to go again. 

It's 4 weeks until the Light the Night event.  I'm still short of my goal, but I'm trusting that things will soon start picking up. 

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Sunday's coming!

And with it, the Woodbury Country Mile Half-Marathon!  Thanks to all of you who have given so generously to my fundraising efforts!  Your kindness and generosity are appreciated much more than words can express.  With every step I run, I am reminded of all of you and all of the reasons I'm doing this - each of us are making a difference in the lives of blood cancer patients!

The training runs haven't been as long as I would like them to be prior to a half.  I'm not too bothered by that as I'm actually doing this one to support one of my Titus2 girls who is going to be running her first half this weekend.  Setting a personal record is not a goal for this race.  Encouraging Cara and ensuring that she finishes with the best possible experience possible is the goal.

I keep coming back to the importance of having a support system, don't I?  I'm supporting Cara in her efforts to run a good race while you support me in my efforts to race money for cancer research. Somewhere out there, there are doctors, nurses, oncologists, whole teams of people working to support blood cancer patients and their families.  It becomes a circle of sorts.

And so I run.

It's personal

I can no longer lay claim to not having a personal experience with blood cancers.  It's starting to get personal now.  My son-in-law's father Mike was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia and I've learned that my cousin PJ was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma seven years ago. 

Hairy cell leukemia is one of the rarer leukemias and is curable in most patients. It's a form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is a slow growing blood cancer, starting in the bone marrow.  There are between 500-800 cases of hairy cell leukemia a year.  Mike is one of those statistics this year.  I'm sure he'd much rather be counted as a retiree with a hot sports car, if he had to be counted and knowing Mike, he'd rather not be counted at all.

On the other hand, PJ is in a much bigger group of folks.  In 2010 alone, there were over 600,00 people living with lymphoma or in remission and almost 475,000 of those folks with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
PJ has benefitted greatly from Bexxar, a lab produced protein that targets antigens in the cancer cell's surface to interfere with and destroy the cells. It's kind of like the Search and Destroy treatment. (Cue the Metallica).

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, together with other agencies, funds research that can help change the lives of people like Mike & PJ. 
They also provide:
co-pay assistance http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/financialmatters/copayassistance/,
education
 http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/patienteducation/
and support for patients and their families http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/supportgroups/

And so I run.

Can't slow down

Life has a way of moving into fast forward and time slips by so quickly.  Seconds to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days - well, you get the idea.  Somehow I got caught up in the whirlwind that is my life and when I stopped moving for just a moment, I discovered that it's 6 weeks until Light the Night!  SIX WEEKS!

When I set my goal, I determined that I would have run 400 miles to make my goal of $2,000.  It didn't seem that outrageous a feat at the time. Thus far, I've run 45 sponsored miles and 67 unsponsored miles.  I've now got six weeks to run 288 miles!  That's 57 more 5 mile runs - 57 more $50.00 sponsors needed or

ONE REALLY BIG SPONSOR! 

You can't blame me for putting it out there!  I do have a half-marathon coming up on August 28.  There's still time to get a name printed on my running shirt!

The past few runs have been fun even if challenging.  Running Buddy and I tried running back to back days this past week and let me tell you, that just didn't go well. Our legs were tired from our efforts the day before and someone forgot to bring her rescue inhaler along.  Ok, I didn't really forget.  I've gotten kind of cocky lately with my inhaler and I left it at home.  A few months ago, I would need to use it somewhere around mile 3, but it'd been getting to be less and less of an issue, so I stopped bringing it along.

Monday was a warmer day, humid and we ran later in the day. I think the combination of the tired legs, the humidity and the allergens in the air made it harder for me overall. I'm embarrassed to share that our time was close to 13 min/miles.  My chest hurt and I couldn't do my deep calming breathing.  I hate that feeling.

Whine, whine, whine. 

I have to come back to the reason why I'm doing this. 

I'm running for my teammate who lost his daughter to leukemia in February and another who lost her son 3 years ago this month. 

I'm running for Kent who lost his mother two years ago to lymphoma.

I'm running for Mike, recently diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia.

I'm running for Cole, Charlotte, Noah, Heidi and Jon, who have all fought the battle and WON!

I'm a strong, healthy woman, blessed with a wonderful husband, great kids and even more amazing grandkids. 

