For the past few months I have been struggling as to which race to do next. Last fall I did the Women's Nike in San Francisco. This fall, I just don't feel like going back there, so I didn't sign up. I thought I would just keep running like I"m supposed to and it will be all good. But I started making excuses as to why I couldn't run. On crept the weight. I just know I need to get back out there and start running, but without a race as a goal I probably will only do one or two runs a week. Not good enough.
I also have this sitting in my heart: Cancer! Well, actually it is in my blood, and I just can't shake it.
Then I have these two big thing happening within a month of each other: my forty-second birthday and my first birthday. I need to celebrate in a big way.
So what to do, what to do.
Well for the winter TNT season (I have to run for TNT!) they are doing Honolulu and the Seattle Amica Marathon. I've flipped back and forth for about three weeks and today, I'm proud to announce two things.
1. I'm running in the Seattle Marathon. I want to do it at home Thanksgiving weekend so that my family can cheer me. There is something cool about hearing your kids voices as you run the "bite-me" miles. It'll be sad not to have Kray there who will be in Hawaii, (so now you know why the choice was hard) but I need to do it at home.
2. For my 42 birthday I'm going to run 42 miles (or at least try). I'm going to run from Marymoor park to Gasworks and then back to Marymoor on Labor Day. (Steve doesn't even know yet.) I'm going to sell ribbons as a fund raiser and ask my friends to run miles with me. I'm going to sell shirts too. (I've got details to work out.) I'm celebrating my first birthday and my forty-second. My remission date is August 5, 2010, and my real birthday is September 6, 1969. I sure hope this is a success.
Now why do I do this, because today I read on a fellow TNT teammates facebook that a sweet little girl who would have been four later this month is now in Heaven. She was diagnosed at 8 months with blood cancer and lost the fight today. I'm doing this because there is no cure for my cancer. I'm doing this for Paul, Lilli, Mark, Colleen, Frank's dad, Shelley's mom, and more importantly for my kids. Cancer has to be stopped. It takes people's lives and screws them up! It has to be stopped and I can do it one mile at a time.
As soon as my paper work is in, I'll be sending out emails asking for donations one more time. Somebody is going to crack the cancer code and lives will be saved!
So Seattle here I come!