Well, now.
Remember two days ago when I thought I ran six miles? I’d used gmaps pedometer to map it out before I left, but I ended up getting a little lost (don’t ask — lost on a straight line), and I thought I made up for it while I was running. Nope. Instead of getting those big blisters on my insteps in return for running six miles, I got them for only running 4.8. Not even five miles. Dude. I was so disappointed when I found that out. And I walked a lot of it, too. And I was slow. And I’d even imagined I might have gone seven miles! Wrong.
I was discouraged.
Then I went to the Nike Marathon website. I was reminded that their official cause is Team in Training. This is awesome. They’re great.
Then I realized that on October 19th I would be surrounded by women running in purple shirts, all of whom had raised at least $2500 to go towards lymphoma, luekemia, and myeloma research.
Myeloma. What Mom died of three months ago.
And I realized I was jealous of those runners.
Me, months ago I put down my seventy dollars or whatever it was to register. I’d be wearing a plain tee-shirt and running, not helping anyone but myself and Nike (a whole ‘nother ball of guilt).
And that’s crap.
Let’s change that, shall we?
I need motivation to run, to keep training. I’m [thisclose] to copping out, to saying I can’t do it.
But If y’all are behind me, and I’m running to honor Mom and your belief in me and to do something good, I’ll be there. With bells on.
So what do you think? Another little raffle? I absolutely don’t care how much we raise together — I have no set goal that I need to reach in order to run. As much or as little as you feel moved to donate helps SO much. Really.
Every $10 donated gets you a chance at a pair of hand-knit socks. So fifty bucks gets you five chances. You donate straight to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, LINK HERE. Then just send me an email with how many chances I should mark you down for.
On October 18th, I’ll draw a random name and that person will get to tell me what size and color she wants her socks. Then I’ll make them in a hurry and get them to her faster than I did to Carol who won Lala’s AIDS lifecycle sock-raffle. (Carol! They’re in the mail! Sorry! I hate the post office!)
On October 19th, I’ll run the half-marathon with you behind me. This is a way to honor my little mama and help others (like Annie Modesitt’s husband Gerry) living with the disease.
And on October 19th, in thirty-seven days, I’ll run the half-marathon
as fast as I can (which will be pretty damn slow, I can assure you),
with pride. I’ll run with love.
You can do it! The training is always the hardest part — and look at how many you have behind you rooting you on?
You CAN do it. I assure you. 5 years ago I ran it. I didn’t think I could. I was even closer than you to copping out. I’d been training regularly, on track to complete 13 miles with no problem until the weekend before when my body simply stopped at mile 3 of a run. I couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t run at all that last week. And on the morning of the event I got up, drove to San Francisco, told the folks I was running with that I didn’t think I could do it, and then ran 13 miles. It turns out my true self knew something my brain did not.
You are doing this from a place of love. Your heart and soul know that you can do it. Your body knows you can do it. All that’s left is to do it.
You can do it! and we are behind you 150%, girlie. GO RACH!
Oh honey! You can do this. And I think you really want to do this so we’ll all rally behind you and join you in this effort! I’ll tell you what, you get to training and run the 1/2 marathon and I’ll start walking it now.
No, seriously. I mean, my fitness level is terrible right now. I’m really unhappy with it and need something to get this jump started. You know that awful point when the fitness level is so bad it is hard to even do any exercise. Makes it hard to get in better shape.
That is me right now. So I’ll start walking, I’ll start keeping track of how far I walk and my goal will be 26 miles by the time you start the race. That may not seem like a lot but for me, it is huge.
Maybe next year we can run the marathon together. 🙂
I am with Andrea. Last yr I registered for a half marathon in Florida, of all places, to support breast cancer research, this year is my mom’s 15 yr survivorship anniversary and it was a great way to clear my body and mind after trying to get pregnant. Long story short, got pregnant on my own while training (so much for modern medicine) and then misccarried. Needless to say, after that I lost my mojo to train and it was Nov. I never ran more than 4 miles from that moment until the day of the Marathon. I did it and so will you. You will do it for your mother. You will run and your mother will be with you every step and you will cry and you will remember why you are running and you will finish.
Look up the Jeff Galloway training method. Rn 1 mile, walk 1 minute…it helps.
Hi babe: yer dad would like to sweeten the pot for those who enter the raffle. For every dollar they pledge, I will match it, up to a total of $100 as I am not infinitely rich. Since I will not enter the contest, they can get 2 chances at winning as well as seeing their dollars for cancer double themselves.
I wanted to send you and Lala a monetary gift for your wedding, and like this way of doing it.
Much love,
yer Dad
I screwed up my first 5K training run too…and found out it was less than 5K and was disappointed. But I did it again, this time with the right distance, and if I can do 5K, honey, you can do your half marathon. You’ve actually successfully run in the past and I have not, so you’re way ahead of me.
Right behind you, lovey. And yer Dad is making me all weepy :-}
De-lurking with a suggestion: have you tried wearing 2 pairs of socks to cut down on the blisters? I am not a runner, but back in the day I did a lot of hiking and cross country skiing, and I found that one pair of very thin silk socks worn under a regular pair of sport socks didn’t take up any more room in my shoes or boots, and all the friction is between the socks, and not your foot.
I would love to support you in your cause. I’ll email you with my (modest) donation amount.
(Unraveling’s friend) Pamela
De-lurking with a suggestion: have you tried wearing 2 pairs of socks to cut down on the blisters? I am not a runner, but back in the day I did a lot of hiking and cross country skiing, and I found that one pair of very thin silk socks worn under a regular pair of sport socks didn’t take up any more room in my shoes or boots, and all the friction is between the socks, and not your foot.
I would love to support you in your cause. I’ll email you with my (modest) donation amount.
(Unraveling’s friend) Pamela
forgot my suggestion when I emailed you about my donation-the way I got back into running this summer was, of course, with my IPod. My method was to run 4-5 songs, walk a song, repeat. Eventually those numbers changed as it got easier(and now I can run without the break but then I am not doing 13 miles my friend). It is a way to get back into it without looking at the watch. Hope that helps!
Oh Rachel,
your mom died of the same thing my dad died of 26 years ago. I am still so struck when I hear mention of the disease which seemed so rare and still is I think. Anyway – I’m travelling and visiting and shouldn’t even be reading your blog but I’m a gonna sponsor you to the tune of $20 because every time I see ads for the run you are doing I think I should do that but can imagine how to fit it into this life. Now I will send you a wee bit of cash and maybe help a little bit other families like ours. Good luck.
Good luck! Walking is not cheating – 13 miles is a long way however you do it.
(Well, unless you use an engine. That’s probably not so difficult.)
when I get back from Africa (in 2 weeks) you are on… I am all for supporting others across the line!
Good for you! You can definitely do it. Aren’t you the one who motivated ALL of us with Run-a-Go-Go? You got us off our butts for a very long time. I love supporting a good cause. I’m off now.