I want it to stay that way

and so I run.

Aspen Ridge Honey Farm Honey Stix and a Run with my Honey!

Today started off a little challenging. 

Some background: My dear husband is also in training for the Outer Banks Half-Marathon.  Hubbster started running after the kids and I ran it last year and thought it sounded like fun.  (We're still trying to figure out how he got that impression - eh, oh well.)  He's done a couple of 5ks since January, the Resolution Run on January 1 and the Get in Gear 5k in April.  He trains at the fitness center on the DT and has been primarily doing 3 miles at a time a few times a week.  Last night, I convinced him that he needed to start doing long runs on the weekends and that we should start that this weekend. 

The growling and grumbling was minimal.  I think he thought I'd drop it or that we would wake up and it would be raining.  He knows me well enough to know that I will give up under both conditions.  Ha! I fooled him.

The alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. today.  I was up after one snooze, into my clothes and laced on my shoes and down the stairs to take care of the dogs so he could have just a few more minutes.  I was hoping the sounds I was making in the kitchen would drown out the growling and grumbling which it did until he came downstairs. 

After all the fussiness in the kitchen, we were out the door by 7:30, off to do 5-6 miles.  The first mile and a half was more of the same.  How could I expect him to run twice as far as he's run so far?  Grouse, grouse, grumble, grouse.  At this point, I'm praying for patience and a sweet spirit until finally I give into my baser self and tell him to lose the bad attitude or else.  He must have seen something dangerous in my eyes, because he did stop with the trash talking and focused on his running. 

I decided to try for 5 miles, rather than 6.  It seemed like the right thing to do.  We would run until he felt the need to walk and then we'd walk, probably farther than he really needed to, but I was trying to be nice.

At 2.5 miles, I think I found my running fuel!  Something natural, something tasty and easy!  Aspen Ridge Honey Farms Honey Stix! I had stuck two in my new Camelback handheld water bottle, one for each of us.  I popped the cherry one, sucked half of it down and gave the other half to my better half. 

I also had Lemon Tea flavored Nuun in the water bottle, after having been persuaded by my daughter to give it a try.  I'm not a fan of the flavor, but again, here is something that doesn't seem to cause any issues!  So very excited!

Okay - back to the run.  We ended up doing 4.5 miles, short of my goal for the run, but I was letting Hubster decide when to quit.  Now that he's done 4.5 with no adverse problems, I think getting him to do a longer run will be easier.

I'm ahead of my donations now in miles. I still have a ways to go to hit my goal at which point, I can turn my focus on helping my team meet its goals. If you're reading this, would you please consider a small donation.  The company I work for matches dollar for dollar, so your donation is doubled!  How cool is that!?  I hope you'll consider.

I hope to tell you about my friend Heidi in my next post.  I think you'll enjoy getting to know her as much as I do.

Until then, I'll be running along.

I'm still here~

But barely!

It's been a rough few weeks since I last posted.  The sweltering humidity and heat or is it the sweltering heat and humidity has been the cause of much consternation.

I don't do heat and humidity well.  Just thinking about the combination seems to cause my pores to open and gallons of sweat to exude from my body at an unbelievable rate.  Imagine if you can what running 5 or 6 miles in weather with a 115 degree heat index can do.  I know I wrote about this before but I can't emphasize enought that it was ugly, people, just ugly.  Carl looked at me when I came in and wondered if I'd run through the neighborhood water sprinkers.  (I had but only to cool my legs and our Maddie dog off.)  I couldn't have been wetter standing in the shower.  The best part of it is that this run was a 5 mile run on a Sunday morning that started at 6:00 a.m.  6:00 A.M.!!

Am I the only one who thinks that is insane??

Oh - wait, you probably think I was insane for even attempting to run 5 miles in that kind of weather. 

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results* - then you'd right because I not only did that run, but I did another 5 mile run under the same conditions two days later, another after that again and a six mile run after that!

I am a sweat bucket.  I can easily lose 3-4 pounds after a run in these conditions.  Not really the way I want to be losing weight.  I end up feeling weak and tired - generally, just miserable all over. Being a woman of a certain age, I think my personal summers contribute something to my ability to sweat.  The only time I don't really feel them is when I'm running.  Hey!  I just found a real positive to running!!

