When I first joined Team In Training® I was simply looking for a way to make a difference for people living with cancer. After witnessing the devastating effects of the disease, as well as the miracle of modern medicine, I wanted to contribute in a meaningful way. I never fully understood the scope of what I had signed up for until I entered the Moscone center on Saturday night to attend the largest TNT pasta party ever. 5,500 TNT runners from all over the US descended on San Francisco this weekend to run the Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon. I don't know if this video does it justice, but the coaches from the TNT chapters lined up to create a welcome tunnel for all the runners entering the pasta party. It was an incredible reception and was impossible to not feel like I was part of something really special. I found it difficult to hold back the tears as I made my way through the crowd.
There were several amazing speakers at the event including John "The Penguin"Bingham and Joan Benoit as well as a Leukemia survivor who shared her experience with us. When you hear personal accounts of how the LLS helps individuals, it suddenly becomes real what your contribution really means. Let me share with you of the messages our honorees wrote to us before the race:
The team's dedication is both very inspiring and very reassuring to me. It reminds me that there are selfless and deeply committed people who are fighting to raise awareness and to help make "cure" a reality and not just a hope. So, thank you, and best of luck for the race. As you cross the finishing line please know that I am cheering for you and very grateful.
"It is with a humble heart that I write you. I am so incredibly proud of you for training, raising funds and making a difference. There were so many nights I sat in the hospital room with Cole and spoke of those just like you. I used to rock Cole while he would receive Chemo and I would quietly whisper to him, "Colie, someone out there is saving your life right now." It was then that tears would roll down my cheeks. The very thought of someone caring enough to save my baby gave me such hope.
Now that Colie is no longer with me, I still sit and think about those who raised funds to give me more time. You played such a huge role in saving someone's life. I hope one day you can understand what a powerful role you played and that the funds you raised (and worked so hard for) will allow a mother to have more time with her baby. Time was the most precious gift I was given.
By the end of the evening, I felt like I had accomplished a great deal and I still hadn't even made it to the starting line. But that would come soon enough.
Rob dropped me off at my hotel in Union Square and left me there on my own. I carefully layed everything out for the morning. I put my insoles into my running shoes and attached my running chip to my laces. I attached my racing bib to my jersey after carefully writing all the names of my honorees on the back of it. I packed my running belt with gels and Shot Blox and took a hot shower. There was nothing left to do but get plenty of rest and to visualize.
At 5:15 the next morning, the alarm went off and I could already hear the noise stirring on the street. Looking out the window, I could see people making thier way to Union Square to line up for the race. I slowly got ready, double checking and triple checking that I had everything before making my own way to Union Square. After going to the bathroom twice since arriving at Union Square, I met up with my friend Kristy who was running the half marathon as a training run for the NYC Marathon she's running in two weeks. For anyone who has never done anything like this, it's really something to be one of 22,000 people lining up for a race. You would think it would be total chaos but really it's quite civilized. The national anthem is played and somewhere off in the distance, the race is started, but from where Kristy and I were standing, there was no way to tell. Eventually, the crowd started to move and ten minutes later, we were making our way through the starting gate.
Rows and rows of family and friends flank the streets with signs and cheers as we set off on the run, winding our way through the streets, waiting for the sun to come up. As we came around to the Embarcadero, the sun was coming up over the horizon and casting a golden light on the Bay Bridge and Coit Tower was glowing in the morning light as we passed the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir who were singing for us as we passed.
Around Mile 4, kismet found me and changed my whole day. You may recall me mentioning Harini--she and I met and ran together on our 21 mile training run. I had every intention of getting in touch with her to meet up on race day, but I never got it together in time. As I was lining up in Union Square, I was regretting not having a running partner for the second half of the race. but then, at Mile 4, out of nowhere, Harini came running up beside me saying "I thought that was you!" I will never know how she managed to find me that day but I can't tell you how grateful I was that she did.
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