20 Days - WAY Behind Here

Tuesday, March 31st - 20 Days to Marathon Monday!

Temp: 41 degrees

Distance: 5.5 miles

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

Ok I'm now way, way behind on my blog here. As we're getting closer to marathon Monday, there has been more to do to prep and more time training. I'll try to be better, promise! This weekend we ran our longest run of the training season. 20 miles, down heartbreak hill to mile 10 of the marathon route and then back up the route to the top of the hill at Boston College. Coach Jack's theory is that this route somewhat replicates the marathon route, where you end up running heartbreak hill towards the end of the route. I have to say I felt great, despite the snow and cold, and I was able to run faster than I thought up the hills. Running with the team makes ALL the difference in the world. The miles go by so quickly and all of a sudden you're done. We got this. As Coach Jack says, "The Hay is In The Barn."

Today I ran 5.5 miles around the Charles River path. The river is thawing out and it's really pretty. There's grass is showing in spots and the path is finally fully clear and free of snow and ice. FINALLY. Happy (late) Spring!

26 Days - Checkup

Tuesday, March 24th - 26 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 32 degrees

Distance: 7 miles

Fundraising total: Officially $7450, unofficially with match funds coming in, $8800. 

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

Another cold 7 mile run along the river today. But the sun was shining bright and it didn't seem so bad. I even took off my hat!! Imagine that! I felt so free with nothing on my head! I hear we're close to setting yet another record for the coldest March in history. Go figure after the snowiest winter. The white stuff will be around til May I think.

On another note, I took my daughter to her 6 year checkup today. Normally I wouldn't have thought much of this, but having been involved with a group raising money to fight cancer, I'm more aware of the blessing of a "normal" checkup. There are kids I've met who spend days and weeks at a time in hospitals, hooked up to IV's, shots on a daily or weekly basis, who have lost all their hair and may not get it back. These kids have gone through hell, and a lot of the time you'll hear a parent say they had just gone in for a routine visit and found something strange, and that's what started them on their cancer journey. A "normal" checkup is not something to take for granted. It's a blessing. I stood there today with my daughter in her hospital gown and saw how scared she was just for this regular checkup. She didn't even have to get any shots, and she was scared to death! She hated having to put on that gown and didn't want anyone seeing anything under it, which I think is a good thing for a girl. But anyways, I can't image how hard it is for moms with kids with cancer, to have to see them suffer. I wanted to cry today for my girl who was afraid of a normal checkup! Forget about it if they had to IV her or anything worse. I'd lose it.

I don't mean to sound depressing. I'm not, it was more that I just realized that all these little healthy things we take for granted, can not be taken for granted. Every day we are healthy is a gift.

27 Days - Matty

Monday, March 23rd - 27 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 30 degrees

Distance: 4.5 miles

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

I crossed the finish line today, just a few 4 weeks early. That doesn't quite count but it was fun to pretend to cross it anyways after my run along the still frozen Charles River. It's close enough now to Marathon Monday that I'm starting to get really fired up about making it to the finish line. It's in site!!!

This week I want to honor Matty and his mom Sandra. The world lost Matty in 2007 to liver cancer. He was diagnosed when he was 4 years old. The hardest part of Matty's story for me is (a) how much he reminds me of my son in his picture below, just a sweet handsome boy with a slightly devilish little smile, and (b) that the first time he complained of stomach pains was the day after his baby brother was born. I mean, how cruel is that? As a mom to a boy I know that there's almost nothign like having a son. There's something special about it, different than the mother-daughter relationship. I am a sucker for my son, I can't help it.

Matty's mom Sandra is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. She volunteers for Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. Every Saturday morning she is out on the route, dressed up in a theme that Matty would have loved. This week it was Spongebob, a few weeks ago she was a super-hero. Sandra fully admits that the pain of losing her child in such a terrible manner will never go away, but she's trying all she can to keep his memory alive and to not let it ruin her life or Matty's brother's lives. She is truly an inspiration.

I ask that you take a few minutes to read Matty's CaringBridge blog, which his mom has kept up for years after he passed away. We all need to read this, to be inspired by her courage, to remember to hug our children harder than we ever have, and to love one another during our limited time on earth. On Wednesday this week we will blow bubbles for Matty, one of his favorite things to do. Get your bubbles ready!!