I went back to the fitness center in our neighborhood and used the DT (dreaded treadmill) and found that even being in an air conditioned room doesn't do a thing to inhibit the sweat glands in their performance.  It does, as I've mentioned before, inhibit my spitting, but only so far as I spit into a rag rather than on the floor.  I only did 2.5 miles before calling it quits there due to time constraints not physical conditions. 

With the 6 mile run, I was running with my tunes and my fuel belt with a mixture of Gatorade's new G2 series Perform and water.  I was hoping this watered down drink wouldn't have the same effect on my stomach as GU, but hope wasn't enough.  I think my neighbors are really impressed by my sprinting home.  If only they knew. Not so impressive. Sharts... definitely not a girl's best friend. 

This morning, Running Buddy and I hit it again.  She's back from vacation and the weather was a gift from God!  64 degrees, 59 degree dew point.  Yes, yes, yes!  And a nice breeze.  Even more Yes! Yes! Yes!  It was wonderful for our 4.5 mile run.

Thanks to all my fabulous donors: Kate, Erin, Cha, Helga, Sue, Arlene & Larry.  Kate actually pushed me to run 10 miles!  Yay! 

Today was the Light the Night Ice Cream Social sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to provide information and recruit walkers for the Walk, September 25.  I'm very excited to say that we were able to get 24 people signed up to be part of the Thomson Reuters team. 

One of our new team members is a father who just lost his daughter in February to leukemia.  Those are the hard moments.  I watched as he strongly put his name down on the sign up sheet and admired him as he encouraged his friends to do the same. I wondered if I would have the ability to be so controlled were it my daughter.  Teammate Cindy is the stepmother of Jenna, the author behind The Redhead Report, who is currently fighting the good fight.  Another team member lost his mother two years ago this month and yet another is a survivor. These people have a personal interest. They know the "story of leukemia" even better than I do. 

It's humbling.

And so I run.


Runs since last blog post:
07/23 - 5.07 miles 12:27 min/mile
7/24 - 2.61 miles 11:05 min/mile (run with my Carolina boy Tim)
07/29 - 6.02 miles 11:17 min/mile - followed by a 4.5 mile bike ride.
08/01 - 2.65 miles 12:04 min/mile (Dreaded Treadmill)
08/03 - 4.59 miles 11:51 min/mile (Running Buddy)



*attributed to Albert Einstein

Another Team!

Just joined another team today - Save the Walnut - to run in the September 25 Dash for Dad, a 5k race that benefits prostate cancer research.

This one is a little more personal - my brother-in-law Greg, the balloon captain for Light the Night, is a survivor of prostate cancer. 

One would think that prostate cancer and leukemia have nothing really to do with each other, but one would be wrong.  As I've said earlier - research sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has led to discoveries of drugs that are being tested for treatment of other types of cancer.  Specifically, Velcade®, Thalidomid® and Revlimid®, originally developed and approved for patients with myeloma are now helping patients with some forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and being tested for patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), acute leukemia (ALL and AML), lung and prostate cancer.

And so I run.

Still searching for that right combination of food and drink that will give me what I need to go the distance but won't upset the system.  Right now, the best pre-run food is a slice of toast, with peanut butter, honey, slice banana sprinkled with flax seeds with a half cup of coffee.  I won't even pretend that I know what benefits I'm getting from this combo, I just know it tastes good and it doesn't cause any stomach upset.  If you have any suggestions - let me know. 

Yesterday's run
Distance 5.5 miles
Time 12:48 minute/miles
Good run overall. 

Heat wave - tropical heat wave!

I know I should be so grateful for this warm weather, we had such a long winter or so it seemed.  I find that I much prefer running in cooler temperatures.  Everything just works better. 

The last three runs have all had their challenges.  Each one was 5 miles (special thanks to Dwight J., Sharon C. & Sgt. D.!), two outside and one on the treadmill.

Dwight's run on July 15 was with Running Buddy through the city of Rosemount and was in the early days of the current heat wave.  In general, it was a good run of 5.37 miles.  We averaged 11:49/mile which now seems to have been a bit fast, since we were trying to keep it nice and easy as we were running with our dogs and the humidity levels were high.  We've been running with our dogs for quite some time and now it's almost impossible to get out of our houses without them.  Maddie, our golden retriever, will park herself so close to the front door the minute she sees my running clothes that I practically need a crowbar to open it. Josie, RB's drathaar, is the same way.  Normally, the two do just fine during our runs, but with this change in the weather, we need to be mindful that they will do whatever we allow them to do - to their detriment - and we have to ensure that we protect them from themselves as I found out during Sharon's run.

