Finally...A Half Marathon Finisher

Yesterday I completed my first half marathon, something I wasn't sure I would be able to do when I started this journey last November.

The weekend was amazing. I arrived in Downtown Detroit mid-morning Saturday to visit the Expo and get my race bib. Then I took a really cool bus tour of the route seeing parts of the city I'd never seen and learning more about its history.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society hosted an Inspiration dinner Saturday evening announcing that Team In Training raised $170K for blood cancer research for the Free Press event! The millions of dollars they've raised over the past 24 years continues to fund life saving research to cure blood cancers.

After a 4:30 am wake up, we arrived at the 7 am start ready to rock it. I dedicated my run to Survivors Terri Norman, Katie Paulson and Kitty Grund and wrote their name on my singlet so they were with me in spirit the whole time. An emotional moment was when I paused by a fellow TNT runner with "Survivor" written on the back of her shirt. I asked how she was doing and she said "Who would have thought that 6 years ago when I had blood cancer that I'd be running a marathon today!" 

The course included running over the Ambassador Bridge into Canada, running through Windsor, then back through the tunnel into the US. A cool moment was as I exited the tunnel, the announcer said "Deb Drummond of Ferndale"... and something about looking strong and doing great. Caught me by surprise but put some fuel in my tank.

After only having run up to 12 miles in training, 13.1 was another barrier buster so seeing the finish line in the distance was a welcome relief. I was feeling strong so I gave a good kick at the end and was SO thrilled to finally cross the finish line. Even though I didn't start my training intending for the Detroit Free Press to be my first half marathon, I was SO glad it was...everything about the day and the event was absolutely perfect!

24 Hours

Tomorrow morning I'll be running the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon. During this taper down of miles, it feels like I'm not ready but I have to remember all the hard work and discipline I've put in this past year.

This is crazy, but you can follow my footsteps by downloading the Free Press Marathon app at:

http://www.freepmarathon.com/download

Press the little runner guy in the middle of the top line, then enter my bib number:  18373

I'm off to pick up my bib, visit the expo, take a bus tour around the course, then enjoy an Inspiration Dinner with my fellow Team in Training teammates before the big day. I'll keep you posted with a few pix along the way...GO TEAM!

Half Way To The Half

I'm half way through my training program to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon on May 6th. Over the past 13 weeks, I've run nearly 150 miles with the longest distance being 9 miles. At this point, I know I can complete it...even if I have to walk the last 4 miles.

As I reflect on what I've accomplished so far, I'm amazed. I hadn't run a mile in nearly 30 years and I could barely run to the end of the block. I could not have come this far without the support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training and my awesome coach Steve Teichow. That said, besides being connected on Facebook and an occasional email, I only see my coach and team mates on the long Saturday runs. My training runs the other four days of the week are up to me and so far I've been on autopilot.

I've had surgery on both my big toes and I suffered from shin splits when I ran in the Marine Corps back in the day. With an implant in one toe and a screw in the other, I thought my feet or shins were going to be my biggest challenge. Turns out neither one is my nemesis.

The biggest challenge, I've discovered, is my mind...keeping it occupied and thinking positively. Music helps A LOT, but sometimes old, tired thinking creeps in questioning my ability, whether I can really do this, etc. This is especially true every time we increase our mileage and I'm breaking a new barrier, a distance I've never run before.

This Saturday morning, I'll be running in the Molly Marine 5K at Parris Island, South Carolina where I first began running. I'll savor the experience and be reflecting on just how far I've come since I first stepped on those yellow footprints nearly 36 years ago.

Finding The Motivation

I've been wanting to run for years however the mind was willing but the heart and body were weak. To get myself off the sofa, I knew I needed an extra push. some sort external motivation to keep me going.

Team In Training with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was exactly the catalyst I was looking for...a structured program in a team environment with experienced trainers, something my body could get into. Their mission of raising money to cure blood cancers was something my heart could get behind.

When I went to the informational session, I met coaches and a few others who said they had sat in my seat just a year ago. An LLS staff member said she had never run before and positively glowed when she showed off her medal and told us how thrilling it was to cross the finish line.

Sign-up form in hand, I was given a choice of doing a triathlon (yeah, right!), running or walking a marathon or a half marathon. Although my eventual goal is to do a full marathon, I thought it best to start small and work my way up considering these old legs hadn't run one mile straight for nearly 30 years.

Then we had to choose which event we'd like to run. Our choices ranged from Cincinnati, to Nashville, to Vancouver, BC or even Madrid, Spain. As awesome as Vancouver or Madrid sounded, I chose Cincinnati for my first attempt because I can drive there. It was also a plus that I would need to raise less money to participate.

Sign-up form completed, I was welcomed aboard and handed my official Team In Training shirt and a training schedule based on the event I chose. I left the meeting feeling cautiously optimistic that this was something I might be able to do with the support they offer.

Then reality set in and my sofa beckoned.