Read more about Matty and his story here. 

28 Days - $7,000

Sunday, March 22nd - 28 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 30 degrees

Distance - Rest and Recover from Long Run

Fundraising total: $7,056 out of $9,500

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

New fundraising milestone hit today, just above $7,000! With money I know is coming in I think I should be close to $8,200. We can do this!! Getting closer. Thank you to all my amazing supporters. Back to the pavement tomorrow.

29 Days - Happy Spring

Saturday, March 21st - 29 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp at Start: 26 degrees

Distance: 18 miles

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You

18 miles in the snow today. Um. Yep, on March 21st, 18 miles in the snow. That was a tough run, one of the toughest I've ever run in my life. I don't think I could have run it alone. The run had a little of all the challenges - tough terrain up and down long rolling hills, lots of traffic to watch out for as most of the run was on roads with no sidewalks, and of course, snow, slush, and wind. Not what one would expect for March 21st, but then again, this is New England. Thank God for awesome teammates. We kept each other going and actually had some fun along the way, making up running-oriented lyrics to the tune of Let it Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman (since we just trained through the snowiest winter on record). We did this run, together. With a common goal of ridding the world of cancer. Happy Spring.

Halfway point, starting to get tough so we had to have some fun!

Our awesome volunteers decked out in Spongebob gear, in honor of Matty who was taken from his mom, dad, and brother way too early

30 Days - Impact

Friday, March 20th - 30 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 30 degrees

Distance: 5 miles 

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You

Five miles today on heartbreak hill today, at an easy pace before tomorrow's long run. I'm trying not to panic about the forecast, for rain, snow and cold. I just have to have the attitude that we can run through anything as a team. We can do it, and will do it, together.

With 30 days to go, I'll be focusing on some of the critical impacts that the Dana-Farber Barr program has had on the world of cancer. This is where the money is going, why we're running, and why the fundraising is so critical. The research is working.

31 Days - Where's the Money Going?

Thursday, March 19th - 31 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 20 degrees and freezing

Distance - No run today, too much work!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

No run today and I'm ok with it, it's freezing out and windy and lots of black ice.

I've had a lot of people ask me lately where the money we're raising is going, what's it being used for, and how much of it goes to the cause.

How much of it goes to the cause? One of the greatest things about DFMC (Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge) is that 100% of the funds go to cancer research. 100%. Not a single dollar taken out for admin.

Where is the money going, what's it being used for? To fund innovative cancer research at Dana-Farber through the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. Read more about the Barr program here. The Barr program has had amazing results, amazing impact on the world of cancer research, saving lives, making life more tolerable for cancer patients, and streamlining the process for connecting research to patients. I'll highlight a series of Barr impacts over the next few weeks leading up to the marathon starting tomorrow, 30 days out.

32 Days - Pep Talk

Wednesday, March 18th - 32 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 20 degrees, wind chill about 5

Distance: One hour, indoor cross training and strength training!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

With a forecast for rain and snow for yet another long run, I'm getting to the end of my training in crappy weather rope. It was a good thing we had a Dana-Farber team meeting, and a pep talk from Coach Jack Fultz. All the motivation I really need to keep going is to have dinner at the cafe at Dana-Farber, and to just look around and listen to what people are talking about. It's not pretty, and it's not fair, much less fair than an extra-long winter.

Coach Jack's pep talks are always inspiring and funny. He told us about the year he won the Boston Marathon, 1976, and how there was 2-3 inches of snow on the ground a few weeks before the marathon and then it was 100 degrees that day, and how he "forgot" to pick up his bib number so when he crossed the finish line first noone knew who he was. And then he forgot to pick it up the next year too when he came in second. In the middle of the talk he said that he just got a text from the weather channel, and they said that they're expecting weather on marathon Monday. Love it, such a good point. It'll be what it is, and we'll still run, rain, sun, snow...

I like this quote of the day: "The will to win is worthless, without the will to prepare." Thane Yost

Holy crap we're already talking about marathon weekend, less than 5 weeks!

Coach Jack's pep talk and training tips for the last 5 weeks

33 Days - Then and Now

Tuesday, March 17th - 33 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 45 degrees

Distance: 6 miles

Link to Donate HERE: Thank You!