Sharon's run was on Sunday morning when the temp was 78 degrees at 6 a.m. I was going to do 5 miles - 6 if it felt right.  Running Buddy is on vacation but Maddie was right there, ready to go.  After 4 miles, she had drained both water bottles in my fuel belt and she wasn't looking good.  I felt horrible that we were still a mile from home and if there had been a way I could have twitched my nose ala Bewitched, I would have done so to get her home and into the shower as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, I don't have magical powers, so we chugged home as easily as we could and ran through every water sprinkler available.  As soon as we were home, I got Maddie into the shower with me to cool her down.  Funny - for a dog who loves to jump into the lake, she is not a fan of water sprinklers or showers and will do her best to avoid them however, she was very submissive and it wasn't long before she was cooled down and back to her normal Maddie self. 

I should mention that the run was hard on me as well.  I often wonder where all that sweat comes from.  Seriously!  I cannot believe how much pours out of my body, especially from my head.  I couldn't keep my ear buds in for the sweat  and my hair looked like I'd taken a shower even before I got into the shower.  I think I may have dehydrated myself  as I had a few muscle cramps later in the day in my calves and upper arm muscles.   BTW, our time for the run was 12:17/mile.  A little slower than the run on the 15th - a little more walking for Maddie's sake (and mine).

Today's run, Sgt's D's run was on the Dreaded Treadmill. As far as the last week of running has gone, this one was the worst.  I HATE the treadmill.  It feels so much longer and boring than running outside and I run slower!!  5.00 miles at a 13:10/mile!  What's up with that!? Even though the fitness center has air conditioning, I still sweat up a storm and I'm completely at a loss when it comes to spitting! Where the heck am I supposed to spit? Yes, I spit when I run. Heck, I spit when I walk.  I'm a spitter. It's not ladylike, it can be rude, but it's what I do.  I spit.  Sorry! Outside, it's not an issue, I can spit anywhere, but on the DT, it's an issue.  Fortunately, I had a few paper towels at hand, a couple for spit and a couple for sweat.  I seriously considered breaking up the run, half in the morning, the other half in the evening but I couldn't seem to make myself quit.  I wanted to stop, I really truly did!  I just couldn't!  What the heck is wrong with me?  I don't know!

I have two more runs ahead to keep up with my donors.  Here's hoping the heat wave breaks soon so I can pound pavement rather than the DT.

The internet is an amazing thing - through it, I've befriended people who share an interest in camping, knitting, cooking and running.  The post below is from a camping friend, Kell Johnson, who lost his son Alex 8 years ago to acute myeloid leukemia (AML).  Alex went through a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy.  He fought a valiant battle for 168 days.  His parents were strengthened by their faith yet struggled with the questions that rattled their faith.  Even now, eight years later, the ache in Kell's heart is still strong, his grief palpable. From Alex Johnson's Caring Bridge:

Friday, June 24, 2011 7:13 AM CDT
It has been a long long time since I last journaled here and not not sure how many people continue to visit the site, but I can tell you that we still continue to miss Alex everyday and carry his spirit with us where ever we go.

This year it will be 8 years since Alex was diagnosed and yet it seems like it was yesterday.

I long to hold him in my arms again, hear his voice and see his big smile. Some day things will all be made right again.

Kell

And so I run.

A little something about my first 5 mile run sponsor...

Almost feels like I'm kicking off a commercial! First, thank you, Vicki K. for being my first run sponsor!

I have to tell you somethings about Vicki. 

She got involved with LLS through her employer and her first event was a jello slide. (Way, way easier than running 5 miles)

She continues to support the mission of LLS and in particular Light the Night as a volunteer.  She has schlepped more hot dogs than a New York street vendor and now, along side her husband Greg, is part of the Balloonatics Crew.  (Way, way more fun than running 5 miles)

She has lobbied in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (Way, way scarier than running 5 miles)

She is the former president of the MN Chapter Board of Directors for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society having been involved with the Society for almost 20 years. (Way, way - okay, I got nothing to compare with this kind of dedication and commitment)

She is my inspiration and my role model.

