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...

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

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.