Outdoor run today along the Charles River path. It was one of the first "pleasant" runs since early on in the training. Perfect temp for a run, partly sunny, minimal wind, and NO snow, rain, or black ice.

I was thinking during my run about about running a marathon at 40 vs. running at 24, when I ran Chicago. 16 years later, I think I still have the same running energy level, and my mile times are the same if not a little faster. As a runner, I don't feel any different which I think is awesome. So far "aging" hasn't caught up with me physically, and for that I'm thankful!

What is different and what I think makes it a little tougher is the responsibility of my family and my career, which means less time to relax and recover from long runs, which means I'm feeling a little more tired as the training schedule hits a high point. I feel the same DURING the long runs as I did 16 years ago, but I'm a little more tired AFTER. Back in the day when I was 24 I could do a long 16-18 mile run on the weekend and then come home, take a long bath, and sit out the couch for the rest of the weekend if I wanted to. I had time to recover. Now when I get home from a long run I have maybe 5 minutes to shower before I get attacked by my kids and all the things we do as a family together on the weekends. It's really hard to run 16 miles and then come home and chase a 2 year old boy who probably runs the equivalent of a full marathon in our house every day! Back in the day, during the week for the 6-12 mile runs, there were no lunches to pack, toys to clean, mini clothes to iron.... All I had to do was take care of myself and go to bed. Wow it seems so easy, why didn't I do so much more with all that free time?? Ha. Anyways, all of the things I "have" to do now are ALL good things and I don't want it to sound like I'm complaining. It's ok that it's harder to recover, that means I'm lucky. I chose to run at 40 knowing full well that I wouldn't have the luxury of long recoveries. Back in the day when I was 24 and I had the luxury of long recoveries, I didn't have the blessing of a house, husband, and kids who I love.

40 is the new 26.2!!!

34 Days - Questions, A Poster Party and a Broken Record

Monday, March 16th - 34 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 34 degrees

Distance: 4 miles avoiding black ice the entire way

Hey did you hear? It's everywhere. Yesterday we officially broke the record and Boston posted its snowiest winter ever in history. I don't know whether this makes me feel awesome for training through it, or just plain stupid. I think I'll be able to laugh about it after April 20th but right now it's just making me tired!

Today was an "easy" run, 4 miles outside along the Charles River. The only issue was avoiding black ice, which was everywhere from yesterday's record-breaking snowfall and today's sunshine. I almost fell at least 25 times and nearly slid down the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge.

After the long run this weekend Emma and I got to decorate posters with Christina and the Dana-Farber pediatric group. On the way to the poster party Emma asked a few dozen questions about cancer and what it means. I'm trying to keep it really basic and simple and not too scary. Enough for her to know that it's important for us to try to help out, but not too much that it scares her, she's way too young to know how terrible this really is and I don't want her to know too much too early. It amazes me the depth of her questions, how much her mind is already thinking and all the connections she's making. I think the hardest set of questions was this: "Mommy, Nunnie's sister died from cancer, does that mean that Christina could die from cancer?" I had to answer yes, she could, but the happy news is that she doesn't have any cancer in her body right now. "Is it contagious?" No, it's not. "How do kids get it?" We don't know sweetheart, we really, really don't know. "That's not fair." No, it isn't.

The poster party was very fun, and so awesome to see everyone laughing and having fun together, coloring, creating, and over-dosing on frosting and sugar cookies. Christina was really excited and happy to make her poster, which will have her picture on it and will be up on the marathon route on April 20th. This has been a hard race to train for, lots of snow to battle and probably a little too much time away from my family especially lately with the long runs. But going to things like this make me remember that it truly is worth it 150%. This organization is saving lives and making special children happy and I'm so blessed to be a part of it. Christina can't wait to slap me five on marathon Monday and I absolutely feel the same way. They'll be waiting at Mile 17, and I know I'll be crying!!  Christina was so excited about all of this that she asked her mom if she could still be in the marathon group if she doesn't have cancer any more. The great thing about it is that she can be, forever, even if, hopefully, she is forever cancer free!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

Christina with her mom, me and Emma

Me and Christina with her poster for race day!