She is my baby sister.

Thanks Vicki for all you have done and all you continue to do! Love you!!!

What happens when a mileage junkie meets a time junkie?

Running Buddy is a self-confessed mileage junkie.  She loves running and running and running - she's kind of like the Energizer Bunny!  I'm content to be done after 3 or 5 miles, but she can keep going.  She actually starts to get into her rhythm and get stronger by mile 3.

I'm a time junkie, I always want to see an improvement in our time during all that running and running.  I don't think I ever get into a rhythm or stronger, I just want to get through it and the sooner the better. 

It's a match made in heaven, I think. 

I love the runs where we're both feeling good, where the bodies are performing as they should and I'm always so very grateful that we never feel crappy at the same time.  When I'm having a bad run, she knows just the things to say, when to push me harder.  Since she's always been the stronger of the two of us, I've not had a lot of experience with encouraging her.  Lately, however, RB's had some tougher runs and I've been able to encourage her.  It's brought a bit of balance to our relationship and I like that.

Having support like Running Buddy helps get one through the tough times, the hard miles and to finish strong.  LLS is there to provide the same kind of support, education and other services to patients and their families.  If you or someone you know have recently been diagnosed with a leukemia or lymphoma or are in the midst of the battle, check out your local LLS chapter.  You can find them at http://www.lls.org/.  If you want to find out more ways to help, that same site will point you to many of the programs the Society makes available, like Pennies for Patients, Team in Training and Light the Night.   

Thursday's run -
4.63 miles
11:56 minute/mile
Temp. - 66-73 degrees
Humidity - 55%

Pretty comfortable!

Ugh

Yesterday's run was awful.  It started off well enough.  Met Running Buddy at the corner and we determined we'd take it nice and easy. It was 85 degrees, low humidity, slight breeze, we knew it would be a bit of a challenge, but we both felt up for it.

The first few miles went by just fine, no real surprises.  The heat wasn't overwhelming but it was a little on the dry side which seemed to make breathing a challenge.  However, I was carrying my fuel belt so that we had water on the way and easily drained one of the bottles before our first planned stop at the local KwikTrip, the three mile mark.

The KwikTrip stop was "interesting".  I knew I had to pee, but the rest came as a complete surprise. Foolishly, I thought I needed to get some energy going, so I tried a couple of strawberry Chomps, with a water chaser.  Running Buddy also bought some Gatorade, from which I took a few sips.

BAD IDEA!  About 5-10 minutes after the stuff hits my system, I started to experience mile 10.  For your information, mile 10 was the moment when I knew I was in serious gastronomical trouble during the 2011 Get in Gear.  And that's all I'm going to say about that! :)

The rest of the run was a struggle with feelings of nauseau and a strong desire to hurl.  We ended up walking much more than running with me taking little side trips to the side of the sidewalks, once with an effort of sticking my finger down my throat just get it over with!

As I ran, I realized that I felt like this because I made a choice to run and to put something into my system that ultimately disagreed with me.  Leukemia patients going through chemo don't have a choice.  They are doing it because they have to, because they want to live and the chemicals being pushed into their bodies are their hope.  That realization kept me moving forward, Running Buddy at my side.

Moving forward, I am going to try going without any GU or similar products and just rely on water during the run. I will have to fuel up properly before and will be looking at what foods will work without upsetting the system.

This run was a freebie.  Still looking for that first donor. Remember, it's a simple process, completely secure at http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCiti11/ReneeHedstrom#My-Fundraising-Page

Final stats
5.84 miles
12:58 min/mile
Temp. 85 degrees
Humidty low

Meet Cole & Charlotte - our 2011 Honored Heroes

 

Cole Christian

Cole, age six, was diagnosed with ALL in 2008 and will complete treatment on September 4th 2011! He enjoys playing games and sports, especially hockey, eating macaroni and cheese, and spending time with his family and new puppy. Cole hopes to one day be a hockey coach.

Charlotte Grimm

Charlotte was diagnosed at age two with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) and is currently undergoing maitenance therapy. Now three years old, Charlotte loves dancing and being a big sister.

 I haven't met Cole or Charlotte yet, but I can already tell that when I do, just as I did with Noah, I will fall in love.