One proud and happy little girl

Two poster artists

35 Days - Knees, Joints and Energy

Sunday, March 15th - 35 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 37 degrees

Distance - NOTHIN, resting up after the rainy 14 miles yesterday, back to the pavement tomorrow

 Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

No run today, giving the knees and feet some time to rest. After I ran the Chicago Marathon in 1999 I could barely walk for about two weeks. My knees hurt so bad I thought I had wrecked them forever. Turns out that's just what happens after a marathon, and I won't be that surprised after this one if I can't walk for a while. I'm trying to avoid quite as much pain this time, by taking vitamins to help my joints and bones, along with my very necessary Vitamin B for mental energy. My doctor suggested Glucosamine Chontroitin for joints - evidently these two minerals, when taken together, help repair and rebuild joint cartilage. He also suggested Calcium for bone strength. So here it is, my daily pre-marathon vitamin regimen. So far it seems to be helping, I haven't had much knee pain at all, and the Vitamin B definitely helps with focus and energy which I've really needed to run through the worst winter on record.
Happy Sunday!

36 Days - Cold Rainy Run

Saturday, March 14th - 36 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 30 degrees (and rainy!!)

Distance: 14 Miles

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

The word of the day is: black ice! 14 miles today outside with the Dana-Farber team. It was cold, rainy, and windy, and the sidewalks were full of black ice that we couldn't see until we were sliding on it. Noone fell fortunately, but we all skidded across a few patches of ice and had a few good laughs. The rain started to fall heavy at about mile 7 so we were all a bunch of drowned rats by the time we got back. But today I got to run the route with two awesome ladies, another Boston Marathon newbie like myself, and a 16 time runner who is running for her 4 year old son's best friend who is a patient at DF. We had so much fun talking that the 14 miles fell off quickly and we barely felt Grossman's hill in Wellesley (which if you haven't done it is steeper and longer than some of the Heartbreak hills).

One of the things we talked about during our run was our patient partners. All three of us are running for a pediatric patient and it's changed all of our lives. My friend who is running for her son's friend said that he is coming up on his 1 year "re-birthday," which means that he will be cancer free for 1 year. She said that his family had tried several treatment options with him and nothing was working, until his mom asked if there were any trials he could participate in. DF got him involved in a clinical trial that was funded by Marathon Challenge funds, and that one worked. He's been cancer free since then. That's what this challenge is all about. It's about funding scientists who are making discoveries that are working and saving lives. For those of you who don't know, 100% of all donations go to fund scientists. 100%. Nothing is taken out. To me, this is a really big deal. I've seen several groups where 77-85% goes to research. Dana-Farber structures it so that the runners and other private donors pay ALL the admin funds so that ALL the donations go to research, and it's actually working to save lives.

Water stop on heartbreak hill, some of the awesome DF volunteers!

Water Stop 2 !

Water Stop 3, the St.Paddy's Day Party

Lisa, Me and Erin, three drowned rats

37 Days - Race View

Friday, March 13th - 37 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 25 degrees

No run today, resting up for tomorrow's big run

Rest day today ahead of tomorrow's 14 miler. So far the outlook is for cold, rainy/snowy weather. I'm not looking forward to that. And my blister still hurts, not sure what another long rainy run will do to it. Ugh. Well, in the mean time, Coach Jack posted this time lapse video of the race course on our team FB page. I'm not sure if I like it or if it scares me! 26.2 miles is a long, long way even on time lapse video with someone driving the course.

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

38 Days - This S--t Just Got Real

Thursday, March 12th - 38 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 28 degrees

Workout: Cross-training: 30 minutes ARC Trainer workout, 30 minutes weights and core workout

Amount raised: $6,030 (63% of goal)

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

We got our bib numbers and wave information today for the marathon. Start time: 11:15am. That means I'll be running by my neighborhood, through Newton and up Heartbreak Hill between 2-3pm, finishing up around 3:30-4pm. This s--t just got real.

39 Days - Will the Snow Ever Melt?

Wednesday, March 11th - 39 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 56 degrees! Warm!!

Distance: 10 Miles

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

Today we had a water pipe burst in our house. It's caused a few thousand dollars in damage to the house and maybe more depending of it's impacted the structural beams below. I have to say that being part of the Dana-Farber team, running with people who have experienced so much loss, really puts this all into perspective for me and I'm grateful for it. I think before being on this team I would have really let this bother me. It's going to mess us up financially here a little. So much for some of the new stuff we wanted for the house and so much for trying to save anything. But it's just money, and we can get through it. I honestly believe this, because of the different perspective I have from running with DF.