ALL - Acute Lymphomblastic Leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in children from infancy to age 19.  It's the most common form of cancer in children ages 1-7.  According to the National Cancer Society, there is an almost 91% rate of survival in children under the age of 5 and an amazing 66.4% in all ages!

Cole is the same age as my grandson Ben, Charlotte is a wee bit older than my grandson RJ.  It is hard for me to fathom not doing something if either of them or their brothers were diagnosed with any form of cancer or other illness. 

Like most runners, I think about things when I run ...

I think about the usual work and family stuff. 

I think about my commitment to the upcoming Light the Night Walk.  Actually, it was while I was running that I got the idea to use my running as a way to raise support for this year's walk. I remembered that I decided after my OBX Half-Marathon, that if I'm going to continue to run, I'm going to run for a purpose. 

I've received a lot of physical benefits from my running, but I really need more of a reason, one that's less self-centered than maintaining my weightloss or keeping my cholesterol down.  I don't want to belittle those things, my health is very important to me, but I want my training and my races to count for something other than a couple pounds or a few cholesterol points.

Tomorrow the plan is to run 5 miles with my training partner, Sue.  I was really hoping there'd be some movement on my donation page to motivate me, but it's early and I'm pretty sure I can get myself going fairly easily right now.  I'll need those motivators later in the training. 

Hmmmm..... maybe I could bank miles now and later, when the donations come in, I've already got them covered.  I could give into the little voice inside my head that encourages me to stay in bed and get more sleep.  No one would know, right?  Ha - you, dear readers, would know and I would know and I'm pretty sure that knowing that you know will be enough of a motivator to get my lazy butt up and moving.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please feel free to leave a comment or a message if you want to know more about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Light the Night.

Why I run

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, the spongy center of bones where our blood cells are formed. The disease develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control.

Lymphoma is the name for a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. The two main types are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Critical treatment innovations have originated through blood cancer research, including radiation, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and new-targeted therapies. Significant progress continues to be made to improve the lives of people living with blood cancer:

• Nearly 50% of all FDA-approved cancer drugs during the past decade were for blood cancer:
• Five of those drugs have been approved for use in additional cancer indications; clinical trials are underway for the other 14 FDA-approved treatments for additional indications.
• Survival rates for children with lymphocytic leukemia (the most common childhood cancer) have risen from 3% to 90% since the 1960s.
• Hodgkin lymphoma patient survival rates have doubled (now 88%) since the 1960s

http://www.lls.org/

Since I've become involved with the Light the Night, I've met so many people whose lives have been touched by some form of leukemia or lymphoma.  One of my team leads/mentors at Thomson Reuters, Carla, lost her son Will after a 6 month battle with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) in 2009.  My good friend Kent and his wife Rhonda lost their mother and mother-in-law, Tudie, in 2010 to lymphoma.  Those are a couple of the losses... the success stories are found in my friend and Minnesota Light the Night Campaign Manager, Heidi G. and 2010 Honored Hero Noah - both now considered cancer free.  Someone said that I'm blessed to not have a personal connection to the diseases, but they were wrong.  I do, through each and every one of my friends, through Heidi and Noah and through everyone whose lives have been disrupted by the diagnosis of cancer.

I will run for those who can't because they're undergoing chemotherapy or undergoing a bone marrow transplant
 .
I will run for those who can't because they are sitting next to their loved one, hoping and praying that the treatments are successful.

I will run for those who are grieving and for those who are rejoicing.

I believe that by supporting the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we can make a difference in eradicting cancer from our vocabulary, for that reason I will run.  Because someone's life may depend on it.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  It's great to have you be a part of my training as I prepare to run my third half-marathon!

First, some background...

I'm not really a runner.  I'm too lazy and undisciplined to be a real runner.  I started running one year ago in May and I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for running partner, my husband and my kids, I would have quit in June.

But -

I am passionate about the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and in particular the yearly Light the Night Walk. This year, I am going to use running as part of my fundraising efforts towards my goal of $2,000.

You can follow my training progress on this site.  I promise to be entirely candid and honest about the training - you will get to know the good, the bad and the ugly of training and leukemia and lymphoma.

My fundraising site is http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCiti11/ReneeHedstrom

Thanks for joining me on this adventure.