It was a gorgeous day out today, other than the piles of dirty snow. 56 and sunny and it felt like beach weather! You have to watch THIS VIDEO. I've been laughing non-stop about this. 56 definitely feels warmer after a freezing winter, but I'll take it! Now the question is, will these snow piles be there in 39 days? The route seems clear but I have a feeling this snow will be around on Marathon Monday. There's snow piles taller than me still. Unless its 75 degrees for several days in a row, how will these ever melt in 39 days?

The top of heartbreak hill - piles of snow everywhere

There's no way this giant dirty snow hill will be gone in 39 days

40 Days! I Will Run, Run, Run - 40 is the New 26.2!!

Tuesday, March 10th - 40 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 40 Degrees (warm!!)

Distance: 7 Miles

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

Dear Mother Nature,
Is it safe to assume we're done with training in sub-zero temps with snow and ice on every road and sidewalk? I mean, it's only mid-March and all. Is that too much to ask?
Either way, I will beat you. It's 40 days to Marathon Monday and 40 is the New 26.2. I will run, run, RUN!
Thank You,
Laura

41 Days - Mindset

Monday, March 9th - 41 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 38 degrees

Distance - No run today, knees ache and blisters hurt from rainy run yesterday

I took the day off today to make sure I didn't really hurt my knees. It hurt to walk up and down stairs so I knew I needed to take a break. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, I think they hurt from running for a few hours in rain, it gets into your bones that way. And I had to pop a few blisters and let those heal. Yuck.

 

On a happier note, one of the things that inspired me to run the marathon this year was the book Mindset, by Carol Dweck. One of the things I love about my daughter's school is that they're constantly looking to educate parents along with kids. Earlier this school year the principal suggested reading Mindset, which she said all of the teachers have read. They all try to encourage students to have a Growth Mindset instead of a Fixed Mindset, which you can learn all about if you read the book. I highly, highly recommend it. I learned that the human mind keeps learning all through life, and that you can change mental and physical aspects about yourself just by having a Growth Mindset. I ran a marathon 15 years ago and sort of said I'd never run one again. My knees hurt really bad after that run and I had a hard time walking for several weeks after. I was afraid. But through reading this book and talking to my doctor, I learned that there were things I could have done more proactively to prevent that pain (ie. Glucosamine Condroitin/more strength training/knee brace), and I decided I needed to try it again. Why let a past pain influence what happens now?

If you have the time, definitely give it a read, and who knows maybe you'll be running Boston 2016 for Dana-Farber!!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

42 Days - Rainy Run

Sunday, March 8th - 42 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp at Start - 55 degrees (and very rainy!!)

Distance - 14 miles

Amount Raised: $5,855 out of $9,500 goal

The weekend conference was finally over and I had 5 hours until my flight back home. And it was 55 degrees which is a perfect temp for running. But it was pouring rain. A torrential downpour. Ugh. Oh well, fortunately I have a coworker who runs marathons and he was my inspiration to zip up my raincoat and get out there for the long run anyways. We ran all around Houston, through memorial park and through the awesome River Oaks neighborhood. We even stumbled upon George Bush Senior's Houston home (see pic below)!! I have blisters all over my feet from wet shoes and socks and my joints ache more than usual from the rain, but at least we got the run in and it wasn't freezing cold!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!!

43 Days - Houston

Saturday, March 7th - 43 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp (In Houston) - 65 degrees

Distance - 4 miles, outside

Amount Raised: $5,805 out of $9,500 goal

AGGGHHH, it's 65 degrees out and partly cloudy! Perfect running weather. Unfortunately I had a conference all day and was only able to sneak in 4 miles. I got to run through Houston's nicest neighborhood, River Oaks. It was so nice to run without a coat, hat, gloves, etc....  I can't wait for Spring!!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!

44 Days - Rest Day

Friday, March 6th - 44 Days to Marathon Monday

Temp: 20 degrees

Distance - No running today, off to Houston for a weekend conference. Maybe will be able to get in a nice run on Sunday after the conference with no snow on the ground!!

Link to Donate HERE - Thank You!